06/15/2023
USS Chicago Base, USSVI held a dedication ceremony for our newest memorial located in Joliet, IL, on June 14th. The memorial honors the memory of the 28 submarines and their crews which passed through Joliet on their way to service in the Pacific during World War II. The submarines were built at the Manitowoc Ship Building Co., Manitowoc, WI during the years of 1943 - 1945. They were some of the best submarines built during World War II. They tested on Lake Michigan and when complete, they transited the river system from Chicago to New Orleans. In New Orleans the masts were reinstalled, provisions, fuel and weapons were loaded, and the crew then took their submarine off to war through the Caribbean Sea, the Panama Canal, and finally to the Pacific Theater. Four of these submarines were lost with all hands during the war. USS Chicago Base would especially like to thank the City of Joliet, and the many vendors who donated their time, labor, and materials to facilitate the construction of this memorial. We owe a special debt to Reeves & Baskerville Funeral Homes. Without their support the installation of this memorial and the memorial in Morris, IL, would not have been possible. We want to thank the special guests who were able to attend the dedication ceremony. The pictures in this post show the entire ceremony, from beginning to end. The special guests are shown by name in some of these photos. We would also like to thank the Joliet Central High School students who provided us with an honor guard that posted the colors at the start of the ceremony, and the two musicians who played taps at the end. Also, we'd like to thank the Joliet Police Honor Guard. They provided us with a rifle volley salute at the end of the ceremony.