This web site presentation, was compiled, edited, encoded and prepared by: Paul W. Wittmer. Initial materials, came from a booklet presented at the "Dedication Ceremony". Additional revisions and/or additions may be made to these web pages, without notification.
NOTE #1: Prior approval is required for use of these presentations on any web site or newsletter or other form of publication. Thanks to Bob Moore for his outstanding dedication to see this project reach the present stage of completion.
NOTE #2: An addition has been added to this presentation. It is a "Work in Progress" and outlines the "HISTORIC TIMELINE of EVENTS" associated with the NATIONAL MEMORIAL EAST from it's inception to the present era.

From Conception to Reality

I have been asked many times "What gave you the idea to start this project?" My answer is very simple. I have never forgotten my lost shipmates - Fiorot in CORVINA - Finkelstein in WAHOO - Frontino in TROUT - Engerbretsen in BULLHEAD - and many others. I have, for many years, felt something should be done for their families. Their final resting-places are known only to the Almighty but they deserved a place where they could be honored and remembered now and for all eternity. What better place than here in Groton, Connecticut where most received their training at Submarine School and where those who follow will never forget them. This is a wall of remembrance to those who did not return. A special place, a quiet sanctuary, a final resting place, and for the next of kin who, for over 50 years, have endured heartache and grief, may it be the renewal of peace and the beginning of healing. May this sacred place remain in your hearts and be a source of solace for you.

With this idea in mind I presented the concept for the "Wall of Honor" to the Thames River Chapter of the U.S. Submarine Veterans of WWII on October 14, 1992. I asked for their support and endorsement. I envisioned a "V" shaped "Wall of Honor" fashioned after the bow of a submarine heading out to sea in a southwest direction. It would be of black polished granite with the names of our lost shipmates in white. The names would be listed alphabetically from A to Z without rank, rate, ship or date for wherever they lie there is no distinction now.

Enthusiastic acceptance and endorsement was followed by the formation of a Steering Committee consisting of dedicated members of Thames River Chapter with expertise in finance, fundraising, public relations, site preparation, planning, and legal matters. Solicitations for financial support was initiated encompassing corporations and foundations, City of Groton, Town of Groton, local businesses, various veterans organizations including our own, and the general public. News releases were sent to over a thousand newspapers and veterans publications seeking next of kin of our departed shipmates. The responses of over a thousand next-of-kin, was heartwarming and we knew then that the "Wall of Honor" would be a momentous success. Many of you are with us today. We salute you!

The ten black panels of highly polished granite underwent many months of preparation, polishing, and engraving. Names were proofread many times to assure the 3617 names are as correct as we could make them. Today we honor these fallen heroes and shipmates and know they will be remembered and honored in perpetuity. God bless you and the wonderful country for which you made the supreme sacrifice to preserve.

George L. Street, III

Captain George L. Street, III, USN (Ret) began his Naval career graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1937. He served aboard the Cruiser USS Concord and the Battleship USS Arkansas before assignment to U.S. Naval Submarine School at Groton, CT and graduating second in his class of 40. He received orders to the USS Gar early in 1941 and served aboard her from commissioning through 10 heroic war patrols in the Pacific until July 1944 at which time he was transferred to the USS Tirante, a new submarine, as Commanding Officer, his first command.

Then a Lieutenant Commander, Street conducted an aggressive first War Patrol against Japanese surface forces off the coast of Korea, resulting in the sinking of a large ammunition ship in spectacular fashion and two escorting frigates.

For his conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity beyond the call of duty, Captain Street was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, and a Presidential Unit Citation was awarded the USS Tirante and its crew for their participation in the courageous attack against enemy ships in mined, shallow waters guarded by patrolling Japanese vessels.

In addition to receiving this nation's highest award, Captain Street also was awarded a Silver Star, a Gold Star in lieu of a second Silver Star Medal, and the Navy Cross for his extraordinary 3 years service during War Patrols aboard the USS Gar.

WALL OF HONOR DEDICATION

Groton, CT 9/2/95

"You had to be there"

There is a story....a story not easy to tell....and yet it is one that must be told.

There was no one in the entertainment field more admired and appreciated by the American GI than Bob Hope. Bob was once asked why he did it, why he continued to travel all over the world giving so much of his time and energy entertaining our troops. And his answer was this, Because you have to be there. You can read about it in the press or you can see it on the screen but if you really want to know what our boys are going through, you have to he there. And so it was with us.

World War II has been well documented; stories, books, movies but the full story of the submarine service has never been told nor can it be. Can gut wrenching fear be recorded by a camera? Can interminable fatigue and discomfort that goes on for days and weeks on end? And what about dedication to duty and the deep fraternal bond that was forged only among men who took our submarines to war? We know they can't and this was the story of the submarine service.

And now, as we look back on it all, it's like an observer of a darkened stage: All the players are gone and the huge theater is empty. And yet, out of the emptiness, there still echoes the excitement, and the laughter, and the sadness that was part of the play. But supposing our observer should leave the theater and step out onto the busy street. Would a passing stranger be able to understand his faint half-smile as he recalls some cheerful part of the story? Or would that stranger be able to hear the haunting melody of the theme that keeps echoing through the background of his mind? To understand it you had to be a part of it. You had to be there.

After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, many of our navy men were left with a feeling of deep personal loss. For several days after the attack a heavy pall of gray smoke hung like a dark cloud low across the entire harbor and over the navy shipyard. And as we sailed slowly past Battleship Row and viewed the horrifying destruction: the ARIZONA, on the bottom; the OKLAHOMA, capsized and keel-up; the WEST VIRGINIA, the CALIFORNIA, the MARYLAND, the PENNSYLVANIA, the TENNESSEE and many others , all heavily damaged and some still burning with smoke pouring from their bowels. The men just stood at the rail. Most did not speak. These were not ships that belonged to some remote population back in the States who just happened to have built them and paid for them with their tax money. Many of the men felt, this is MY navy and these are MY ships and the Japanese have destroyed them. it left a sense of fury, which for some has never entirely abated.

And then the war progressed.....and one by one 52 of our submarines were sent to the bottom. And now the sense of loss became even more personal and we said, those were MY shipmates. And this is the story that must be told. It is a story of great suffering, a story of tremendous sacrifice, a story of heroic achievement. And those of us who survived the ordeal of that war now feel duty-bound to give meaning to our survival by being faithful to the memory of those who died. To that end Bob Moore and his crew have erected the beautiful WALL OF HONOR submarine memorial. It sets here majestically among the ghosts of 3,622 good men whose names are engraved on its faces. It sets here in silent eloquence and it speaks with a voice that will be heard forever.

There is a tiny island out in the Pacific. It is one of a small group of islands known as French Frigate Shoals. And it lies about halfway between Pearl Harbor and Midway Island. Those of you who were involved with the navigation of our boats, you who were officers or quartermasters or signalmen will remember them clearly because we passed them to port or starboard whenever we put in or out of Pearl on war patrol. And on this tiny island is an abandoned Coast Guard Station. One of its former occupants was so taken by the beauty and serenity of the place he left a note in a wooden box, which was subsequently recovered and recorded. The message on this note, with some modification, would make an appropriate addition to each of our memorials. Here is the message:

Walk softly, walk softly, stranger. You stand on holy ground.
As you journey across this broad and beautiful land, from sea to shining sea, you cannot help being moved by the wonder of the things you see:
Historic New England with its rocky coast and frothy surf still breathing an aura of whaling ships and sailing days.
The majestic mountains of the west with their towering peaks and pink spires and the sun gleaming off granite cliffs rising shear for thousands of feet.
The grandeur of the old south with its flowering trees and scented air and golden beaches that dazzle the eye.
The dynamic West Coast with its cloud-piercing mountains looming over the shore and curving roads that overlook the sea.

This is the beauty that is AMERICA, the wonder that is AMERICA. It is your God-given inheritance to use and enjoy at your pleasure. But these pathways to the good life did not come free of charge. More than a million AMERICANS down through the yellowing pages of history have sacrificed their lives for your irreplaceable legacy and your AMERICAN way of life. For more than 3600) of these who gave their lives on submarines in World War II there can be no rows of polished markers. Their tombs are buried in the silent depths of the oceans, forever rocked by the eternal tides of history. It is to them this place and this moment in time are dedicated.

Walk softly, walk softly, stranger. You stand on holy ground.

Every country owes an enormous debt to those heroes who gave their lives to protect the freedom of its people. No country recognizes this more than Australia. The city of Melbourne is a city world famous for its many beautiful parks. More than twenty percent of this city is comprised of parks and gardens. In one of the most prominent of these they have erected a war memorial. They call it THE SHRINE OF REMEMBRANCE and we have nothing in this country to compare with it. This shrine is a beautiful white edifice, a broad based building seven stories tall constructed of white granite in the architecture of the ancient Greeks. The outside of the building is embellished with huge, marble statues and fluted columns that cause the eye to sweep upward. The roof is a truncated pyramid made of cascading layers of stone and mounted on the top is a large bronze "Symbol of Glory". But herein lies the crowning distinction of this memorial: On one side of the roof, one of the stones is removable. But I'll get back to this later.

As you step through the massive, bronze doors into the sanctuary, even the little children are admonished to speak in whispers. And you will notice that, except for an enclosed balcony, the entire building, floor to roof is completely hollow. And mounted in the very center of the marble floor is a large bronze plaque surrounded by a low, carved stone railing. But the plaque itself is depressed about ten inches below floor level. It is depressed so that anyone reading the words on that plaque must bow his head in reverence.

The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month is known as ARMlSTICE HOUR in Australia. And it is on this day that the stone is removed from the roof. And at exactly 11:00 AM, and for a period of four minutes, the sun's rays shine down through the opening and beam like a lazer right on the plaque. The words on the plaque read, GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN. Just seeing it is a tremendously moving experience. It has a presence about it, which seems to say, This is a holy spot where valor proudly sleeps.

Walk softly, walk softly, stranger. You stand on holy ground.

The final curtain on the play has fallen. And all that remains is for those of us who remain to carry on to close the show. But for us there will always be the memory of the glory.....and the triumph.....and the tragedy that was part of the play. And if some day a stranger should ask, "What was it like living and going through an attack on that submarine you were on?" There's only one answer you can give...........You had to be there.

The last page of a booklet available at the Melbourne shrine contains only these four lines of an Australian poem:

.............they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted.
They fell with their faces to the foe.

Bravely they died. In proud remembrance we salute them.

by Billy Grieves

Billy A. Grieves