SLIPPERY ROCK — Former Butler County Sheriff Robert “Pete” Watson credits his time in the U.S. Navy to his successful career at home later in life.

Watson, now 90, was a submarine mechanic during World War II on the USS Tirante.

He talked about his war time service a few days before Veterans Day, which is today.

He joined the Navy a day before his 18th birthday in September 1943 and went to the Great Lakes Naval Training Center, where he was selected to be a motor machinist.

“We never even had a car at home,” Watson joked about the choice. “I didn’t know what I was doing, but I paid attention and did well on my tests.”

Watson was one of the 10 best performers in the training. Those who did well were asked to volunteer to be the first to go into the submarines as motor machinists.

“They said if you got claustrophobia, don’t even think about it,” Watson said. “I thought, I’m a good swimmer, and I don’t want to go up in the air.”

He was commissioned for duty in December 1944 to serve as an auxiliary man. The role involved running from end to end in the submarine to make repairs when needed.

Shortly after arriving at Pearl Harbor in 1945, Watson said he saw a group of Marines arrive in a Jeep hauling something covered by a tarp.

“They were torpedoes, but they were only about 10 feet long,” he said. “Everyone was wondering what they were.”

Turns out they were new homing torpedoes, Watson said.

“When I was in the submarine, another fellow took me to the back room (where the torpedoes were stored),” he said. “He told me to gently run my fingernail along it. I said ‘It won’t blow up, will it?’”

Watson said the back rudder began to move when the torpedo was touched. It was advanced technology at the time.

“I just said ‘Oh my God,’” he recounted.

Watson was part of two patrol runs made by the USS Tirante.

The first run departed in March 1945, patrolling the approaches to Nagasaki.

The Tirante’s performance on the mission earned Cmdr. George Street the Medal of Honor. Lt. Edward Beach, the executive officer, received the Navy Cross, while the ship was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation, which is awarded for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy.

Watson said he got 20 days off following the first patrol. That time was spent on the beach of Midway.

He said while there was little to do on the island, the sandy beach was far different from the previous two-month patrol run.

“And we had the best steaks I’ve ever eaten,” he said.

Watson said the second patrol has similar success. During both missions, the submarine sank 16 enemy ships while patrolling the sea off the coasts of Japan, China and Korea, he said.

The war ended shortly after the second patrol. Watson said he went to a hospital base in Guam with a hernia.

He was given 10 days off before he was set to return to the Navy.

“They were short on guys at the time,” he said. “Everybody was going home.”

However, Watson said his father died the second day after he got home.

“I asked for an extra 10 days,” he said.

When he returned to the Navy, he was offered a promotion to petty officer first class if he agreed to sign up for four more years.

“I was told I could become a chief in two to three years,” he said. “I said I would have loved to stay, but I had to return home to help my mother. There was no one to care for (the family) store.”

A few years later Watson was named a deputy sheriff by former Sheriff Bud Walker. Watson eventually served four years as county treasurer before becoming county sheriff in 1966.

He served in that office for four terms before he became the district judge in Slippery Rock.

He said his time in the Navy prepared him for life in the different county offices.

“It taught me a little about humility,” he said. “And how to get along with and respect other people.”

He said it also taught him hard work.

“There was no play time once you left the port,” he said.