BACK 
The Birth of USSVI, as recalled by Ron "Warshot" Smith

Posted 3 October 2002
Images and text transferred to USSVI National website by Myron Howard

 
Since the early days of the organization there have been US Submarine Veterans of WWII who felt that full membership in the organization should be open to "non-veterans".

They felt that opening full membership to non-veterans would be necessary in order to accomplish the long term recognition of the efforts of those who were veterans and especially those shipmates who were on Eternal Patrol.

At the National Convention of US Submarine Veterans of WWII at Dallas, Texas in August, 1963, an attempt to open full membership in the organization to "non-veterans" was made. That attempt was defeated by 2 votes. It was then that Joe Negri announced that he was going to start USSVI.

On the pages linked below are a few photos of some folks with ADM Lockwood and his wife in Dallas for that convention.

Photo-1 || Photo-2 || Photo-3