Wednesday, May 27, 2009

USS Lagarto (SS-371) Documentary on PBS

I had planned to see it, but missed it this past Sunday on PBS' WTTW in Chicago. But the Chicago Tribune's Watcher, TV critic Maureen Ryan had a write up on it May 22nd. Researching this is how I came across the SS-44.

"Lost and Found: The Legacy of the USS Lagarto" traced the history of the submarine from where it was built in Manitowac, Wisconsin, to its service, loss, and divers who found it it a few years ago in the Gulf of Thailand, six decades after it was sunk in 1945. All crew members were lost.

Filmmakers Harvey Moshman and Chuck Coppola tracked down family members, World War II submarine veterans, and even shipyard workers for interviews and background.

Nancy Mabin Kenney of LaGrange, Illinois, was one of the leaders to get the Navy to recognize the Lagarto's crew. Her father, William Mabin, was a signalman on the sub. A tribute was held in Manitowoc near where it was launched.

Interesting that subs made in the Midwest fought in the Pacific.

I'll Have to Keep an Eye Open for Its Rebroadcast. --Cooter

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