Video of a 1974 US Navy Burial at Sea of recovered Soviet sailors.

April 8, 2010 8:27 AM

On September 4, 1974 the bodies of 6 Soviet sailors were recovered by the US Navy while clandestinely surveying the wreckage of submarine K-129. In 1992 CIA director Robert Gates "...as a gesture of intent, a symbol of a new era... carried with [him, on a state visit with Boris Yeltsin] the Soviet naval flag that had shrouded the coffins... [and] a videotape of their burial at sea, complete with prayers for the dead and the Soviet national anthem—-a dignified and respectful service even at the height of the Cold War."^[1] Where/how can I watch this videotape?
posted by jjjjjjjijjjjjjj to society & culture (5 answers total)

Is this it?
posted by ghharr at 8:34 AM on April 8, 2010 [2 favorites]

Wow. Great find. And fast.

Emailing the YouTube guy/gal who posted it. Anyone have any thoughts about where I could get this in a more archival format? Armed with some of the new info from the YouTube clip, I'll be searching the usual suspects (archive.org, LoC, etc.) and will be sure to post anything I can find in this thread.
posted by jjjjjjjijjjjjjj at 8:40 AM on April 8, 2010

It appears that the video was released under a FOIA request to the CIA. I'm sure you can do the same thing if you're willing to pay for it if you need it in a, as you say, more archival format.

Portions of the video were also apparently used in this episode of NOVA on PBS.
posted by inturnaround at 8:48 AM on April 8, 2010

there are FF extensions to download the src of a youtube video... (eg 1-click youtube video downloader)... Here is the 480x360 MP4 version
posted by nielm at 9:42 AM on April 8, 2010

Here's a longer version on Google Video (14:21 long, posted 4! years ago), versus the 9:59 long video on YouTube. Found when searching for glomar explorer video 1974.
posted by filthy light thief at 8:51 AM on May 27, 2010