A talk to the United States Submarine Veterans, Inc.,
Holland Club Breakfast, 2007 national convention,
Aboard MS Oosterdam, near Juneau Alaska, 17 September 2007

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Photo courtesy “Speedy” Gonzalez

Kilgallon, James R,
b. 08/26/1925
d. 01/05/1996
US Navy, LT
Res: N. Charleston, SC
Plot: 60 0 255
bur. 01/08/1996

Dad died from a brain tumor. He was tired of Chemotherapy, tired of being weak and thin, tired of being nauseous. He never really “quit” smoking, never really “quit” drinking, never really “quit” swearing. I guess he was a sailor even at the end.

He did “quit” worrying about the family name when we introduced him to his 9 month old grandson the previous summer (1995). It was during that summer visit with his typical irreverent humor, “Killer” told me not to worry about dying. After giving him a puzzled look, my Dad went on to explain: Mom, a devout Catholic, had died swiftly nearly 10 years earlier. We are all convinced she’s “Upstairs.” Dad basically looked me in the eye and said, “John, after I’m gone, you won’t have to worry about where you go after you die—you’ll now have family in both places!” As a World War II Subvet, Dad had spent a lot of time “down below” already.

Have found one: The Submarine Store.

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- John

Squalus had sunk during a test dive which showed the main induction closed but was still actually open. Tons of seawater poured into the engine room as sailors struggled to evacuate and the compartment was sealed. About half the crew survived in the forward half of the sub. As she became overdue the search was on. She was located by her sister sub, the Sculpin, which picked up the tapping from the survivors on the hull as she passed very close on the surface. The survivors were rescued in the first use of the submarine rescue chamber or diving bell designed for the purpose by Swede Momsen. The Terrible Hours, by Peter Maas chronicles the efforts to rescue those 33 men from 250 feet of water in 1939.

I’m sure most Subvets of World War II can relate the fate that linked Squalus and her sister Sculpin during the war. For first time readers, though, the Squalus after her sinking in 1939, was raised, repaired, and renamed by the Navy as Sailfish. Sailfish or “Squalfish” as she was somewhat irreverently called, survived the war with an impressive amount of tonnage to her credit. Sculpin was sunk by the Japanese, and her survivors were split into two groups and sent as POWs to Japan aboard two escort carriers. One of these, the escort carrier Chuyo, was sunk en route by Sailfish. The crew learned of Chuyo’s cargo when they recovered one surviving Sculpin crewman from the flotsam. The fate of Sculpin and her crew are recounted from interviews in the book, Back From The Deep, by Carl Lavo.