World War II Honoree

Jesse B. Dasilva

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Los Angeles, California

Honored By

U.S. Submarine Veteran

He was in the U.S. Navy during WWII and volunteered for the Submarine Service. He was working out of the submarine relief crews, numbers 41 and 42 at Pearl Harbor. As was the custom with relief crew members, when the opportunity arose he joined the crew of a submarine going out on an actual war patrol. The submarine that he joined just happened to be the highly successful USS Tang (SS-306) under the command of Commander Richard H. O'Kane. He joined the Tang after her 2nd war patrol and he made the 3rd, 4th and final (5th) war patrol. He survived the loss of USS TANG (SS-306) with 78 Officers and men onboard on 25 October 1944 in Formosa Strait near Turnabout Island at coordinates Latitude 25° 02'N, Longitude 119° 15'E. Decorations: Silver Star Medal, Purple Heart, Prisoner of War Medal, Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon (with 2 stars). USS TANG set out from Pearl Harbor on 24 September 1944, to begin her fifth war patrol. On 27 September she topped off with fuel at Midway and left there the same day, heading for an area between the northwest coast of Formosa and the China Coast. TANG was never heard from again after she left Midway. On her last patrol TANG fired twenty-four torpedoes in four attacks. Twenty-two torpedoes found their mark in enemy ships, sinking 13 of them. A night surface attack was launched At 02:30 on the morning of 25 October 1944 against a transport. TANG’s last torpedo broached and curved to the left in a circular run. TANG fishtailed to clear the turning circle of the torpedo, but it struck her abreast the after torpedo room approximately 20 seconds after it was fired. TANG sank by the stern approximately 20 seconds after it was fired and sank in 180 feet of water. Nine survivors were picked up by a destroyer escort. The men were then taken to a interrogation camp at Ofuna, Japan where they were tortured for information and eventually transferred to a priority Prisoner of War camp at Omori, Japan for the remainder of the war. He was liberated two weeks after the end of hostilities. He arrived back in the states exactly 2 years since he left October 25, 1943 and 1 year to the day the submarine was sunk October 25, 1944. In February of 1946 he chose to be discharged from the navy. USS TANG was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation twice during her career and her Commanding Officer was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.