Lost Boats of Mare Island Memorial remembers 52 submarines and 3,000 sailors

VALLEJO, Calif. (KRON) — A memorial event was held on Mare Island this weekend to honor the submariners lost during World War II. The event, organized for the 19th year by Myrna Hayes and Larry Maggini, marks 82 years since the USS Wahoo was first reported missing.

The “Lost Boats of Mare Island Memorial” is a free public event dedicated to remembering the 52 submarines lost during World War II, including 23 that were built at Mare Island.

These submarines represent over 3,000 enlisted men who were lost at sea.

“The sea doesn’t need to declare war, they’re at war all the time you know its trying to kill ya everyday you’re out there so…,” said Larry Maggini, a former shipyard worker at Mare Island.

“These men could easily be forgotten, they’re at the bottom of the sea and only God knows where most of them are,” said Myrna Hayes, co-organizer of the event.

Larry Maggini, who worked at the Mare Island shipyard for 26 years, emphasized the connection between the submarines and their crews, stating, “The boats were a part of this place physically but the boats weren’t alive till the crews were on them.”

During the ceremony, Maggini read the names of the 52 submarines lost at sea, while U.S. veteran Jim Riley rang a bell in their honor.

Riley, who also worked at Mare Island, noted the strong bond among the submarine force, saying, “Today especially when you’re honoring those ships lost at WWII is a very special bond because you have that brotherhood.”

The ceremony concluded with the playing of Taps and the setting of a handmade wreath into the Mare Island Strait, crafted from local shrubs and plants.

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