- 4 months ago
Peto (SS-265) For her tenth war patrol, the USS Peto was assigned to recover American airmen shot down during the closing phases of the war against Japan. One member of the submarine's crew, John Francis Laboon, Jr., changed the direction of his life as a result of the assignment. During the patrol, Laboon dove off the submarine to rescue a drowning flier. The experience left him with the decision to resign from the Navy following the war and enter the priesthood. Today, he is the Rev. Father John Laboon of the Society of Jesus. He appears at the close of this episode to discuss some of his experiences aboard the USS Peto.
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00:00Ah! Ah! Ah!
00:30I'm Rear Admiral Thomas M. Dykers, retired, bringing you another true account of the silent service.
00:37The USS Pitot was the first submarine to be built far inland at Manitowoc, Wisconsin.
00:43They launched her sideways, and she sure made a big splash.
00:47But that wasn't the last big splash Pitot was to make, as the enemy discovered.
00:52This is the factual story of her tenth and last war patrol,
00:56and of how it changed the whole future life of one of her officers.
01:06Our story opens in San Francisco at the Hotel Fairmount.
01:26Mr. Reverend Soda, please.
01:40I beg your pardon, Lieutenant.
01:42Yes, ma'am.
01:44I wonder if you'd mind joining my husband and me for a few minutes.
01:48Well, yes, ma'am. I'd be glad to.
01:59Hey, honey. I told you.
02:01I wasn't afraid to ask the lieutenant over.
02:04And I might just as well get to the point right away.
02:07My husband just got back from the Aleutian Islands.
02:10Somewhere along the way, they managed to lose all his luggage.
02:13The only uniform he's got is on his back.
02:16Well, I have a spare uniform. I'd be glad to lunge you, sir.
02:19Oh, I know you just can't walk in and buy one off the rack.
02:22Not when you're our size.
02:24That's mighty kind of you, Lieutenant.
02:27LeBoon, sir. Jack LeBoon.
02:29My name is Caldwell, and you've already met Mrs. Caldwell.
02:33Would you have a seat?
02:35Thank you, sir.
02:36LeBoon. LeBoon, didn't you play football at the Naval Academy?
02:40Well, that's right, sir. And lacrosse.
02:42What ship are you attached to?
02:44The pitot, sir.
02:48Major New CEO.
02:50I just received my orders. I'm the pitot's news giver.
02:53Well, you two get in the con and tower at the same time.
02:56Well, I just hope the rest of the crew are midgets.
02:59Early in July 1945, the USS Pitot, now a seasoned veteran with nine successful combat patrols behind her, was refitting at Guam.
03:13Her next mission was to be a lifeguard patrol, her first.
03:17And her skipper, Captain Caldwell, had made a characteristic decision.
03:23If vetoes to help flyers, Caldwell figured he ought to know what the job looked like from the other fellow's point of view.
03:29So he had taken off from Saipan on a bombing mission over Japan.
03:33And believe me, it's a rough deal.
03:49There's nothing between you and enemy flight, but an aluminum skin that wouldn't stop a BB shot.
03:54And crowded? Ugh.
03:56You couldn't pay me to go up in one of those crates.
03:58I don't mind admitting it. They just plain scare me.
04:01Those fly boars sure appreciate our subs on lifeguard, Rudy Wyatt.
04:04They were telling me how many our boats have already saved.
04:08Well, just the same, I wish we were going on another combat mission.
04:12Well, there isn't enough enemy shipping left to make it worthwhile.
04:15For once we'll be saving men instead of sinking them.
04:18Well, if we don't get our refit finished, we'll never make our next patrol.
04:24On 14th July, Pitot departed from Guam, and seven days later made her first recovery.
04:31On 30th July, Pitot surfaced at dawn to resume what had now become routine,
04:36and somewhat dull and monotonous routine at that.
04:40The captain and Lieutenant Frank A. Cook of Rosemont, Pennsylvania, came to the bridge.
04:45But shortly after a fighter cover had checked in, normal procedure was sharply interrupted.
04:50Radio captain, one check and report a ditch. Time 0745, position 3413 North, 13836 East.
04:59Just south of Omiasaki, right in the middle of a restricted area full of mines.
05:06Notify fighter cover. We will proceed to area, but we'll be unable to enter it.
05:16Request El Toro to send Jukebox to drop boat to ditched flyer.
05:21All ahead flank, right full rudder, cover course 190.
05:28Lifeguard 9, this is Jukebox 2-2. Do you read me? Over.
05:36Jukebox 2-2, this is Lifeguard 9. We read you loud and clear. Over.
05:42Loud and clear. Over.
05:44Lifeguard 9, we dropped the lifeboat to the downed chicken, but it broke in half when it hit.
05:50Have notified El Toro and they are sending playmate 2-6. Over.
05:55Roger Jukebox. Lifeguard out.
05:58I can see the plane all right, but not the guy who's down. Can you make him out?
06:13Ah, the water's too rough. That dumb boat has kind of spotted water though.
06:18Playmate 2-6, this is Jukebox 2-4. Come to your right a little. He's at about one o'clock on your present course. Over.
06:30Jukebox 2-4, this is Playmate 2-6. Relax, son. We got him square in our sights.
06:39Jukebox 2-4, this is Playmate 2-6. We got him aboard and all in one piece. Over.
06:45Playmate, this is Jukebox. Nice going, fella. Over.
06:48Going ain't quite as nice as it looks from where you're sitting, son.
06:52Matter of fact, we got us a little problem.
06:55We busted a hole in the hull when we landed.
06:58We're sinking right now, slow but short.
07:02Gonna take to our raft and hope those lifeguard boys are handy.
07:06Hey, Lifeguard 9, you all still in the vicinity? Over.
07:10My Philadelphia accent, he'd probably take me for a Union spy.
07:16Playmate 2-6, this is Lifeguard 9.
07:19We're standing by about five miles east of you.
07:22You're in a minefield and we cannot come any closer. Over.
07:26My brother, you sound like home folks. Where you from? Over.
07:30Atlanta, GA. Over.
07:33Well, there's gonna be nine of us counting the downed chicken
07:36and some northerners that sneaked into my crew.
07:38We'll be looking for you. Stick around. Over.
07:42Head due east. We'll be waiting for you.
07:46And good luck. Roger.
07:49My fate is getting wet. Better be gone. Out.
07:52Out.
08:04Lifeguard 9, this is Jukebox 2-4. Over.
08:07Go ahead, Jukebox. Over.
08:09Both of the boat's outboards have conked out.
08:12They can't get either motor started again.
08:14They're hoisting their sail. Over.
08:17Well, they'll never be able to beat their way out dead into this wind.
08:20We'll go in out of them. Out.
08:23Thanks, Lifeguard 9. Out.
08:26All engines ahead one-third.
08:28Come to course two-seven-zero.
08:33We'll have to take a chance on that minefield.
08:35Put two men on the bow. Special lookouts.
08:38Aye, aye, sir.
08:41For almost five endless hours, Peto crept slowly through the minefield.
08:45Meanwhile, the nine downed chickens, their outboard motors swamped
08:48and their sail useless, had taken to the paddles.
08:51The best they could do against the violent headwinds
08:53was to hold their position, let alone make any progress.
08:57At 1,700...
08:59Performance is made to the bridge.
09:01Bring out the bow planes.
09:03Rescue party, stand by.
09:06Ready with those lines.
09:14Stand by forward, Doc.
09:15They didn't report any injured, but they may have some.
09:17Aye, aye, sir.
09:45That's it.
09:46Bring a left to zero-nine-zero.
09:47All ahead, one-third.
09:49No injuries, Captain.
09:50But they're pretty well bushed and half-frozen.
09:51Well, give them a death charge apiece.
09:52From the medicinal brandy.
09:53Yes, sir. That'll fix it.
09:54Radio, tell El Toro that we have no need to do it.
09:55That's it.
09:56That's it.
09:57That's it.
09:58That's it.
09:59That's it.
10:00That's it.
10:01That's it.
10:02No injuries, Captain.
10:03But they're pretty well bushed and half-frozen.
10:06Well, give them a death charge apiece.
10:08From the medicinal brandy.
10:09Yes, sir. That'll fix it.
10:12Radio, tell El Toro that we have nine downed armor aboard.
10:16Request instruction.
10:18Aye, aye.
10:21Everything's fine, Captain.
10:22No sweat, no strain.
10:24The Texas lab requests permission to come to the bridge.
10:26He and the others want to thank you, sir.
10:29Not now, Jack.
10:30Tell them once we get out of this minefield,
10:32we'll all relax and pat each other on the back.
10:38But it was well past midnight before anyone aboard Pito
10:41had much chance to relax.
10:43By then she had successfully made her way out of the minefield
10:46and according to the order she had received,
10:48had transferred nine grateful flyers to the USS Gavilan.
10:53Message from Admiral Halsey, sir.
10:55Well done.
10:56My hat's off of the Pito.
10:57Halsey.
10:58Put it on a bulletin board, Lawson.
10:59That's one for all of us.
11:00The next day the Pito was enjoying a ringside seat eight miles offshore
11:02for the job the Air Force was doing on Hamamatsu.
11:04the job the Air Force was doing on Hamamatsu.
11:11The next day the Pito was enjoying a ringside seat eight miles offshore
11:15for the job the Air Force was doing on Hamamatsu.
11:18The sightseeing ended abruptly in 1552.
11:19The plane peeling off.
11:20He's hit.
11:21Looks as though he's ditching.
11:22Right forwarder.
11:23All ahead's length.
11:24Right forwarder.
11:25All ahead's length.
11:26All ahead's length.
11:27All ahead's length.
11:28All ahead's length.
11:29All ahead's length.
11:30The Pito raced towards the downed flyer and had him out of the water almost
11:37in the air.
11:38All ahead's length.
11:39All ahead's length.
11:40The Pito raced towards the downed flyer and had him out of the water almost
11:45before he got wet.
11:46Nice going.
11:47Thank you for that.
11:48You're welcome.
11:49The Pito raced towards the downed flyer and had him out of the water almost before he
11:58got wet.
11:59That's right.
12:00Got it.
12:01Exactly five minutes since he ditched.
12:03You're welcome.
12:04A satisfied customer's our best advertisement.
12:05Out.
12:06Captain, can you come here alone?
12:07It's urgent.
12:08Are you ready?
12:09I'm ready.
12:10No.
12:11Out.
12:12Captain, can you come here a moment? It's urgent.
12:20My wingman had the ditch closer to the beach.
12:23Can you go after him?
12:24Where's his position?
12:25I can show you exactly.
12:26Go down the chart, sir.
12:35Right about there. He was swimming away from the shore.
12:37We're within range of those coastal guns.
12:42Less than ten pathoms.
12:46Lawson!
12:47Come to course 285.
12:49All ahead, flank!
12:52How's it, Doc?
12:53He shot through the ankles, sir,
12:55but it's nothing I can't take care of.
12:57It's where I had the ditch.
12:5820-millimeter got me. I couldn't keep control.
13:01All right. Take him below.
13:07We'll draw gunfire from those coastal batteries
13:14as soon as we get within range.
13:16Get him out of the main deck.
13:17All right, sir.
13:18Exactly on course.
13:36About three miles off the beach,
13:37I'll keep circling over him
13:39until you tell me you've spotted him.
13:40Over.
13:41Roger and out.
13:43It'll be about another five minutes
13:44before we are within range.
13:46I can go down below
13:47to take a look at that flyer.
13:49Take over, Jack.
13:54There.
13:55We're all done, Mr. Sanders,
13:56and you'll be running around again
13:59in a couple of weeks.
14:01Let me give you a shot.
14:02It'll put you to sleep
14:02till the pain's worn off.
14:04No, thanks.
14:06I'll wait till they pick up Hugh.
14:07I want to make sure they get him.
14:09Well, don't worry about that.
14:11When our skipper goes after,
14:13he gets.
14:14Did a great job on me, Doc.
14:16Thanks.
14:18Yeah, well, I guess I won't get a chance
14:19to practice on you, though.
14:21Practice?
14:22I don't get you.
14:23Well, I'm studying for the day
14:25when the war is over.
14:26Ought to be a doctor?
14:27Doctor?
14:28No, no.
14:28I'm going to business with my uncle.
14:31He's an undertaker.
14:34I'm glad I can't oblige you.
14:36Yeah, so am I.
14:38Well, how's it going?
14:39Feeling fine, Captain.
14:40He's doing great, Captain.
14:43My name's Caldwell.
14:45That's E.A. Sanders.
14:46VBF 94 from Lexington.
14:49I don't have to tell you
14:50I'm glad to see you and your ship.
14:53One of your planes
14:54just reported to the Lexington
14:55that we have you aboard.
14:57You think you're going to be able
14:58to get Donnelly, sir?
14:59Well, he's in pretty shallow water.
15:02I'm right under those coastal guns.
15:03If they open up on us,
15:05we won't be able to dive.
15:10But we'll do our best, Sanders.
15:11I don't know how many men
15:13you've got on board, Captain.
15:14Eight or nine.
15:15Not counting yourself.
15:16Why?
15:18I don't have to be very bright
15:19to figure out what this means.
15:21Deciding to risk this ship
15:23with the lives of 89 men
15:24just to save one pilot?
15:26Thanks.
15:28Well, I guess it doesn't
15:29exactly make sense.
15:31But we do it.
15:34I've got to get back to the bridge.
15:35Try and take it easy.
15:36I see him, Captain.
15:44Almost dead ahead,
15:45about a half mile
15:45off the port bow.
15:47Fighter, this is Lifeguard 9.
15:49We've got him spotted.
15:50Over.
15:51Good luck, Lifeguard.
15:52I'm returning to carry
15:53almost out of fuel.
15:55We've asked him to send
15:56two Hellcats
15:56to fly cover for you.
16:02I'm going to go
16:03at least by a thousand yards.
16:05I hope he doesn't
16:05do any better.
16:11We'll have to put a man
16:12over his side.
16:13Tie a lifeline to him.
16:15We'll try to pick
16:16this one up on the fly.
16:23I can't risk
16:24coming to a dead stop
16:25and making pitil
16:26or sitting targeted
16:26for those guns.
16:28I'm going to ask
16:29for a volunteer
16:29to do the job.
16:31Who's the best
16:31rim on board, Jack?
16:33Well, you'll have to ask
16:34for a volunteer, Captain.
16:37You've got one.
16:40All right.
16:41Who do you want
16:41to hold the line for you?
16:44A Scali,
16:44the torpedo man.
16:46He's strong as an ox.
16:47All right.
16:48Step on it.
16:49Aye, aye, sir.
16:50If we're forced to,
16:51we'll have to cut the line
16:52and leave you both.
16:55Good luck, Jack.
16:56You take care
16:57of the ship, Captain.
16:58I'll take care of him.
17:02Bring her left,
17:03two degrees.
17:04All ahead, one-third.
17:23There you go.
17:24Lawson, Captain.
17:32Request permission
17:32to come topside
17:33and assist Jack and Scali.
17:35Negative, Wyatt.
17:36Nobody up here
17:37that doesn't have to be.
17:38We'll do it.
17:46Let's go.
17:47Let's go.
18:17Jack's got him.
18:47Jack's got him.
19:17Come over and take the car, Mr. Lawson.
19:21Get below.
19:23We're going to dive.
19:27Get the water beneath us.
19:31None of them knew it, Dan, and all they cared about in the moment was getting the pitot out of there, four bells and a jingle.
19:51But the Silver Star Medal was to be awarded to Captain Caldwell and to Lieutenant Laboon, and the Bronze Star Medal to Torpedoman First Class James Skeely for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity.
20:03For the next few days, life was comparatively quiet aboard the pitot.
20:09If you don't count the enemy plane that dropped the bomb that barely missed and similar hazards they took in stride.
20:15Things were routine until the morning of 15 August when, with the pitot again on lifeguard duty...
20:21Bridgeham Radio, we just received word that this morning's strike is canceled.
20:26Something's cooking. There's a lot of activity on the circuit.
20:32Roger, radio.
20:33I wonder what's coming off.
20:34This is the captain.
20:39We have just received official word.
20:42The war is over.
20:44This is no time for us to get lax.
20:47Some enemy planes might not get the word, or decide to go out on the Kamikaze at Burst of Glory and take us with him.
20:54So all normal routine will go unchanged.
20:58There'll be no splicing of the main brace.
21:01But I guess we can at least blow off a little steam.
21:15Hi, Jack.
21:17Peace.
21:18Wonderful peace.
21:20That sure is a strange feeling.
21:22It's going to take some getting used to.
21:24Coffee?
21:24No, no thanks.
21:26I wanted to talk to you about something.
21:30Fire, rain.
21:30What would you say, Captain, if I told you that as soon as we get back home, I'm going to resign from the Navy?
21:39You're kidding.
21:40No.
21:41Why, you've got a great future in the service, Jack.
21:44With your comeback record and your background, why, you're on the way to top.
21:49Well, you know I'm a Catholic, don't you, Captain?
21:51Well, there's three things I'll never ask or care about.
21:54A man's politics, his religion, or whether or not he's a reservist or a regular.
22:00The thing I want to know is how well he can do his job.
22:03Now, what's being a Catholic got to do with this?
22:06Well, quite a lot, Captain.
22:08You see, saving lives in this patrol has finally made me realize something I've never quite been sure of before.
22:15I love the Navy, but I've decided I want to become a priest.
22:20You're certain you've thought this thing out?
22:26It's not a sudden impulse?
22:29I know, sir.
22:30I'm quite certain.
22:31I've given it a great deal of thought for a long time.
22:35Well, if this was for any other profession, I'd say you're being a fool.
22:40But as it stands, you have nothing but my admiration, although I'm not a Catholic.
22:46I'd be proud to approve your request.
22:51Well, thank you, sir.
22:58I'll be back in a moment with my special guest.
23:01And now it gives me great pleasure to present to you the former Lieutenant Laboon of the Peto,
23:12now the Reverend Father John Laboon of the Society of Jesus.
23:17Admiral, your reenactment of Peto's 10th Patrol has brought back a lot of memories.
23:22I'm very glad we were able to tell the story, Father Laboon,
23:25and I've been curious to know whether you saw Ensign Donnelly again after saving his life under fire.
23:31I haven't seen him, but I received a wonderful letter from him.
23:34He's Lieutenant Commander Donnelly now,
23:36and he wrote me from the Naval Air Station at Corpus Christi, Texas,
23:40where he's seen the news of my ordination in the paper.
23:43When were you ordained, Father?
23:45In 1956, after 10 years of study at Woodstock College.
23:4910 years?
23:50Why, that's more than twice as long as it's the course of the Naval Academy.
23:53I don't mind telling you it's more than twice as tough, too.
23:56I know you've seen and corresponded with most of your former submarine comrades, Father Laboon.
24:02Don't you ever miss the Navy?
24:04I can best answer that, Admiral,
24:05by telling you that I'm now a Lieutenant J.G. in the Naval Chaplain Corps Reserve.
24:10So you'll be going to sea again?
24:13Well, as you know, sir,
24:14I'll have to have been ordained for three years before I'm eligible for sea duty,
24:18but I am certainly looking forward to it.
24:20When I told your former skipper, Captain Hugh Caldwell,
24:23that you were going to be on our show, he wrote me,
24:25nothing's changed about Jack Laboon but his uniform.
24:29Well, Admiral, at least Hugh Caldwell won't follow this uniform
24:32the way he did my other one the first day I met him.
24:35We can be certain of that,
24:37and I'm sure that all our viewers join me
24:39in extending to you every good wish in your new calling.
24:42We've been honored to have you aboard with us on this show.
24:45Thank you, Admiral.
24:46Please be with us again
24:50when we bring you another exciting story
24:53of the silent service.
24:55INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PLAYS
25:10INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PLAYS
25:15From down, down, underneath the sea
25:20Safe and cold, and the world
25:24In the future's yet to be
25:29That we're safe, that's what we're saying
25:33Our submarines are underneath the sea
25:37So make for that, and make for that
25:41From down, down, down, underneath the ocean
25:45Build a land, we'll find it hard
25:50If the deep will find beneath the sea
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