DESERT AIRE - The U.S. Submarine Veterans in Central and Eastern Washington will celebrate the 112th Birthday of the U.S. Navy's Submarine Force with a memorial service and banquet on Saturday, April 14, in Yakima.

They will also christen a new boat they recently built at Desert Aire. It is a 16-foot model the will use at community parades. It was built at Bill Millard's aircraft hangar.

Members of the group built the miniature submarine, the USS Yakima SSN509, over the winter. The new boat (submarines are ships, but they are lovingly referred to as boats by their crews) will be used as a parade float and for other community outreach purposes throughout central and eastern Washington.

An afternoon and evening of festivities is planned on the 14th. Christening of the new boat will take place at 3:15 p.m. in the parking lot of Howard Johnson's in Yakima.

There will be a color guard of local Boy Scouts, a bugler, and the traditional breaking of a champagne bottle.

Members of the submariners' group, which includes men who rode World War II boats and younger men who served more recently aboard new, modern submarines, will display their personal memorabilia during a social hour.

Next will be a memorial service honoring those who lost their lives in the submarine service. A banquet will follow, with the cutting of a submarine birthday cake.

Submarine veterans or others who may be qualified to join as an associate member are invited to attend. You may call Mark Briggs at 480-8245 for more information. Or visit the website www.SSN509.com.