“December 7, 1941,” President Franklin D. Roosevelt gravely recounted as he addressed the U.S. Congress and the world, “…a date which will live in infamy”. It has been nearly 7 decades since that Japanese surprise attack at Pearl Harbor thrust the United States headlong into World War II, an epic series of conflicts that would claim over 44,000,000 lives. And regardless of the eventual outcome or how well history remembers and recounts the roles of the varied countries involved, one thing was for certain; and that was as of December 8, 1941, nothing was certain. For many Americans, their lives changed forever, literally overnight, and only rarely was that more true than for the tuna fishing fleet of San Diego, now suddenly on a new front line of battle. A deadly enemy was now out there over the oceans horizon, even as survivors of the initial attack were still clanging the bulkheads of their eventual tombs, vainly hoping to be rescued. The overriding question: What to do now?

It is important to remember that these were the actual circumstances when Captain Norcott of the United States Navy approached the men of the local tuna fishing fleet to not only commandeer their fishing boats under the emergency conditions of war, but to ask that they also crew those boats as much as possible. They were needed to join their machinery in being converted, almost overnight, from a fishing fleet into U.S. Naval service, an oddly named “YP (Yard Patrol) fleet” whose “yard” comprised nearly the entire Pacific Ocean. And join they did, en masse, regardless of the fact that these former tuna clippers were tiny and completely outgunned against vessels of war. For those fishing out at sea, or even those still under construction, the changes were as dramatic and swift as humanly possible.

First, a “picket line” of these tuna clippers was sent toward Panama to watch for submarines and the suddenly too real possibility that the Japanese might advance on the canal. Then they were recalled to San Diego and converted as quickly as possible into their new task. It was a service role, but often done in a combat zone, and of the 52 “YP Boats” that sailed out of San Diego Bay, 21 of those boats would never return to their former fleet as tuna clippers. Some of those boats were destroyed in combat, their crewmen killed. Some were destroyed in other ways, and some were just never heard from again; lost forever out in the expanse of the ocean. But their unique purpose and the varied missions that they were applied to required experienced and knowledgeable seamen, and in that job our former tuna fishermen filled the bill bravely and admirably.

Over time there have been many monuments built in the memory of those courageous men who put their lives on the line in the cause of maintaining our freedom. In Washington D.C., the National World War II memorial was erected to pay tribute to all the brave men who fought to protect our country. In San Diego, there are a number of WWII reminders too. On Harbor Drive you'll find the USS San Diego Memorial, The USS Midway Museum, the Pearl Harbor Survivors Plaque and now, just as proudly, the latest addition to these memorials; a tribute to the 52 tuna clippers of the YP fleet that were called into service from San Diego.

This new memorial, titled Tuna Fleet Service: World War II, was unveiled on June 28, 2008, and is located just south of the G Street Pier. Creating such a memorial took years of planning and research, but thanks to the hard work of August Felando, Kenny Alameda, John Rebello, Julius Zolezzi, and the Port of San Diego we will never forget the men that proudly served our country on those converted tuna clippers, the YP Fleet.

Nearly 80 people were on hand to witness the unveiling, including three that served on those Yard Patrol Boats; Joe Madruga, Vito Sardo, and Pete Bosnich. Lucile Madruga and Deutilde Varley were also on hand to honor the memory of their late husbands for their YP service to our country.

The ceremony commenced with August Felando giving an overview of the important role that the Y.P. vessels played during World War II. Other speakers included Michael Bixler, Commissioner of the San Diego Unified Port District, Therese Garces, President of the Portuguese Historical Center, Julius Zolezzi from the American Tuna Association, and finally; U.S. Navy Chaplain Ben E. George who blessed the ceremony with a prayer.

Immediately following the remarks, the moment arrived for everyone to see the memorial. Up to this point, the memorial had been covered by a black blanket. To the left of the memorial stood Chaplain Ben E. George, Michael Bixler, and Adeline Madruga. To the right stood August Felando and Lucile Madruga, and on the count of three the cover was removed to much applause, fanfare, music, and many “oohs” and “aahs”, officially unveiling the new memorial.

While the dedication ceremony itself lasted only 45 minutes, it became evident that this occasion was about more than just an unveiling. What followed was a small but powerful reunion for the surviving Y.P. fleet men and their families. They hugged, swapped stories, shook hands and smiled for the next hour, tightly clustered in front of the memorial; their memorial. It was a heartwarming occasion for everyone present, respectfully remembering their duty, friends, a family of shipmates with a camaraderie forged “under fire”; and all those who could not attend this ceremony. It was a day to share memories of a time, one that these men will never forget; and neither should we.