U.S. U-Boat Ace 'passes'

[Chief of the Boat]

One of our own....

http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/06/navy_fluckey_obit_070629w/

COB

[Spadefish]

I had the great privledge and honor of meeting the man twice. The first time was when I was just a kid and my Dad was in the boats. The Admiral was COMSUBPAC at the time and needless to say I was in awe. The second time was a few years ago when he was honored during a football game at Annapolis. He was a personal hero of mine and he will be missed. Rest you oars Admiral and Godspeed....

[SteamWake]

Later that month, “in an exceptional feat of brilliant deduction and bold tracking,” Fluckey and the Barb located more than 30 enemy ships. In the battle that followed, the Americans slipped through enemy defenses, scoring direct hits on six of the main targets and blowing up a large ammunition ship, causing “inestimable damage by the resultant flying shells and other pyrotechnics.”


Atta boy !

RIP

[ReallyDedPoet]

RIP

RDP

[Navigator857]

A real hero indeed. However, in the heading for this you call him a "U-Boat" Ace. He did'nt skipper any U-Boats did he?

[ReallyDedPoet]

A real hero indeed. However, in the heading for this you call him a "U-Boat" Ace. He did'nt skipper any U-Boats did he?

Think he was just comparing him to one.

RDP

[Wilko]

Just finished reading Thunder Below

Great book of a great man

RIP

[Chief of the Boat]

Yeah... 'guilty' of 'literary license'... [or whatever it's called], as I am not sure..SURE.. of the term 'Ace' as applied to Subs. I did read a book called 'U-Boat Ace', about a German Nazi [yes, a Party member], who really racked 'em up. 'ACE' is/was five confirmed kills in Aviation, and it certainly seems from the article and the Admiral exceeded that:

"In five war patrols as the skipper of the submarine Barb, Fluckey sank dozens upon dozens of Japanese ships and destroyed many more small craft and shore installations, according to the Naval Historical Center."

But, I admit to a 'surface' career and Zero other knowledge of this guy, except what I read in Navy Times...

COB

[Jimbuna]

Rest in peace sir.

[tedhealy]

Thunder Below! should be read by all. An amazing account from an amazing man.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v290/yurkb/USS_Barb_crew_1945_i03570.jpg

[Chief of the Boat]

Is that guy to OUR RIGHT the CO, Admiral [to be] Fluckey ? Doesn't seem quite as 'narrow faced' as the guy in Dress Blue Able in the N.T. article...

[tedhealy]

No it is not.

Being awarded the MOH, 3rd from the left, with his wife next to him

http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/i03000/i03535.jpg

[Chief of the Boat]

Yup... looks more like the N.T. photo. Probably the Officer and Chief in the photo are in the Torpedo gang. That crop of White Hats is about the right size for the Division...

COB

[NEON DEON]

The battle flag pictures shows the Memebers of the Barb's demo team.

These guys were the only guys to land on a Japanese home Island in WWII.

You can see an icon representing the troop train they blew up on their raid at the bottom middle of the battle flag.

The officer to the right is William Walker the leader of the raiding party.

To the far left is the raiding party's second in command.

Chief of the boat: Paul Saunders.

On this same War patrol, the Barb's last, she also made the first rocket attack in history from a submarine.

Fluckey was da Man!

May God bless you and keep you Admiral.

[Chief of the Boat]

Hey..THANKS, Neon... I enjoy knowing the Real Stuff! [Currently half way through my second reading of 'Morison's Naval History of WW2..]

Yeah.. thanks, again...

[Wilko]

He was the real deal, managed to get a 5th war patrol when the limit was set at 4,

threw the Mast Book over the side cause he believed in his crew and they never let him down.

[Indianer]

I have to agree, "Thunder Below" ought to be read by all. I just discovered it one day at the library no more than a week or two ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. Found it at a used book store earlier this week and bought it -- only to find that it was a signed personalized copy.

93 is a ripe old age...but he will be sorely missed.

[ReallyDedPoet]

Welcome:up: Indianer

RDP

[edjcox]

" a loyal and devoted leader, for whom his people had the greatest respect and in whom they entrusted their lives and their honor."

This is the mark of a man, the kind this Nation needs more of ..

Fairwell Admiral...

[elanaiba]

Salute! RIP ...

[BH]

We lose more and more of that generation everyday. It is interesting to talk with them about the war and what they did. Interesting stories from a different era.

[StandingCow]

RIP