Commissioned May 1, 1943, the USS Bowfin submarine served an illustrious career in the Pacific War. In nine separate combat patrols in Japanese waters, she sank a total of 38 ships and small craft and racked up nearly 100,000 nautical miles before being decommissioned in 1947. In addition to her combat duties, she and her crew performed lifeguard missions, rescuing downed pilots who ejected out in the ocean.