The Tale of the Fighting Wahoos

PENSACOLA, Fla. - The dark blue Wahoo fish that's native to Florida and West Indies waters is known to be a bloody-knuckle fighter that never gives up.

So, of course, are the Pensacola Blue Wahoos baseball team, as fans have come to know. But what fans may not know is that two U.S. Navy submarines named Wahoo that served in World War II and the Cold War also have records for being top fighters.

The United States Submarine Veterans, Drum Base plans to present the Cincinnati Reds Double-A affiliate two framed, black and white photos of the legendary Navy submarines in a pre-game ceremony and histories of both Wahoos Thursday at Blue Wahoos Stadium.

The two Wahoo submarines were the USS Wahoo SS-238 and the USS Wahoo SS-565. Wahoo SS-238 served from May 1942 to October 11, 1943 when it sank after a day-long air and sea attack in the Sea of Japan, losing all 80 of its men. In seven war patrols, the Wahoo sub attacked and sank 31 enemy ships, totally 119,000 tons and damaged two more for an additional 29,000 tons.

"I can assure you that the USS Wahoo SS-238 was a fighting ship!" said Lamarr Seader, who retired as a Command Master Chief Petty Officer (CMDCM) after 31 years in the Navy aboard five different subs. "You could say this, or not, but if you kept score it was the leading pitcher."

During its fatal seventh war patrol, Wahoo Commander Dudley Morton was heading the submarine home to Pearl Harbor, reported Seader, who serves as the Drum Base District Commander for six bases from Panama City to Baton Rouge, La.

The Japanese erected a granite monument to honor the Wahoo SS-238 and its aggressive and successful attacks in battle.

Along with Seader will be three other Drum Base members attending the pre-game ceremony. They include Larry Mueller, the commander of the local organization, Larry Mills and Don Garrett. The Milton High School NJROTC unit's color guard will display the American flag.

Seader said the second Wahoo SS-565 also had a distinguished service. The Navy commissioned the submarine May 30, 1953. She then served for more than 27 years during the Cold War and made numerous Western Pacific and covert deployments for six months at a time, including two tours of duty in the waters off Vietnam.

The United States gave the second Wahoo an overhaul and was going to turn it over to Iran before the 1979 hostage crisis. More than 60 American diplomats and citizens were held hostage for 444 days - November 4, 1979, to January 20, 1981 - in the Iranian revolution.

Instead, the sub was decommissioned in July 1983 and sold for scrap and spare parts.

Seader said he also plans to give two books to the Blue Wahoos baseball team - "Wake of the Wahoo" and "Blind Man's Bluff." All submariners, like him, know the well-chronicled history of Wahoo I and II, Seader said.

"All know them in the submarine community," he said. "Both ships were well recognized."

Celebrate five seasons of baseball in 2016! Blue Wahoos season tickets, mini plan packages and single game tickets are available for purchase at Hill-Kelly Dodge Pick-Up Window and by calling (850) 934-8444. Follow the team at BlueWahoos.com, facebook.com/PensacolaBlueWahoos and twitter.com/BlueWahoosBBall.

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