Nickname(s) Swish Name Paul Saunders Rank Chief Petty Officer | Years of service 1936–1962 | |
Born January 12, 1918Richmond, Virginia ( 1918-01-12 ) Allegiance | ||
Db9 paul saunders and the desert bus 2015 international choir perform gypsy rover
Chief Paul Golden (Swish) Saunders (January 12, 1918 – August 8, 2003) was a highly decorated United States Navy submarine sailor who was twice awarded the Silver Star medal during World War II.
Contents
- Db9 paul saunders and the desert bus 2015 international choir perform gypsy rover
- Paul saunders vs tomasz czerwinski
- Naval career
- Awards
- Post naval career
- References
Paul saunders vs tomasz czerwinski
Naval career
Paul "Swish" Saunders enlisted in the Navy in 1936 and served for 26 years before retiring as GMGC(SS) (Chief Gunners Mate Guns, Submarine Service) in 1962. Prior to submarines, Chief Saunders served on the light cruiser USS Raleigh (CL-7) and on destroyers McCook (DD-252) and Sampson (DD-394).
Paul qualified in submarines aboard R-4 (SS-81) in 1940 and subsequently served in Barb (SS-220), Cusk (SS-348), Carbonero (SS-337), and Theodore Roosevelt (SSBN-600).
The only landing of US military forces on the island of Japan during hostilities included Saunders. They destroyed a 16-car train on the coastal railway with an explosive charge, using a microswitch under the rails to trigger the explosion.
Paul was highly regarded as one of the most decorated enlisted men in the Submarine Service, distinguishing himself during World War II while serving on board the Barb. Paul made all twelve of Barb’s war patrols, five in the Atlantic and seven in the Pacific and was Chief of the Boat (COB) for patrols #9–12. He was also COB for the submarines Cusk, Carbonero and Theodore Roosevelt.
He was featured in the book Thunder Below by his USS Barb skipper, Admiral Eugene B. Fluckey.
Awards
During his career, Chief Saunders was awarded the following:
Post naval career
Post World War II found Paul working in the development of the launching systems for KGW-1 Loon, which was an adaptation of the US Army's JB-2 Doodle Bug, Regulus, and Polaris missiles.
Paul Saunders was a member of Submarine Veterans of World War II and also a member of United States Submarine Veterans, Inc., Nautilus Base.