Ever wonder what inspired the unusual mascot on USS Lapon’s battle flag? In this reel, our museum curator shares the story behind the design and why a well-known baseball figure from the 1930s became the symbol for a WWII submarine crew. This artifact is part of our behind-the-scenes collection and is not currently on display. Discover more stories like this through the work of our curatorial team and the collections they care for every day. | USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park

This footage shows the conning tower of USS Parche (SS-384), which visitors can enter here at the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum. Bowfin’s conning tower sits directly above her control room, but because of its tight dimensions and steep vertical ladder, it isn’t accessible to the public. However, Parche was also a Balao class diesel-electric submarine, launched only about six months after Bowfin, so they are very similar. The conning tower served as a submarine’s attack and navigation center. In