"This morning at 6:15, Ron Smith rested his oar and departed on his eternal patrol" - Gil Raynor in an email sent on 9/12/2008

Keynote:

One loses all objectivity when writing about a dear friend and shipmate as Ron "Warshot" Smith was to this family and to submarine sailors throughout the world. .

Ron was a product of America's heartland, a section of the country known to produce sons who rally to the banner of national defense after war is declared. Ron volunteered for naval service and volunteered a second time to serve in submarines. Ron Smith was not a shy or timid man. History tells us that the men of the United States Submarine Force sunk the most tonnage by far than any other element of our combined naval force and in so doing, suffered the highest percentage of loss.

Ron Accepted the risk and reaped the reward given the men who served far beyond the lines of established contact. In other times Ron would have been a powder blackened gunner on a privateer or swung a Viking axe on a longship. It was his nature. From the first time he singled up and took in lines and put to sea, he had saltwater pumping through his mighty heart. .

He was called "Warshot," the term used for combat rigged torpedoes. It was an apt nickname for the man for throughout his life he was an explosive man with deeply held opinions and rock hard convictions. Pound for pound there was more fight in Warshot than 98% of the remaining planetary occupants. Warshot would have taken on a Bengal tiger with an ostrich feather. .

He understood submariner's humor and mastered it. No one could pin the tail on your donkey faster than the little torpedoman of the USS Seal. .

He had the warmth and capacity of character to rub elbows with hobos and kings. He left concentric beer glass rings on tables with admirals and lower flats rats. He was as "at home" in the grand ballroom at the Waldorf Astoria as he was in a pier head gin mill in a rundown port. .

Over time, he became the enlisted boatsailor's face to America's public. He authored or co-authored two books; "Torpedoman" and "Depths of Courage." He appeared on numerous television historical programs to include productions on the History and Discovery channels. He was the submersible Bluejacket's ambassador to the population at large. He was the sterling standard representation of old Navy sailoring and a hero to those of us who followed in his wake. .

To understand his taste in lovely ladies all you have to do is spend five minutes in the company of Georgianna, his wonderful bride. .

Wherever my old shipmate is today, old scarred and dinged-up submariners are telling each other lies... ones told and retold hundreds if not thousands of times... they're drinking beer or tossing down shots... playing acey-duecey, shooting pool and patting barmaids in the vicinity of their unmentionables... they are dropping invisible quarters in old damn-near-worn-out juke boxes full of Glenn Miller tunes and laughing... most of all laughing.

Save me a rack in Hogan's Alley, Warshot, and sign me up for the twelve to fours. I'll be along shortly. Your shipmate misses you! .

-- Dex

[SubmarineSailor.Com thanks Robert "Dex" Armstrong for this keynote address.]

USN Bio: Bio info needed.

Shipmates and Friends:

My condolences to all who knew Ron via his books, as shipmates, via his contributions to submarine forums and the USSVI. And, of course, to Georgiana and other family. He fought the good fight, finished the course, kept his faith. 

Nancy Yockey Bonar

Sad news. Thank you for your service Ron. Rest easy, we have the watch. Sailor rest your oar. Hand Salute...

Joe Roche 

Every death of a fellow submariner diminishes us from the time of Bushnell and the Turtle until tha most resent loss of one of our own. We all must die and even though we feel the loss, we are a proud brotherhood who celebrates the life each and every member of the Silent Service.

Robert King "RCK"

One of my disapointments in life is that I never got to meet Ron, although I felt I knew him well. We were both torpedomen, agreed politically and enjoyed a good word fight. I wish I had been born 20 years earlier and had sailed with Ron Smith, TM2 (SS). Thank you for your extrodinary service and for setting a high standard for us all to follow. Steamboat sends.

John "Steamboat" Fulton

So long Ron. Say hello to that other old Hoosier, Cuzzin Bob. See you both on the other side some day.

Sid Harrison

How sad. We briefly saw Ron at the Ft Worth Convention, but he was very weak, and now he is gone. Hand Salute, and thank you for your service!

Patrick Householder
USSVI National Commander

Ron,although we never got eyeball to eyeball,I feel like I know you through our e-mail exchanges.The autographed copies of both of your books will occupy a special place on my bookshelf and in my heart.

After you drop your seabag down the after battery hatch and stow your gear in the after room,make a fresh pot of coffee so we can share a black and bitter when BUPERS cuts my orders to the big SUBPAC in the sky.

Rest your oars,shipmate, we have the watch.

Paul Hanes "MadDog"

This is indeed a sad time for all of us left behind. However if I recall correctly, Ron was in a lot of pain. I have to be thankful that that pain has ended. I know we will all miss him greatly, and his wonderful words of wisdom that were shared with us all. The world will be all the poorer for his not remaining within our circle. However it is also a much richer place for his having been in that same circle.

Laura Palmer

Here's a picture that I took of Ron and his wife at the convention. Ron could sit there for about an hour, then would need to go rest for awhile, but then he was right back down seeing his shipmates and signing books. I am glad I was able to get this and some others of him. He was a true hero. On the USSVI pages and the sub memorials pages, if you click on legacy pages and then go to Texas and look up the Seawolf Memorial, you'll see a nice history of how Ron worked to get that memorial site. It was just one of many projects he involved himself in to follow our creed.

Viejo

I am still in shock. I have read so many posts and tributes to Ron and I think how fortunite it is that we all had the Honor to know this wonderful man.. Some of us Had the Honor in person and many of us had the honor thru this amazing tool we call the internet and wonderful sandboxes like this Don's and Rontini's and where I first meet Warshot on Ray Stone's BBS. Not since the days when my Dad was still alive did I have a living WW 2 hero that I could actually talk and or argue with much like I did with Dad. A hero who I could relate to because we had one common tread and that was our beloved "SS" designation. I will cherish his memory forever and every time I return to one of his books to read for the umpteenth time I will feel his presence. I will truly miss you Mr Smith.. Thank you for the priviledge of letting me know you and the legacy you have left to remind us all how fortunite we are.

God's Speed and Following Seas Shipmate! Until we all meet again on that distant shore!

Walt Magnavice

This is sad news. My empathy goes out to his family, friends, and shipmates.

Thomas Courtien

I met Ron in 1995 or 96 when I joined the Tritonbase. We worked together on the Seawolf Model in his garage, worked with Gil, Ron, Big John Fredricks, Neal Stevens, The Ator Family, Doc Beeghly, Myron Howard, and others on getting the Cavalla Restoration Committee and the Cavalla Historical Foundations put together, along with the Rally in 1998 where we had folks from all over the country come down.

Ron was and is a WWII hero and joined the Navy as soon as he was allowed to after the war started. It was men like them that played a significant part of the defeat of Japan. Thank God for heros like Warshot.

Warshot had many good traits, but I think the one that stood out most was his fierce loyalty to friends and shipmates. He never held a grudge and was always ready to help anyone in need.

I feel honored to have know Ron and am fortunate I had the chance to talk with him in Ft. Worth where I had him sign Depths of Courage.

My heart goes out to his family and I will keep them in my prayers.

Thank you, Ron for your sacrifices and service in protection of this great country of ours.

Dave Stoops

Warshot, Stoops and I...

....enjoying a meal, spinning Warries, and ducking for cover with incoming muffins! lol

A great time in the life of Blue from West Oz meeting one of USA's hero's.....a treasured memory.

Paul Hartridge (in reponse to the above BBS post by Dave Stoops)

I received an email yesterday telling me about Warshot’s going on Eternal Patrol and it hit me hard. About 4 years ago I was attempting my Cyber-Quals on the Balao Class Boat and he, along with some great guys, helped me a lot, in fact his was the first sig on my card. In time we began writing to each other and one day he sent me an email with a pic of him, in uniform, when he was . It came as a great surprise that we looked like each other at that tender age and it was because of this we began to call each other, “Cousin,” or, “Cous,” for short. At the end of one email he called me, “Shipmate,” and that was the finest compliment I have EVER had in my life. I don’t know what Boat he’s serving on now, but I am very sure it’s the best in God’s fleet.

Respectfully submitted, Hairball.