 |
Amid fanfare and tributes, the World War II submarine Pampanito was
dedicated yesterday as a national historic landmark at Pier 45, near Fisherman's Wharf.
The ceremony reunited 20 officers and crew members who served aboard
the 312-foot-long vessel during its Pacific exploits, which included sinking five Japanese ships and helping to rescue
175 British and Australian prisoners of war found adrift after an attack on an enemy convoy.
Rear Admiral Paul E. Summers (Ret.), the Pampanito's skipper
on five of its six patrols, attended the celebration, along with Rear Admiral Richard O'Kane (Ret.), who is credited
with sinking 33 enemy ships (more than any other American submarine skipper), and Captain Edward L. Beach
(Ret.), who was executive officer on two of the highest scoring U.S. submarines during World War II.
O'Kane, who lives near Sebastopol, earned a Medal of Honor for his wartime
service and is the author of the book "Clear the Bridge!"
Beach is an authority on naval history and has written several works of
fiction, including "Run Silent, Run Deep" and its sequel, "Dust on the Sea."
|
