Sidney Manning joined the Navy when he was just a kid. When he left home at the age of eighteen in August of 1940 his father wished him well on his short stint in the military. He spent twenty years as an enlisted man and served in submarines in the Pacific as a radioman throughout the Second World War.

In 1944 the submarine on which he was serving put into port on the Island of Saipan. He wanted to go ashore, but the island had only recently been taken by American forces. Liberty for submariners was judged to be too risky. Manning was human enough to cook up a story about having friends on the island from days before the war. He and two others were allowed to go ashore where they managed to consumed a quantity of beer meant for the Army. Upon his return to the submarine the true story leaked out and he became known as Saipan Manning. Later the first syllable replaced his real first name.

Learning came easy to Sai Manning who steadily progressed up the ladder of his rate. While a chief petty officer, the Navy instituted the new rates of E-8 and E-9. Manning took the tests and became an E-9.

Even with twenty years of service Sai Manning wasn't sure he would make a good officer. In prepping another enlisted man to take the examination for commissioned officer, Sai took the same exam in support of his buddy. Both became ensigns.

Sai Manning advanced in rank and commanded more than one ship, the last being the USS Pyro, an ammunition and fuel replenishment ship. He commanded Pyro in the early 1980s. With a total service experience of forty-one years Sai Manning summed up his opinion of what it takes to be a good commanding officer.

He said in 1981, "I grew up with young sailors, lived with them, fought wars with them and I know how they think. I know how to anticipate their needs. I know where they want to go, and I think I know what's best for them. I believe they relate to me as well as I do to them. For those who don't, and there are some on every ship, you do the best with them that you can. I'm the guy who's judge and jury and father confessor."

An 18 year old reservist taking his first sea trip on Pyro said of his captain, "I don't know him very well. I'm only a seaman recruit, but he always seems to know me. This is my home away from home and he is like my father. The only man I respect and trust more than the captain is my own father."

Pyro's executive officer described Manning, "He has very high standards for his crew, and will give us all the rope we need to do our jobs. And sometime we make mistakes, but he is always there to help us, to counsel us and to do what ever it takes to make the crew better sailors."

In dealing with a crew member who was put on report several times for minor offenses, Manning wrote to his father. The letter he received from the boy's family told the captain to send him home if he didn't shape up. Manning counseled the sailor, but when the boy found out how far the captain had gone to understand him he straightened himself out.

The above information was taken from a June 13, 1981 article in the Anchorage Daily News. SRC thanks Jerry Drumm for providing it to us.

Sai Manning is now in his eighties. He lives in Hillsborough, Oregon. Having retired as commander he has been able to live his waning years in comfort. The Navy's officer ranks have many Mustangs, but few who have committed themselves to it over such a span of years.