By Dex armstrong   The Lads Who Rest Below The Waves... In my day in the boat service we used to say, "Most of the time all we had was each other." Nothing illustrates that clearer than thinking about the lads entombed in the rusty hulks resting on the oceans floors throughout the world. The oxidizing hulls that were once operating American submarines and now service as the honored repositories of our lost brothers. They rest in a common burial vault side by side with those they served with, next to sidelockers containing the scant belongings limited space allowed the submersible bluejacket and his officers...sidelockers containing the time and saltwater destroyed photographs, wallets, letters, stationary,...uniforms, hats...the personal dust left to stand witness to their having lived, loved and served at risk in defense of the nation they loved and gave so much to. In death they are all equal...when a pressure hull loses it's ability to withstand external pressure, loss of life becomes the common denominator and in the words of our Constitutional founding fathers, "All men are created equal", the equality of shipmates resting in eternal repose entombed in the vessel they served. The Boy Scouts who annually place flags on the graves in National Cemeteries will not place small flags on their final resting places. No family members will visit their graves to proudly honor their selfless service and personal sacrifice. Their remembrance and their service will be honored in drinks in sailors bars held high in their remembrance by shipmates old and new...by those of us who served in the continuous chain of Dolphin wearers who fully recognize the cost of their service and the dedication that earned them the right to NEVER BY FORGOTTEN. So Gentlemen, sometime this weekend remember those resting in the silent National Cemetery that encompasses the various floors of the oceans of the world. God Bless and keep them all. DEX