USS VIRGINIA BASE ETERNAL PATROL WEB PAGE
In memory of those who have gone before, this is a listing of all USS Virginia Base members who have received their Eternal Patrol orders. Since we are, and always have been, a small Base - we are grieved whenever we lose a member, particularly to death, which the Bible calls an enemy.
This list is current as of April 23, 2017. Please let the Base Commander know if we have inadvertently left anyone off or gotten the dates wrong.
This page comes up WITHOUT the song "Eternal Father Strong to Save" by the U. S. Navy Band playing automatically. However, if you would like to hear the instrumental of that song in MP3 format while viewing the Eternal Patrol list, simply click on the play button in the audio control below (if your device supports MP3).
LOST HARBOR
by Leslie Nelson Jennings
There is a port of no return, where ships
May ride at anchor for a little space
And then, some starless night, the cable slips,
Leaving an eddy at the mooring place . . .
Gulls, veer no longer. Sailor, rest your oar.
No tangled wreckage will be washed ashore.
Submariners Prayer
I have one consolation that lives with me today.
That God is near to them, in his own special way.
So God in all Your mercy, keep near Thyself the soul,
Of every Submariner, still on his final patrol.
Lord, this departed shipmate with Dolphins on his chest
is part of an outfit known as the best.
Make him welcome and take him by the hand.
You'll find without a doubt he was the best in all the land.
So, heavenly Father add his name to the roll
of our departed shipmates still on patrol.
Let them know that we who survive
will always keep their memories alive.
That God is near to them, in his own special way.
So God in all Your mercy, keep near Thyself the soul,
Of every Submariner, still on his final patrol.
Lord, this departed shipmate with Dolphins on his chest
is part of an outfit known as the best.
Make him welcome and take him by the hand.
You'll find without a doubt he was the best in all the land.
So, heavenly Father add his name to the roll
of our departed shipmates still on patrol.
Let them know that we who survive
will always keep their memories alive.
USS VIRGINIA BASE ETERNAL PATROL LIST
| NAME | NICKNAME | SERVICE RATE/RANK | DATE ORDERS RECEIVED |
| Robert B. Mitchell | Bob | FTC(SS) | Nov 21, 2004 |
| John M. Winn | Jack | EMCS(SS) | Feb 14, 2006 |
| Clarence Elmore Padgett | Sid | MOMM2(SS) | Dec 25, 2010 |
| John C. Miller | John | RM2(SS) | Apr 26, 2012 |
| Ronald D. Irons | Ron | RM1(SS) | Oct 1, 2015 |
| William Wellner, Jr. | Bill | EM2(SS) | Jun 21, 2016 |
| William L. Besley | Bill | EN2(SS) | Jan 20, 2017 |
| Patrick E. Rodgers | Pat | Major, USA | December 20, 2017 |
| John D. Leonard, Jr. | John | CDR | July 10, 2019 |
Charles W. Curry Jr. | Curry | ETR1(SS) | January 1, 2022 |
| Marlin P. Boyle | Marlin | ET1(SS) | April 15, 2022 |
| William C Anderson | Tiny | FTB1(SS) | October 21, 2024 |
