Lessons from My 98-year-old Dad: How I Ended Up on a Submarine, Part 2

by Harper Brame as told to Marilynn Chadwick

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart.”

Col 3:3a NIV

…Continued from Wednesday…

After I graduated from boot camp, my superiors discussed my next steps. They asked if I would volunteer for submarine school. “No sir,” I told the officer. “I don’t want any part of that.” I had wanted to go to the Hospital Corps school, the U.S. Navy training facility that taught recruits medical skills for battlefield and shipboard service. At the last minute, it turns out we were not needed.

So we were put on a S-Draft and sent on the Troop Train across the country. We were headed to Pearl Harbor for our assignment. I got assigned to the Submarine Tender, the Bushnell, a vital support ship in the war for submarines in the Pacific. It served as a floating submarine base, refitting subs at Pearl Harbor. The Bushnell was home base for the subs—like an airport for planes. I guess you could say we were the Mother Ship.

My shop classes in high school came handy because I got in the carpentry shop aboard the Bushnell. I was in line to "strike" for a position. This meant a new sailor could seek on-the-job training in a specialized field. A sailor could learn one of many highly skilled trades needed to repair and maintain submarines. For a sailor, striking a skilled rating was a significant advancement, moving us from general grunt work to a respected and specialized role. For the Navy, using submarine tenders as training platforms was a critical strategy, allowing them to quickly train us.

One day, they asked for volunteers to learn how to weld. That sounded like a good place for me to start. After four days on welding duty, over the loudspeaker I heard, “Brame report to personnel office.” Now I was worried. I had gone to the movie theater on the base a few nights earlier. My friend was on deck watch. I asked him if I could sneak over and watch a movie. “Sure,” he said. “Everybody does it.”

I was sure I was in trouble. When I reported to the personnel office, the Chief Officer said, “Brame, do you still want to get on a submarine?” I said, “No sir, I never did.” I guess I should tell you that about two weeks earlier—on a whim—I had taken the physical and mental tests for sub duty. It was open to volunteers. I was more curious than serious. And taking the tests sounded a whole lot better than cleaning the carpenter shop for the upcoming Admiral’s inspection!

The Chief Officer in the personnel office had become a good friend of mine. He had been on submarine duty since the early 1930s, but he was too old now to serve on the sub. He looked at me and said, “Harper, if you don’t take this opportunity to get on a submarine, I’m going to make your life so miserable, you will always wish you did.”

So out of fear alone I went into submarine service. And that was the best thing that happened to me in the navy.

To watch several short videos of Harper Brame sharing his stories, click here to view “Witness to War”