We first met GERD THÄTER (194-1986) in February of 1987 when he was one of the eleven German U-Boat veterans who came to our First Annual Sharkhunters Convention in Key Largo, Florida.

When you met GERD, you immediately liked him – it was impossible not to like him. He was open and friendly, and had a quick smile for anyone and everyone. One of our Members remembered GERD for his “kindness and gentlemanly manners”. That certainly did describe GERD.

He jokingly referred to himself as the ‘Black Sheep’ of his family, which usually brought his wife, Gila, to instant laughter – but GERD was correct, he was a bit of a rebel. His sense of honor was so strong that it got him into trouble more than once. His father – a WW I U-boat Skipper, retired as a Vizeadmiral (three stars) and his brother retired as a Konteradmiral (two stars) while GERD retired as a Fregattenkapitän (junior Captain). He always joked about that with a bright twinkle in his eye.

When he was a midshipman, in charge of a group of fellow midshipmen aboard the old coal burning battleship SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN, a British battleship was coming into the harbor and on board was the then First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Duff-Cooper. GERD was ordered to have his men hoist the traditional flags to welcome a visiting dignitary. GERD refused, saying that Duff-Cooper was a warmonger, and he would have nothing to do with honoring this kind of a man. GERD told us that he was a little bit later to graduate his naval class than his buddies that year.

Always loyal and true without wavering, he often referred to “his boss”, Großadmiral Karl Dönitz. In fact, in the cellar, GERD had many mementos of himself and “his boss” in the way of photos and other memorabilia. GERD had an unshakable loyalty to his friends and to those he respected.

I personally learned several customs of East Frisia, where GERD spent his retirement years. Coming myself from a British family, I loved my tea and GERD’s wife Gila, made wonderful tea…..but you did not just put in a spoonful of sugar. You put a lump of rock candy sugar on your spoon, then gently swish it back and forth until it dissolved. Then you could drink your tea. When the cup was almost empty, it was refilled – again and again until I was told that, in East Frisia, one must put the spoon into the cup to signal that you wanted no more. I spent many a pleasant day in their home.

GERD was a true and honest friend, and he dearly loved our Sharkhunters. He made the arrangements for us in parts of northern Germany for our “Patrols” and he was so proud of his Membership that he insisted our huge bus drive down some side streets until it passed in front of his own home, and the American flag was always flying when we passed, all for his Sharkhunters friends.

GERD was a truly wonderful man, and we will all miss him.