Bell Tolling Ceremony held for Lost Submariners
By MC1 Ronald Gutridge,
COMSUBPAC Public Affairs

Release Date: 6/13/2012

(JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, HI) - A special bell tolling ceremony was held at the Submarine Memorial Chapel, June 13 to perpetuate the memory of the submariners and the submarines that were lost in the month of June throughout World War II.

Submariners past and present gathered to honor and remember their costly sacrifices for our nation. Retired Lt. Cmdr. Paul, Jurcsak of the Bowfin Base Submarine Veterans, spoke on behalf of all that were lost and the significance of the ceremony.

"The bell tolling ceremonies help us remember and share the proud tradition of the U.S. Submarine force," said Jurcsak. "It's through the memory of the great submariners who have gone before us that gives us strength to pursue what we do today."

The month of June also marks the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Midway, and today's ceremony included a special tolling in its remembrance.

"Although there were no U. S. submarines lost during the Battle of Midway, it is remembered as one of our most historically significant naval engagements in the Pacific, one that changed the tide of the war and the course of world history," said Jurcsak "Today we are fortunate to be able to recognize the significance of this battle and it is a worthy tribute to all of those who turned the war around and put us on a path to victory."

The bell that hangs in the steeple of the Submarine Memorial Chapel, and tolled in remembrance, was donated from the crew of USS Argonaut (SS 166) right before her last patrol, one she never returned from. On Jan.10, 1943 the entire crew of 105 sailors was lost as the submarine was sunk by Japanese destroyers. Each time the Argonaut's bell tolls, it is in remembrance of all Sailors and lost crews at a time of war and peace.