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WWII veteran gets his wish, tours modern submarine

KINGS BAY, Ga. — World War II Navy veteran Dan Edwards has fond memories of his time serving aboard submarines.

He enlisted as a physician examiner in 1944 and went to diving and submarine school. He went to Pearl Harbor, where he worked as a submarine and diving medical officer. He also served aboard submarines during the Korean War on multiple tours of duty.

He left the Navy in 1954 to earn a medical degree and worked as a general practitioner.

But the lure of the sea kept tugging and in 1984, at the age of 57, Edwards tried to re-enlist in the Navy. He was rejected because he was considered too old.

So, he joined the Air Force, where he served 10 years, retiring as a lieutenant colonel.

Now, the retired physician is struggling with early onset of Parkinson's disease. He uses a cane to walk and is becoming more dependent on his wheelchair.

But his memories of serving aboard submarines remain strong.

He applied to the Wish of a Lifetime organization in August 2011 with a request to tour a modern submarine. The organization, which tries to grant wishes for aging seniors, contacted Navy officials in Norfolk, Va.

They denied the request, citing his mobility issues and age. It didn't deter Edwards.

He asked a maintenance man at the assisted living facility where he lives in Nashville, Tenn., to set up a ladder so he could practice climbing up and down.

"We thought he was crazy," Edwards' son Palmer Edwards said.

Then, Wish of a Lifetime officials told Edwards' story to Scott Bassett, public affairs officer at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, in Camden County.

"The buy-in for me was showing he could go up and down a ladder," Bassett said. "There was something about this guy that was special."

The ability to navigate a ladder was crucial to allowing Edwards inside the submarine.

Thursday, Edwards's wish was granted. He made the rigorous climb down two vertical flights of ladders with a little help from the crew of the USS Maryland, an Ohio-class submarine at Kings Bay.

Once inside, Edwards showed his knowledge of submarines when one of his first questions was about the boat's periscope depth. The answer, he was told, is classified.

But most of Edwards' questions were answered as he met with individual crew members. He asked about the ballast control system that allows the boat to submerge, hover at different depths and return to the surface.

He also learned how much more difficult it is to earn a Dolphins badge, than when he served aboard submarines. All sailors serving aboard submarines are required to earn Dolphins, which show a sailor has knowledge of all the boat's systems, which are considerably more complicated than when he served on diesel subs.

He showed special interest when he met with the Navy corpsman responsible for taking care of the crew's medical needs at sea. Edwards asked about the types of ailments the corpsman treats and how he deals with specific problems, including how the crew handles emergency medical evacuations at sea.

He was accompanied on the tour by his son, Palmer Edwards of Winston-Salem, N.C., and grandson, Michael Rieser, of San Francisco. During the tour, they had lunch in the officers' stateroom with the boat's captain, Cmdr. Gregory Kercher.

After the tour, crew members snapped crisp salutes to Edwards as he left the boat. Kercher presented Edwards with a plaque designating him an honorary crew member and an officer's ball cap from the boat.

"I truly am honored you were able to come on board today," Kercher said. "The legacy you set allows us to carry on."

Edwards said modern submarines are impressive, complicated machines compared to ones he served aboard.

"It's much bigger and more complicated," he said. "It brought back memories sitting in the board room."

One thing hasn't changed, however. Today's sailors have the same qualities as those he served with when he was in the Navy.

"The submarine personnel have always been a different cut," he said. "I'm really glad they trusted me to go on."

After he left Kings Bay, Edwards toured the St. Marys Submarine Museum. Today, he will tour Naval Station Mayport and attend a small ceremony at the Veteran's Memorial in Kingsland where an engraved brick with his name will be placed to honor

Submariner veterans add membership

Jim Ping sounds ‘Taps,' which concludes the annual tribute to shipmates who gave their lives for their country. Jim Ping sounds ‘Taps,' which concludes the annual tribute to shipmates who gave their lives for their country.

Since its charter in 2003, the Toledo Base of the U.S. Submarine Veterans Inc. has grown to 40 members from five.

"Basically the purpose is remembrance of our departed submarine shipmates," group member Neil Hossler said. "It's for any type of submariners," he said. "We're always looking for new members."

The local base is part of the national submarine veterans group, which was organized in 1964 to honor those who sacrificed their lives for freedom. Today, the veterans group has bases in all 50 states and more than 13,000 active members.

Mr. Hossler said the group is made up of those who served in the U.S. Navy, from World War II to current times.

"We are now accepting World War II veterans. It's kind of neat to have the stories and the recognition of these people who put their lives at risk. We are remembering the camaraderie of the shipmates that are still with us," he said.

Part of that camaraderie also includes actively volunteering in the area. The base works with Boy Scouts of America on Eagle Scout programs and participates in memorial parades.

On Saturday, the organization was host for the annual "Tolling of the Boats," a tributeto shipmates who gave their lives while serving their country.

"We read the list of the submarines that have been lost either by war or accidental," Mr. Hossler said. "We honor those who have lost their lives. We keep it very solemn."

The name of the boat as well as the date lost and the number of men lost are given. After all boats are listed, "Taps" is played.

Members meet on the third Monday of the month, at Charlie's Restaurant in Sylvania, Mr. Hossler said. But if interest keeps increasing, the need for a new space could soon arise.

"Our problem is that our members are growing. We're getting very close to having to find somewhere else."

Friday the 13th Turns Out Lucky for Retired Navy Submarine Sailor

Harold Miller wins $10,000.00 jackpot from FreeLotto.com – an online lottery style sweepstakes.

 Harold Miller, 65, has been playing the same set of numbers since 2010, a compilation of his family’s birthdays. On Friday, April 13th, Miller matched 6 out of 6 and won a $10,000.00 cash jackpot on FreeLotto.com, an online lottery style sweepstakes.

Miller has been a long time daily player of the free game. For nearly a month after he won, he continued to play the game daily but did not bother checking the winning numbers from the previous day’s drawings. On May 9th, Miller sat down at his computer and remembered that it had been a while since he last checked the winning numbers, so he visited the FreeLotto results page. Lucky for Miller he did because he had less than a week left to claim his prize.

“Not in my wildest imagination did I believe that I would win,” Miller told the Prize Team, “I had to look at it twice!” Miller immediately picked up the phone to call his wife and together they shared the good news with their fourteen children, eight of whom are adopted. The whole family is very excited.

The Millers have incurred some debt moving their family from the Philippines and both have had to continue working part time at Nellis Air Force base since retiring. “A real relief,” is how Harold Miller described the win. It will enable him to pay off some debt and afford a second car for the family.