Fredericksburg in Gillespie County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Fairwater of USS Pintado (SS-387)
[National Museum of the Pacific War]
Photographed By Richard E. Miller, August 9, 2010
1. Fairwater of USS Pintado (SS-387) Marker
Pintado made six war patrols in enemy waters, during which she disposed of five naval vessels and ten merchantmen of the Empire of Japan, sunk or otherwise disabled, totaling 132,900 tons of enemy shipping. During her fifth patrol, she rescued all twelve crew members of the B-29 “City of Galveston.”
Pintado was awarded two Presidential Unit Citations for extraordinary heroism during her first three patrols, the Submarine Combat Patrol Insignia with three stars, and five Battle Stars for her Asiatic-Pacific Theater of War participation.
Keel laid: 7 May 1943
Launched: 15 September 1943
Commissioned, LCdr Bernard A. Clarey in command: 1 January 1944
Decommissioned: 6 March 1946
Pintados fairwater and periscope came to the National Museum of the Pacific War as loan from the United States Navy with the assistance of the USS Pintado Association.
Erected by National Museum of the Pacific War.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists:
this page online
Location. 30° 16.397′ N, 98° 52.057′ W. Marker is in Fredericksburg, Texas, in Gillespie County. Marker is on E. Austin Street east of N. Lincoln Street. Marker is one block north of E. Main Street, on the grounds of the National Museum of the Pacific War, off the sidewalk on E. Austin Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 340 East Main Street, Fredericksburg TX 78624, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Main Mast from Destroyer USS Foote (DD-511) (within shouting distance of this marker); 5 Inch/38 Caliber Gun (within shouting distance of this marker); Mark 15 Torpedo Tube (within shouting distance of this marker); Twin 40mm Bofors: (within shouting distance of this marker); Early History of Fredericksburg, Texas (within shouting distance of this marker); U.S. 105mm Howitzer M2A1: (within shouting distance of this marker); Ordnance QF 25-Pounder Field Gun: (within shouting distance of this marker); Franklin D. Roosevelt (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fredericksburg.
Also see . . .
Photographed By Richard E. Miller, August 9, 2010
2. USS Pintado (SS-387) Memorial and Fairwater Marker
Additional commentary.
1. Deeds of the Submarine Service
At the USS Pintado display, there is a tablet titled Deeds of the Submarine Service and Roll Call of Submarines on "Eternal Patrol" with the following inscription:
One third of all Japanese warships sunk in the Pacific, including eight aircraft carriers, one battleship and eleven cruisers, and over half of all Japanese merchant ships sunk were accounted for by the relatively few men of the United States Navy's Submarine Service. All were volunteers. Nearly one-in-five, 3,505 officers and men, perished, the highest casualty rate of any service. Fifty-two of the two hundred eighty-eight US Navy submarines deployed during World War II did not return from sea. Forty-eight were lost in the Pacific Theater. All submarines consider these boats and their vanished crews to be on Eternal Patrol.
USS Sealion (SS-195) USS S-36 (SS-141) USS S-26 (SS-131) USS Shark (SS-174) USS Perch (SS-176) USS S-27 USS Grunion (SS-216) USS S-39 (SS-144) USS Argonaut (SS-166) USS Amberjack (SS-219) USS Grampus (SS-207) USS Triton (SS-201) USS Pickerel (SS-177) USS Grenaider
Photographed By Duane Hall, March 26, 2016
3. Deeds of the Submarine Service Tablet
"We, who survived World War II and were privileged to rejoin our loved ones at home, salute those gallant officers and men of our submarines who lost their lives in that long struggle. We shall never forget that it was our submarines that held the line against the enemy while our fleets replaced losses and repaired wounds."
- Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz
— Submitted April 28, 2016, by Duane Hall of Abilene, Texas.
2. Dedication
Photographed By Duane Hall, March 26, 2016
4. Deeds of the Submarine Service Tablet at USS Pintado Conning Tower
At the USS Pintado display, there is a tablet titled Dedication with the following inscription:
"It is to the everlasting honor and glory of our submarine personnel that they never failed us in our days of great peril."
Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz
Dedicated to the Men of the United States Navy's Submarine Service in World War II, and to the 3,505 officers and enlisted men lost and now on Eternal Patrol. In proportion to their numbers, they extraced the highest price from the enemy of any of our armed forces in the Pacific, and paid the highest price in return.
Established in honor and memory of Rear Admiral Charles D. Grojean, USN
His vision and leadership as Executive Director of the Admiral Nimitz Foundation made possible this memorial and the National Museum of the Pacific War
— Submitted April 28, 2016, by Duane Hall of Abilene, Texas.
Additional keywords. submarine; conning tower. Fairwater of USS Pintado (SS-387)
Photographed By Duane Hall, March 26, 2016
5. Dedication Tablet
Photographed By Duane Hall, March 26, 2016
6. Dedication Tablet at USS Pintado Conning Tower
Photographed By Richard E. Miller, August 8, 2010
7. National Museum of the Pacific War
View along Austin Street, USS Pintado (SS-387) memorial, far right
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on May 14, 2011, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. This page has been viewed 1,051 times since then and 64 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 14, 2011, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on April 28, 2016, by Duane Hall of Abilene, Texas. 7. submitted on May 14, 2011, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
