United States Submarine Veterans
Mid-Atlantic Base
The Supreme Sacrifice
It is true that the sea has always taken its toll of seamen. This is especially true for the submariner. Over the years, some four thousand young men have lost their lives in circumstances serving our country in the U.S. Submarine Force. In all, a total of seventy-two U.S. submarines have been lost in war and in peace.
During the Second World War, submariners comprised less than 2% of U.S. Navy personnel, yet they destroyed over half of Japanese merchant shipping and sank nearly a third of all Japanese warships destroyed. Seldom, if ever in history, had so small a naval force accomplished so much. Japan's war effort depended on shipping. It was sunk in the main by U.S. submarines.
These successes did not come without a price. 52 American submarines were lost during World War II. Many of our numbers were lost in the performance of these duties. 3,500 submariners quietly paid the ultimate price in the defense of their country. Seven submariners were awarded the Medal of Honor during the Second World War, two posthumously. The efforts and sacrifices of these men earned the U.S. Submarine Force its nickname, The Silent Service. It is a name the service continues to wear proudly to this day.
More than fifty years have passed since the men of World War II departed on their eternal patrol. We of United States Submarine Veterans, Inc. and U.S. Submarine Veterans of World War II endeavor to keep alive the memory of our departed Shipmates at every gathering of our organizations. We do this by honoring their memory in prayer and by "Tolling the Boats" -- calling the roll of those submarines "Still on Patrol".
We honor the brave men who served this great land of ours in Her hour of greatest need. We honor men who understood the challenges and the dangers they faced, yet they still chose to serve.
Even though they are no longer amongs us, we keep them in our memory. To us who know them they are very real, in contribution, in memory, and in spirit. We shall not forget them.
- From the USSVI Memorials and Ceremonies Handbook, portions edited.
The buttons on the right will bring you to pages dedicated to the memory of those submariners who lost their lives in the service of our country in each month. Clicking on the photos on these pages will bring you to pages that describe the circumstances leading to their loss.