Join The Explorers Club, on Monday, November 17th, to hear the incredible true tale of the USS Stewart, a ship that served under two flags in World War II, and the remarkable partnership to find its wreck after 78 years.
In this illustrated lecture, historian and TEC Fellow Russ Matthews (FN’91) reveals how a chance meeting at the Explorers Club, combined with 10 years of meticulous archival research, state-of-the-art underwater survey technology and the spirit of scientific collaboration led to the discovery of the sunken destroyer USS Stewart, also known as “The Ghost Ship of the Pacific.” Finding the Stewart shed new light on the nearly forgotten experience of the US Navy Asiatic Fleet sailors who confronted the seemingly unstoppable might of Imperial Japan early in WWII, as well as the singular saga of a ship that was battle-tested, abandoned, sunk, seized, resurrected, and ultimately recaptured.
Equal parts historical adventure yarn and modern detective story, Matthews’ presentation will take viewers behind the scenes of the investigation and highlight the many individuals and institutions that joined together to make it possible.
This in-person event at the Explorers Club Headquarters will include an audience Q&A.
RESERVATIONS
This will be an in-person lecture at Explorers Club Headquarters.
In-person tickets are $20 for Members, and $35 for the General Public.
Check-in will begin at 6:00 pm, with a beer and wine reception from 6:00 – 7:00 pm
Russ Matthews
Russ Matthews is the President and Co-founder of the Air/Sea Heritage Foundation (ASHF), a US-based non-profit dedicated to aviation and maritime history. He has led or participated in numerous expeditions seeking to find and document significant ship and aircraft wrecks around the world. Matthews co-authored the book “The Lost Submarines of Pearl Habor” (Texas A&M University Press, 2016) as well as numerous articles for publications such as Naval History, Oceanography, and the Journal of Maritime Archaeology. His work was featured on an episode of Discovery Channel’s award-winning documentary series Expedition Unknown and he is frequently asked to contribute as a “scientist ashore” to live-streamed underwater cultural heritage investigations by NOAA and the Ocean Exploration Trust. Matthews sits on the President’s Advisory Board of the National Museum of the Surface Navy at the battleship Iowa and is a Fellow of The Explorers Club, having joined TEC in 1991. Matthews has carried the club flag into the field five times, served one term as an appointed Director (2024-25) and is current Chair of the Library & Archives Committee.
