Chief Petty Officer (SS) John Boyd Cleere Jr, U.S. Navy (Retired)

Chief Machinist Mate (SS) John Cleere died Friday morning (Apr 27) at the age of 80.

Born in Richland, Texas, he grew up in Comanche, OK prior to enlisting in the Navy in October 1943. After boot camp, he served aboard logistic ships during the remainder of World War II. When his ship was attacked by enemy aircraft, Chief Cleere sought a transfer to submarines reasoning "it's harder to get shot at underwater"

He enjoyed a successful career in submarines advancing to the grade of Chief Petty Officer while serving in both diesel and then nuclear submarines. He was a key member of the crews of the USS Triton (SSN 586), USS Torsk (SS 423), USS Sablefish (SS 303) and USS Nautilus (SSN 571) the Navy's first nuclear submarine. Fifty years ago this year, he was aboard Nautilus when she made her historic first trip under the ice attempting to transit under the North Pole. Chief Cleere enjoyed reminiscing about that trip noting that as they approached the Pole, the compass failed, and "every direction was north." It was during that cruise that Nautilus became lost under the ice cap. He wrote in his diary, "We are lost … The Old Man has been trying for 24 hours to get out of here.… broke out whiskey and gave every man aboard a drink." Later he wrote, "They reconstructed our course … and found we had been where no ship had been..."

Indicative of his wide-ranging career are the three campaign medals he wore (American, European and African Middle Eastern, and Asiatic) as well as the World War II Victory medal and six Navy Good Conduct Medals. He retired from the Navy at Groton, Connecticut in 1963.

Chief Cleere married Vera Casale in 1949 and had four children who survive him-- Gail, Jeanne, John III, and James. He is also survived by his brother Tommy of Tres Palacios, who was a great comfort to him in his last years, as well as his sisters Louise Pierce of Oklahoma and Betty Friedrich of Oregon. Subsequently divorced, he married Dorothy Marshall who predeceased him in 2002.

Chief Cleere will be interred with his second wife at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, DC in early June after a private memorial service.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be sent to the Navy Relief at 875 N. Randolph St., Suite 225, Arlington, VA 22203-1977.

Words of comfort may be shared with the family at www.taylorbros.net. Arrangements are with Taylor Bros. Funeral Home, Bay City, TX (979) 245-4613.