Sorry, I numbered the USS Rasher wrong, which should have been SS-269. My apologies to the USS Puffer SS-268 vets.

Visited Dec 9 as a surprise gift from my wife. Listened to many stories about WW2 subs from my father who was a MoMAC1 and CMoMAC on the USS Rasher SS-268. This was my first opportunity to board a fleet boat, and I spent hours touring and talking to the restorer. If Bob White, who served on the Drum, is checking this site, appreciate your many stories while in the company of Eddie Edwards, and want to let you know I finally made visited and hope you make it to the 2012 reunion.[url][url][img][email][/email][/img][/url][/url]

We appreciated the information that Tom gave us as we were touring the sub. We could have spent another couple of hours. We will visit again and get there earlier in the day. Hard to fathom the engineering required to build one of those. And back in 1941? Fantastic. Will be interesting to see how much additional progress will be made by the time of our next visit. It helps a little bit to try to understand what our service men and women get involved with in the military. Not having served anywhere, we can but only say a big THANK YOU.

Im the Grandson of William Mossing. I wanted to share a story i was told. i was volunteering at a retirement home last summer. there was this lady i was talking to she was telling me of the drills they had to do to prepare for air raids. i had mentioned to her that my grand father was a submariner during the war. She went silent, she finally said, "your grand father was a great man fro what he did. He did one of the hardest jobs of the war, if anything went wrong there was no one that could help them. God bless him for what he did, Gob bless" this story has touched me more then most things in life. And i wanted to pass this on so that all you that have, will, or are serving in a submarine, God bless you and all you have done!

happy thanksgiving les and tom. i am thankful for you and your devotion to our dear drum!!

My Second cousin Delbert Williamson made patrols 8 and 9 as the commanding officer.
Just hearing about his duty in the Submarine service prompted me to go into submarines in the 60's both on conventional boats and one nuc.
There is a special brotherhood in being a submarine sailor,, one I'm proud of.
Many are called, only a few make it.

Tom,
Thank you so much for all the info you shared while touring us through the Drum yesterday. My friends, my husband, my mom and I greatly enjoyed it and were so glad you were aboard to explain some of the more personal aspects of being on a sub and the issues it caused with family life. We made a donation via check when you took our friend (Terry) back to get the ear of our little cardboard elephant (Flat Seymour) that we had along during our trip.

Thanks again! - Janet Gay

Tom/Lesley-Thank you guys so much for keeping this amazing display of pride, power and heritage alive for all to see. Also, thank you for arranging and allowing me to place my fish upon the Drum. I hope the Drum stays around for forever. I'm about to deploy again but, when I return, I'm coming to see you guys. Thanks for everything! -Chris

MT3(SS) James C. Hicks
USS Georgia (SSGN 729)
Kings Bay, Ga

I grew up listening to stories told by grandfather who served on this submarine. I'm proud of him.

After reading obituary of Rear Admiral Maurice H. Rindskopf, I decided to Google the USS Drum and found this site. I am extremely impressed by the dedication of the people involved in the restoration process. My son is USNA Class of 2013 and will likely become a submarine officer after he graduates the Academy and Nuke school. Best wishes to all!

My father made the first four patrols during the war. After he past away in 1995 I found a small aluminum tag engraved with "Motor Room, USS DRUM"
Also a folded schematic of the cubical in Manuvering. Drawn on the back of the schematic is a map of Japan and where the Drum layed the mines.

RINDSKOPF, MAURICE HERBERT Rear Admiral Maurice H. Rindskopf USN (Ret.) passed away on July 27, 2011, at BayWoods of Annapolis after a short illness. He was predeceased by his wife of 69 years, Sylvia Lubow Rindskopf in 2010, and by his only son Peter Eric Rindskopf, Yale University (1964) and Yale Law School (1967) in 1971. He is survived by his granddaughter, Amy Kathryn Rindskopf, her husband James V. Schultz, and two great grandsons, Jasper and Ian Schultz of Winchester, MA, and by his daughter-in-law, Elizabeth Rindskopf Parker of Sacramento, CA.
There will be a funeral service at the Levy Chapel of the Naval Academy on Monday, August 1, 2011 at 9am. A reception will follow at BayWoods of Annapolis from 12-2:30pm. The Admiral's ashes will be scattered at sea from a submarine into the Pacific Ocean. Memorial contributions may be made to the Poly Prep Country Day School, 9216 Seventh Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11228. Online condolences may be left at

I spent 33 years on active duty in the Army and Air Force, but from my childhood I always loved the WWII fleet boats. As a child living in the DC area, I still vividly remember one day seeing a Gato class boat sailing up the Potomac River towards the Washington Navy Yard as we crossed over it on one of the bridges. I realize now that was the Drum. I visited her the first time in 1973, and most recently in 2008, when I met Tom and Lesley. Tom gave me the "tour of a lifetime" and I learned more in a day than I thought possible. The work he and Lesley have done to restore her simply defies belief until you see it with your own eyes. All of us who appreciate our history, and who believe that our history should be preserved and the men and women who made it should be honored, owe Tom and Lesley a huge debt of gratitude!

Was stationed on her for about 2 years, during the late 50's and early 60's, while she was at the Naval Gun Factory in Washington DC.
Enjoyed my stay, and it gave me a good feeling to see her again.
My compliments to the caretakers that work on her today.
Adam B Dijkman, STSC (ss) USN Ret.

tom and lesley, see you thursday!

Let's get this magnificent piece of history restored!

Awesome display of history. Thank you. Thanks to the gentalman giving the tour under the conning tower. Super guy going out of his way. Knew all there was to know about the Drum. Would suggest to any and all. I had a great time. I support and will return to this great display of history. Thanks to all that made it possible.

Looks great, Tom and Leslie!
Not sure if I am going to make it down this year, finances are really tight, but who knows....Keep up the great work!
Jerry Watson

Very interesting site. After seeing program on subs on the Military Channel, I googled my uncle, Cmdr. Delbert F. Williamson and got this site. He has been dead for some time but I remember well his stories of Patrols #8 & #9 and of being depth charged and the damage to the conning tower. He thought he made a fatal mistake when he came up to look around. When the tower started to leak he thought it would colapse. Everyone was really scared. I will try to visit the ship

Tom & Leslie;

Sincere thanks you such an indepth tour of the Drum yesterday. Special thanks for the little 'extras' like seeing inside the radio room and Tom's opening of the torpedo tube!

The work you both have done is not only monumental but a huge boon to history and you have my gratitude for all of it, and the work you still plan to do. You are a great example to those of us who work to preserve the past for future generations.

Amy Hetherington, BA, MA, MA Museum Studies
Museums of Burlington

Tom & Leslie,
Awesome! Thank you for the inpromtu tour yesterday, with Edie and Amy. They can't stop talking about the outstanding job you both have done. We look forward to visiting next year.
Well done!

Retired Bubblehead. First boat the Diodon (SS-349) Last one the Michigan. Great job folks. I didn't know this was going on. I will keep up with you better and visit.
Kenny

Kudos to you for the brilliant job you are doing!

When I am close by I shall definately stop in for some $upport for you!!

Great Job Men. Keep up the good work. Never was on a Sub. but appreciate the work you are doing. Semper-Fi and God's speed with the rest of the work. Mort

Great work you guys are doing on the Drum. Wish I lived closer to help out, but I doubt this will happen. We were down in your area after one of your bad storms that left the Drum listing in the water--unable to go aboard. Someday we will be back. Keep up the "fantastic" work! Take care, Jim Farquhar, USS Trigger SS 564 '62-'65, Charleston, SC