Admiral Ramage

Lawson Paterson Ramage was born on January 14, 1909 in Monroe Bridge, Massachusetts. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1931 and was subsequently commissioned as an Ensign in the U.S. Navy. From 1931 to 1935, he served onboard several ships, including the USS S-29 (S-134).

During World War II, Admiral Ramage was highly decorated for his actions in combat — being awarded the Silver Star, two Navy Crosses, and the Medal of Honor. Admiral Ramage was stationed at Pearl Harbor on the staff of the Commander, Submarines Pacific during the Japanese attack in December 1941. In early 1942, he served on his first patrol of the war as the Navigator of the USS GRENADIER. He was awarded the Silver Star as a member of the GRENADIER’S crew for “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity” while patrolling enemy waters. In June 1942, he assumed his first command — the USS TROUT. Under his command TROUT sank three ships during his four war patrols. He was awarded the Navy Cross for valor for actions while in command of the TROUT at Midway, Truk, the Solomons, and the South China Sea. In May 1943, he assumed command of the new BALAO-class submarine, the USS PARCHE (SS-384). On July 31, 1944, CDR Ramage commanded the PARCHE in a daring dawn assault on a heavily-escorted Japanese convoy, during which the PARCHE sunk two ships and badly damaged three others. For this he was awarded the Medal of Honor which was personally presented to him by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on January 10, 1945. His Medal of Honor citation reads:

“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as commanding officer of the U.S.S. PARCHE in a predawn attack on a Japanese convoy, 31 July 1944. Boldly penetrating the screen of a heavily escorted convoy, CDR. Ramage launched a perilous surface attack by delivering a crippling stern shot into a freighter and quickly following up with a series of bow and stern torpedoes to sink the leading tanker and damage the second one. Exposed by the light of bursting flares and bravely defiant of terrific shellfire passing close overhead, he struck again, sinking a transport by two forward reloads. In the mounting fury of fire from the damaged and sinking tanker, he calmly ordered his men below, remaining on the bridge to fight it out with an enemy now disorganized and confused. Swift to act as a fast transport closed in to ram, CDR. Ramage daringly swung the stern of the speeding PARCHE as she crossed the bow of the onrushing ship, clearing by less than 50 feet but placing his submarine in a deadly crossfire from escorts on all sides and with the transport dead ahead.

Undaunted, he sent 3 smashing “down the throat” bow shots to stop the target, then scored a killing hit as a climax to 46 minutes of violent action with the PARCHE and her valiant fighting company retiring victorious and unscathed.”

The USS Parche Memorial stands as a lasting tribute to CDR Ramage and the decisive fighting spirit that won the war.

Smallwood Hall

On April 15, 1987, Submarine Base Pearl Harbor reopened a newly renovated 17-story Bachelor Enlisted Quarters capable of housing 516 personnel. This building was dedicated on February 26, 1988 in the memory of MM3 (SS) James E. Smallwood for the sacrifice of his life while performing his duties in the service of his country.

He was posthumously awarded the Navy-Marine Corps Medal for heroic conduct. The citation reads:

“For heroic conduct on June 14, 1960 while serving on board USS SARGO (SSN-583) moored at the Submarine Base, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. While supervising the operation of charging high pressure oxygen into the SARGO’s storage tanks, SMALLWOOD firmly and meticulously carried out the ship’s safety precautions requiring isolation of the charging compartment from the remainder of the vessel. Aware of the potential danger involved, he denied entry of several of his shipmates to the Stern Room and kept the watertight door and bulkhead flappers shut. SMALLWOOD lost his life in a raging fire which broke out during the oxygen charge. Through his steadfast adherence to safety precautions, he undoubtedly prevented further loss of life and a probable major disaster. His courage and outstanding devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.”

The Momsen Lung

The Momsen lung was a early underwater rebreather used prior to and during World War II by American submariners as emergency escape gear.

While serving with the Submarine Safety Test Unit, Charles Momsen began working on a device to help sailors surface. It was officially called the Submarine Escape Lung, it consisted of an oblong rubber bag that recycled exhaled air. The press enthusiastically received the device and dubbed it the Momsen Lung, a name that stuck.

The Lung contained a canister of soda lime, which removed poisonous carbon dioxide from exhaled air and then replenished the air with oxygen. Two tubes led from the bag to a mouthpiece: one to inhale oxygen and the other to exhale carbon dioxide. The device hung around the neck and strapped around the waist. Besides providing oxygen for the ascent, it also allowed a submariner to rise slowly to the surface, thus avoiding decompression sickness (“the bends”).

Between June 1929 and September 1932, then-Lt. Momsen developed the lung with Chief Gunner’s Mate Clarence L. Tibbals and Frank M. Hobson, a civilian employee of the Bureau of Ships. In 1929, Momsen received the Distinguished Service Medal for personally testing the device at a depth of 200 feet (61 m). The Lung saved its first lives in October 1944, when eight submariners used it to reach the surface after Tang (SS-306) sank in 180 feet (55 m) of water in the East China Sea. The Lung was eventually supplemented by the Steinke hood and free-ascent techniques.

Thresher and the genesis of Level 1/SUBSAFE Program

On 10 April 1963, while engaged in a deep test dive, the nuclear submarine USS Thresher (SSN 593) was lost at sea with all persons aboard. Based on the findings of a Court of Inquiry and the subsequent Joint Congressional Committee on Atomic Energy hearings into the loss of the Thresher, it was concluded that a flooding casualty in the engine room, resulting from a piping failure in one of the salt water systems, was the most probable cause for the loss.

A Thresher Design Appraisal Board determined that, although the basic design of this submarine class was sound, measures should be taken to improve the level of confidence in the material condition of the hull integrity boundary and in the ability of submarines to control and recover from flooding casualties. Thus the genesis of the Level I/SUBSAFE Program. The program establishes control for procurement, inspection, certification, test, identification, documentation, record control, storage, issue, turn-in, recall and disposal. Level I/SUBSAFE Stock Program materials are intensively managed and controlled. They require certification with traceable objective quality evidence. Items include submarine hull pressure boundary fittings, high pressure air and gas components, high pressure/temperature steam system components and selected safety related equipment on surface ships and submarines.

Inception of Submarine School

The sinking of the submarine F-4 off the coast of Hawai’i with the loss of all hands in 1915 caused the Secretary of the Navy to direct the establishment of a formal school to instruct submariners in the operation and maintenance of these specialized boats. The commanding officer of the Submarine Base in New London, Connecticut, was directed to establish the Naval Submarine School, which began operation on 1 July 1916. After six months of training, the first officer class graduated on 23 December 1916. The first enlisted class graduated one year later.

CDR Gilmore was the first U.S. submariner to receive the Medal of Honor in World War II. He was awarded this medal for his actions while serving as Commanding Officer of USS GROWLER.

On February 7 GROWLER sighted a ship in the murky darkness. CDR Gilmore readied torpedoes and closed for an attack. At a range of approximately 2000 yards, the target, the 2,500 ton patrol boat HAYASAKI, spotted GROWLER. The swift ship reversed course and charged the submarine. Gunfire and the groans of the twisted hulls roared in the night. CDR Gilmore, the last man on the bridge, shouted through the open conning tower hatch, “Take her down!” He had chosen to sacrifice himself rather than further jeopardize his boat.  
CDR Howard W. Gilmore lost his life in a selfless act of heroism that has become one of the most inspiring legends of the Submarine Force.

CDR Gilmore’s Medal of Honor Citation reads:

“For conspicuous gallantry and valor above  and beyond the call of duty as commanding officer of the USS GROWLER during her fourth war patrol in the southwest Pacific from 10 January to 7 February 1943. Boldly striking at the enemy in spite of continuous hostile air and anti-submarine patrols, CDR Gilmore sank one Japanese freighter and damaged another by torpedo fire, successfully evading severe depth charges following each attack. In the darkness of night on 7 February, an enemy gunboat closed range and prepared to ram the GROWLER.

CDR Gilmore daringly maneuvered to avoid the crash and rammed the attacker instead, ripping into her port side and bursting wide her plates. In the terrific fire of the sinking gunboat’s heavy machineguns, CDR Gilmore calmly gave the order to clear the bridge, and refusing safety for himself, remained on deck while his men preceded him below. Struck down by a fusillade of bullets and having done his utmost against the enemy, in his final living moments, CDR Gilmore gave his last order to the officer of the deck, “Take her down”. The GROWLER dove; seriously damaged but under control. She was brought safely to port by her well trained crew inspired by the courageous fighting spirit of their dead Captain”

Six “S” class boats were lost during WWII, three of them from grounding.  The first of these three was USS S-36.  Charts of vast areas of the Pacific war zone were sketchy.  Not a few were labeled “from a survey by Capt. James Cook.”  Built to a WWI design and commissioned in the early 1920s, these boats were old and obsolete by the outbreak of war with Japan. They lacked the air-conditioning and radar of the later Fleet Boats of the SARGO, PERCH, GATO and BALAO classes of submarines. Yet brave men sailed these “smoke” boats into harm’s way.

The bell that hangs in the steeple of the Submarine Memorial Chapel was donated from the crew of USS Argonaut right before her last patrol, one she never returned from. On January 10, 1943 the entire crew of 102 was lost as the boat was sunk by Japanese destroyers.

“I am the voice of the USS Argonaut (SS 166).  I was later classified APS 1 (submarine transport), and I was the largest of the U.S. submarines to participate in World War II.  I was over 380 feet long and had a beam of over 33 feet.  I was originally built as a minelayer, and I had two mine laying chutes and special tubes built into a large stern room.  In 1942, I was converted to a cargo carrying and troop transport submarine, my mine laying gear was removed, and my stern room was fitted for troop berthing. I transported Marines for the Makin Island raid.  In January 1943, I was on patrol near Rabaul when I was attacked by two Japanese destroyers who were avenging the torpedoing of a third destroyer in a convoy.  The two destroyers hammered the water with depth charges; and my bow thrust above the surface and remained there for sometime as destroyers repeatedly fit it with gunfire.  Finally I slid with my crew of 102 men into the depths of the Pacific.”

On November 11, 2022 at 11:00am Bowfin Pearl Harbor Base SUBVETS conducted our annual Veterans Day Commemoration ceremony at the JBPHH Submarine Memorial.

Similar to the first commemoration ceremony in 1960 conducted by the Submarine Veterans of WWII, members of Bowfin SUBVETS placed leis on the 47 bronze plaques mounted on the wall.

Base Commander Paul Jurcsak opened the commemoration. Followed by the Parading of All 50 State Flags by the Radford High School JROTC and Boy Scout Troop 97, and the posting of colors by National Sojourners Inc. members Roy Ota and Dennis Egge. The National Anthem was performed Pacific Fleet Band, Harbor Brass Quintet led by MU2(SW) Michael Bookman Jr. Submarine Readiness Squadron 33 (formally, NSSC) Chaplain LT Jordan Dill, CHC, USN performed the invocation.

Base Commander Paul Jurcsak led the tolling of the bell for Submarines lost in WWII, while Rob Roberts, LT, USN (Ret) rank the bell. Led by Captain Mel R. Smith our keynote speaker.

This was followed by Special Lei Presentation by Dolores Brown for the USS Growler (SS 215) the “State Submarine of Hawaii,” and Wreath presentations by Bowfin Base, U.S. Submarine Veterans, Inc., Pacific Fleet Submarine Memorial Association, U.S. Submarine League, Aloha Chapter and Pearl Harbor Submarine Officers’ Spouses Association.

Our distinguished guest Captain Mel R. Smith, Executive Assistant Commander USINDOPACOM, provided the keynote address.

We closed with the benediction by Chaplain Dill followed by a Three Gun Volley by the JBPHH Navy Honor Guard Detachment led by CTN2 Zachary Scarbro and the playing of Taps by MU2(SW) Michael Bookman Jr.

Following the ceremony Bowfin SUBVETS and invited guests moved to the Lockwood Lanai for a Texas BBQ lunch.

2022 Veterans Day Commemoration Photo Album

Originally known as Armistice Day. In 1918, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, was declared between the Allied nations and Germany in World War I, then known as “the Great War.” Commemorated in many countries as Armistice Day the following year, November 11th became a federal holiday in the United States in 1938. In the aftermath of World War II and the Korean War, Armistice Day became legally known as Veterans Day dedicated to American veterans of all wars. There are an estimated 20 million living Veterans today, with approximately 100K in Hawaii.

Veterans Day is a time to honor not just those who have fought for us in battle, but all of the outstanding men and women who served in our nation’s armed forces since our founding 241 years ago.

Not all veterans have seen war, but a common bond that they all share is the oath, to defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, an oath that expressed their willingness to die defending this great nation. An oath that everyone of them will keep even after exciting active service.
 
Perhaps, most significant in preserving our way of life and defending freedom, are the battles that America does not have to fight.
 
I believe President Ronald Reagan said it best…“We remember those who were called upon to give all a person can give, and we remember those who were prepared to make that sacrifice if it were demanded of them in the line of duty, though it never was. Most of all, we remember the devotion and gallantry with which all of them ennobled their nation as they became champions of a noble cause.” 
 
We salute all our veterans who have made this great country possible.
 
God bless you, God bless Hawaii, and God bless America!