International Community of Submariners Associations

7-12 September 2009 San Diego, California,
23-27 May 2010 Haifa (Israel),
May 2011 Turkey

Since 1962 this cooperation of National Submariners Associations has held its meetings in various countries of the member associations.

These meetings can be attended by members of the submarine services – both active and former members – and their partners.

The first meeting took place in Paris, initiated by a French and German former submarine commander. Their goal was to bring about a reconcilement of (former) submarine personnel of countries that had been enemies in World War II. The meeting was attended by people from Germany, France, Italy, The Netherlands and the USA.

In 1966 the International Community of Submariners Associations formulated its mission:” We don’t want to create an international umbrella organization. Reasons: we don’t want to separate submariner organizations of one nation into a national and an international branch. We want that our meetings are characterized by friendship and not by organizational duties”.

(see: http://www.submariners.org )

The Americans, however, call this community the “International Submariners Association (ISA)”, of which they, as “ISA-USA” are a member.

(see: http://www.isausa.org/ ).

Statutory goal of ISA-USA is: “To perpetuate the memory of those who have lost their lives in submarines and to further promote and keep alive the spirit and unity that exists among all submarine crewmen, to foster friendship and goodwill internationally, remembering always our belief in the freedom of thoughts, words and deeds. Every member shall remain loyal to his country at all times”.

(see: http://isausa.org/pdf/ISA-USA_constitution.pdf ).

The ISA has 32 members. Since 1962 meetings have been held in France (12), Germany (10), Italy (8), Austria (5), England (4), Russia (2), Ukraine (1), Argentina (1) and Poland (1). In 1968 and 1996 no meetings were held, due to political circumstances.
In 2010 the meeting was held in Haifa (Israel), in 2011 in Turkey (Istanbul).
A report of the meeting in Gdynia (Poland) in 2008 was published in KVO June 2008

(see http://www.klaarvooronderwater.nl/kvo/Kvo-104.pdf )

It is to be hoped that Dutch delegations will attend the annual ISA-meetings.

Jan Willem van Waning