Wisconsin Maritime Museum to honor Manitowoc-made USS Lagarto in remembrance ceremony
MANITOWOC – Wisconsin Maritime Museum will host a public ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of the loss of USS Lagarto, a submarine built in Manitowoc during World War II, and the 20th anniversary of the submarine's discovery.
"The tribute honors the 86-man crew who were lost on May 3, 1945, during Lagarto's second war patrol in the Pacific," the news release from Wisconsin Maritime Museum said.
The ceremony will take place at 1 p.m. May 3 and include patriotic music, a reading of the names of the lost crew, a flower placement and the tolling of a memorial bell.
Read more: Remembering Manitowoc subs lost during WWII
The program also includes a flag presentation to the family members of a Lagarto crew member and a salute from USS Cobia.
Lagarto was the 21st of 28 submarines built in Manitowoc during World War II. The keel was laid on Jan. 12, 1944. She was launched on May 28, 1944, and was commissioned Oct. 14, 1944.
The submarine made two war patrols, during which she sank a Japanese submarine. Lagarto was ultimately sunk by the Japanese minelayer Hatsutaka in the Gulf of Thailand, a ship that had also depth-charged USS Cobia, according to the Wisconsin Maritime Museum. The Hatsutaka was later sunk by USS Hawkbill, a fellow Manitowoc-built submarine.
Read more: 'All my love': A WWII love story from sailor aboard Manitowoc-built USS Lagarto, lost in 1945
Lagarto's wreck was discovered in May 2005 in the Gulf of Thailand, nearly six decades after being sunk. The Wisconsin Maritime Museum collaborated with professional divers to study the site and spent more than a decade locating and connecting with the families of the lost crew.
"Today, the USS Lagarto is honored as the official state boat of Wisconsin, a lasting tribute to her story and the men aboard," the news release said.
Alisa M. Schafer is a reporter for the Herald Times Reporter in Manitowoc. She can be reached by email at aschafer@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: USS Lagarto remembrance ceremony set at Wisconsin Maritime Museum
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Holly Grove celebrates a community legend's 100th birthday
HOLLY GROVE, Ark. – A birthday celebration was held on Sunday at the Holly Grove community center for a man who sacrificed all for our country, Irunoes Johnson. 'That's what keeps me going, looking back at where I come from,' Johnson said. Little Rock World War II veteran celebrates her 100th birthday with parade Johnson turned 100 years old, having lived a life of service in the U.S. Army and fought in World War II, driving a 6×6 truck into Germany. General Dwight D. Eisenhower called the 6 x 6 trucks one of the six most vital U.S vehicles to win the war. The Holly Grove community honored all Johnson has done, along with his family. His grandchildren sang a song of thanks and his children gifted him with special plaques. His daughter Barbra Casey, says her father has always been an example to her and everyone he's crossed paths with. 'He's been kind of a trailblazer where he's worked at the rice mill, and he helped train people and stuff, so for those people to come and give back to him on this day, he had tears in his eyes,' Casey said. Johnson was full of gratitude himself and shared some words of wisdom. 'All I can tell you is when you start getting up in age, you've got to start taking care of yourself, you can get there,' Johnson said. Arkansas World War II veteran turns 102-years-old on Valentine's Day He advised for those who want to make a difference and have an impact just like he did. 'Don't worry about what the other person is doing, you take care of yourself, because you go worrying about what other people are doing or want to be like other people, you've got a problem,' Johnson said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Would this be the last letter he would write?
The sun was setting in England on June 10, 1944. Back home, it was still afternoon. He was sitting in the cab of his deuce-and-a-half — a 2.5 ton Army truck, ready to roll onto a ship that would take him and other truckers across 435 miles of the English channel to Omaha Beach in Normandy, France. Some 2,400 Americans had already been killed, wounded or reported missing on that beach in the four days since June 6. And now, he was on his way. It was the fifth anniversary of the day he and the girl he loved had eloped 'Girl' was right. She was 17. He was 21. And now, they — like so many other couples — were so far apart. So, as he waited to roll onto the ship, he started to write a letter home. He must have wondered if it would be the last he would ever write. 'Dearest Darling Wife: Hello, Honey, how are you by now? I feel better already. Just as I started, they came in. I mean the mail. Ha! Ha! I got three regular letters and a V-mail from you. I got my anniversary card yesterday and a V-mail from you. Sure was glad to get them. It was on time too and so cute.' He added, 'I am reading over your letters and I wanted to write you some more today of all days. This is one anniversary I will remember a long time. From the looks of things, now maybe I will get to be with you the next one and I hope a lot sooner. I guess you are worried about me, but no need of that, Honey. It won't do any good. I guess maybe you will start getting mail now that the big push is underway.' After crossing the channel, the trucks rolled off the ship into the water. They couldn't get all the way to the beach. Several trucks stalled in the water. But his made it. His next letter came from France on June 19. 'Dearest Darling Wife: Well, Honey, I haven't got to write you since our anniversary. I have been rather busy since. I think I will like this place pretty good when they quit celebrating so much. Ha! Ha! I wonder if I'll ever learn to talk to anyone here? It seems to me like these people have had a lot of stuff to put up with the past four years. Guess I can't say anything much except I'm in France.' It would be December of 1945 before he made it back home to her. And I was born 15 months later. That's just one story out of hundreds of thousands from those days 81 years ago when America fought to save the world.
Business Insider
5 hours ago
- Business Insider
I'm 92 and still live independently. I make sure to stay active, and I don't eat a lot of red meat.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Mira Armstrong, a 92-year-old from Porepunkah, Australia. It has been edited for length and clarity. I built my home with my husband, Bruce, in 1956. Now that I'm 92 years old, I still live independently. I hope I croak it here. I was born in Poland in 1933 during the Depression. My father was a shoemaker and in the army reserve. When World War II broke out, he was taken prisoner and sent to Germany. My mother, siblings, and I followed. I got a rough start to life Life was pretty tough. We lived in a derelict, abandoned farmhouse and weren't allowed to go to school because we weren't German citizens. While German children were at school, we'd scavenge at the dump — once, we even found an old gramophone. Toward the end of the war, I remember hearing American planes overhead. An old German man cycled through our village, sounding a siren as they approached. They never bombed our village, only cities and factories. I remember watching thousands of British airmen being marched past on foot. They stopped and ate grass because they were so hungry. I wish I knew how to speak English back then, but I didn't. We moved to Australia after the war, and things changed After the war, we were moved from one displaced persons camp to another. Europe was in chaos. We spent some time in Italy, then came to Australia aboard the SS Skaugum. My father got a job in the ship's kitchen and was finally able to buy toothpaste. We'd cleaned our teeth with ash during the war. When we arrived in Melbourne on March 28, 1950, I was 17. It felt like heaven. Everything was so strange and unusual. We were finally free. My family eventually settled in Porepunkah, Victoria, and I met my husband, Bruce, at the local swimming hole. One day, he waited in his truck to pick my sister and me up from work, and that was it. We were married in 1954 — I was 21, Bruce was 24. Longevity could be hereditary — my mum lived to 97. She was hardworking and survived many hardships, too. But I have also made a few lifestyle choices that may have helped. Being active has always been a priority When I was younger, I used to cycle 24 kilometers to and from work, even to church in high heels. I did everything fast, whether it was housework or heaving hay bales around our farm. When Bruce and I built our house, we dug the foundation holes and the well by hand. We had five kids, and I was constantly busy. I worked in hospitality and retail, never behind a desk. These days, I still walk a lot, mainly around the house and outside, and I like to garden. I eat a balanced diet, and I don't drink or smoke I eat everything — probably because I remember the starvation during the war. Once, we went for four days without food. For breakfast, I have porridge or Weetabix. I eat soup full of veggies, wholemeal toasties, chicken, fish, and walnuts. There's not a lot of red meat in my diet. My vice is fruit, though I have to be careful because I'm borderline diabetic. I never smoked or drank, and I only recently started drinking coffee. Staying social and volunteering is key Our home was always social — full of friends and family. I enjoy spending time with my eight grandkids and eight great-grandkids. I've also done a lot of volunteer work: 29 years with Meals on Wheels, 14 years with the op shop, and years of church work. I get bored easily, and I enjoy giving back. My faith has given me comfort in tough times Bruce died in 1977 shortly after a trucking accident. He was 47 years old, I was 44. I still had three boys at home and about 70 cows to manage on our farm. It was a horrendous time, and I went through hell. I did three part-time jobs and took care of everything on autopilot. After Bruce died, I started cursing God and stopped going to church. Then, in 1992, my youngest son, Graham, was killed in a road accident. It was very difficult, and that's when I returned to church. My faith has brought me comfort ever since. I make sure to keep my mind active I keep my mind active with puzzles and reading. I enjoy thrillers, and hot romances, too. After Bruce died, I'd read romance novels through the night. In the morning, I didn't even remember what they were about. These days, I enjoy feeding the birds and gardening. For what it's worth, these habits may have led to my longevity, and they've surely contributed to my enjoyment of life. But my No. 1 tip for a long life? Don't die!
