Submarine veterans offer moral, financial support

SPRING HILL -- The SubLime student submarine project at Springstead High School got some welcome support recently by way of a group of local World War II submarine veterans, who helped raise $600 for the effort to send the team to the International Human-Powered Submarine Races in Washington, D.C., in June.

Upon learning of the student effort to build and enter a sub in the event, members of the Weeki Wachee chapter of U.S. Submarine Veterans of WWII called Springstead teacher Steve Barton with the offer of assistance.

"They loved the idea of what the kids were involved in and asked me what they could do," said Barton. A couple of weeks later, Barton received a $600 check from the group that included a donation from a submarine veterans group in Hillsborough County. The money, said Barton, will be used to help pay the $1,000 entry fee for the students.

"A lot of people have nothing good to say about kids this age," said veteran Steve Carbonari, who served six years in the Pacific submarine fleet during the war. "These kids have worked really hard on that boat, so we thought it'd be nice to help them out a little bit."

Barton said that the veterans group -- which includes members Carbonari, Jim Tobin, Joe Sobol, Bob Brady and John Meneely -- has been stopping by the school to check on the sub team members' progress and offer a bit of moral support.

"The kids enjoy talking with them a lot and learning about their experiences," said Barton. "It makes them feel good that people take an interest in what they're doing."

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