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"Brothers of the Deep"


tarbridge
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This past week at OMSA I managed to work out a trade with another Forum member. It was not till after we completed the deal that it was noticed the two Submariners went down together. Geographically, Sailors Gardner and Laws were from the same area, but at this time their worlds would have been nothing alike. Now they rest together as "Brothers of the Deep"...RIP

 

CMOMM(SS) Charles Lee Gardner STM2(SS) Charles Laws

Birth 1 May 1911 Eure Station North Carolina Birth 10 Jan 1921 Lancaster Virginia

KIA 26 June 1943 sunk by mines or air strikes KIA 26 June 1943 sunk by mines or air strikes

off Kurile Islands off Kurile Islands

USS Runner SS-275 USS Runner SS-275

 

Gardner-R-L-275a.jpg Laws-C-275a.jpg

 

P1010019.JPG

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Robert,

 

A remarkable "set" of medals, the rarity of which can not be overstated. I think your comment says it all.

 

Gary B

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Engraving looks like it is from the same hand. I wonder if engravers were assigned to groups (like all from a sub's roster). Nice that you have these two sailors together again.

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Very historic and rare to have more than one to a boat.There was a sailor from my area lost on the Runner as well.Rip Stm/2c Charles Law and Cmo mm Roger Gardner.

Mark

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I guess this wouldn't be a grouping, but a rather interesting "happenstance" to find two unrelated sinkings that happened at the same time to sailors from these backgrounds, it is interesting!

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I guess this wouldn't be a grouping, but a rather interesting "happenstance" to find two unrelated sinkings that happened at the same time to sailors from these backgrounds, it is interesting!

They are on the same Submarine...USS Runner and went down together.Robert

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Kurt Barickman

Wow, very interesting circumstance to pickup both at the same show. Thanks for showing.

 

Kurt

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Fantasic medals-love the fact that one is to an African-American submariner- something you don't see everyday. Thanks for sharing

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  • 10 months later...

Nice medals and a unique reminder of the cost of WWII submarine warfare.

 

Did anyone else wonder why, if these men were lost on the same sub on the same day, that one family received a Type II Navy PH and the other a Type III slot brooch?

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Nice medals and a unique reminder of the cost of WWII submarine warfare.

 

Did anyone else wonder why, if these men were lost on the same sub on the same day, that one family received a Type II Navy PH and the other a Type III slot brooch?

It could be something as simple as to how they were stacked on the shelf...maybe both styles located together.Another guess is the one with later style engraving...could have been issued at a later time.

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It could be something as simple as to how they were stacked on the shelf...maybe both styles located together.Another guess is the one with later style engraving...could have been issued at a later time.

 

Sure, all plausible. With items like these you're not only seeing (most importantly) memorials to lost servicemen, but also clues as to how the government processed what must have been an enormous amount of requests. Sobering.

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