Welcome

Submarine duty during World War II was one of the most statistically deadly, physically demanding, and emotionally challenging assignments in the U. S. Navy. The boats had few crew comforts, and war patrols, typically thirty to sixty days in length, were so exhausting that the submarine sailors often got a month of rest after each patrol. What would motivate men to volunteer for this unmistakably difficult and dangerous job? This is the question that The Men will answer using the oral histories of enlisted submarine veterans, a collection of letters of one sailor who did not return, and other primary sources. These volunteers, from diverse locales and backgrounds, ignored the danger, accepted the privations, and exalted in the camaraderie. Read more

About Stephen Leal Jackson

A veteran of the United States Navy, Stephen Leal Jackson spent eight years in the submarine force serving on the USS Los Angeles (SSN 688) and the USS Florida (SSBN 728). Jackson’s service included several Western Pacific cruises to the oceans, lands, and ports described in The Men. A lifelong student of American history, Jackson’s ongoing research concentrates specifically on World Wars I and II. Read more

Excerpt from the Book