Sea Chest Returned!

Admiral V.G. Lambert, with two of his three adopted children, Rita and Don

Donald Radcliffe Lambert, on the left, is named after his dad's brother Donald and his mom's brother Radcliffe, both of whom perished in World War II.

VG's other son, Jim, lives in Atlanta - too far away to attend the return of the Sea Chest, but he's very proud of his Dad.

While researching this story, I discovered the Admiral was alive and well in California; so I made arrangements to return the Sea Chest. After all, my life has been happier and safer because of the sacrifices he made!

I enjoyed a wonderful reception when I arrived at his home. The Admiral was thrilled to get his Sea Chest back. It really perked him up and stimulated a flood of nostalgia. His daughter prepared a relaxed dinner that lasted 2½ hours, and several generations of family members gathered for the impromptu celebration.

I found him to be a modest man and still very sharp at age 87. He didn't dwell much on the epic battles of WWII, or his commands of super carriers and Naval task forces. This man who once fielded a thousand nuclear weapons simply dwelled how good the Lord had been to him. His eyes moistened as he talked about his wife Thelma who had passed away just two years earlier.

Nobody knew how or why the Sea Chest disappeared. We decided Thelma might have known. Perhaps she gave it to a beloved friend or neighbor when having to make some hard choices about what to leave behind during one of the family's many moves. After all, for this family, a kid's bicycle would have been much more important!

When I gave Lambert copies of e-mail responses to this website, he was amazed that strangers cared. Truly a modest man just like everyone says.

While eating dessert, he brightened and recalled the thrill of flying his first jet, the experimental Ryan Darkshark. "It was pretty fast you know - at least I thought so!" The Admiral was seated across the table from me. He smiled knowingly, closed his eyes, then made a fist and gently drew it toward himself. His smile broadened - and I realized the Darkshark was flying one more time.

On the long drive home that night, I marveled at everything The Sea Chest had seen. It was something of a tiny national treasure I thought. Surely it deserved to be returned to V.G. instead of kept as a coffee table in our family room! And now, through the magic of the Internet, The Lost Sea Chest has revealed its secrets to you!