Life on a submarine wasn't easy for Mr. Warren Link, a chief machines mate on the USS Jambor during World War II. Mr. Link enlisted in the navy in September of 1938. He was going to college at night to learn diesel engineering but he wanted to see and touch what he was learning about. Finally, his professor told him to find a job with diesel engineering and Mr. Link got the idea of joining the navy. Mr. Link did not plan on going to the war, but is glad that he was able to serve his country.
Mr. Link's submarine was in the Pacific fleet. Out of twelve submarines in the sixth subron of the Pacific fleet, the USS Tambor was one of only two left after the war. The others were destroyed.
During the war, Mr. Link and the crew aboard the USS Tambor's job was to sink or damage enemy submarines, ships, and German U boats. Mr. Link's submarine was stationed off the coast of Wake Island. The Tambor never encountered any German U Boats, but some of the other submarines in their fleet did.
In the navy, he "learned to learn."
Daily life on the Jambor was difficult, everyone had to be clean, neat, responsible, and efficient. There were 53 people on a 312 foot submarine that was only 30 feet across. Mr. Link got used to having very little living space because he had no choice and is glad that he didn't have claustrophobia. Mr. Link said that being in the navy was an "experience in itself."
There were a lot of things that had to be done aboard the Tambor. Everyone had to learn to do every job there was before they could be allowed to work on the submarine. On Warren Link's submarine, a usual day was kind of scary. They had many depth charges, as many as seventy in one day!
Mr. Link and his friends on the USS Jambor went through many hard times, and took may hits from the enemy. Mr. Link was glad that the crew and submarine survived, and were able to come home at the end of the war.
After World War II, Warren Link returned home to his wife. Together they started a family. They had two sons, one of which joined the navy. The other son joined the police department in Rio Rancho, bringing Mr. Link to New Mexico in 1983, where he now lives.
Mr. Link thought that the war had both a positive and negative effect on his life. He said that in the navy he "learned to learn." After the war Mr. Link put away all of the things that reminded him of the war. Mr. Link did not plan on taking them out again, but his oldest son asked about what he did during the war, so he took his things out and shared them with his son.
Warren Link went through a lot for the sake of his country. He showed courage that some people can only dream of. Mr. Link can and should be considered a true hero.
-Kathy DeLa Rosa, Angela Harvey, Angela Pastor