VIDEO HERE (27:53 minutes)
-Jeremy
Patrick Zilliacus was born in Helsinki, Finland. He would emigrate to the United States with his mother and brother in 1940, following his father who become the Finnish Military Attache to the United States in Washington, D.C.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor Zilliacus would lie about his age and enlist in the United States Navy. He would eventually become a torpedoman on the USS Spot (SS-413) and join two other submarines in a hunter-killer group patrolling the Pacific.
During World War II, the submarine force consisted of less than 2 percent of the Navy but had an outsized impact — they destroyed 1,178 Japanese vessels and 214 enemy warships. The cost, however, was high, as more than 3,400 submarine crew members, roughly 22 percent of the force, were killed and 52 submarines were lost.
Interview recorded on February 22, 2025
My grandfather was on the USS Baya. Lots of things I learned about his service, but only after his passing. Never talked about it. From what I'd gathered from records, there's a good reason.
ReplyDeleteIt’s crazy to think that while his own country was in a life-or-death struggle against the Soviets, he was off fighting the Japs.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 4:28, read what Bright Eyes (below) has to say. And note that Zilliacus came to the USA as a child and entered the service of his new country while still underage, as did many patriots.
DeleteYou're out of line.
I don't think out of line - merely pondering the ironies of war.
DeleteThat is what you call a legal immigrant. Never took, asked for, expected or wanted a dime from the governiment. He just wanted to say thank you and put his life on the line for America. A true Americian.
ReplyDeleteAdolph Hitler killed as many people as Joseph Stalin? Hitler could not hold Stalin’s jockstrap when it came to murder.
ReplyDeleteHe did expand on that, the initial comment sounded like an off the cuff comment not meant to be taken literally. I suspect he's no Russian fan.
DeleteAmerican subs (and PT boats) would have sunk a lot more Jap ships if they had torpedoes that worked.
ReplyDeleteU.S. Navy officer Charles "Swede" Momsen, for whom the "Momsen Lung" was named, and the intrepid rescuer of the sunken crew of the U.S.S. Squalus in May 1939 - was later tasked with investigating the faulty Mk. 14 torpedoes of which you make mention. Delicate job, because a lot of highly-placed, highly-ranked flag officers had signed off on the existing 'fish being fine as they were. After experiments in the waters off Kahoolawe, an island in the Hawaiian chain, he and his team traced the problem to faulty firing pin design. Momsen had risked his life to recover 'dud torpedoes which had failed to detonate, but had live warheads - in order to get to the bottom of the mystery.
DeleteLater in the war, Momsen commanded a "wolf pack" of U.S. submarines which successfully attacked Japanese shipping, and he also commanded the U.S.S. South Dakota battleship. He retired from the navy as a Vice Admiral.
Lost an uncle on the USS Gugeon SS-211...it is one of the few remaining WWII subs still lost. Or i guess....still on patrol.
ReplyDeleteAny submarine that has been sunk is considered as being on "eternal patrol" as are their crews.
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