On Saturday October 11th, Pelham Post 50 of the American Legion and Sons of the American Legion Squadron 50 plan a ceremony to honor the memory of the most famous submarine of WWII, the USS Wahoo (SS 238) and its crew, on the 65th anniversary of its loss in battle off of the coast of Japan. Doug Morton, the son of USS Wahoo CDR Dudley Morton is expected to attend the event. The ceremony is planned for 11 AM at the Pelham New York Veteran’s Memorial Park located just north of New York City.

Retired Pelham Memorial High School science instructor Jerry Mele, a WWII veteran of the USS Blackfin, related to Post 50 SAL 50 members the story of the Pelham connection to the famed WWII submarine USS Wahoo and its legendary commander Dudley "Mush" Morton.  The Wahoo was famed in early 1943 for feats such as sinking an entire convoy of enemy ships in the Pacific War and returning to Pearl Harbor with a broom attached to its mast.  This well publicized incident, portrayed on a mural at the US Navy Memorial in Washington DC, provided a lift to the nation during the dark early years of WWII.  Sadly the Wahoo was lost off the coast of Japan on Oct. 11th 1943.  After the war, CDR Morton's widow remarried and the family moved to Pelham where his two children attended Pelham schools.

The 65th anniversary ceremony will be held at Pelham's Veterans Memorial Park or the nearby Daronco Town Center in case of inclement weather. Pelham is located just north of New York City in Westchester County and is easily reached by I95, the Hutchinson River Parkway, or Metro North Train. The US Navy plans to support the event with a speaker and color guard.  Doug Morton, a 1957 graduate of PMHS, is traveling from Denver to participate. 
 
All interested veterans are invited to attend. Reservations are appreciated. Please email Ken Kraetzer at kgk914@aol.com or call 914-630-3457.
Updates about the event will be available on www.legionpost50ny.com.
An excellent description of the Wahoo and the 2007 ceremony held in honor of its crew at Pearl Harbor, HA can be found on BlogSpot and Cmdr. Dudley's Bio
 
The American Legion, with 2.7 million members, is the world's largest veteran's association. The Department of New York is one of The American Legion's largest state organizations with 1,003 local "Posts" and membership of more than 170,000 Legionnaires. Post 50 Pelham, N.Y., commanded in 2008-2009 by Frank Barbieri organizes Pelham's Memorial Day parade and has served as a New York City Fleet Week host the past six years.

Throughout the year, Post 50 conducts a variety of other projects to support veterans and the local community. In 2005, Post 50 initiated ceremonies commemorating the 60th anniversary of the end of the Italian Campaign of World War II at the American Battle Monument Commission maintained military cemeteries at Florence and Nettuno, Italy. In 2009 the Post and its SAL Squadron are planning a trip to Normandy France for the 65th Anniversary of D-Day. More information is available at www.legionpost50ny.com.