1

From The Editor:

After I transmitted the last newsletter I received

several comments about my numbering/dating for the

newsletters, mainly asking why I sent them out a

month late. In order to get on track and to match the

date, this one will be for December 2016 and January

2017. This is simply an admin change and will not

affect any information you are receiving.

Although I format, edit and transmit this newsletter,

it is only done for you, our Stimson Shipmates. Without

your inputs/comments/suggestions there is no need for

this document. Help me make it better in 2017 by

submitting articles, sea stories and information. In this

one, you will see an article written by Gerry Weeks,

the wife of Bob Weeks who was the Gold Crew CO

and plank owner. You‘ll also see the 2nd installment of

Jim Kinney‘s fictional story about a deterrent patrol.

Some of you have submitted names of 655

shipmates you know or have heard are on Eternal

Patrol. A few of those names are not yet on the EP list

due to lack of verification. When you submit a name

please add any info that could possibly be used to

verify the shipmates death. We owe Don Ort, MM1 G

69-74, a debt of gratitude for continuing to verify the

submitted names and locate anything we can use in

the individuals Memorial Page on the website. He has

been a tremendous assistant with all his skills.

To all of you who have ‗found‘ our 655 shipmates

and had them contact me, a great big THANK YOU!

Our Sailing List grows by one or two names each

month. Please continue to support the Association by

locating our shipmates and getting them added to our

Admin Records and online Sailing List.

Linda and I would like to wish each of you a very

Blessed Merry Christmas and a Wonderful Happy New

Year 2017!!!

Merry Christmas &

Happy New Year!! To all STIMSON ASSOCIATION MEMBERS

————————————————————————

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2016

Submitted by Chuck Hladik…Here is a good one for

this time of the season. It shows the U.S. armed forces

have people with many talents..

Published on Dec 4, 2015. A special holiday musical

presentation from Union Station in Washington, DC

celebrating the service and sacrifices of our nation's

World War II veterans and commemorating the 70th

anniversary of the end of the war.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/khQN5ylb3H0

VOL. 2016 #12 / VOL. 2017 #1 DEC 2016/JAN 2017

U S S H E N R Y L . S T I M S O N A S S O C I A T I O N S S B N 6 5 5 N E W S L E T T E R

A s s o c i a t i o n O f f i c e r s & B o a r d o f D i r e c t o r s 2 0 1 7 — 2 0 1 8

PRESIDENT Ray [Rita] Kreul

VICE PRESIDENT Tom [Marie] Krauser

SECRETARY Nick [Linda] Nichols

TREASURER Ken [Diane] Meigs

OUTGOING PRESIDENT Chuck [Joyce] Hladik

HISTORIAN / CUSTODIAN Larry [Linda] Knutson

WEBMASTER / NEWSLETTER Nick [Linda] Nichols

CHAPLAIN J.B. Helms

STOREKEEPER / SHIPS STORE Jim [Suzie] Weaver

O t h e r P o s i t i o n s 2 0 1 7 - 2 0 1 8

2

T'was the Night Before Christmas-Submarine Style

By Sean Keck

T'was the night before Christmas, and what no-one could see,

The men with the dolphins were under the sea.

Most of the crew was flat on their backs,

Snoring and dreaming all snug in their racks.

Those men on watch were making their rounds,

Some manning the planes or listening for sounds.

Back in maneuvering or down in the room,

They all hoped the oncoming watch would come soon.

I'd finished some PM's whose time was now due,

And hoped for some sleep, even an hour or two.

Against better judgment I took a short stroll,

And found myself wandering into control.

The Nav had the Conn, the COW was in place,

The COB had the Dive and a scowl on his face.

The helm and the planes were relaxed but aware,

The QM and ET were discussing a dare.

To comply with the orders the Nav told the Dive,

To bring the boat up with minimum rise.

The orders were given and soon they were there,

At periscope depth with a scope in the air.

The QM confirmed our position with care,

The broadcast was copied, we brought in some air.

The Nav on the scope let out a small cry,

He shook his head twice and rubbed at his eyes.

He looked once again to find what it was,

That interrupted his sweep and caused him to pause.

Try as he might there was nothing to see,

So down went the scope and us to the deep.

I asked what it was that caused his dismay,

He sheepishly said, "I'm embarrassed to say."

It could have been Northern Lights or a cloud,

Or a meteorite he wondered aloud.

But to tell you the truth I guess I must say,

Whatever it was it looked like a sleigh.

And though it passed quickly and never was clear,

I almost believe it was pulled by reindeer.

We laughed and teased him and I got up to go,

When our moment was broken by "Conn, Radio."

They told us a message was just coming in,

We looked at the depth gauge and started to grin.

"Radio, Conn, I feel safe to say,

Your attempt at a joke is too long delayed.

If it had been sooner it might have been neat,

But I doubt we're receiving at four-hundred feet."

"Conn, Radio, you can come down and see,

We're not playing games to any degree."

I headed aft with nothing better to do,

Surprised by the fact it was still coming through.

It stopped and was sent to control to be read,

The Nav read it slowly and scratched at his head.

Then again he began but this time aloud,

To those that now waited, a curious crowd.

"To you Denizens of the Deep and men of the sea,

Who risk your life daily so others stay free.

I rarely have seen you on this, my big night,

For far too often you are hidden from sight.

But purely by luck I saw you tonight,

As your scope coaxed the plankton to glow in the night.

And lucky for me I've finally won,

The chance to say thanks for all you have done.

I know that you miss your families at home,

And sometimes you feel as if you're alone.

But trust what I say and I'll do what's right,

I'll take something special to your families tonight.

Along with the gifts I'll take to your kin,

I'll visit their dreams and leave word within.

They'll hear of your love, and how you miss them,

I'll tell them that soon you'll be home again.

It might not be much I know that is true,

To thank you for all the things that you do.

But I'll do what I can, while you do what's right,

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight." ————————————————————————

From the Association President Ray Kreul, TM2 G

65-69; USSVI– Snug Harbor Base:

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all our

shipmates and their families. Ray & Rita

————————————————————————

As of Monday, 26 December,

there are exactly 655 Days

until our 2018 reunion.

3

From the 2018 Reunion Committee Chairman -

Chuck Hladik, TM2 G 67-70; USSVI– USS

Oklahoma City Base:

Shipmates, be sure to mark your calendars for the

2018 Stimson Reunion to be held in Oklahoma City.

I‘m currently working on the plans for the reunion and

will be sending out information as soon as I can firm

things up. As information becomes available I‘ll be

putting it in ―The DRAFT‖.

————————————————————————

From the Association Storekeeper -

Jim Weaver, SK2 B 68-69; USSVI–

Corvina Base:

The ships store has patches, decals

and challenge coins ($5/ea + $1 flat

mailing fee). Email or text me if

interested. Happy Holidays. Jim

jweaver2845@gmail.com / 775-750-6891

————————————————————————

From the Association Historian/Memorabilia

Custodian Larry Knutson MMCS B 79-81 USSVI-

Charleston Base:

Please check the pictures at the end of this

newsletter. All of the pictures have some names listed

but there are a lot of blanks. We‘re hoping that our

shipmates can help complete the missing names for

our historical archives. When naming the pictures if

you know when they were made… year, patrol,

etc...that would help. Send the info to Nick Nichols,

Webmaster, (655webmaster@ssbn655.org)

As soon as we can identify all those in these pictures

we have plenty more to put up for identification.

————————————————————————

ENCM(SS) Vincent Worthington G 68 COB

Departed on Eternal Patrol December 17, 2016

[reported by Legacy.com]

If any of you have any information about the following

shipmates being on Eternal Patrol please send it to me

at 655webmaster@ssbn655.org as soon as possible.

HM2(SS) George D. Hinds, B 76-78

(possibly lost at sea)

RMC (SS) Larry L. Crawford, G 76-??

————————————————————————

4

BINNACLE LIST

(if you would like to be placed on our Association

Binnacle List please send an email to

655webmaster@ssbn655.org)

====================

Tom O‘Callaghan, MS2 G 86-90

I found out after being cancer free for three years that

my left kidney has two spots and I'm having surgery

January 5th. When I found out I was shocked.

**********

Art Wallace, QM2 G 67-71

Art has been diagnosed with kidney cancer.

**********

Alan Reed, ET2(SS) G 68-71 (recovering from

serious heart attack August 2016):

10.27.16 Alan is doing very well. Still has cardiac

rehab 3 times a week and our family physician said

―with the severity of your heart attack and your

improvement after 2 months could only be because of

God‖. Most of his restrictions have been lifted, now just

common sense things---no shoveling snow (hope we

don‘t have any), not being outside in very cold (hope

we don‘t have any) or hot weather, etc. We look

forward to the next reunion. Thanks again, Linda Reed

**********

Carolyn Linhart, wife of Chuck, QM1(SS) G 68-74

11.26.16: Carolyn did manage to enjoy her

Thanksgiving and ate a small amount of turkey,

potatoes, and noodles even with her tube

feeding. She has stabilized around 100 lbs. and

getting better.

10.29.16 I wish to thank everyone for their prayers and

donations to the gofundme account

(gofundme.com/5wb3wtpuw). My wife is finally up to

100 lbs. but still on tube feeding. This is quite an

expense, but we will continue as long as we need

to. Medicare refuses to pay for the tube feeding

because she can eat food by mouth. Now she can‘t

eat enough to keep her alive, but that doesn‘t count

with Medicare. The rule is if she can eat by mouth,

they won‘t pay for the tube feeding or the supplies. I‘ve

bought my own pump to try to cut down on the long-

term cost. She is progressing, but it seems every time

we see the light at the end of the tunnel someone

turns it off. She is having a lot of hospital stays just to

try to fix things they did wrong the first few times. Our

spirits are high and we are looking forward to traveling

(maybe in the spring). Hope to make the next reunion,

so please send us the info. Keep praying for us, I‘m

convinced that is the sole reason we have made it this

far.

8.2.15 Since 2010 Carolyn‘s health has been steadily

deteriorating. This has caused them severe financial

difficulties. Chuck has started a GoFundMe page in

hopes to pay for the required medical procedures

Carolyn has had to have.

**********

Larry Hall, STS3(SS) B 65-69:

6.10.15 Still awaiting a kidney and can‘t travel to the

reunions. They say that my kidney failure was caused

by high blood pressure and diabetes though I'm not

sure about that. In 2009 I had prostate cancer and had

48 radiation treatments. In 2010 my kidneys failed.

Since my diabetes is well under control and my blood

pressure hasn't been high for 20 years, it seems a bit

coincidental.

————————————————————————

WELCOME ABOARD & FOUND SHIPMATES!!

(Shipmate has contacted us to be added or have info

updated on our Sailing List. Please check the online

Sailing List to access the shipmates email address.)

**********

YN1(SS) Don Chandler B 76

FTB2(SS) Derek Lyons B 83-87

Many of you are on FaceBook. I have taken the time

to look at some names of shipmates who post or reply

on a regular basis to the pictures postings. If you see

any of these shipmates please send them a personal

invite to contact 655webmaster@ssbn655.org so they

can have their name place on our Sailing List and

become a member of the Stimson Association.

These shipmates do not appear on our Sailing List:

Kirby Bickford Christian Brewer

Owen M Duke Robert Duvall

Randy Dyson Robert Christopher Hayes

Paul Jansen Bill Lambert

Andy Larrivee Bob Luna

Vince McGinnis Dan Montoya

Robert Robinette Christopher Mullen

Glen Roser Les Schott

Chuck Shepherd Roy Tolbert Jr.

Byron Trop Rick Waligora

John Yarbro

These are on our sailing list but we don‘t have a

valid email address for them to receive our newsletter

and other information:

Joseph Cardin Anthony Wayne Johnson Sr

Mervin Miller

————————————————————————

LOOKING FOR SHIPMATE

Tom O'Callaghan, MS2 G 86-90

[ thomasocllghn@aol.com ] is looking for IC2(SS)

Robby Robinson G 87-91.

5

Nancy Buchinski [jana655@gmail.com] [wife of

Joseph Buchinski EP] sent this email: Can you

please put me in contact with Micheal "Spike" Davis of

the Stimson? Thank you, Nancy Buchinski (Joseph

Buchinski was my husband)

Carl Callender [ wn6v@centurytel.net ] is looking for

info on another RM who was on the STIMSON with

me ... RMCS(SS) Larry Crawford. His name doesn't

appear. He was on board the Gold crew approx 76-78.

**********

Kimberly Blum-Hogle

[ kimberly.hogle00@gmail.com ], daughter of

YNCS(SS) Bert Blum B 87-89, is looking for STSC

(SS) Jack E. Craig from the blue crew.

**********

QM1(SS) Chuck Linhart, QM1(SS) G 68-74

[ chucklinhart@gmail.com ] I would like to get in

contact with ET1(SS) William ‗Bill‘ Warren.

STS3(SS) Robert ‗Bob‘ P. Featheran, Jr. (G 81)

[ SpritesDragon@gmail.com ] I would like to get in

contact with STS2 Robert P. Cooley.

**********

EM1(SS) Paul Murray (G 65-69)

[ pcmurray@optonline.net ] I am looking for former

shipmates Ken Luken IC2(SS) 65-68? and Joe Carter

MM1(SS) 65-68.

**********

QM2(SS) Robert Frizzola (G 82-86)

[ frizzz688@yahoo.com ] I was on from 82-86 Gold.

I‘m looking for a few shipmates and maybe you can

help. MM1/SS Mike Alegretto and MM2/SS Willy

Wilson, both Gold crew.

**********

YNC(SS) James Maddox (B 83-86)

[ jgm401@msn.com ] is looking for YN2(SS) Mark

Jackson (B). Also what has happened to MMCM(SS)

Golightly.

**********

STS3(SS) Steve Searight (B 70-71)

[ ssearight@verizon.net ] is looking for STS3 Eugene

Manning who served during the same period as me.

As I recall, he was from New York (Brooklyn).

**********

MM2(SS) Joe Civiletti (G 79-81)

[ submarinemm1@aol.com ] Does anyone

remember/ know what happened to an MMCS/SS

Golightly (A-Div Gold crew in 1979 when I came on

board).

————————————————————————

GREAT LINKS TO SPEND TIME WITH

(all links from “The Draft” will be on the website)

**********

655 Association Website

www.ssbn655.org

**********

ALL HANDS - December 1982 - The Christmas Ship

http://www.hullnumber.com/ALL-HANDS/the-

christmas-ship-uss-new-york

**********

―SHIPMATE‖: What the word means to a Sailor.

This is from a shipmate that served in the Navy in WW

II and retired from the Navy in 1968 as a Master Chief

Petty Officer.

www.usshancockcv19.com/shipmate.shtml

**********

U.S. Navy Sub Ran Into a Mountain

In 2005, the nuclear attack submarine USS San

Francisco suddenly stopped dead in its tracks.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/m/8ec6736d-c8ea-

3a8f-baf3-d8dcdafd6239/in-2005%2C-a-u.s.-navy-

sub-ran.html?.tsrc=fauxdal

**********

December 7th, 1941: A Submarine Force

Perspective

U.S. Navy 1 day ago Pearl Harbor

By Rear Adm. Fritz Roegge

Commander, Submarine Force U.S. Pacific Fleet

http://navylive.dodlive.mil/2016/12/06/december-

7th-1941-a-submarine-force-perspective/

**********

God Bless America

Legendary actor John Wayne in a clip from 1970 on

the TV variety show he hosted celebrating America‘s

history. Many famous actors and actresses are

featured in this video singing God Bless America

including Ann Margaret, Lucille Ball, Jack Benny,

George Burns, Johnny Cash, Roy Clark, Bing Crosby,

Phyllis Diller, Lorne Greene, Bob Hope, Forrest Lewis,

Dean Martin, William Shatner, Tom Smothers, and

many more. What a classic video.

https://biggeekdad.com/2014/09/john-wayne-1970/

**********

————————————————————————

In the November

newsletter I asked if

anyone could tell me what

the picture was. Thanks to

all those who answered

me.

Bob Peterson MM1 B 70-72 wrote: it is an

insulating union insert from an O2 generator.

6

Bryon McCall MMC B/G 75-86 wrote: That's a

ceramic insulator from the 7L16 oxygen generator.

When I changed them out during pms, everybody

wanted one for honing their knife blades

Bill Lindley TM2 G 7075 wrote: I have a piece

exactly like the one in your photo--right down to the

black streaks on the sides. It is a ceramic tube which

was given to me by an A ganger (I can see his face

and image but don't remember his name.) In the yards

at Newport News, he rode an old Harley and he

seemed like the authentic biker you didn't want to

mess with. Anyway, he gave me one of these ceramic

pieces to sharpen my knife. He used to always see me

sharpening my knife with an old whetstone and was

impressed with how sharp I kept it. He said, "Try this

after you finish with your stone. Just a few strokes will

remove the fine burr that your whetstone leaves."

That's what all the black marks up and down the sides

are from. It works well and I still use mine to this day.

Milton Hedglin MM3 B/G 70-73 wrote: It is part to

O2 generator. Some shipmates used them to sharpen

their knives.

William ‗Logs‘ Logothety MM3 G/B 70-75 wrote:

What you have found in your tool box is a ceramic

insulator from the O2 generators. The ceramic makes

a great knife sharpener. Logs

————————————————————————

SEA STORIES:

Submitted by Gerry Weeks, wife of CAPT Bob

Weeks, CDR 64-71 G CO & Plank Owner:

(Ed. Note: was a four-star admiral in the United States

Navy and Commander-in-chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet

at the time of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He

was removed from command after the December 1941

attack and reduced to the two-star rank of rear

admiral. He retired from the Navy in early 1942.)

The History Channel aired a documentary last night

titled Pearl Harbor: The Truth. It's an excellent

program; every serviceman/veteran should watch it. I

have a keen interest in this because in 1967 I had the

privilege of working for ADM Kimmel as his secretary

after the 25th anniversary of the attack (1966). He was

living at Avery Point, Groton. I went to his house week

days for a month or so to take the dictation of his

responses to mail he was receiving. I took my notes

home AND the original letters so I could type up the

letters. He was a very gentle man and very broken

over the treatment he had received following the

attack. It was an honor to have a small part in his life.

Gerry

MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH REAR

ADMIRAL HUSBAND E. KIMMEL, USN (ret)

Submitted by Gerry Weeks

Prior to the recent 75th anniversary of the attack on

Pearl Harbor, The History Channel aired a 60-minute

documentary titled Pearl Harbor: The Truth. This was

generated by Vice President Joe Biden's interest in

continuing to permanently clear the names of Rear

Admiral Husband E. Kimmel and Maj Gen Walter C.

Short, Commander in Chief of the US Pacific Fleet and

Commander of the Army at Pearl Harbor, respectively,

of any responsibility involving the sudden attack on

December 7, 1941. We all know the history so I will

get to the point of my interest in this situation that has

plagued their names for 75 years....

On the occasion in 1966 of the 25th anniversary of

the attack we were living in Gales Ferry, CT and Bob

was busy with his duties as Gold CO of the Stimson

which had been commissioned in August of that

year. A Navy friend approached me to see if I would

be interested in working with Amiral Kimmel as his

secretary to answer mail that he was receiving

commemorating the anniversary. At the time he and

his wife were retired at Avery Point, Groton. I

accepted without hesitation. Early in January 1967 I

went to his house to take dictation of his responses; I

then took both the original letters and my notes home

to transcribe and type formal letters with carbon

copies. I would return the following day for more

dictation and for the Admiral's signature on the

letters. This continued for a month. Most of the

incoming mail offered sympathy to him for the

misconception that ruined his naval career and his

personal name. There was one letter, though, that

stood out from the son-in-law of President

Roosevelt. He had been married to the President's

daughter, Anna. It contained conversations that took

place in the White House dining room the evening of

December 6 that clearly showed erroneous

miscalculations, oversights and human error pointing

to improper management in Washington, D.C. The

author of the letter stated, "I want to set the record

straight." Again, I won't elaborate further. Bob and I

were stunned to read that letter and pondered making

a copy of it -- we did not because it wasn't our

property! We later regretted that decision based on

the following history.

Another submarine friend of ours, unbeknownst to

us, passed along our finding to the author, John

Toland, who was doing research for his book, INFAMY

- Pearl Harbor and It's Aftermath published by

Doubleday in 1982. We were living in Vermont by

7

then so it came as a big surprise when I received a

phone call from Mr. Toland. In response to his call, I

sent him a letter briefly outlining my experience in

1967. That was followed by a letter from Admiral

Kimmel's son, Thomas K. Kimmel who at one time was

CO of the submarine, Harder. Our friend had served

on the boat with him......My letter to Thomas Kimmel,

dated 13 July 1982, was forwarded to Toland and an

excerpt from it appears in his book. (In my paperback

copy, personally autographed by John Toland, it can

be found on pages 349/350.) Unfortunately, neither

the carbon of Admiral Kimmel's response nor the

original letter could be found in the Admiral's archives

by the Kimmel family who worked tirelessly to clear

their father's name. He was ultimately exonerated of

blame but his rank and due compensation were never

restored.

On a personal note, after our dictation sessions, the

Admiral and I would occasionally have coffee in their

kitchen He showed a very personal, reflective

manner; He was a very dignified, gentle man; very

broken over the accusations that had so impacted his

career and life. I consider my brief involvement with

such a distinguished figure one of my greatest honors.

Post script -- When the Admiral discovered what

submarine my husband was a Commander of, I

thought the deal would be off. Henry L. Stimson was

Secretary of War under President Roosevelt -- not

exactly a household name during the years of

investigation. I was forgiven, though, because he

gave me a copy of his book, Admiral Kimmel's Story.

Personally autographed to both Bob and me.

————————————————————————

Fictional Story written by Jim Kinney, LCDR G 67-69

Nov. 14, 2016

Deterrent Patrol Part 2

The deployment orders scheduled the ship for the

Mediterranean patrol areas. Kreul‘s last patrol as

Navigator on the LINCOLN had been in the same

area, and it was tricky. The U.S. had used the

Mediterranean for deterrent patrols because essential

targets were out of range in the North Atlantic. He

knew that Forbes‘ previous patrols had all been in the

North Atlantic. He wondered if Forbes would be open

to any advice he had to offer.

What made the Med particularly treacherous was

the extreme thermoclines, the tendency of the first 20

feet of depth to be at elevated temperatures, then

rapidly cooling as depth increased. The result was that

a submarine submerged at 200 feet could not hear

surface ships very well if at all, and coming to

periscope depth, which was required periodically, was

a nail-biting operation, especially with the commercial

shipping traffic that made the Med a busy place. The

strain on the sonar watch standers was constant, and

the control room crew had to be ready for an

emergency dive at any time. Furthermore, the floating

wire antenna that trailed 1200 feet behind the

submarine just under the surface, their crucial means

of receiving a launch order as well as navigation

information, could be cut unexpectedly by an

undetected surface ship.

The ship had departed Rota scheduled for a 62-day

patrol. After submergence, the first day‘s transit took

them to the Straits of Gibraltar. Kreul approached the

Captain.

―Skipper, you may not be up to speed on the rules

for transiting the Straits. Ever since we and the

Russians had some close calls of running into each

other, we have agreed to some guidelines for depth.

Since we are transiting West to East, we will need to

be at an odd 100 meter depth. Depth control is tricky

because of the vertical currents as well.‖

―What the hell is wrong with you, Kreul? Do you

think I‘m an imbecile? I received briefings about all of

our intended tracks including the straits. I wouldn‘t be

much of a skipper if I hadn‘t.‖ The control room crew

glanced at each other, embarrassed to hear this

exchange. Kreul realized he had made a major

mistake.

They entered their patrol area, reported to

headquarters that they were on station, and the routine

of any missile deterrent patrol began. Kreul avoided

Forbes as much as possible, difficult on a 425 foot

long tube with 130 other people. He was still smarting

from the dressing down he had received. He began to

spend part of each day‘s routine just getting to know

the crew. The Chief of the Boat, the senior enlisted

man in the crew, was an important relationship that

was critical. Chief Hladik was a senior sonarman, and

reputed to be one of the best. They seemed to hit it off

right for the start.

It wasn‘t long into the patrol that Hladik came to

visit Kreul in his stateroom. ―What‘s on your mind,

COB‖. ―Well I don‘t know how to say this, but I‘m not

doing well with the Skipper. I‘ve tried to encourage him

to be a bit more friendly with the crew, but he scares

most of them to death. Every watch stander he visits

on his tours of the ship result in oral exams then and

there. And every hesitant answer leads to chewing out

with never a word of encouragement even when they

demonstrate that they know their stuff. His attitude

seems to be that he is more knowledgeable than

anyone, and he isn‘t asking for or open to any advice.

8

He has even questioned my sonar crew and me,

suggesting he knows more about biologics and sound

channels than we do.‖

―Let me give it some thought, COB. There must be

some way to talk to the Skipper.‖

All these concerns had evaporated 4 hours ago.

The initial reports of the Russian task force had come

from intelligence messages that the sub had received

once they reached their patrol area. Periodic updates

indicated that the task force was moving east and

approaching their patrol area. Forbes had briefed his

watch standing team to be particularly alert, and the

heightened attention to sonar contacts kept the team

on edge.

Sonar had first detected the noise signatures of

three warships at an estimated range of 30,000 yards.

The screw and engine noise had faded in and out as

expected from the water conditions. but what was

unmistakable was the pinging of the Soviet tri-beam

sonar, unique to the Kashin class destroyers. Kashin

deployed a towed sonar at variable depth of 200 to

300 feet. The sonar used three different frequencies in

each transmission, and almost sounded like a musical

chime.

―We have detected a three ship formation, two

Kashin destroyers and a Kirov cruiser,‖ Sonar

reported. ―The range is closing fast and we appear to

be on an intercept course.‖

The OOD called the Captain to the Control Room,

and reported the situation.

―Captain, we have a serious situation. We have

three contacts that Sonar has evaluated as Soviet

warships, closing on our patrol area.‖

―What was the time of initial detection?‖ Forbes

asked.

―Just 12 minutes ago, when we cleared the baffles‖,

the OOD replied.

―Call the crew to General Quarters, and I will relieve

you of the Deck.‖

To be continued….

————————————————————————

Navy Leaders Bring Back Rating Titles

Chief of Naval Operations Public Affairs, Navy.mil,

December 21

WASHINGTON - On Dec. 21, the Navy announced

that effective immediately, Sailors may continue to be

addressed by their Rating Titles.

Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Admiral John

Richardson, with the support of Secretary of the Navy

(SECNAV) Ray Mabus and Master Chief Petty Officer

of the Navy Steve Giordano, made the announcement

in NAVADMIN 283/16.

"Our Navy needs to be a fast-learning organization

- that includes Navy leadership," Richardson wrote in

the NAVADMIN. "The Design for Maintaining Maritime

Superiority states that our most junior teammate may

have the best idea and that we must be open to

capturing that idea. We have learned from you, and so

effective immediately, all rating names are restored."

"The SECNAV, MCPON and I, along with other

Navy leadership, have had the opportunity to speak

with thousands of Sailors during our travels throughout

the fleet. The feedback from current and former Sailors

has been consistent that there is wide support for the

flexibility that the plan offers, but the removal of rating

titles was unnecessary and detracted from

accomplishing our major goals."

The rating modernization working group will

continue its work on the substantive portion of the

rating moderation effort.

"As we looked at rating modernization effort over

the past few months, we saw that we could still

achieve the positive results we want without changing

rating titles right now," said the Navy's Chief of

Personnel Vice Adm. Robert Burke. "However,

modernizing our industrial-age personnel system in

order to provide Sailors choice and flexibility still

remains a priority for us. Our personnel system has

not fundamentally changed since the 1970s, and just

like our ships, aircraft and weapons systems, it needs

updates to keep pace with a rapidly changing world.

We must not shy away from adapting to meet the

needs of a 21st century Navy -- including the way we

manage our people."

"As we move forward into the execution stages of

the rating modernization, more and more Sailors will

have multiple occupational skill sets or ratings," Burke

continued. "Before we get there, we will need to tackle

the issue of managing rating names. We will involve

Sailors throughout the Fleet and leverage the Rating

Modernization working group to figure out how to best

do that."

Sailor 2025 is a set of initiatives collectively aimed

at modernizing the personnel system, improving the

training process and improving career readiness of the

Navy's Sailors. The program has been a major focus

of effort for SECNAV and CNO as they seek to better

prepare the workforce for the current and future

operating environment.

Sailors have a direct line to provide input to the

Rating Modernization working group to make sure their

ideas are heard. Send them to

NavyRatingMod.fct@navy.mil.

————————————————————————

9

NNS161205-08. USS Springfield Conducts Burial

Sea, Reuniting a Sailor with Lost Shipmates

By Chief Petty Officer Steve Owsley, Naval

Submarine Support Center New London Public

Affairs

ATLANTIC OCEAN (NNS) -- More than 50 years

ago, on April 10, 1963, USS Thresher (SSN 593) was

lost at sea while conducting deep-dive trials

approximately 200 miles southeast of Cape Cod,

Massachusetts, costing the lives of all 129 crew

members aboard.

The loss of Thresher forever changed the U.S.

Navy's submarine force and the life of one young

Sailor.

At the time, Capt. Paul "Bud" Rogers Jr. was a

recently commissioned officer who had only been at

his command for a few months when he was

scheduled to go aboard Thresher as part of a weapons

inspection team, but the leadership team decided to

send someone more senior, said Rogers' son-in-law,

retired Cmdr. Fred Henney. "Bud lived the rest of his

life with the knowledge that someone else died in his

place and I believe it drove his decision to be buried at

sea."

While on routine operations Wednesday, Nov. 30,

2016, at the site where Thresher was lost, Los

Angeles class fast-attack submarine, USS Springfield

(SSN 761) held a burial at sea where Rodgers' last

wishes were fulfilled as he was sent on his eternal

patrol alongside the submarine and Sailors he always

felt connected to.

"My husband loved submarines and he loved

serving on them," said Rogers' widow, Barbara. "He

went from being a boy scout to a submariner."

According to his obituary, Rogers served in the

U.S. Navy for 41 years. He served as a fire controlman

aboard diesel submarines USS Sea Cat and USS

Bang, then aboard one of the Navy's first ballistic

missile submarines, USS Robert E. Lee. He was

commissioned as an officer in 1963 and became one

of the first limited duty officers to be promoted to the

rank of captain.

According to Barbara, her husband joined the Navy

during the Korean War and took part in the Blockade

of Cuba during the Bay of Pigs Invasion.

According to Barbara they were always stationed

on the east coast, from Key West, Florida, to Maine.

"It was a sad time in Groton, when the Thresher

was lost," said Barbara. "I never saw my husband cry

before, but he was crying when it went down."

She said, "He always said he wanted to be buried

at sea, but particularly after the Thresher went down."

On an overcast day, approximately 200 miles

southeast of Cape Cod, Springfield's Commanding

Officer, Cmdr. Brent Spillner; Executive Officer, Lt.

Cmdr. Rene Cano; and Chief of the Boat, Master Chief

Petty Officer Michael Johnson were in the submarine's

sail with Navy Chaplain, Cmdr. Paul Rumery.

Rumery read the biographies of Rogers and three

other Navy veterans who had requested a burial at

sea. Then he read scripture before each Sailor

received a three-round gun salute in honor of their

service. The ceremony ended with a playing of Taps

and the Sailors being committed to the sea.

When speaking about her husband's thoughts on

being laid to rest with the Sailors of Thresher, Barbara

said, "I think he would have been very, very happy. He

felt bad all these years, because he felt he should

have gone down with the ship. I feel that he would

have felt like he was where he belonged."

After the ceremony Spillner reflected, "It's an

absolute honor as captain of USS Springfield to be a

small part of bringing Captain Rogers to his final

resting place as we transit to Portsmouth Naval

Shipyard for our scheduled maintenance availability.

The submarine force changed on April 10, 1963, and

100 years from now submariners will still know the

name Thresher."

Thresher was built at the Portsmouth Naval

Shipyard in Kittery, Maine and homeported in Groton,

Connecticut. The Navy believes a leak sprayed sea

water on an electrical panel, which caused Thresher's

nuclear reactor to shut down.

Thresher's loss resulted in the SUBSAFE program

which led to a series of design modifications, training

improvements, and submarine safety criteria. The

program, which was established approximately two

months after the loss of Thresher, is still in place

today.

————————————————————————

Veterans Group Plans Submarine Memorial at

Sherrill Park

Danielle St. Marie, KRISTV, December 8

The USS City of Corpus Christi Submarine was

decommissioned on Memorial Day, but she may have

a new mission. As we've reported, a local veteran's

group is raising funds to bring part of that sub to

Sherrill Park as a memorial.

After over 40 years of service, these veterans think

it's time to retire the sub and what better place to do

than the city that gave the sub her name. The idea for

a memorial has been underway since 2009.

It will serve as a tribute to all who were and are

currently in the submarine community. After the ship

10

was officially decommissioned, the project has started

to make waves.

Peter Nepa is a member of the Sea Turtle Base. He

says they already have been offered a piece of land

for the memorial.

"The Parks and Recreation Department have given

us a plot of land here at Sherrill Park," Nepa said.

When the sail arrives, it will sit in the southeast

corner of the park and will replace the Sherrill Park

sign that currently stands. Standing at 17 feet tall, 26

feet wide and weighing 120 tons, this is a massive

project. The sail will have to travel thousands of miles

to get here, and the project will cost $150,000.

Congressman Blake Farenthold has supported this

project from the beginning. "I think it's a great

opportunity for Corpus Christi and we're going to work

with the folks from Sea Turtle Base to get it here, and

to get the funding, to make sure it's well maintained,"

Farenthold said.

So far, they have raised $6,000 for this project.

Donations can be made by going to Just Give. In

the program space just copy and paste: "USS City of

Corpus Christi SSN 705 Submarine Memorial Fund"

and follow the site instructions to complete your

donation.

————————————————————————

Bell Ringing Honors Lost Navy Submarines, Crews

(HONOLULU STAR-ADVERTISER 11 DEC 16) ...

Allison Schaefers

Submarines are known as the Navy‘s ―Silent

Service‖, but their contributions to World War II were

honored by loud clanging Saturday during a moving

tolling of a bell at Bowfin Park.

The nation‘s oldest living Pearl Harbor veteran, Ray

Chavez, 104, and retired Navy Rear Adm. Lloyd ―Joe‖

Vasey, 99, were bell ringers at the ceremony, a

military tradition honoring Navy submarines and their

lost crews. They rang America‘s Freedom Bell, which

contains metal from the twin towers destroyed in the

9/11 attacks, and was brought to Hawaii by the Spirit

of Liberty Foundation for the 75th anniversary of Pearl

Harbor.

The ceremony began at 12:30 p.m. because at that

time on Dec. 10, 1941, in the Philippines, the USS

Sealion became the first submarine wrecked by enemy

action. Total WWII submarine casualties included 52

submarines and more than 3,500 men, said Paul T.

Jurcsak, commander, Bowfin Base submarine

veterans.

―During the war, the submarine force represented

only 2 percent of the United States Navy, but sunk 55

percent of all enemy ships at sea,‖ Jurcsak said.

Kiddy DeCoster, 83, and her hanai son Dan

DelMonte attended the ceremony to honor DeCoster‘s

late husband, Richard Ray DeCoster, who served

aboard the USS Bowfin during WWII.

―Dan is going to ring the bell for my husband,‖ said

DeCoster, who spent 25 years on the Bowfin board of

directors helping to kick-start the sub museum and

park. ―It means a lot to be here today.‖

The ceremony also was meaningful for Vasey, who

served on several WWII submarines. A 1939 graduate

of the Naval Academy, Vasey said 18 out of 72 of his

classmates who signed up for submarine service were

lost in WWII.

―But we never worried. We kept charging. We

wanted to win,‖ said Vasey, who lives in Honolulu. ―I‘m

proud to be here. Hell yes, I rang the bell for all my

friends.‖

Vasey‘s experiences aboard the USS Gunnel,

where he survived a 36-hour depth-charge attack in

1943, inspired him to promote peace through the

Pacific Forum, affiliated with the Center for Strategic

and International Studies.

Chavez, who lives in San Diego, accompanied

America‘s Freedom Bell to Honolulu for last week‘s

commemorative events.

―I‘ve enjoyed every moment,‖ said Chavez, credited

with spotting a Japanese midget sub in the restricted

waters of Pearl Harbor in the wee hours of Dec. 7,

1941, which led to its sinking by the USS Ward.

Chavez in January will accompany America‘s

Freedom Bell to Washington, D.C., where he is slated

to ring it during the presidential inauguration.

http://www.staradvertiser.com/2016/12/11/hawaii-

news/bell-ringing-honors-lost-navy-submarines-

crews/

————————————————————————

What does a thesaurus eat for breakfast?

Synonym rolls...

————————————————————————

SECNAV Mabus to Officially Designate First ORP

Boat USS Columbia (SSBN-826)

Megan Eckstein, USNI News, December 13

The Navy will formally name the first-in-class

ballistic missile submarine USS Columbia (SSBN-826)

in a ceremony Wednesday (Dec. 14th) afternoon.

The Columbia-class boats, formerly-dubbed the

Ohio Replacement Program, will replace the aging

Ohio-class submarines, some of which are still going

through mid-life upgrades but the first of which is set to

decommission in 2026. The future Columbia is on a

tight schedule to be designed, constructed and tested

in time for a maiden deployment in 2031 to maintain a

11

fleet of 12 SSBNs capable of providing continuous

global nuclear deterrence.

USNI News first reported the Columbia-class name

in July, but the submarine community has been

hesitant to use the new name until Navy Secretary

Ray Mabus made it official, which will happen at

Wednesday‘s ceremony. Lawmakers such as Rep.

Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) and Rep. Rob Wittman (R-

Va.), who serve on the House Armed Services

Committee, have begun using the name in recent

weeks to refer to the new class of ballistic missile

subs.

USNI News reported in July that while other Navy

ships and NASA space shuttles have been named

―Columbia‖ before, this will be the first time a ship

specifically pays homage to the nation‘s capital, the

District of Columbia. The ship number, 826, also

acknowledges the previous class of ballistic

submarines, with USS Ohio originally being

designated SSBN-726, before it was converted to a

guided-missile submarine to carry conventional

weapons and re-designated SSGN-726.

Also at the ceremony, Mabus will also name the

11th Expeditionary Fast Transport (formerly called the

Joint High Speed Vessel) Puerto Rico (T-EPF-11) and

the third ship in a new class of oilers Earl Warren (T-

AO-207) in honor of the former chief justice on the

United States Supreme Court.

————————————————————————

In 2009, Two Nuclear Submarines Collided Under

the Sea (And They Were Armed with Nuclear

Weapons)

December 11, 2016

Late at night on February 3, 2009 the crew of the

French nuclear submarine Triomphant, experienced

something of a shock. The 138-meter-long submarine,

the lead boat of four serving today as a key part of

France‘s nuclear strike force, was returning to port

submerged under the heavy seas of the East Atlantic

when something impacted violently upon its bow and

sail.

On February 6 the French Ministry of Defense

reported that the submarine had suffered a collision

with an ―an immersed object (probably a container).‖

The same day the Triomphant returned to its base in

Ile Longue, Brest escorted by a frigate.

Curiously, the HMS Vanguard, a Vigilant-class

British Royal Navy nuclear submarine also

experienced a collision that evening. The first of her

class, the Vanguard measures 150 meters long and

displaces 16,900 tons when submerged.

At some point, the two navies compared notes. On

February 16 they announced the two submarines

―briefly came into contact at a very low speed while

submerged.‖ Fortunately, no crew members were

harmed in the accident, though repairs were estimated

to cost a minimum of 50 million pounds.

When the Vanguard returned to its base in Faslane,

Scotland, it was visibly badly mangled around its

missile compartment and starboard side.

―The French submarine had took a massive chunk

out of the front of HMS Vanguard and grazed down the

side of the boat,‖ later claimed William McNeilly, a

whistleblower who served in the U.K.‘s nuclear

submarine program. ―The High Pressured Air (HPA)

bottle groups were hanging off and banging against

the pressure hull. They had to return to base port

slowly, because if one of HPA bottle groups exploded

it would've created a chain reaction and sent the

submarine plummeting to the bottom.‖

On the French side of things, official statements

indicated the damage to the Triomphant was confined

to its Thales active sonar dome on the tip of the

starboard bow. However, a regional newspaper later

reported that its conning tower and the starboard sail

plane attached to it were both deformed, implying

multiple impacts.

Of course, particularly alarming was that both ships

were designed to carry nuclear missiles: sixteen M45

ballistic missiles on the Triomphant and the same

number of Trident II missiles onboard the Vanguard,

each carrying 4 and 6 nuclear warheads respectively.

Losing such apocalyptic firepower on the ocean floor

would have been a catastrophe. However, nuclear

warheads are not susceptible to ―going off‖ as a result

of a collision.

The same cannot be said of the nuclear reactors

powering the two ships. A sufficiently serious collision

could have breached the containment of the reactors,

irradiating the crew and the surrounding expanse of

oceanic waters. Fortunately, the British defense

ministry assured ―there was no compromise to nuclear

safety.‖

12

So, who was at fault for this potentially catastrophic

brushing of cold, watery steel? In a way, what‘s most

alarming may be that the crew did not make any

mistakes and that the error may truly lie with secretive

ballistic missile submarine strategy that may be difficult

to change.

While an attack submarine is always on the lookout

for other ships and submarines and often seeks to

shadow those of foreign nations a ballistic missile

submarine just wants to be left alone and undetected

under the ocean. Such submarines serve as a stealthy

guarantor that any deadly attack on its home country

could be reciprocated with a nuclear strike from a

Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM)

launched from underwater. While a hypothetical

aggressor might hope to take out a nation‘s ground

and air-based nuclear forces with a preemptive strike,

submarines concealed deep underwater across the

globe would be impossible to reliably track down and

destroy—at least not all of them, and only as long as

they don‘t broadcast their presence.

However, one might think that two submarines

passing close enough to scratch each other‘s backs

should be able to detect each other‘s presence.

However, modern subs have become very quiet,

benefitting from tear-drop shaped hulls, superior

propellers, and sound-absorbing anechoic tiles, among

other technologies. As French defense minister Hervé

Morin humble-bragged, ―We face an extremely simple

technological problem, which is that these submarines

are not detectable.‖

A submerged submarine can use either active or

passive sonar to detect other subs. Passive sonar

basically entails using audiophones to listen to the

surrounding water, but that might not be adequate to

detect a slow-moving modern submarine. A submarine

could employ its active sonar to create sound waves

which reflect off of other undersea objects, improving

its detection power. However doing so would also

broadcast the submarine‘s position to anyone else

who is listening. Because a missile sub‘s chief priority

is to avoid detection, both the Triomphant and

Vanguard were relying purely on passive sonar—and

neither submarine detected the other with it.

Submarine collisions are hardly unknown. Usually

these involved one submarine shadowing another just

a bit too closely, such as happened in the collision of

the Russian K-407 and the USS Grayling in 1993. This

has led to speculation that the Triomphant was

chasing after the Vanguard. However, these kind of

cat and mouse games are the province of attack

submarines, not missile submarines.

It may seem vastly improbable that two submarines

bumped into each other randomly across the vast

volume of the ocean. However, the explanation may

be that submariners are inclined to operate in certain

common undersea regions—increasing the still remote

chance of collision significantly. ―Both navies want

quiet areas, deep areas, roughly the same distance

from their home ports,‖ nuclear engineer John Strong

remarked in an interview with the BBC. ―So you find

these station grounds have got quite a few

submarines, not only French and Royal Navy but also

from Russia and the United States.‖

The solution to avoiding further collisions would be

to coordinate sub patrols between nations to avoid

operating in the same place at the same time—but that

runs counter to the paranoid logic underlying ballistic

missile patrols. After all, even information shared

between allies could theoretically be obtained by a

hostile nation to help track down the missile

submarines and take destroy them. While France was

singled out for criticism for not sharing its patrol routes

with NATO, in reality even the water space

management information shared between the United

Kingdom and United States did not include ballistic

missile submarines according to the New York Times.

The Triomphant-Vanguard collision suggests that

what seemed extraordinarily unlikely event—a collision

between nuclear submarines in the middle of the

ocean doing their best to remain discrete—may not be

so in fact. Sharing more data between allies to mitigate

the risks of future collisions would likely enhance, not

weaken, the security of both those submarines and the

nations they defend.

http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/2009-two-

nuclear-submarines-collided-under-the-sea-they-

were-18690?page=show

————————————————————————

Historic submarine might be stuck in the mud

Rodrigo Torrejon, North Jersey Record, Dec. 19

13

HACKENSACK — The USS Ling has been

berthed in the Hackensack River for more than 40

years – and it might be stuck there.

The 312-foot, 2,500-ton World War II-era

submarine is the featured exhibit of the New Jersey

Naval Museum, which occupies a trailer on land that

was once the headquarters of the North Jersey Media

Group, which was sold to Gannett in July and

publishes The Record. The Ling has been anchored

off the riverbank behind the newspaper‘s former

headquarters for decades.

Now, however, museum officials are grappling

with the logistical and financially daunting challenge of

moving the submarine, which by all accounts is mired

in muck and is moored in a section of the river too

shallow for the sub to navigate.

―I don‘t know what it would take to get her out of

the mud or if that would even be possible,‖ said Hugh

Carola, program director at Hackensack Riverkeeper,

an environmental group.

Earlier this year, the museum‘s lease was

terminated by Stephen Borg, former publisher of The

Record. Borg, whose grandfather negotiated the 1974

deal to lease land to the museum for $1 a year. The

city Planning Board voted in May to subdivide the

nearly 20-acre site into four lots for redevelopment,

which could include a hotel and 700 residences.

On its website, the museum said it would be

relocating and that an announcement on the move is

pending. The naval museum has been closed since

2012, when Superstorm Sandy washed out the small

pier that provided access to the Ling from the

riverbank. Since the lease was terminated, the Navy

has reclaimed 68 artifacts that it had lent to the

museum.

Even though the Ling itself is not covered by the

lease, these developments have left the submarine‘s

fate in limbo. Borg said that, as the Ling was not on his

property, he had no legal rights over it and would not

have a hand in its relocation. Borg said that a meeting

to discuss the reclamation and preservation of other

museum artifacts – save for the Ling – is tentatively

scheduled for early next month.

When asked whether the Ling would be relocated,

dismantled or stay in its berth, Gilbert De Laat,

president of the naval museum, said that all of those

options had been discussed and that no decision had

been made at this point.

In previous interviews, De Laat has said the sub

needs at least 17 feet of channel to navigate the river.

A June 2015 survey prepared by the U.S. Army Corps

of Engineers indicates that the the channel near the

Ling is just 10 feet deep.

Ed Wrocenski, project manager for the Army Corps

survey, explained that the submarine could be mired in

sediment that has clumped together over time.

―It could be silted in there,‖ Wrocenski said. ―It‘s

tough to get that thing moving. You have to remove all

that.‖

The site of both the museum and the Ling is thick

with mud and strewn with gnarled vines. The Ling is

practically inaccessible. Half of its gangplank washed

away in the floods after Superstorm Sandy, and the

remaining half is cordoned off. A few lengths of rope

connect the submarine to the riverbank.

The Ling itself stands high above the waterline. It's

riddled with rust holes. One hole in the exterior hull at

the stem is a few feet tall.

Bill Sheehan, executive director of Hackensack

Riverkeeper, explained that when the Ling was

originally towed to its berth in 1973, the river was still

used to transport construction and industrial materials.

The barges that would frequently navigate the river

formed a consistent prop wash, a current created by

boat propellers that stirred up sediment.

―Now that there‘s no tugboats coming up this far,

the river is becoming less and less passable,‖

Sheehan said.

Colleen O‘Rourke, a spokeswoman for the Naval

Sea Systems Command, which is responsible for Navy

vessels, said the submarine remains the property of

the museum. As the Ling‘s owner, the museum would

have to bear the cost of surveying the river and

relocating the sub, she said.

The first steps for moving the submarine would be

to send out divers to measure the current depth of the

river and then send a smaller barge to tow the sub.

―Right there, you‘re talking a big chunk of money

just to find out if it‘s deep enough,‖ Carola said.

Carola estimated that the initial survey alone would

probably cost several thousand dollars. De Laat had

previously estimated that the total cost of the

relocation process would be in the millions.

Neither the Borg family nor the city is claiming any

responsibility for the sub.

―The submarine is not on our property,‖ said Borg‘s

attorney, Gary Redish. ―That‘s not something we‘re

concerned about. We‘re concerned about getting the

balance of the artifacts off the property.‖

City officials say they are not able to do anything to

save the Ling, either.

―We have absolutely no rights to the river,‖ said

Mayor John Labrosse. ―The city‘s responsibility ends

at the shoreline.‖

Once measurements are taken and water channel

passage is determined, the submarine would run into

14

obstacles along its journey to a different resting place,

Sheehan and Carola said.

At the beginning of its trip, the sub would start off

fenced in. The submarine is corralled by the Court

Street Bridge to the south and the railroad trestle to

the north.

In August, Mayor Jose ―Joey‖ Torres of

Paterson offered to relocate the submarine to the

Passaic River, as an exhibit just upstream from the

Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park. But

relocating it to Paterson may be more difficult than

getting the ship out of Hackensack.

―No, no, no,‖ Carola said when asked if that were

possible. ―Did I say ‗No‘ enough times?‖

If the Ling were to be towed to the upstream

location proposed by Torres, it would run into the

Great Falls – and that‘s if it were able to get past the

Dundee Dam spanning Clifton and Garfield.

Another option could be to dismantle the submarine

in Hackensack and reassemble it in Paterson. Carola

said dismantling the sub seemed to be the only viable

option, though the rust damage on the hull would

require bracing for any dry docking.

Sheehan had suggested dismantling the Ling after

photographing and creating a record of the sub and its

history. He did not, however, think rebuilding the sub

on land was a viable option.

―This thing has never been in dry dock,‖ Sheehan

said. ―Since it was put here in the 1970s, no one has

done any maintenance on it.‖

Ls Altschuler, vice president of the Submarine

Memorial Association, which runs the naval museum,

said there were ongoing discussions regarding the

Ling, the museum and the association. But he would

not provide any details about the museum‘s plans to

relocate.

Borg said he would be willing to offer financial

assistance to the museum for the relocation of the

artifacts with the exception of the Ling.

All of this has saddened visitors and other

supporters of the Ling, which, in its prime, was the site

of Pearl Harbor Day commemorations and other

remembrance ceremonies. Al Parisi, a writer and

historian for the Army Air Forces Historical

Association, was a regular at those events. He visited

the sub Dec. 7.

―Standing there … I noticed that, for the longest

time, there was a tattered American flag attached at

the mast,‖ Parisi said, noting that the flag was no

longer unfurled over the sub. ―I‘m just wondering if it

was the victim of the wind or indifference.‖

————————————————————————

Will Rogers, who died in a 1935 plane crash in

Alaska with bush pilot, Wiley Post, was one of the

greatest political/country/cowboy sages this

country has ever known. Some of his sayings

were:

*Never Squat With Your Spurs On.

*Never slap a man who's chewing tobacco.

*Never kick a cow chip on a hot day.

*There are two theories to arguing with a woman.

Neither works.

*Never miss a good chance to shut up.

*Always drink upstream from the herd.

*If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.

*The quickest way to double your money is to fold it

and put it back into your pocket.

*Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of

that comes from bad judgment.

*Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier'n

than puttin' it back in.

————————————————————————

If you want the story on this one,

contact Art Kenworthy!

————————————————————————

ABOUT GROWING OLDER

*Eventually you will reach a point when you stop lying

about your age and start bragging about it.

*The older we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting

in line for.

*I've traveled a long way, and some of the roads

weren't paved.

*When you are dissatisfied and would like to go back

to your youth, think of algebra.

*I don't know how I got over the hill without getting to

the top.

*One of the many things no one tells you about ageing

is that it's such a nice change from being young.

*One must wait until evening to see how splendid the

day has been.

*Being young is beautiful, but being old is comfortable

and relaxed.

*Long ago, when men cursed and beat the ground with

sticks, it was called witchcraft. Today it's called golf.

15

And, finally ~ If you don't learn to laugh at trouble,

you won't have anything to laugh at when you're old.—

———————————————————————

A beautiful set of dolphins carved by Chuck Hladik

TM2 G 67-70; USSVI– USS Oklahoma City Base

16

17

1969 Shipmates at Scotland Bar

1 STS3 Dale Evans EP 2 ??? ??? Young

3 STS3 Steve Searight 4 MT2 Dennis McFadden

5 MT? ??? Smith

3

1 4 5

2

18

1970 Patrol Wardroom

1 CDR David Selby Cruden 2 ________________________

3 ________________________ 4 LT ‗Hoot‘ Gibson

5 ________________________ 6 LCDR ?? Walker, XO

7 LT ?? Berhliner 8 ________________________

9 ________________________ 10 LCDR Tom Conrey, NAV

11 ________________________

19

3 4 6

2 5

1 8 7

10 9

11

Missile Div Stimson Blue 32 (names supplied by Dennis Wolk)

1 MT2 David Merrit 2 MTC ?? Van Dyke

3 MT3 Ray Cullum 4 ?? Mark Schemmerhorne

5 MT3 Tom Holder 6 _________________________

7 MT2 Dennis Wolk 8 MT1 ?? Frederick

9 MT3 ?? Reedy 10 MT2 Christopher Gibson

20

2 4 8

1 3 5 6 7 9

10 11 12 13 14 15

CPO Mess for Decommissioning

Transit through the Panama Canal Atlantic to Pacific for Decommissioning

Initiation for MTC(SS) Rick Beal and SKC(SS) Robert Fey

(Names provided by ETC(SS) Jim Shirley, G Decom 90-93)

1 HMCS(SS) Raymond Capaul 2 FTCS(SS) Donald Lotspeich -

COB

3 MMCS(SS) Mike Thomas 4 FTCS(SS) Michael Wyckoff

5 QMC(SS) Mike Sordelet 6 STSC(SS) Michael Harkness -

Decom COB

7 ETC(SS) James Shirley 8 MTC(SS) Rick Beal

9 MSC(SS) ????? 10 SKC(SS) Robert Fey

11 ETC(SS) Steve Sales 12 MTC(SS) Howard White

13 ICC(SS) Reggie Lewis 14 EMC(SS) Will Dale

15 _________________________

21

655B IC DIVISION DEC provided by Jerry Blevins, Blue Crew, 1976

1 LT TOM DIGAN 6 _______________________________

2 LT JERRY BLEVINS 7 HARRY ‗THE DOG‘ HARRIS

3 LT BILL MOORE, CHIEF ENGINEER 8 DAVID KELLY

4 GLENN EMERICK 9 _______________________________

5 WILLIAM SMITH 10 HENRY TARDIFF

22

655B Wardroom Aug 76 provided by Jerry Blevins, Blue Crew, 1976

1 LCDR DON LACHATTA, XO 7 GERALD RAMSEY, NAV

2 LT JERRY ‘DUKE‘ BLEVINS 8 LT MARK BARNER, AWEPS

3 LT MIKE RUSSELL, AWEPS 9 LT CHARLES HARDIN, WEPS

4 CDR WILLIAM POWELL, CO 10 (FIRST NAME ?) DOUGHTERY, CHOP

5 LT TOM DIGAN 11 LT JIM TANGEN, DCA

6 LT ROBERT ‗BOB‘ BROWNLEE 12 LCDR JOHN W. MOORE III, ENG

13 LT MIKE RADER

23

SEARCH FOR LOST SHIPMATES

If you have contact with one of these shipmates please send their contact info to me at my email address. Let’s set a goal to find everyone on this list!

Adams, Bob RM3 G 76 Debisschop, Timothy Johnson, Billy MM3 93 Decom Rathsam, Richard

Adams, Mike RM2 G 78 Delano, Ken Johnson, Ronald TM3 93 Decom Raven, Donald

Adams, Paul RM3 G 78 DeLaGarza, RM2 G 76-78 Johnson, Samuel CDR CO decomm Reidler, Ronald J.

Adkins, William Delia, Joe RM? Johnson III, Alvin ET2 93 Decom Rembert, Albert MM2 93 Decom

Allegretto, Mike MM2 G 82-86? Delisle, Mark QM1 93 Decom Kee, Kerby Reppert, Kevin

Altman, Robert 'Bob' TM2 B Dickerson, James EM1 93 Decom Keiningham, Thomas Reynolds, Daryl FTB1 93 Decom

Armstrong, Gary MM1 93 Decom Dreiss, Ray Keller, Mick Rhodes, Ronald

Attlee, Steven Doughtery, ??? LT CHOP Kelly, Dennis ETN2 B 70-75 Robinson, Robby IC2 G 87-91

Banfield, Ron Doyle, Gregory MM2 93 Decom Kelley, Gregory R. MMC 93 Decom Robinson, Warren

Barker, Thomas Dubecky, Darren YN3 93 Decom Kinney, Wayne Roman, Raymond SA 93 Decom

Barner, ??? Duell, Paul Kirkpatrick, Steven Rommel, Robert LTJG 93 Decom

Barrett, James Dyer, Kenneth LT 93 Decom Kohankie Robert Rowan, William

Bassham, ? FTBC G 78 Easler, John ET2 93 Decom Kubecka, Rick RMCM G 77-78 Ruiz, Luiz

Battle, Bernard FTG1 93 Decom Edmiston, Ken Kuvent, Andrew MM1 93 Decom Sales, Stephen ETC 93 Decom

Beck, Roger Eghigian, Mark EM2 93 Decom Lague, Brian STS2 93 Decom Scoles, Kevin ET2 93 Decom

Beckett, Roy E. SN 93 Decom Eglseder, Kurt LTJG 93 Decom Lahatta, Don LCDR XO Scoville, Scott

Bishop II, Olan STS2 93 Decom Ehlers, Joseph Lambard, Richard ENS G 78 Seelinger, James

Blatchford Jr., SN 93 Decom Eickleman, Richard MM1 93 Decom Lawrence, Marshall Settliffe, Scotty RM3 G 76

Blouse, Dan Ellard, Bryon Layton, Rick RM2 G 77-78 Shannon, Mike

Blue, Matthew Elledge, Tom MM? Liles, Michael Shepherd, Charles

Bluestone, Edward Elliott, Thomas LT 93 decom Lizana, Rick Sherlock, Martin

Bowser, James Jr. Ellis, Paul FTB2 93 Decom Lobody, Barry MM2 93 Decom Shields, Vaden

Bradley, Todd MM1 93 Decom Emerick, Glenn Lothrop, Siedel, Dave MT1

Brewer, Christian ET2 93 Decom Filer, Phil ICC G 76 Lotspeich, Don FTCS COB Sikora, Gregory ET3 93 Decom

Bricker, Michael Findlater, Doug Luken, Ken IC2 G 65-68? Siler, Dennis

Brill, Doug Fey Sr., Robert K. SKC 93 Decom Manning, Eugene STS3 B Smith, Charles

Brown, Ernie TMC Figueroa, Edwin SK1 93 Decom Mason, John Smith, ? YNCS G 77

Brown, Thomas MT/FTB? Flannery, Aaron Matherly, David Smith, Lynn LT 93 decom

Brownlee, ??? Fleming, Benjamin Mazur, Joe Smith, Michael MM2 93 decom

Bryant, Ron ET1 G 69-?? Fleming, Denvery McCarney, Clifford Sollars, Jeffrey EM3 93 decom

Buckmaster, Jerry FTB3 B 70-75 Fonda, Carl McCauley, Steven EM1 93 Decom Staton, Michael SN 93 decom

Buhay, Richard MM1 93 Decom Forlines, Jonathon MM3 93 Decom McConnell, Mark Stewart James

Bulalacao, 'DOC' HMC Forrester, Rodney ET1 93 Decom Medvick, Michael Stine, Gene

Bullington, Scott Fox, Frank LT Weps B mid 70s Melton, Clifford EM2 93 Decom Swigart, James STS1 93 decom

Burmeister, Wayne Frost, George MM? ELT Mickelson, ? QMCS G 78 Stortroen, Keith

Busteed, Bob Furlong, Willaim ET1 93 Decom Miller, Daniel ET2 93 Decom Szeszko, David M.

Calvird, Carl R. TM2 Geisenburg, Nick Miller, Robert 'Bob' MM2 B 66-68 Szyszka, Stephen LCDR XO 93

Campbell, Edwin MM1 93 Decom Gentile, Edward MM1 93 Decom Miller, ? RM2 G 76 Tardiff, Henry

Campbell, ? MMCS G 78 Giambattista, Mike LCDR B 65-67 Plank Miller, Tony Taylor, Jim

Canup, Richard Golightly, Steve MMCM COB Milton, Jay Tinsley, Richard MM2 93 Decom

Cardin, Joseph YN2 93 Decom Gould, Harrell MT2 G/B 69-74 Morrison, Dale MM2 93 Decom Tomasi, Max

Carey, Bill Grant, Richard LT 93 decom Morrison, Jon MM3 93 Decom Trotter, Daniel

Carr, Don Graves, Richard Morrow, Frank MTC G 78 Turner, Shelby MMC G 78

Carter, Joe MM1 G 65-68 Green, Earsel Nelson, ?? FTBC B 73-75 Ugolini, Nicholas

Cazes, Jimmy MM2 93 Decom Green, Frank YN1 93 Decom Nesbitt, Brian MM2 93 Decom Vanicek, Errol 'Van' WO1 G 65-67

Champagne, Brian Greene, Kenneth FTB2 93 Decom Neubecker, Andrew Vidulich, William T.

Chiarito, Michael MMFN G 71 Gregor, William RM1 G 87-90 Neuman, Mark IC1 93 Decom Voltz (Volz?), Steve MM? ELT

Citizen, Billy RM? Griffith, Allen STSCS B COB Nolen, John Walenga, Craig LT G 77

Claussen, Stephen Grizzard, John MM2 93 Decom Ochsner, Patrick Ward, Royal EMCS 93 Decom

Coates, Kenneth MM2 93 Decom Gutierrez, James Olsen, ?? MM1 G 66-69 Warp, William EM1 93 Decom

Colon, Scott STS2 93 Decom Hanks, Stewart Parham, Bryan Warren, Bill ET1

Cool, Arnold Harding, ??? LT WEPS Pastiva, Stephen Jr. Watson, Herb

Cooley, Robert STS2 Hatchell, John Penny, Christopher LT 93 decom Welch, William STS2 93 Decom

Cooper, Denny Hayes, Robert Peters, Mark MM2 93 Decom Wenzel, Paul

Cooper, John F. Herbert, Randy 'Bear' Peters III, Charles MT1 93 Decom White, Don

Cope, Allan Herzog, Willie Peterson, David Wieskamp, Gerald W.

Couser, David Hinds, George Petrak, David Wild, Steven RM2 93 Decom

Covington, Richard LT G 76 Hogan, Tom Phillips, David EM1 93 Decom Williams, Brian

Craig, Jack E. STSC B 87-89 Holler, Eugene Plue, Mike TM2 Williams, Eric Q. MM2 93 Decom

Cramblit, Jeffrey MM1 93 Decom Hollingsworth, Paul Porterfield, Glenn Wood, Eric MM1 B 83-87

Crawford, Larry RMCS G 76-78 Holtman, Bruce Powell, William CDR CO Woodward, Jeremy RM2 93 Decom

Cruden, David CDR CO B 70-74 Hupe, Bill Pruitt, Michael Williams, Miles E.

Cruse, Mark L. ET2 93 Decom Jackson, Mark YN2 B 83-86? Putt, William Wilson, Willy MM2 G 82-86?

Cullum, Ray Jarvis, ?? MM1 G 69-70 Rader, Casey MT3 93 Decom Winkler, Henry 'Snorkel'

Dale, William EMC 93 Decom Jennings, Edward TM1 93 Decom Ralston, David Wolters, Peter LT 93 Decom

Dandridge, ? QMC G 78 Jetton, Chuck MM1 93 Decom Ransom, Patrick Wright, David MM3 93 Decom

Davis, James MT3 Johnson, Anthony Rasmussen, Aaron Young, Ron

Rasmussen, Bill Youngman, David