WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. — There the old submariner sat at the finish line, wearing an expression of pride, garrison cap and the appreciation of so many.
Displayed on Friday before Lehigh Valley Base/U.S. Submarine Veterans Commander George Dolgos, and nearly 200 others at the VFW Egypt Post 7293, was that which he and so many others worked so tirelessly to make a reality.
A torpedo memorial to honor World War II veterans who died when 52 submarines were destroyed.
“No one deserves this memorial more than those veterans who lost their lives,”Retired Navy Commander Rick Sherer
In the shadow of the VFW post's iconic F-14 Tomcat fighter jet, the 20-feet-long, 3,000-pound torpedo rests on two stone pillars fronted by two restored plaques detailing information about the torpedo and the lost submarines.
“No one deserves this memorial more than those veterans who lost their lives,” retired Navy Commander Rick Sherer said.
For years, Dolgos and others with the U.S. Submarine Veterans had worked tirelessly to transfer the World War II Mark 14 torpedo memorial to the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7293 from the Navy/Marine Corps Reserve Center in Allentown when the Navy vacated the site.
They were met with reams of governmental red tape and other challenges.
Undeterred, they eventually secured the torpedo and the right to transfer it to the Egypt Post for proper display.
'A great day for all those veterans'
So there on Friday sat Dolgos, beside his wife, Kathleen, fellow veterans and friends, basking in the accomplishment that seemed not possible just a few years ago.
“The veterans on those submarines who served and died deserve to be remembered like this."George Dolgos, Lehigh Valley Base/U.S. Submarine Veterans Commander
“This has been a long time coming,” said Dolgos, 81, an Allentown native, who served on a submarine in Scotland during the Vietnam War from 1964-69.
“The veterans on those submarines who served and died deserve to be remembered like this. I was in those subs for two-and-a-half months at a time, so I know.
"This is a great day for all those veterans.”
The dedication consisted of speeches from local and national Navy veterans celebrating the memorial and its importance to remember and honor those who lost their lives in defense of freedom.
“This monument means a lot to us,” said retired Navy Master Chief Nathanial Smith, of Whitehall.
“It honors the World War II submariners who perished serving this great country. I can’t thank the comrades and sailors who showed up here today to share in this dedication.”
As for Dolgos, the old submariner’s dream had, at long last, risen from the depths of years of murky disappointment to break the surface to a celebratory sun.
'Couldn't ask for a better day'
The original memorial at the Navy/Marine Corps Reserve Center in Allentown was presented to the citizens of the Lehigh Valley in 1985 in memory of the submariners who served during World War II.
However, it was removed from the same location when the Navy reservists left in April 2022.
This torpedo and two additional projectiles spent almost two years outdoors rusting.
Local Navy veterans, including Dolgos and William Reightler, of Catasauqua, a Korean War veteran, sprang into action, attempting to assume control of the torpedo to find a suitable place to rebuild the memorial.
“This means so much to him. He was in those submarines.”George Dolgos's wife, Kathleen
With legions of support, they cleared the hurdles, cut the red tape and found a way inside locked doors.
They had to, they cried, to honor all those veterans who died all those subs.
On Friday, the mission of honor became complete.
As Kathleen Dolgos spoke, she watched her husband of 55 years drink in the moment. The former high school sweetheart of hers may be hard of hearing, but is tender of heart.
“He is so excited about this,” Kathleen Dolgos said. “He’s been working so long on this with Bill [Reightler]. He wanted this for those veterans.
“We went to Dieruff together; he’s two years older. We were dating, then he went off to war. I used to send him what they called a family gram, just 20 words every couple weeks.
"Somebody got the letter to him. We got married when he got out of the service.
“This means so much to him. He was in those submarines.”
Dolgos looked up at the brilliant sun and cloudless sky.
“You couldn’t ask for a better day than this, huh?” he said. “God is with us today.”
