Thanks for the nice tribute to the USS Swordfish memorial. I live near Como Park, and being a former submariner I go to the memorial once in a while. Two years ago I spent an hour extracting a plastic Mountain Dew bottle that some jerk wedged into the back end of the torpedo. I guess that individual didn't bother to read the plaque.

Today I remember my Granfather Carl who came over on the boat from Norway. He passed through Ellis Island, as did so many others, and travelled accross country to join his relatives in Howard, South Dakota.
It was a short stay, as Mr. Wilson requested his presence in France where he was introduced to the wonders of mustard gas by Kaiser Wilhelm. He suffered anemia the rest of his life.
Upon returning home, he took up farming as so many did, only to be introduced to the wonders of the dustbowl followed by the Great Depression.
My Grandmother left him when Dad was 14, a victim of diabetes. He spent the remainder of his 84 years at the Veterans Home at Fort Snelling, MN, fianlly succumbing to a massive stroke and gangerine.
He loved his Compenhagen, Canadian whiskey and the outdoors. He taught me much of the natural world, how to track, fish and garden, how to use my power as a thinking being to make the world a better place.
He rests in peace at Fort Snelling National Cemetary. Love you, Grandpa Carl. Always have, always will.

Thanks for this post. This is one day when we should all be thinking of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving their country.

My father was the only son of an elderly Iowa farmer and was needed at home on the farm during WWII. His inability to serve has always haunted him, and he made sure to teach me to revere the military and the sacrifices made by our troops.

I've been trying to find a way of saying this which cannot be interpreted the wrong way - truly I have respect for all who served.

But I still get angry when I think about how long it took to correct - no, not even that, but how long it took for naval ordinance officials to even RECOGNIZE the deficits in their magnetic torpedoes, which not only failed to detonate on direct impact much of the time, but often made circular runs which ended up attacking the submarines that launched them. A lot of good submariners went down from their own torpedoes.

The issue isn't about war time priorities, resources, or the cruel calculations which allow inferior materials to the front because retooling and supply chain disruptions would be more costly to the war effort - I recognize that. But the naval brass should have been quicker on the ball on recognizing something needed to be changed, particularly since they KNEW the torpedoes went into production before the war with insufficient testing due to their cost.

[comment excised by owner. It's a war memorial]

Yeah, but it's an [excised]-shaped war memorial.

Right. And if I let it into the post, I'd feel like an [excised].

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I appreciate the memorial and the veterans who remember and put flowers there. I was on the 13th mission and was in sick bay off ship when it went out and never returned. My shipmates are in my memories and always will be.We had a great crew and a great Captain.

Thanks!!! furniture Very nice site.I enjoy being here.

Thanks!!! furniture Very nice site.I enjoy being here.