Theodore Edward Jedlicka, Class of 1919
Sayville’s First Submariner–The story of a sixteen-year-old sailor
prepared by alumni historian Thomas McMahon
This is the extraordinary story of a Sayville teenager who, at just sixteen years old, served aboard a United States submarine during World War I. His vessel, the USS L-2, was one of the few American submarines deployed to European waters.
Theodore E. Jedlicka’s journey began with a fascination for radio. By the age of fourteen, he had already developed an impressive talent for wireless communication. Growing up in Sayville, he was in the perfect place to nurture this interest. In 1915, he and his Boy Scout troop organized a wireless radio club, giving him hands-on experience with rapidly advancing technology.
His skill quickly attracted attention. Theodore, at sixteen, trained at the Navy’s Electrical and Radio School at Harvard University, which was a rare honor for someone so young. After he completed the program, they assigned him as a radio operator aboard the submarine L-2.
By 1917, the L-2 was operating out of Bantry Bay, Ireland, part of a small fleet of American “L-class” submarines tasked with escorting Allied ships and hunting German U-boats along the British coast.
Serving on a submarine in those days was not for the faint of heart. Submarines were still in their infancy, cramped, unsteady, and dangerous. The crew of about twenty men endured long weeks beneath the surface, with no showers, no change of clothing, limited fresh food, and constant drills to maintain the vessel. It was grueling, dirty, and dangerous work.
Theodore served more than a year on patrols. When granted leave, he often traveled to London, a city under constant German air raids. On his very first night there, he narrowly escaped tragedy, faced with two choices of approved hotels, he chose one, while a bomb destroyed the other that same night.
In July 1918, his submarine engaged a German U-boat in a tense encounter. British reports credited the Americans with sinking the enemy vessel, though the U.S. Navy never confirmed the kill. It was one of many moments that underscored the constant danger of submarine duty.
The hazards came not only from German ships but also from the primitive nature of submarine warfare itself. Submarines were difficult to identify at sea, and friendly fire was a continual risk. More than once, American submariners found themselves under attack from their own Navy.
By the time the war ended, Theodore was only eighteen years old, but already a seasoned veteran of one of the most dangerous assignments of the war.
Returning to Sayville, Theodore graduated from Sayville High School,1919, and went on to study at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. He later worked in his family’s business, Jedlicka & Sons, on Main Street, before beginning a career with the Town of Islip Police Department. Stationed at the Sayville Courthouse, he served until poor health forced his retirement in 1962.
Theodore E. Jedlicka passed away the following year at the age of sixty-two.
His short but remarkable life left a lasting legacy as Sayville’s first submariner, a young man whose service embodied both courage and innovation when submarine warfare was still a leap into the unknown.
Theodore E. Jedlicka (1901–1963)