Former submariner gets what he deserves; Medal to be awarded to former pharmacists' mate

Sun Journal (New Burn, NC) ^ | 2/19/05 | Charlie Hall

[IonImplantGuru]

Wheeler Lipes will finally get his medal.

Sixty-three years ago, Lipes performed a historic and controversial surgery aboard a submarine, saving a young sailor's life.

For Lipes, who has been battling pancreatic cancer in recent years, it will be gratifying to receive the Navy Commendation Medal.

"I certainly didn't expect that kind of recognition," said Lipes, who lives off Madame Moore's Lane with his wife, Audrey.

In 1942, aboard the submarine USS Seadragon 120 feet under the Pacific Ocean near Indochina, Lipes performed an emergency appendectomy on sailor Darrel Dean Rector.

Lipes wasn't a doctor, but rather a pharmacists' mate.

George Weller of the then Chicago Daily News wrote the undersea saga and won a Pulitzer Prize. Several motion pictures also portrayed the incident, including one called "The Pharmacist's Mate," produced by the Navy.

Jan Herman, historian of the Navy Medical Department, was instrumental in seeing that Lipes was finally recognized.

[Junior]

Ensign Pulver. It was the sequel to Mr. Roberts.

[IonImplantGuru]

All well and good... but THIS (SS-194) is the USS Seadragon that our Pharmacist's Mate served on and where he performed his notable surgery:

[IonImplantGuru]

Please add me to your ping list: Former crewmember of USS Sunfish SSN-649!

It's not my Ping list, Tex. Doohickey is the keeper of the Steely-eyed Killers of the Deep ping list; I'd bet he'd be willing to add you though... IF we ask real nice! Doohickey?

[IonImplantGuru]

10 Dec—USS Seadragon (SS 194) and USS Sealion (SS 195) in Cavite, Philippines, are attacked by Japanese aircraft. Ensign Samuel H. Hunter in Seadragon is instantly killed, the first submarine casualty of World War II. Four men in Sealion are killed, and Sealion is so badly damaged that it is scuttled on Christmas Day—the first U.S. submarine destroyed in World War II.

What a coincidence! I was looking up images of Seadragon at NavSouce.org (recommended as a favorite for any USN enthusiast - very nice selection of pics for about any ship or naval aircraft) and found the drawing below which illustrates the event you're talking about.

Seadragon is on the right, and Sealion received 2 nearly simultaneous bomb hits and sunk right there. She was subsequently raised and taken out into Manila Bay and scuttled, to prevent the Japs from salvaging her.

[muir_redwoods]

"Lipes performed a historic and controversial surgery...

Controversial? in what sense?

[Valin]

I just plugged in "USS Seadragon" into google.

[IonImplantGuru]

"Controversial? in what sense?"

In the sense that the Navy medical establishment of the time were outraged that an enlisted man (glorified nurse in the MD's view) dared to "practice medicine without a license".

Dumb?

You bet! But that's probably why this guy didn't get a medal right away; we live in more enlightened times.

[IonImplantGuru]

"I just plugged in "USS Seadragon" into google."

No problema! A lot of folks are unaware that the Navy recycles ship's names, so a lot of more modern ships like the Seadragon (SSN 584) you posted will have predecessors, like the SS-194 Seadragon that I posted.

As a subvet, I'm more likely perhaps to realize there were more than 1 Seadragon, and that the boat you showed wasn't WW II vintage.

[mtngrl@vrwc]

From IMDB trivia for Destination Tokyo...

"The appendectomy done in this film actually happened. It was performed on the USS Silversides SS236. This submarine is docked in Muskegon, Michigan."

[Smartass]

Sorry about that. I had good intentions!

[Doohickey]

You've got it!

[StoneColdGOP]

Thanks for the bump.

[TexConfederate1861]

Much Thanks!

I would appreciate hearing from any former crew of Sally Sunfish......:)