Lost Boats Ceremony at Mare Island on Sunday

Times-Herald staff report
Posted: 10/07/2010 timesheraldonline.com

This year's Lost Boats Memorial ceremony will coincide with the Navy-friendly Fleet Week weekend.

The free event, designed to honor 575 Mare Island submarine crewmen who disappeared during World War II, will run from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday.The Lost Boats Memorial organizer and co-founder Myrna Hayes said the event's length was shortened this year in respect for some attendees' health.

Sunday will mark the fourth such event on Mare Island, and also roughly coincides with the 67th anniversary of the USS Wahoo's loss at sea, Hayes said.The afternoon memorial will kick off with a flag raising at Morton Field, at Walnut Avenue and D Street on Mare Island.

Those gathered will then move to the historic submarine repair dock Berth 6 from 2 to 3 p.m. for a music and history program, Hayes said. The event's final hour will include a reception at Quarters C, 832 Walnut Ave.

Visit www.mareislandpreserve.org or call Hayes at (707) 557-9816 or (707) 249-9633 for more information.

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Wahoo Memorial Torpedo Returns Home

From Omahanewsstand.com: Wednesday, August 18, 2010

By Lisa Brichacek

There are still a few scars from its battle with a falling tree, but the torpedo that memorializes the USS Wahoo is back home.

The torpedo monument on the Saunders County Courthouse lawn in Wahoo was underneath the top of a nearby tree after a windstorm howled through Wahoo earlier this year.

The torpedo was removed for repairs, but was returned last Friday morning.

Nebraska Base of United States Submarine Veterans Inc. Member Pat Hancock and a group of volunteers helped to guide the torpedo back onto its base.

Hancock said they have been working with the county’s insurance carrier to get the necessary repairs taken care of. The main thing, he said, was to seal up any cracks in the torpedo’s surface so further damage from weather didn’t occur.

The Wahoo Chapter of World War II Submarine Veterans was responsible for starting the memorial and maintained it for many years. Members of the Nebraska Base of United States Submarine Veterans Inc. started helping with maintenance in recent years due to the age of the World War II veterans.

According to Hancock, the World War II chapter will fold into the Nebraska Base chapter after this year. Any money left in the treasury of the World War II chapter will be put into a repair fund for the torpedo monument.

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Remembering Those On Eternal Patrol

A total of 52 United States submarines were lost during WWII.

The United States submarine service sustained the highest mortality rate of all branches of the U.S. Military during WWII.

1 out of every 5 U.S. Navy submariners was killed in WWII.

3,505 American submariners made the ultimate sacrifice in the defense of their country in World War II.

For information on individual U.S. submariners lost in the service of their country, visit OnEternalPatrol.com.

Statistics courtesy valoratsea.com.

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Wahoo and Tang exhibit planned for National WWII Museum

Legends of the Deep was recently contacted by The National World War II Museum in New Orleans regarding a new exhibit to feature USS Wahoo and USS Tang.

Seth Paridon, Manager of Research Services at the museum, solicited assistance in locating digital copies of images featured on Legends. These will gladly be provided. The future exhibits will tell the story of submarines in the Pacific war and detail the contributions of Wahoo and Tang, along with their respective COs. In addition, they plan to construct a full size submarine walk through which will be modeled after the USS Tang. 

Details will follow as they are made available. It should be an impressive exhibit!

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