A top U.S. Navy admiral, serving as a special envoy to Japan, said Friday that the families of the missing sailors from the Japanese fishing vessel Ehime Maru have accepted an apology from President Bush, the U.S. government and the Navy.

USS GREENEVILLE

Commissioned: Feb. 16, 1996

Los Angeles-class attack nuclear submarine

Homeported in Pearl Harbor in March 1997

Max crew: 130

EHIME MARU

Specs:

499 tons

190.8 feet long

30.5 feet wide

Max crew: 76

CRASH RESOURCES:

Cmdr. Scott Waddle's Statement To Japanese People
Underwater Video Of Ehime Maru
Adm. Fargo Statement
First Radio Transmission Questions Of Ehime Maru Family Members
Fund Set Up For Ehime Maru Victims

WEB LINKS

How A Sub Works
Search Area U.S.S Greeneville
Pacific Cmdr. Submarine Hawaii Navy

In a statement, Adm. William J. Fallon said that "(the families) are appreciative for our intensive search and recovery efforts, and are reassured that we will do everything we can to prevent such a tragedy from happening again." Fallon, the vice chief of naval operations, was sent to Japan this week by President Bush to personally apologize to the families and the government of Japan. Japanese officials have said that Bush's letter of apology included a promise to consider raising the wreck. Fallon, who stopped in Hawaii Thursday night while en route to Washington, also said that the families and government were grateful to the people of Hawaii for their hospitality during the tragedy. "There was a sincere appreciation and gratitude for the compassion and assistance offered by the people of Hawaii," Fallon said. "The people of Japan will not soon forget your compassion and your concern." Cmdr. Scott Waddle, the commander of the USS Greeneville, the submarine that struck and sank the Ehime Maru on Feb. 9, on Tuesday delivered 13 letters of apology to the Japanese Counsulate in Honolulu. The letters were addressed to the families of the nine missing sailors, Japanese government officials, the captain of the Ehime Maru and the principal of the high school to which the sunken ship belonged. Although there is no precedent for it, Japanese experts said Friday that it may be possible to raise the training ship that was sunk by a U.S. submarine in deep water off the coast of Oahu three weeks ago. They admitted that it would be difficult to raise a ship the size of the 500-ton, 190-foot Ehime Maru, which sits in about 2,000 feet of water about ten miles south of Diamond Head. The six-member team of Japanese government and private experts was dispatched to Honolulu late last month and has temporarily returned to Tokyo before heading for Washington next week. Families of the nine people missing and presumed dead are demanding that the ship be raised as soon as possible. The U.S. Navy hopes to complete an evaluation by March 12 on whether it's going to be possible to recover the wreck. Previous Stories:

• March 1, 2001: Ehime Maru School Students Graduate
• February 28, 2001: Waddle: 'Part Of Me Died' In Collision
• February 27, 2001: Ehime Maru Survey Nearly Complete
• February 27, 2001: Japan: Bush Considering Salvage Of Sunken Ship
• February 26, 2001: Waddle Has 'Sincere Regret' About Collision
• February 25, 2001: Sub Investigation Could Widen
• February 22, 2001: Navy Court Of Inquiry Could Be Delayed
• February 20, 2001: Navy Likely To Raise Ehime Maru
• February 20, 2001: Sub Mishap Survivors Still Haunted
• February 19, 2001: Sucess Of Raising Ehime Maru 'Questionable'
• February 19, 2001: Robot Sub Hauled Out For Repairs
• February 19, 2001: Tennessee Town Supports Sub Crew
• February 16, 2001: Search Continues While NTSB Interviews Sub Crew
• February 15, 2001: Police Warn Of Sub Victim Fund Scam
• February 15, 2001: Japanese Outraged Over Sub Revelation
• February 15, 2001: Two Island Residents On Greeneville
• February 15, 2001: Help Identify The Civilians On The Sub
• February 14, 2001: Sub Captain Could Face Criminal Inquiry
• February 13, 2001: Ehime Maru Crew Describes Disaster
• February 12, 2001: Bush Offers Prayer For Sub Victims
• February 12, 2001: NTSB Begins Sub Collision Probe
• February 11, 2001: Ehime Maru Captain Speaks
• February 11, 2001: Sub Commander Reassigned As Search Continues
• February 11, 2001: Sub Collided During Emergency Maneuver