American crews have volunteered for submarine duty since 1900 taking their vessels from the infancy of underwater warfare in relatively primitive vessels to space age technological marvels. In war and peace, they have braved the forbidding depths of the oceans to defend the nation. The Silent Service was distinguished by the combat record in WWII, where they inflicted destruction on the enemy way beyond their relative numbers, to the Cold War where they kept adversaries deterred through vigilance and firepower. Submariners’ contributions to winning America’s wars and advancing the national interests did not come without a cost. In WWII for example, 52 U.S. submarines and over 3,500 officers and men were lost. Scores of Tennesseans are among those lost in Submarine duty. Here you can learn about the service and sacrifice of the sailors who volunteered to fight America’s undersea wars.
Commemorating the sacrifice of our “Brothers of the ‘Phin” who have gone to “Eternal Patrol,” is the mission of the U.S. Submarine Veterans (USSVI) Volunteer (Nashville) Base and why we founded the Tennessee Submarine Memorial Association (TSMA). The association is dedicated to creating monuments to our lost shipmates and educating the public about the U.S. Submarine Force. The TSMA is building a memorial to honor: the Tennesseans lost on Submarine duty; the USS Darter – the WWII lost boat designated to be honored by the State of Tennessee; and all of the lost boats and lost brothers. Here you can see what we’re building.
The Submarine Memorial projects cannot be accomplished without your support. Join the legion of patriots – Veterans, businesses, and citizens – who are committed to seeing a memorial in Tennessee commemorating our lost Submariner heroes. Here you can make your gift – please consider a recurring donation – through a variety of avenues.
The U.S. Submarine Force’s legendary accomplishments have most often been out of the public eye. The nature of undersea warfare and the need for stealth and secrecy in the work of the men and women Submariners have earned them the nickname: “Silent Service.” As part of the outreach of the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Submarine Veterans Inc. (USSVI), the TSMA undertakes programs to inform the public, especially in schools, about the nature of submarine duty and those who go to sea in America’s Submarine Force.
