Tribute given to American submariners

By Shirley Melikian Armbruster
University Relations

Submarine veterans attended ceremony in their honor at Fresno State.

Dr. Paul Oliaro , vice president and dean of students, welcomed more than 100 submarine veterans and guests at a tribute to American submariners during a ceremony March 20 on the Maple Mall at Fresno State .

Oliaro paid tribute to the brave sailors “who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.” Full text of speech.

Two submarine veterans organizations dedicated six tulip trees to honor six lost submarines and crew members. The six trees join the existing 59 trees already dedicated to submariners on the mall, and complete the campus memorial.

The Fresno State memorial is the first honoring lost submarines and crew members to be located on a university campus. The Fresno chapter of the United States Submarine Veterans of World War II and the Wahoo Base of the United States Submarine Veterans Inc. sponsored the event, along with the university.

The ceremony included “tolling of the boats,” in which the sub's name, how it was lost and the number of men lost were announced and a bell tolled. For each, a submarine veteran saluted an American flag posted at the tree and a submariner's wife placed a flower at the base of the tree, next to a marker listing the name of the boat and date lost.

The six boats recognized this year were: SS 162, SS 109, SS 70, USS Cochino and USS Stickleback. A total of 64 men were lost.

State, regional and local submarine veterans participated, plus Oliaro and Associated Students Inc. President Neil Gibson.

The submarine monument at Fresno State was dedicated in 2002 with a handsome granite marker and 54 tulip trees honoring 52 U.S. submarines and 3,505 men who were lost in World War II and two other submarines (USS Thresher in 1963, USS Scorpion in 1968) and 228 men lost since 1945.

In 2003, tribute was paid to the first five American submarines lost in the 20th century.