This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: pritch4398 Surnames: JARVIS, LANE, TUTTLE, WHITBY, CONRAD, ADELIZZI, WEBSTER, CAMPBELL Classification: obituary Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.california.counties.solano/1193/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Benjamin Campbell JARVIS: Feb. 22, 2008 One of the last surviving World War II submarine commanders, retired Navy Capt. Benjamin Campbell JARVIS, died of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma on Feb. 22 at his home in Fairfield at the age of 91. His wife's cousin, the late Mary Edith Lane (nee Tuttle,) a San Diego native, told her daughter he was the tallest man in World War II submarines. He was over 6'3." A highly decorated submariner, JARVIS was awarded the Navy's highest combat medal, the Navy Cross, for "extraordinary heroism in enemy controlled waters," and cited 21 times for actions before the enemy. Some of his exploits are recounted in several books, a movie and a television series of the 1950s. JARVIS' World War II service commenced with battleship duty in the North Atlantic. When war was declared, JARVIS transferred to the submarine service. As a submariner, he completed 14 wartime submarine patrols in the Western Pacific, including three in command. While JARVIS was aboard, his submarines made 28 successful torpedo attacks against Japanese men-of-war and merchantmen, as well as repeatedly delivering troops and supplies, providing gunfire support, and life guard services in enemy held territories. Besides sustaining numerous submerged depth charge attacks, his submarines were bombed several times on the surface, holed by gunfire on three occasions, and ran aground twice in forward battle areas. As commander of the submarine USS Baya, he was awarded the Navy Cross for his night surface engagement on May 2, 1945 described at the time of the award as "one of the outstanding attacks of this war," which culminated in the destruction of "an entire convoy." JARVIS was al! so commended five times for peace time services. After the war JARVIS performed extensive duty at sea, including the command of submarine and amphibious types of ships and staff duty on two fleet and three force staffs. He also performed observer and special mission duties in the Navies of Britain, Belgium, Denmark, France, Holland, Peru, Turkey and the Japanese Self Defense Force. Upon retirement from his 34-year Navy career, JARVIS served as director of product assurance, Campbell Industries in San Diego, for well over a decade in the shipbuilding and ship repair business. He was from a pioneer Arkansas family whose lineage covered 35 generations through the George Washington lines, emigrating from England to Virginia in 1657. He grew up on cotton plantations in Arkansas where much of the farm work was still done using mules and his formal education began with six years in a one-room school house. In his 91-year lifetime, his friends and acquaintances ranged from former slaves to presidents and royalty. During his Navy career he integrated the first submarine, assisted in the shift to a nuclear-powered submarine force, and saw United States Naval officers in space. JARVIS was a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, the Navy War College and did graduate work in London. At the Naval Academy JARVIS was a varsity football player and wrestler, and commanded the Color Company in 1939, the top military honor for a graduating midshipman. Later he returned to Annapolis and served on the faculty as director of physical education. When he retired, he and his wife returned to their home on Glorietta Bay in Coronado. He was predeceased in 2006 by his wife of 62 years, Cecilia Patricia Whitby. He is survived by his daughter Sharon (Conrad,) a retired lawyer of Stockton; two sons, Whitby (Carol) of Castro Valley, an archaeological ranger, and Benjamin of Mountain View, an aerospace engineer; and five grandchildren. His cousin's daughter, Tommi Lane Adelizzi (Robert) lives in Point Loma, near the submarine station where he was stationed for many tours of duty. Capt. JARVIS was formerly a member of Christ Episcopal Church in Coronado, where is his aunt, the late Edith Tuttle Webster, served as organist for 30 years. Private committal, with a family celebration of his life, will be on his wife's family's property at Tuttle Lake near Lake Tahoe. Gifts to the American Cancer Society or the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society are suggested. As published in the online edition of the Coronado Eagle & Journal (Coronado, CA), March 20th, 2008 Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.