Local sailor missing after U.S. Navy ship, tanker collide near Singapore

CLEVELAND, Texas (FOX 26) - Even as a boy John Hoagland felt the pull of the sea.

"He made his decision. That's what he wanted to do and he loved the Navy. He really did," said his Uncle Larry Reed.

So as soon as he graduated from high school he joined up, perhaps an odd choice for a classic country boy.

“"He loved fishing and hunting. He had a motorcycle he'd ride. Just things a normal good kid would like," said relative Mike Morehead.

Things were going well for him. He liked the Navy. He was happy with his job. He was seeing the world. All was good. That is until his ship, the USS John McCain collided with an oil tanker on the other side of the world. And that collision stopped  his family's world from spinning when they learned John was one of the 10 sailors missing.

"I hope to God that they're all ok. I just don't know what else to say," said Reed.

But as word trickled out they had found some of the missing, the family started asking questions. Especially his Uncle Larry who had been in the Navy himself. Why did they collide? Why did it take so long to find the missing?

"It's really bothering me that they couldn’t get into that hole sooner. To see if there were survivors sooner. Maybe there still are. We're holding out hope that there may be an air pocket."

But there are no answers now, just questions and the agonizing wait and the fight to keep their hopes afloat.

“He loved his country and he has or may have given his life for his country. I'm sure hoping he hasn't yet,” said Reed.

All of his family members express frustration about the hotline number the Navy set up for family members. They say the calls always go to voicemail.