Captain Grider graduated from the Naval Academy in 1932. He entered the submarine service in 1939. During W.W.II he made 9 war patrols and served in the USS Wahoo, Pollack and Hawkbill prior to taking command of the USS Flasher SS 249. While in command, Flasher sank a record number of tons in one day, 28,600 tons. Flasher finished the war with the US record for tonnage sunk, 100,231 tons. The only US submarine to exceed the 100,000 ton mark. She accounted for 21 ships, (and one dock with a crane on it). After the war Captain Grider decommissioned the USS Flasher SS 249. Captain Grider had kept the old Flashers battle flag though. He presented it to the new Flasher and Captain Carr had it framed and it was hung it in the crewsmess over the chiefs table. When we visited Japan in March of 1968 we had to hide it so as not to offend our Japanese hosts. Anyone know where this battle flag is now?
As a side note, the conning tower from the USS Flasher SS249 was removed from the ship prior to scrapping and placed at the entrance to Nautilus Park, a Navy housing area near the Submarine base in New London, CT.
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