He was a war hero, so the legend went. There's a monument to him, her daddy used to tell her, in a Charleston park. There may not be another family in the world that can pass that tale from generation to generation. Scientists and historians believe most of the men on the Hunley were too young to have children.
Officials connected with the project know of no other relatives.
Later this year, someone in McMahon's family will give a DNA sample to scientists trying to put a face on the crew, found in the submarine recovered last summer off Sullivan's Island. She hopes the tiny genetic landscape unique to her family will help identify Wicks among the remains found on the submarine. I'm extra proud to know that he volunteered for this in light of the two previous crews that died. He must have been very patriotic. McMahon and her family know little about their now-famous forebear.