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Help us honor the crew of the Dorado by sending us stories, remembrances, anecdotes, and photos to ussdoradoproject@gmail.com. Thank you!

Dorado's crew at Polly's Inn, Montville, CT., August 13, 1943.

If you were to catch a sailor in one of those rare wistful and reflective moments, that sailor may tell you that a ship has a soul, a personality and energy all of its own. There may be something to that, but at the end of the day a ship, even a highly sophisticated one like a submarine, is just a collection of mechanical devices contained within a steel tube. It can't move on its own or fight on its own, it needs a crew to be truly alive. The crew IS the boat's soul, it provides it with its heartbeat and will, and its ability to carry out the mission it was built for.

The crew is lead by its officers, college educated men that provide the boat with its direction and resolve. At the top is the Commanding Officer (aka CO or Skipper), a seasoned veteran and experienced man of the sea, a man who knows the "art" of submarining down to its core. During WWII the CO could be a senior Lieutenant (LT), but was most often a Lieutenant Commander (LCDR) or Commander (CDR). By 1943 the CO of a fleet submarine had risen up through the officer ranks, having served on several submarines previously, and had likely also had surface ship experience. He would be intelligent and driven, capable of multi-tasking on a high level. He would be capable of solving complex mathematical calculations quickly in his head, all the while managing a complex fighting machine in a calm and decisive manner.

LCDR E.C. Schneider, USN.

For the Dorado that man was LCDR Earle Caffrey Schneider. A native of Beaufort, North Carolina, Schneider had the Navy in his blood. His father was a wisened, experienced, and "salty" Chief Petty Officer with over 36 years of service. Because of his father's service Schneider had spent his formative years around ships and navy bases. He was a good student, and this got him an appointment to the Naval Academy in 1929, as a part of the class of 1933. After graduation and commissioning he served aboard the battleship Pennsylvania (BB-38) and the carrier Ranger (CV-4) before transferring to submarines. Schneider, known to his friends by the jocular nom de guerre "Penrod", served on the Pompano (SS-181) from 1939 to 1942 and made his first war patrols aboard her. He then transferred to Trigger (SS-237) and made several very successful war patrols as her Executive Officer (XO), or second in command. With the Submarine Service rapidly expanding with the war effort, experienced men were needed to man the new boats being built at Electric Boat, Portsmouth, and the other yards. After two war patrols on Trigger, Schneider was detached to return to New London to put the Dorado into commission as her Commanding Officer.

CRM Paul F. O'Dell, USN.

In the United States Navy, there is an old saying that pontificates "The officers are in charge, but the Chiefs run the Navy", and that is an undeniable truth. A Chief Petty Officer was the highest rank for an enlisted man during the war years. Chiefs wear their gold fouled anchor and USN badge on their combination cap with pride, as they are respected as highly experienced and expert sailors, often with decades of service, having worked their way with gritty determination from the lowest Seaman all the way up to this august rank. A Chief has done everything, seen everything, and been everywhere. They are considered to be technical experts and leaders of men. They are the "get-it-done" element on any Navy ship, organizing and leading work parties of junior sailors, mentoring them, teaching them, and at times keeping them in-line with iron discipline. Many new enlisted men look to the Chiefs as father figures, the guidance and advice they provide filling a large gap that the young men experience from recently leaving their families behind. Their experience, wisdom, and technical know-how is sought out even by the junior officers (Ensigns, Lieutenant Junior Grades, etc.) as they learn the tricks of the trade. Dorado had eight Chief's assigned, and they were the nucleus of the crew, with the officer's relying on them to a great extent indeed. They helped in training and organizing the crew, a large percentage of which were brand new sailors and not yet Qualified in Submarines.

Seaman 2c Joseph Perrault, USN.

No organization, especially a military one, can exist without the wrench turners, roustabouts, and blue-collar Joes. In the U.S. Navy those invaluable men are the junior sailors. From Apprentice Seaman up to Petty Officer 1st Class they formed the bulk of the crew. Although some of them may not have graduated from high school, the Navy ensures that they are trained thoroughly in a "rate", or job. These can include Ship's Cook, Torpedoman, Quartermaster, Machinist's Mate, Electrician's Mate, and Yeoman, among others. After Basic Training (aka "boot camp") most of these men will attend a Navy school to learn their rate. All of them will have been screened both mentally and physically to ensure they can meet the rigorous standards of the Submarine Service, and all of them will have graduated from the Navy's Submarine School in Groton, CT. where they learn the intricacies of operating a submarine.

Once they report to their submarine, the training for these new men has only just begun. They immediately set about learning the equipment they are to operate and maintain, and receive detailed training on the watch stations they will man while underway, such as Lookout, Helmsman, Planesman, Gunner, and Line Handler. They will also set about learning every switch, lever, valve, and system on the boat, a rigorous and difficult process known as "Qualifying". When complete (a months long process), they experience a highly detailed and thorough oral examination board made up of experienced Petty Officers, Chiefs, and Officers. If they pass (not all do), their scores and performance is reviewed by the Commanding Officer, who makes the final determination. The proudest moment for any submariner is when the CO signs off on his qualifications, and he is authorized to wear the coveted "Dolphins" insignia sewn to the sleeve of his uniform. This brings him into the elite and respected "Order of the 'Phin", an honor that he will carry with him for the rest of his days.

In the fall of 1943 it was common to have only about 60% of the crew qualified when a new submarine is commissioned. Some of the crew have come from other submarines and are already qualified, but since the bulk of the crew are actually junior enlisted and officers many of them are still learning when the boat leaves the states for the war zone. The goal is to get the crew as close to 100% qualified as they can get before they depart their assigned station for the first war patrol. However, qualifying is a never completed process, as experienced crew members are constantly departing between patrols, with new ones arriving to replace them.

So this was Dorado's crew. The officers, Chiefs, and junior enlisted that provided that fighting submarine with its heart and soul. In the words of submarine historian Ric Hedman, "These sailors were the boys down the street, around the corner, out on the farms. They were the high school football heroes, and yes, even the geeks of their time. But they became one of the elite, one of that 1% that made the cut and became "Qualified in Submarines". They were, and still are, the best of the best of the United States Navy."

For now, it is not our intention to list every member of the Dorado's crew here, as that function has already been thoroughly accomplished by our friend and colleague Charles Hinman at the On Eternal Patrol Dorado page. Please visit that page and acknowledge the men who sailed on Dorado.

What we would really like is to have family members and friends submit to us stories, remembrances, anecdotes, and photographs of the Dorado's crew. One of our primary goals is to ensure that these men, all of whom made "The Final Sacrifice" for us, will never be forgotten. It would be a museum of the crew, so to speak, posted here on this site. Help us to preserve their memory, and to honor them by sending your thoughts and memories to ussdoradoproject@gmail.com. Thank you!

Crew portraits courtesy of oneternalpatrol.com.

Spotlight on Chief Radioman Paul F. O'Dell, USN

The USS Dorado Project was recently gifted a collection of photographs of one of Dorado's crewmen, Chief Radioman Paul O'Dell. They were collected by submarine historian Ric Hedman of Seattle during an online auction from eBay. Ric is not sure the origin of the photos, but it is likely that they came from the family of Chief O'Dell. Any information that can be provided from the family would be greatly appreciated. The team is indebted to Ric for his generous donation.

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The first photo shows O'Dell with his wife Dorothy probably in 1939-40 while out on a stroll. Note that on his lower left sleeve he has three hash marks, indicating he had between 12 and 16 years of service (each stripe indicated four years). At this point O'Dell is still a Radioman 1st Class, but was probably soon to make Chief. The remainder of the photos show O'Dell after his promotion. He is shown with four hash marks on his left sleeve, indicating a minimum of 16 years of service. He also has his white embroidered "Dolphins" insignia on his right sleeve, indicating that he is a part of the elite "Brotherhood of Submariners", i.e. Qualified in Submarines. He seems to be one of those typical Navy Chief's, with the ability to be both stern and jovial. He had an infectious smile, but could also muster a look that could make even the most recalcitrant young sailor suddenly compliant. Paul, a native of California, and Dorothy were known to have resided in an apartment at 665 Eddy Street in San Francisco for a while, and the last photo shows the current configuration of that building.

All photos donated to the Project by Ric Hedman.

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