World War II Honoree

George Seaman Wester

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Las Vegas, Nevada

Honored By

U.S. Submarine Veterans, Inc.

Relationship

Shipmates

SEAMAN FIRST CLASS. KILLED WITH ALL HANDS ONBOARD USS S-44 (SS-155) ON OCTOBER 7, 1943 OFF PARAMUSHIR, NORTHERN KURILE ISLANDS. DECORATIONS: PURPLE HEART. ON SEPTEMBER 26, 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 OCTOBER 7TH, 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. 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 PARAMUSHIR, THEN TO THE NAVAL INTERROGATION CAMP AT OFUNA, THE TWO SUBMARINERS SPENT THE LAST YEAR OF WWII 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 FIFTY-FIVE OFFICERS AND MEN.