World War II Honoree

Benjamin Marion Nash

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Mount Gilead, North Carolina

Honored By

U.S. Submarine Veterans, Inc.

LIEUTENANT JUNIOR GRADE SERVED AS THE ENGINEERING OFFICER ONBOARD USS S-44 (SS 155) KILLED WITH ALL HANDS ONBOARD USS S-44 (SS 155) ON 7 OCTOBER 1943 OFF PARAMUSHIRU, NORTHERN KURILES. DECORATIONS: PURPLE HEART. ON 26 SEPTEMBER 1943 S-44 PUT OUT ON HER FIFTH WAR PATROL FROM ATTU UNDER THE COMMAND OF LIEUTENANT COMMANDER F. E. BROWN. SHE WAS NEVER HEARD FROM AGAIN. ON THE NIGHT OF 7 OCTOBER, WHEN RADAR CONTACT WAS MADE ON WHAT WAS THOUGHT TO BE A SMALL MERCHANT SHIP. S-44 WENT IN VERY CLOSE ON THE SURFACE AND STARTED FIRING HER DECK GUN, AND IMMEDIATELY THE DESTROYER THEY HAD UNDERRATED OPENED UP WITH ALL GUNS. THE CAPTAIN ORDERED, “TAKE HER DOWN!” THE DIVING ALARM WAS SOUNDED, BUT THE SHIP DID NOT SUBMERGE, FOR REASONS NOT MADE CLEAR IN THE STATEMENTS OF THE SURVIVORS. MEANWHILE, THE DESTROYER HAD SCORED A HIT BELOW THE WATER LINE IN THE CONTROL ROOM, ONE IN THE CONNING TOWER, AND ONE IN THE FORWARD BATTERY. THE ORDER WAS GIVEN TO ABANDON SHIP, AND A PILLOWCASE WAS WAVED FROM THE FORWARD ROOM HATCH, IN THE HOPE THAT THE ENEMY WOULD CEASE FIRING, BUT THEY DID NOT. THE DESTROYER SCORED SEVERAL MORE HITS. POSSIBLY EIGHT MEN ESCAPED FROM THE SUBMARINE AS SHE WENT DOWN. TWO WERE PICKED UP BY THE DESTROYER. TAKEN INITIALLY TO PARAMUSHIRO, THEN TO THE NAVAL INTERROGATION CAMP AT OFUNA, THE TWO SUBMARINERS SPENT THE LAST YEAR OF WORLD WAR II WORKING IN THE ASHIO COPPER MINES. THEY WERE REPATRIATED BY THE ALLIES AT THE END OF THE WAR. USS S-44 (SS 155) WAS LOST WITH 55 OFFICERS AND MEN.