Wednesday, December 30, 2009


St. Marys Submarine Museum
John Crouse, Museum Manager
102 St. Marys, St. Marys, GA 31558-4945
912-882-ASUB (2782)
Gift Shop: gift_shop@tds.net
http:stmaryssubmarinemuseum.com

My book
SUBMARINE STORIES OF WAR WORLD II
can be ordered from the museum gift shop.
Thank you! marynida@lakeviewnet.com

Monday, December 21, 2009

Submarine veterans and all military men & women; Do have a blessed Christmas and a safe, healthy, Happy New Year!

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Captain Ira Dye Craig Dye Thursday, 12/17/09, 11:40 AM My father, Capt. Ira Dye, was skipper of the Sea Fox during the late forties and early fifties. I am interested in learning more about the operational activities of the ship during that period. St. Petersburg, Florida cmako88@aol.com

Saturday, December 19, 2009

FLAG USS GRENADIER SS-210 POW's made an American flag out of a bed sheet: The picture of the flag and Jerry's father is shown on my Tuesday, November 3, 2009 blog post. Mary, I saw your comment and thought I would give some information about the Flag. The POW waving the Flag in the photo is my father James D. "Slim" Landrum EM1c. He was a crew member on the Grenadier SS210. I have his diaries from his stay as a "guest" of the Japanese. He told me that he and several others made the Flag from a sheet and that he got the pole (fireman's pike" from the fire shed. He said he wanted the American Flag to be in front and large than the other Flags. At on time I had a photo of the flag on the roof of one of the buildings so the planes could see it. He said he gave the flag to one of the other POWs whose last name I think ended with "ski". I have the roster of all of the POWs at Camp Omori. My father gave most of his things away as he was being liberated. The only things I have are two small notebooks he kept notes in. I had dreamed of finding the submarine someday and started diving in 1965 in hopes of someday finding it. I enlisted in the Army in 1966 and volunteered for Vietnam three times with the hopes of visiting some of the POW camps he was in. The ones I remembered were the Light Street Convent in Penang, Singapore, Ofuna, Shinagawa, and Omori. Of course the Army would not send me and I spent my time in the States. There is a group of divers in Malaysia that are supposedly searching for the Grenadier. There are so many things I wish I had done like recording some of the conversations when the survivors would have reunions and when I visited some of them while traveling. Wouldn't it be nice if someone like Clint Eastwood or Tom Hanks would produce a movie like they did with "Flags of our Father's, or "Saving Private Ryan". It's great to know that someone else is trying to find out what happened to the Flag. Hope this sheds a little light on the Flag. Jerry Landrum Thanks Jerry, for your emotional story.

Monday, December 14, 2009

I Remember Here's to us, one and all Who heard the message and answered the call. To break away from the old mainstream and live our lives on a submarine. Sub School gave us the chance to pass the test To declare that we were The Best of the Best. When we left New London with orders in hand, We all headed out on different courses for distant, faraway lands. Some went East coast some went West But no matter where you ended up, your first boat's the best. You reported on board not knowing what to think But now you're known to all as a nub and a dink. You learn about Tradition and learn about Pride, You learn about Honor and the men who have died, You learn about the heritage that's been passed on to you Because now you're considered one of the crew. You study that boat from bow to stern From the conning tower to the bilges, it's your duty to learn Where and what makes that boat go, how it operates and in what direction it flows How to charge those batteries and keep them alive or how to rig the boat for dive. Draw those systems fore and aft, blow the shitters, Check the draft These are duties that you must glean when you live your life on a submarine. When you've learned all there is to know about your boat You show 'em you know it, by your walk through vote. You go before the Qual Board, card in hand Where they question and grill you to beat the band. And when you think you can take no more They tell you to wait just outside the door. For what seems like eons, Time stands still And when they call you in, you feel quite ill! But they congratulate you for doing so good And welcome you into their Brotherhood. Right of passage declares that you must drink your "fish". And the tacking on process is not something you wish, But you wear those dolphins on your chest with pride Because down deep in your heart, you know you're Qualified. It seems like yesterday, it seems like a dream That I truly lived on a submarine. Most Boats are gone, a memory of time I wonder what happened to that crew of mine? The Old Boats that are left, are all museums And even if you rode 'em, you have to pay admission to see 'em. So here's to us, those that remember Who rode the boats out in all kinds of weather. To those past, present and even the future To those young, hardy lads who still love adventure So let's lift our glasses and have a toast To the memory of those daring young sailors and their undersea boats. Dick Murphy IC3-SSUSS Tiru SS-416   Any man or woman who may be asked in this century what they did to make life worthwhile in their lifetime....can respond with a great deal of pride and satisfaction, "I served a career in the United States Navy."

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Pearl Harbor: Joseph Wolk (Gunners mate), the father of my cousin Patricia
Hamm, was aboard the USS Tennessee. Next to it was the
USS California when Pearl Harbor was attacked. Aboard it was Ervin O.
Schmidt who later joined the USS Submarine Force where he was assign to the USS Torsk (SS-423). Mr. Schmidt was raised at Marshfield,
Wisconsin, and now lives at Edmonds, Washington.
He is our friend and is in my book.

Friday, December 4, 2009

Submarine Sailor

Poetry can be good for the soul... Submitted by: Pat Householder on 11/30/2009 --------------------------------------------------------- Seattle Base member Don Gentry has collected an entire page of sub poetry at http://www.submarinesailor.com/poetry/ Don also has an excellent submarine reference site at www.submarinesailor.com and a submariners BBS at http://www.bottomgun.com/bbs2/category-view.asp Enjoy! http://www.submarinesailor.com/poetry/