WHITLEY COUNTY, Ind. (WANE) -- This past Veterans Day, the wreck of a U.S. Navy destroyer named the USS Edsall was officially identified more than 70 years after sinking to the ocean floor following a battle with Japanese forces. For a family with deep ties to the ship and northeast Indiana, the news represented the end of more than 80 years of worries and what-ifs that started following the ship and crew's demise. Background Of the hundreds of crew members who lost their lives when the USS Edsall sank to the bottom of the Indian Ocean near Indonesia, one sailor -- Lt. Richard "Dick" W. Meyers -- hailed from Columbia City. Born March 12, 1914, Dick graduated from the Naval academy in 1936 and joined the USS Edsall in the late 1930s. As lieutenant, he was in charge of the ship's engine room. Lt. Richard "Dick" W. Meyers (Photo provided by Chris Meyers)Lt. Richard "Dick" W. Meyers (Photo provided by Chris Meyers)Lt. Richard "Dick" W. Meyers, pictured in the bottom photo is his wife (Photo provided by Chris Meyers) The USS Edsall's final battle happened in March 1942 when the singular ship encountered a Japanese fleet. Despite sustaining damage from a previous battle, the USS Edsall outmaneuvered the fleet for approximately two hours, earning the ship the nickname the "dancing mouse" from a Japanese observer, according to the Naval History and Heritage Command. However, the bombardment of more than 1,000 artillery shells and 26 bomber planes proved to be insurmountable as the ship sank. The USS Edsall's crew was declared missing in action March 1, 1942, and subsequently declared "presumed dead" in 1945. Chris said his uncle likely died when the ship sank since he would have been stationed in the engine room. For his sacrifice, Dick received several posthumous awards, including the Purple Heart, and he also earned recognition from President Harry S. Truman. On Nov. 11, 2024, the U.S. Navy announced that the ship's wreckage had been officially identified after the Royal Australian Navy initially discovered it. "The wreck of this ship is a hallowed site, serving as a marker for the 185 U.S. Navy personnel and 31 U.S. Army Air Force pilots aboard at the time, almost all of whom were lost when Edsall succumbed to her battle damage," said Adm. Lisa Franchetti, chief of naval operations for the U.S. Navy. "This find gives us the opportunity for today’s generation of Sailors and Navy civilians to be inspired by their valor and sacrifice." A photo of the USS Edsall (Photo provided by the Nabal History and Heritage Command) A still image from film showing the last moments of the USS Edsall. (Photo provided by the Naval History and Heritage Command) U.S. Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy also thanked the Royal Australian Navy for its discovery and said it will allow America to honor those who died on the ship. "We will now be able to preserve this important memorial and hope that the families of the heroes who died there will know their loved ones rest in peace," Kennedy said. "We will tell their stories, learn from their bravery, and be inspired by their sacrifice. We will always remember them.” Family Reaction When word of Dick's fate reached his family in Columbia City, those closest to him were devastated, including his brother: Edward Meyers Jr., a longtime Whitley County judge who died in 2017. "He was only 17 when Pearl Harbor was attacked, so he couldn't enlist anyway like everyone did at the time. He had to wait until the following May, and it was in that time that Dick's ship was sunk," said Chris Meyers, Edward's son and Dick's nephew. Edward, who was 10 years younger than Dick, enlisted in the military immediately after turning 18 in order to "get even" for his brother's death. Even after joining the military, his wishes were not truly fulfilled after being deployed to Europe instead of the Pacific Theater where Dick fought. "Throughout the war, he very much had Dick's loss on his mind ... I know that there was hurt there. There was this emptiness that there should be another sibling here," Chris said. Lt. Richard "Dick" W. Meyers received a Purple Heart after his death. (Photo provided by Chris Meyers) According to accounts Chris heard from his father and aunts, Dick's parents, widow and other siblings also struggled with his death. His widow, who remarried years later and had a son, never fully moved on after Dick's death, Chris said. Chris' family eventually connected with her son, who told the family about the discovery of the wreckage. "It was just jaw-dropping," Chris said. "I never knew him. I can't claim anything like that. I could tell that it wore on my dad ... and that was the first thing I thought was I wish I could tell my dad that they found it." A plaque in memory of Lt. Richard "Dick" W. Meyers, which is placed on the back of his parents' headstone at Greenhill Cemetery in Columbia City. (Photo provided by Chris Meyers) While Chris believes any family members who would have known Dick have passed on, Chris also said the recent discovery of the USS Edsall would have brought some level of comfort to them. "I found a picture of my dad and was just like, 'well, they found the ship, Dad,'" Chris said. "I wish he could have known because I know that he thought about that a lot and whether it would ever be found." Even for Chris and his other family members, who never met Dick but understood the burden carried by their family's previous generation, the discovery of the wreckage was important and provided the family with newfound closure. A memorial honoring Lt. Richard "Dick" W. Meyers (bottom) among Americans who served and died in World War II while fighting in battles around New Guinea and the Philippines. (Photo provided by the American Battle Monuments Commission) "For someone like me who's my age, World War II is pretty far removed. For most people, it's two [or] three generations or so, but for me, it's one," said Chris, who is 41 years old. "My dad was in it and my uncle was in it, so it's a very personal thing for me, and to have the ship located and know where the wreckage is ... it's the closing of a chapter, and it's an ending I don't think any of us expected to ever have happen." In addition to a bronze memorial plaque attached to his parents' headstone at Greenhill Cemetery in Columbia City, Dick is also honored at Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.