A Vet’s Story -- Harold Ziegler

He only remembers the good times

It doesn’t matter how big or small the task, what matters is that everyone works together for the better of the whole. Harold Ziegler learned this lesson when he served for three years in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Ziegler served on the USS Puffer 268, a fleet type submarine. The details of the war may have been forgotten but the memories and lessons that Ziegler shared with the rest of the crew will always stay with him.

Born in Hellertown, Ziegler was working for the Bethlehem Steel Corp. when he enlisted in the Navy at age 18. He felt an obligation to serve “It was what you did at the time,” he said. Ziegler, who preferred to join the Navy over the Army, considered it a learning experience. “I never stopped learning,” Ziegler commented on his three years in the Navy. In order to work on the Puffer, Ziegler remembers having to qualify for the job. He said that everyone had to learn everything, including how to operate every aspect of the submarine. Ziegler attended several schools to prepare him for the job that lay ahead. He went through a basic training program, submarine school in New London, Conn., as well as electrician school, which was Ziegler’s main role on the Puffer.

The 311 feet 9 inch Puffer arrived in Darwin, Australia on Sept. 6, 1943. The submarine, which fought a total of nine war patrols, returned to Australia between each battle for refit and repairs. During down time, the crew got to take some time off to relax while another crew came in to make sure everything was running smoothly. Ziegler was a member of the service crew for the majority of the Puffer’s missions and mainly helped check the electrics of the submarine.

Looking back, there is not much that Ziegler remembers vividly. There is one thing though that remains very clear in mind, the way the submarine smelled. The Puffer always had a peculiar odor when he stepped aboard. “It was an interesting odor, very distinct,” he recalled. Still, years later, when Ziegler returns for reunions and memorial services, the scent is what takes him back 60 years and, even more so than the sight, brings back the memories. “I know I am on the boat when I smell the odd odor,” he said.

After the Puffer had successfully fought in seven war patrols, Ziegler was called to participate in the final two battles. On May 20, 1945 Ziegler departed with the rest of the crew to the South China and Java seas. Ziegler said that at the time he didn’t really think about what was going on in the war. The Puffer was all that was on his mind. He was concerned with his role and said that the crew was focused on its own safety and “tried to get to them before they got to us.” That is exactly what the Puffer did. On July 5, it destroyed two sea trucks, a type of speed boat, and six landing crafts by gunfire. The submarine then stopped at Fremantle, Australia, to get serviced before what was the ninth and final war patrol.

The Puffer departed for the Java Sea to complete its final mission. After another successful mission the Puffer headed home and reached San Francisco on Oct. 15, 1945. In total, the Puffer was credited with sinking eight ships and received nine battle stars for its World War II service. Ziegler said it was great to come home. He was almost immediately released from the Navy. At the time, returning home was the only thing anyone cared about, he said everyone wanted to get home to their girlfriends.

Ziegler admits that he wasn’t smart enough to take advantage of all the traveling he did. He remembers taking the train through Australia, but looking back on it he wishes that he had taken full advantage of the opportunity. Even though Ziegler thought of his time serving in the war as a learning experience, he realizes now that he could have gained a great deal more.

Although the crew changed frequently, Ziegler said that they were “like family.” Everyone had a great relationship with each other because they all recognized the present situation that they were in. “You could leave your wallet on your bunk and know that no one was going to touch it,” Ziegler said. There was a sense of trustworthiness that you could only have with your own family, but the 54 men on the USS Puffer 268 had that with each other.

Upon Ziegler’s return home, he went back to work at the steel mill. This time, with the knowledge he acquired during his service as an electrician, Ziegler was working on rewiring the mill. Ziegler got married roughly four years after he was released and had four children. Several years later, Ziegler went to work on construction, which is what he did until it was time to retire.

To this day, Ziegler is an active member of the local chapter for veterans and attends as many reunions as he can. He has traveled to Baltimore and Buffalo, N.Y., to reunite with his fellow veterans. The people on his boat are not always present but he is surrounded by other men with whom he shares a common bond. Looking back, Ziegler confesses that there is not an exact image that comes to mind. “I only remember the good times,” he admitted. The relationship with the other men on board was extraordinary, and Ziegler will always remember that above anything else.

Suzanne Aronowitz of Albany, N.Y. is a 2004 graduate of Lehigh University.