Perch Base
ON ETERNAL PATROL website
The Perch Base Webmaster, Dan Marks, has been working with Charles R. Hinman - Director of Education & Outreach,
USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park, Honolulu, Hawaii, creator and manager of the On Eternal Patrol website.
Every submariner on Eternal Patrol has a memorial page in the On Eternal Patrol website at
http://www.oneternalpatrol.com/.
For the past 3 years Dan performed genealogical research to find missing photos of sailors on Eternal Patrol
from Arizona. The effort included Ancestry website research, newspaper research, contacting schools for yearbook searches,
contacting family members, and National Personnel Records Center inquiries.
During the past month, a photo of the last sailor, Herminio Gonzales, Ship’s Cook, Third Class,
lost with the crew of the USS Grampus (SS-207) on March 5, 1943 in or near Blackett Strait was found and added
to the On Eternal Patrol website.
Click on any thumbnail for a larger picture.
A photo was previously found and provided for James Edward McGahan, Quartermaster, Third Class, of
USS Snook (SS-279).
The Snook was lost while conducting her ninth war patrol, in the South China Sea and Luzon Strait.
It is believed that she was sunk by kaibokans Okinawa, CD-8, CD-32 and CD-52. It has also been suggested
that Snook may have been lost due to one of five Japanese submarines were which also lost in April–May 1945.
One candidate is Japanese submarine I-56.
Click on any thumbnail for a larger picture.
A photo was previously found and provided for Charles Sherman Barker, Seaman, First Class, of USS Canopus (AS-9).
Charles was assigned to the submarine USS Pickerel (SS-177) for about 9 months and then on to the submarine tender
USS Canopus (AS-9), which was bombed by the Japanese in the Philippines shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
When the Canopus was scuttled to prevent the enemy from capturing it, the crew then defended the Philippines until
they became Prisoners of War. Not only did Charles serve on the USS Pickerel, but submariners consider sub tender
sailors a part of our family. If they don’t take good care of our boats, no one comes back home.
Click on any thumbnail for a larger picture.
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR THE WEBMASTER? EMAIL [email protected]