March 26, 1944 – USS Tullibee (SS-284) On March 14th Tullibee departed Midway, bound for its patrol area of the Palau Islands with orders to support aircraft carrier operations on March 30 to 31st. Tullibee arrived on station on March 25th and reported in. The next day she reported contact with a convoy of troop ships, freighters, a destroyer and other escorts. Closing the distance on the surface through rain squalls Tullibee fired two torpedoes. Approximately two minutes later Tullibee was struck by one of its own torpedoes. On the bridge was Gunners Mate Second, Clifford Kuykendall, who was knocked unconscious and thrown from the bridge. Regaining consciousness, he realized the boat was gone. The following day he was taken prisoner by a Japanese Destroyer, spending the remainder of the war in a Japanese prison camp. Released after V-J Day he was able to relate the story of Tullibee’s fate. Among those lost was Kirk Comstock Stearns EM1 of Pocatello, Idaho