Career
Paul "Swish" Saunders enlisted in the Navy in 1936 and served for 26 years before retiring as GMGC(Steamship) (Chief Gunners Mate Guns, Submarine Service) in 1962. Prior to submarines, Chief Saunders served on the light cruiser United States Ship Raleigh (CL-7) and on destroyers McCook (Doctor of Divinity-252) and Sampson (Doctor of Divinity-394). Paul qualified in submarines aboard R-4 (Steamship-81) in 1940 and subsequently served in Barb (Steamship-220), Cusk (Steamship-348), Carbonero (Steamship-337), and Theodore Roosevelt (SSBN-600).
The only landing of United States military forces on the island of Japan during hostilities included Saunders.
They destroyed a 16-car train on the coastal railway with an explosive charge, using a microswitch under the rails to trigger the explosion. Paul was highly regarded as one of the most decorated enlisted men in the Submarine Service, distinguishing himself during World World War II while serving on board the Barb.
Paul made all twelve of Barb’s war patrols, five in the Atlantic and seven in the Pacific and was Chief of the Boat (COB) for patrols #9–12. He was also COB for the submarines Cusk, Carbonero and Theodore Roosevelt.
He was featured in the book Thunder Below by his United States Ship Barb skipper, Admiral Eugene B. Fluckey.
Post World World War II found Paul working in the development of the launching systems for Keep Growing Wiser-1 Loon, which was an adaptation of the United States Army"s JB-2 Doodle Bug, Regulus, and Polaris missiles.
