Smoke billowing through the claustrophobic confines of the USS Cochino was the last thing Robbie Robertson wanted to see on August 26, 1949.

That day became the submarine's last after an exploding battery sent Robertson and nearly every other sailor on the submarine scrambling above deck, where the USS Tusk was positioned for the rescue.

Robertson survived the Cochino's sinking. Seven men did not.

"That's a day that will stand out in my mind for as long as I live," Robertson said.

Far removed from his Navy days, Robertson joined a host of former submariners Saturday for the Tolling of the Boats ceremony, an annual rite to remember the hundreds of submariners Wholesale jewelry killed in the line of duty and recognize all sailors who ventured under the waves.

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More than three dozen people attended the event presented by the local chapter of U. S. Submarine Veterans in Memorial Park near the city's Veterans Memorial.

For many, it was a chance to remember a job that was as enthralling as it was dangerous.

"It was kind of romantic. It was an adventure," said Ed Hanemann, who served aboard seven submarines. "It felt good being part of an elite force."

That elite force made massive sacrifices in World War II when scores of submarines were lost. In peacetime, accidents took a toll on the nation's submarine fleet.

For the undersea sailors, each loss was a personal blow.

"Whenever you wear these (dolphins), you're part of an elite group," said Hanemann, pointing to the patch on his blue vest that signifies Navy submarine service. "It's a brotherhood - everyone wearing a dolphin is a brother."

On Saturday, while a bell tolled for each submarine lost, a veteran submariner read off the names of the vessels.

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"Though it is true that the sea has always taken its toll of seamen, this is especially true of the submariner," said Colorado Springs City Councilman Bernie Herpin, a former submariner who gave a speech at the event.

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Call the writer at 476-1654.

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