What 52 means to me.

If I asked you what 52 meant to you, you would probably say "the number of cards in a deck." True, that is one answer but it would not be the answer I would give nor others like me. You see, I am a United States Submarine Veteran and to me "52" represents the number of American submarines lost in WWII. It is obvious that I am way too young to have served in WWII, but like other submariners I care a lot about the history and traditions of the Silent Service.
52 boats, that is what we call Submarines instead of the term ship, departed their home ports to take the fight to the enemy. 52 crews, totaling 3506 souls set out to sea to defend their country. 3506 men left families and friends at home praying for their safe return.
Between the here and there, the beginning and end of the war patrol, the ugly hand of war wielding scissors sharpened by evil, snipped the strings of life of each man. Fate to live, fate to die, the coin flip result would make anyone cry.
These brave men doing their duty, for God, Country, family, and friends gave their all and did so in such away most can never know nor understand. Locked in the belly of a mechanical beast, down at depth sunlight will never reach, they gave their last.
What makes these men special? They knew to do their duty they had to put themselves in a situation most would dread. The dark cold depths of the sea held back by a skin of metal under tremendous pressure. Knowing that at anytime a depth charge could explode close aboard and rupture the hall, allowing that cold dark sea into the boat sending her and her crew to the bottom, never to see sunlight again.
Imagine trying to keep the worst possible fate out of your mind as you went about your duty. Imagine depth charge after depth charge shaking the heck out of the boat, pipes springing leaks, equipment and lighting being knocked out and all the while knowing there is nothing you can do to stop the endless pounding except to keep quite in the hope the enemies sonar loses contact or they give up thinking your dead. I can say I would be frightened beyond belief and would pray. I would pray I could do my job because if I didn't, it could be the mistake that would mean the destruction of the boat, her crew, and myself. I cannot imagine the thoughts of those submariners when they realized their boat was mortally wounded and there was no chance of escape.
I have great appreciation and love for all submariners, especially those that gave their lives defending their country.
Now I served on modern nuclear submarines, but somethings don't change. Submarines operate underwater, the depths are still dark, cold, and there is the pressure of the water trying to crush the hull. I never had to face a depth charging, thank God, I never experienced an onboard casualty that jeopardized the boat. I witnessed some fire onboard, hydraulic and high pressure air ruptures, the occasional "leak" of seawater, and the odd accident or two, but never have I come close to experiencing what the crews of the 52 submarines lost in World War Two faced. Even those that returned from patrols in WWII endured things many modern day submariners could not in the same situation. Yes, I probably would crap and piss myself if I had to ride out an hours long depth charge barrage, most people would.
Something else about the Submarine force of WWII. The silent service suffered the highest casualty percentage of all the armed forces, 1 in 5 submariners did not make it home. 16,000 submariners in the war and 3506 perished.
So what does 52 mean to me? 52 ships, 52 crews, that gave their all.

I cannot end this without acknowledging those submariners that never returned and are on eternal patrol in Peace time, we lost submariners before the war and after. We lost 2 nuclear submarines in the 1960s with all hands. We had people die onboard either from accident or medical issue. Even in Peace time, there is still a risk you will not return from patrol.