October 11, 2025
Greetings from the Tennessee Submarine Memorial Association.
The members of the U.S. Submarine Veterans Inc. Volunteer (Nashville) chapter and the Tennessee Submarine Memorial Association hosted our 2025 Tolling of the Boats commemorative ceremony on Saturday, October 11, 2025 at Middle Tennessee State Veterans Ceremony.
The keynote remarks were delivered by former U.S. Congressman Bob Clement who provided stirring imagery of the service and sacrificed rendered by American Submariners lost in the line of duty in the 125 years of the Submarine Force. We’re pleased to share his remarks with you here.
Tennessee Submarine Memorial Ceremony
“Tolling of the Boats”
October 11, 2025
Middle Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery
Nashville, TN
Remarks: U.S. Congressman Bob Clement, TN
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Distinguished guests, members of our armed forces, veterans, families and friends—
It is a profound honor to stand before you today, on sacred ground, as we pause to remember and pay tribute to a special class of American heroes: the Submariners from the great State of Tennessee who gave their lives in service to the country.
There are many ways to serve in uniform—on land, in the air, at sea.
But there is one branch of service that operates in quiet shadows, deep beneath the waves—where courage is tested not in the open light of day, but in the silent depths of the oceans.
It takes a rare kind of bravery to climb down into that vessel, to sail into the deep knowing that the only thing between you and the crushing weight of the sea is your faith—faith in your ship, faith in your fellow sailors, and faith in the country you serve.
From the mountains of East Tennessee to the farmlands of the West, our state has always produced men and women willing to answer the call of duty. Among them are those who chose this most perilous path—to guard our freedom from beneath the sea.
Some of them never came home.
Some rest now in waters far from the Volunteer State they loved so dearly.
But make no mistake—their spirit lives on.
It lives on in the courage of today’s sailors, in the pride of their families, and in the freedom of every American who wakes up safe each morning.
Service is one of the highest callings a person can answer. And those who serve on submarines embody that calling in its purest form. They live each day with quiet purpose, always ready to give everything—even their lives—for others.
You know, my father—Governor Frank Clement—served in the U.S. military during World War II. And I served in the regular Army and the Tennessee National Guard.
I learned that real patriotism isn’t loud or boastful.
It’s quiet.
It’s steady.
It’s doing your duty even when no one is watching.
That is the spirit of the Submariner.
That is the spirit of Tennessee.
There is no greater act of love than to lay down one’s life for one’s country.
The Submariners we honor today gave that ultimate gift. They left behind families, drams, and futures-so that others might live in freedom.
To their loved ones, I say from the bottom of my heart: your sons, your daughters, your fathers and brothers are not forgotten.
Their service is woven into the very fabric of our nation’s story. Their sacrifice is the reason our flag still waves so proudly.
As Tennesseans, as Americans, we have a duty to remember. To teach future generations that freedom has never been free. It is guarded—sometimes in silence, sometimes in darkness—by those willing to give their all.
Let us honor them not just with our words, but with our actions—
by living lives of service,
by standing up for what is right,
and by carrying forward the values they held dear: duty, honor, courage, and love of country.
So, as we stand here today—beneath our bright Tennessee sky—let us remember their sacrifice, let us cherish their legacy,
And let us pledge to live as they did: with courage in our hearts, and faith in America’s promise.
May God bless the memory of our fallen Submariners. May God comfort their families. And may God forever bless the United States of America.
[Remarks as prepared. Congressman Bob Clement.]