WEST SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - The unveiling of the Gold Country Base Submarine Veterans “Lost Boat Memorial” took place on Saturday, January 21^st. Located in the military walk along the River Walk walkway, it stands tall and proud. Barry Wyatt, Base Commander and Public Affairs Officer, introduced himself, the Color Guard post the colors, the Naval Sea Cadets Honor Guard and Historian Roger Paul led the group in Pledge of Allegiance. A prayer was read by Chaplin Howard Grover and everyone took their seats.

Wyatt thanked the mayor, the City of West Sacramento and all the honored guests for attending the ceremony. He expanded on his appreciation to the City of West Sacramento by saying that the project would not have been completed without the amazing support of the City and guidance by its staff.

Mayor Martha Guerrero was introduced and humbly stepped up to the microphone. She said in part “We are honored that they chose West Sacramento for the memorial honoring the submariners who gave the ultimate sacrifice. The City Council and the West Sacramento community express gratitude to the servicemen who lost their lives at sea, and to the families who lost loved ones in the defense of our country.”

The mayor was followed by Pete Juhos, the Western Regional Director of the United States Veterans nationwide. He is former Gold Country Base Commander of Western District 5 and served 21 years in the United States Navy on both submarines and deep submergence vehicles.

In a news release Gold Country said, “Over the history of the Navy, in both war and peace, 65 United States submarines have been lost and 4,000 American Sailors have paid the ultimate price and remain on Eternal Patrol. The Monument represents the ‘depth of gratitude’ we have for our shipmates who gave their lives in the pursuit of their duties while serving their country in the United States Navy Submarine Service and honors those brave men and women who are serving now and who will serve in the future, beneath the oceans of the world.”

The idea for the monument began in 2017. They wanted it somewhere in the Sacramento Region. Similar monuments have been created nationwide, but most are concentrated on the submarines lost during WWII. This Monument is to recognize all 65 submarines that have been lost in service. They wanted to find a spot that was close to the water, somewhat safe from vandalism and easy to access for public viewing. They decided that the Veteran’s Plaza in West Sacramento would be the perfect spot. After years of ups and downs, fundraising the $20,000 needed to get started, and then continuing the fundraising for additional costs, the monument has finally been built and installed.

Wyatt listed the many groups and organizations that took part in the construction and installation of the majestic monument. He then explained his personal connection to the monument. When he was 17 years old and in submarine school, the USS Thresher (SSN-593) went on a deep-diving exercise when she went down. He discussed how the shock wave that hit those in school and how he still carries it to this day.

He quoted Dr. Joyce Brothers about submariners: “The tragic loss of the submarine Thresher and her men had a special kind of impact on our nation… a special kind of sadness, mixed with universal admiration for the men who chose this kind of work….” She said, “one could not mention the Thresher without observing, in the same breath, how utterly final and alone the end is when a ship dies at the bottom of the sea… and what a remarkable specimen of man it must be who accepts such a risk.”