Tillman Lafayette “Mac” McDaniel, 87, of Dixon, passed away Sunday, Sept. 3, 2023, in the Missouri Veteran’s Home, St. James.
He was born April 2, 1936, to Joseph Lafayette and Martha (Hutcheson) McDaniel in Winter Park, Fla.
He entered active federal service in the U.S. Navy July 1, 1954, and served until Jan. 15, 1974, when he was honorably discharged after 20 years of service, at the rank of Chief Petty Officer. He served another 10 years in the Fleet Reserve. While in the Navy Mac served on four submarines and two shore duties.
His first shore duty was running the Movie Exchange in Key West, Fla., supplying movies to the destroyers and submarines stationed there, repairing the projectors as needed. Mac’s second shore duty led to his love of teaching. He taught basic electricity and remedial math in Great Lakes Illinois earning commendations for his abilities in simplifying technical concepts in ways that everyone could understand.
Mac served on two diesel submarines or boats. In the 1950’s Mac was on the USS Balao SS-285 out of Key West. While on board this boat, the Balao made a tour of South America, where Mac learned rudimentary Spanish. His second boat was USS Argonaut SS 475 out of Norfolk, Va. The Argonaut was one of the naval quarantine support during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.
Mac served on two nuclear boats. In the mid-1960s Mac was on the USS George Washington SSBN 598, out of Holy Loch, Scotland. The George Washington was one of the first of the fleet ballistic missile submarines designed to provide deterrence in the Cold War by carrying 24 ballistic missiles. Two crews, blue and gold, kept submarines like the George Washington at sea nearly continuously. Mac was in the gold crew.
His last submarine was the USS Lapon SSN 661 out of Norfolk, Va. The Lapon was a fast attack submarine on regular deployment in the Mediterranean when the Yom Kippur War occurred in Oct. 1973. The Lapon trailed several Soviet subs trailing US Navy vessels.
Submarine sailors rarely have many ribbons as they are the silent service. Mac had the Good Conduct medal, two National Defense medals, for Korea and Viet Nam and possibly a Unit Commendation for the most number of Soviet subs trailed in Oct. 1973.
Mac was united in marriage to Janelle Amelia Schlosser, Oct. 2, 1972, at Norfolk, Va.
He was preceded in death by sons, infant Robert Lee McDaniel and Chuck Gordon McDaniel; parents, Joseph and Martha; brothers, Thomas and Joseph; sisters, Jean Frazier and Lorraine Chandler.
He is survived by wife, Jan of the home near Dixon; daughters Treva Squires of Frontenac, Kan., and Renita Neibuhr of Fruitland, Idaho; sisters, Ruth Yvonne Nott of Ocala, Fla., and Loretha Gammenthaler of Tangerine, Fla.; sisters-in-law, Kim Tennant of Mo., Andrea Jacobowitz of Penn., and Ellen Simmons of Ill.; six grandchildren; and 19 great-grandchildren.
A Final Salute was given to Chief Petty Officer McDaniel Sept. 3, 2023, by the Missouri Veterans Home, St. James. No other memorial services are planned. The human body is a valuable, irreplaceable resource in the training of physicians, and Mr. Tillman McDaniel has generously given his earthly body for medical education.
Arrangements entrusted to Birmingham-Martin Home, Vienna.
