National Submarine Memorial

Small, but very nice museum. Worth a visit and great for military functions.
Too bad it’s right next to a dumpy mom-​and-​pop auto repair shop. I wish that place would go away.

As you drive through Groton, there’s a small traffic circle more or less where Bridge Street and Thames Street converge. Slow down when you are in the area and look for the deck and tower of a ghost white submarine. In many ways, it is a ghost ship, and you can feel the spirits of 3,617 lost submariners that were killed on their ships while in service to the United States during WW II. This memorial is dedicated to them.
This sobering memorial will take your breath away. There’s a lot to see here– starting with the memorial’s focal point the Conning Tower of USS Flasher (SS-​249), 52 granite stones –each one is inscribed with the name of a submarine lost in WW II and the date it perished. There’s a massive wall with all of the 3,617 names. There are plaques to read and a torpedo on display.
The USS Flasher was not lost at sea; it was chosen for this monument because of its local ties and many successful missions. It was built by the Electric Boat Company of Groton, saw seven patrols in the Pacific, sunk 21 enemy ships, returned to Groton after the war, and became the centerpiece of this heart wrenching monument in 1974.

I dropped off my son at the SUBASE and decided to take the road that followed the river to see where it led. I ended up coming to a Submarine Memorial and pulled over and parked.
This is a memorial to all of those that lost their lives in a submarine. Each sub is named and tells you when they were in service and how many sailors that were lost.
My son is currently at the New London Naval Submarine Base going to school to become a submariner so this had a special meaning to me.
Be safe sailors!

Walk Softy;
Walk Softy
Stranger:
You Stand on
Hallowed Ground.
A couple of friends and myself were waking around Groton looking for a place to eat and we happened across this place. It looked sort of interesting so we went over to it. At first I saw a top of a sub, the sign said Flasher. That was pretty cool,
Then we started slowly looking around and realized this was a memorial. A memorial to all the submariners that have lost their lives in the line of duty. We stopped laughing and talking and slowly went around and looked carefully at the plaques giving the names of all the lost subs and what they think happened to them. Then we proceeded to look at the huge wall with the name of the 3,617 men lost in action. It was sobering and powerful. I have never seen such a small place have such impact. I looked over at one of my friends and she had tears running down her face.
We went into the memorial laughing and talking, when we left we were quiet and reflective
So if you are ever by the river in Groton take the time to find this place. Just remember to walk softy. For this is indeed hallowed ground.