Jan Engoren jengoren@tribune.com (Sun Sentinel)
Boynton
Veterans' Council dedicates plaque to 52 submarines lost during World War
II. The Boynton Veterans' Council,
spearheaded by its indefatigable leader Tom Kaiser, 87, a World War II veteran,
will unveil a plaque dedicated to the 52 U.S. submarines lost during World War
II at the G-Star School of the Arts in Palm Springs. Titled "Still On Patrol," the
plaque is a gift from the U.S. Submarine Veterans, Inc. and the U.S. Submarine
Veterans of World War II.
"Submarine veterans and their families consider those lost as
'still on patrol,'" said Kaiser, whose own brother, Robert, died on a
submarine in 1944. "My brother is my hero and driving force. Whatever I
do, I do for him."
The
G-Star School of the Arts is a public charter high school in Palm Springs, with
a focus on film, acting and television. The school features working motion
pictures studio and is building a recreation of the original Victory Canteen, a
6,000-square-foot building with dining and theater seating for 400, modeled
after one that sat on Worth Avenue during the 1940s. Kaiser said he is excited that the school is
making a home for veterans' memorabilia.
"The submarine men who made it through the war decided on the
design of this plaque as it represents the 52 submarines lost during the
war," he said.
One
of the more recent submarine men is Steve Anton, 57, of Boynton Beach. A photographer, videographer, and hyperbaric
and wound care technologist, Anton served in the Navy from 1977 to 1981 and in
the reserves for the first Gulf War. He spent time on a submarine from1978 to
1981. He worked as a Navy salvage diver
and in explosives ordnance disposal.
Now, a disabled veteran working to help other veterans receive the
benefits they earned, Anton suffers from hearing loss, had broken bones and
torn rotator cuffs, and nerve and spinal cord damage. "I think it's great that G-Star is
interested in preserving the memory and history of the veterans who served in
World War II," Anton said. "Just to be able to have the memorabilia
here and to have people interested in it and in preserving it, it's the real
thing. Kids get an education and are
able to literally touch history," he said, giving credit to Kaiser for his
efforts on behalf of veterans. "Tom
is the glue that puts it all together," Anton said. "He's an amazing
force for the Veterans' Council."
Greg
Hauptner, CEO of G-Star School of the Arts, said he is proud of the
contributions the school is making to the veterans' community. "Tom is a big supporter of ours and we
are a big supporter of him," he said. "It's a life-changing
experience when he comes and speaks to our students." In addition to the canteen, students are
working on a documentary project titled, "A Soldier's Story," to tell
the stories of World War II veterans' lives, starting with 90-year old veteran
Carl Arfa. Hauptner said he hopes the
documentary will air on The History Channel or The Discovery Channel.
Additionally,
the school acquired a World War II-era C-47 Skytrain aircraft military
transport plane that they will refurbish and display. They are creating interactive exhibits
depicting the major battles of World War II, replicas of Hollywood icons, and a
museum dedicated to veterans and the Holocaust.
He wants to offer the school to veterans, Holocaust survivor
organizations and the School District of Palm Beach County as a training center
for Holocaust awareness. "World War
II veterans had the best of American core values, and this is what we are
trying to teach our kids," Hauptner said.
Read
the Sun Sentinel article in its entirety at:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/boynton-beach/fl-bbf-patrol-0218-20150218-story.html
