Museum
| On Eternal Patrol #1 |
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On Eternal PatrolChester Payne
After boot camp, Chester volunteered for the submarine service. While on submarine duty. he was injured, and spent several months in the hospital in New London, Connecticut. He then was transferred to the Pacific, and was able to meet his brother George in the Hawaiian Islands. His submarine, USS Flier (SS-250), hit a mine while traversing the Balabac Staits south of Palawan in the Philippines. Although eight men survived the sinking and were rescued by the submarine USS Redfin (SS-272), Chester was lost with his remaining shipmates.
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Chester Payne was born on July 15, 1925, in Albert, Oklahoma. He was one of four brothers who served in the Armed Forces during World War II. After graduating from Tulare Union High School in Tulare, California, Chester worked at Johnnie's Bar-B-Q until he enlisted in the Navy in October of 1941.
Secrets of the Sub
| Victory At Cost |
Victory at a costDuring World War II, The United States Submarine Force, encompassing less than 2% of the U.S. Navy's fleet, inflicted destruction on Japanese maritime power. U.S. submarines were responsible for sinking over 30% of the Japanese Navy including eight aircraft carriers, one battleship and eleven cruisers. More importantly, the Submarine Force sank 2,400 Japanese merchant ships totaling 4.9 million tons.
However, this success did not come without risk. Out of a total of 14,000 submariners who fought in peril under the sea took losses of over 3,500 officers and men. Approximately one in four submariners never returned.
The USS Bonefish submarine plaque is one of fifty-two memorials at the Waterfront Memorial at Bowfin Park. |
