The following letter was written on 15 September 1997 by Chief Signalman (Qualified in Submarines) Joe E. Dawson, USN, Retired. CSM(SS) Dawson is the last surviving crew member of USS S-4 (SS-109).
I am 90 years young with 44 years of naval service. As I am the last survivor of the ill-fated S-4, hit and sunk by Coast Guard Cutter CG-17 on 17 December 1927, I would like to relate my story.
Returning from the War of Nicaragua on the S-4, I was transferred to USS Camden...for further transfer. Late in October, I was transferred to the S-4 as temporary signalman and quartermaster until my replacement arrived. In early December, my replacement arrived, and it happened to be my best buddy, Walter Tolson. The S-4 was scheduled to go to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, for some special equipment...and a refit. I was relieved of my duties on the 12th of December and reported back to USS Camden, preparing for my Christmas leave.
When, on the 17th of December, word came over the loud speaker for me to report to the quarterdeck, and that the S-4 had been rammed by Coast Guard Cutter CG-17, formerly USS Paulding, off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in approximately 100 feet of water.
I reported aboard the S-8 and was told I would be Captain King's signalman and to aid in the salvage of the S-4. I arrived in Provincetown and went aboard USS Falcon. Captain King arrived later and we made our headquarters on USS Falcon. The weather was unbearable. The first diver to go down was Commander Ellsberg, who came up reporting the S-4 was on her keel with a large hole on her starboard side and forward of the control room...and no sign of life. The next morning, divers Edie and Carr heard tappings in the forward torpedo room. They found out there were six men living. Their message to Edie and Carr was, "Is there hope? Please hurry, please!"
Edie and Carr reported to Captain King that there was life on the S-4. Captain King turned and looked up at me and said, "There is life on the S-4." I, in turn, thought Captain King wanted me to send that message. I alerted all ships present that there was life on the S-4. Captain King called me from the bridge to his quarters and gave me the worst bawling out I ever had...as he did not want that message sent at that time...until the information was certified.
The divers were then ordered to connect oxygen hoses to the S-4. Three or four times the sea tore the hoses from the S-4, endangering the lives of the divers. They decided to wait until the weather subsided. The men could only live 72 hours without the oxygen we were trying to get to them. The last message sent by the submariners was hard to decipher. It said, "We understand"...and that was the last we heard from them. The Navy ordered the salvage halted until fair weather appeared...which was approximately one month later.
There are several conclusions we can draw from this tragedy. There is always hope, but we are running out of time.. To say I love you, to repent, to spend more time with loved ones, to go back to the temple, to repair a relationship, to serve others, to love more, to smile more, etc. If there is anything I have learned in my life, is that the Lord gives countless opportunities to change direction and “Follow Me”, but there comes a time when every window of opportunity closes for good. Standing before the Father and asking "is there hope"? And after we have been told we didn't qualify to be with our family for the eternities, saying back to HIM, "We understand". May this Christmas be the best ever!! May you love and be loved.
No comments:
Post a Comment