World War II Honoree

Earl R. Baumgart

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Honored By

U.S. Submarine Veteran

He was on board USS FLIER (SS-250) on 13 August 1944 when it was lost with 79 Officers and men off the east coast of Balabac Island 7° 58' 43.21 N, 117° 15' 23.79 E. Decorations: Purple Heart. USS FLIER, commanded by Commander John D. Crowley, left Fremantle, Western Australia on 2 August, 1944 to conduct her second war patrol. Her area was east of Saigon, French Indo-China, and she was to pass through Lombok Strait, Makassar Strait, the Celebes Sea, Sibutu Passage and the Sulu Sea in proceeding to her station. By evening of 13 August, she had come through the Sulu Sea and was transiting Balalbac Strait, south of Palawan, Philippine Islands on the surface when, at 2200, disaster struck. Suddenly a terrific explosion, estimated to have been forward on the starboard side, shook the ship. FLIER struck a naval mine. She sank in about a minute, but 15 officers and men were able to clamber out. He was one of Eight who reached the beach of Byan Island after 17 hours in the water. Philippine guerrillas guided them to a coast watcher, who arranged for them to be picked up by submarine, and on the night of 30–31 August, they were taken on board by USS REDFIN (SS 272).