Bill with two L’s
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Breckenridge resident Bill Brannon is located on the far left of the second row, behind the men on bended knees. This photo are officers and crew members after operational readiness inspection (ORI) in full dress whites at the Lava 8 in Pearl Harbor in April 1966. Contributed photo -
Breckenridge resident, Bill Brannon, is living out a life dream publishing his new book “Weight Loss Through Laughter,” a satire on evolution. BA photo by A.D. Chachere
Imagine being submerged underwater inside a diesel submarine. The unbearable heat, lack of space and threat from adversaries during the Cold War could cause extreme anxiety for most men.
But Bill Brannon is no ordinary individual. Known as Bill with two L’s by his shipmates, Brannon joined the Navy in 1961, at the age of 17.
By 1963, he was in Vietnam fighting alongside his American brothers against the threat of communism.
While serving in the military, Brannon’s commanding officer recommended him for submarine school. Upon graduation, Brannon went to Pearl Harbor onto the USS Sabalo, a diesel submarine from World War II.
“I remember one thing about submarine school, there was a big guided missile at the front entrance in Connecticut and the words on it stated ‘Power for Peace,” Brannon said.
But the war changed Brannon. It shifted his perspective on various subjects including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
“I realized that it was all wrong. We shouldn’t have been doing things like that,” Brannon said. “I got out of the military in January 1967 and about a year later, a Jehovah Witness knocked on my door and wanted to talk to me about the Bible. I was very rude, but they opened the Bible and I began to learn things. This was the beginning of my life.”
For the full story, see the Wednesday, Feb. 26 edition of the Breckenridge American.
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