Merry ChristmasFRONT PAGE Issue/Date 20141222Updated:Friday, December 26, 2014

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U. S. SUBMARINE VETERANS BREMERTON BASEP O Box 465, Silverdale, WA 98383-0465

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Gertrude Check: A universal navy term for requesting an underwater telephone check with another boat or skimmer .

Our purpose is: "Perpetuate the memory of our shipmates who gave their lives in the pursuit of their duties while serving their country...

Lest We Forget: DecemberUSS F-1 [ex-CARP] (SS-20)

USS S-4 (SS-109)

USS Sealion (SS-195) USS Capelin (SS-289)

Base Presents Christmas Gifts to Veterans at Retsil(Posted 12-24-2014) Yesterday, Tuesday, December 23, pictured base members made annual Christmas present donationsto the veterans at the Vets Home at Retsil. Chaplain Fred Borgmann led and purchased the gifts withChristmas Party cash donations of members present plus a matching $200 from the base. Gift werereceived by the Activity Director.

Picture provided by Dennis NardoneL-R: Members Dennis Nardone, Steve Corcoran, Fred Borgmann, Wayne Sieckowski, Dave Pittman and Ralph Harris.

Chicago Submarine Memorial(Posted 12-22-2014) Today I joined at least 6 base members making donations to the Chicago Submarine Memorial. Iurge you to do the same before the end of the year. Donations are federal income tax deductible. They can be made in several ways including a credit card. Louis CarettiDonald GoldsburyTommy L. RobinsonThomas E. RogersNeil R. WollamDennis NardoneDon Bassler/ed

Base Member Report From OCS(Posted 12-22-2014) Base Commander Sends:

JOIN SUBVETS!

Monthly MeetingsWinter Hours

October-March 3rd Sat , 1000 (10AM)

at FRA 29, 521 National Ave, Bremerton, WA

2014 Calendar below, Email Red to change Click Date to for Event

2014< December 2014 >>

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

28 29 30 31

Great Christmas Present

22860000 22860000 (`@````````` 266 263 5 110185200110185200

$40For an engraved paver installed in the missiledeck of the USS WOODROW WILSON fullscale top side mock up at Deterrent Park inthe Naval Base, Kitsap, Bangor Submarine

Base

For detailsSee http://gertrude-check.org/dp.htm

For order formSee http://gertrude-check.org/brickap.htm

Income tax deductable

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BREMERTON BASE SOUP DOWN DETERRENT PARK OTHER STUFF

Gentlemen,

Hope that all is well back in the Pacific Northwest. OCS is on holiday stand down and I was fortunateenough to get some leave authorized to be at home in NJ for Christmas.

I’m pleased to report that I am a third of the way through and on track to commission at the end ofFebruary and I should have orders even before then. OCS is rough but a lot tamer than all the storiesI heard from older officers who went through. This is a “kinder, gentler” Navy I suppose. Only onePowerpoint slideshow on Fork and Knife stuff so far, but lots of rifle drill with my Class' GunnerySergeant.

There’s one other prior submariner in the class, formerly an STS1, who is going SWO just like me.However there are four future sub officers in my class and two supply officers that seem interested inbeing a Chop.

Please pass my best regards to all the guys at the Bremerton Base. Wishing you and your families ahappy holiday season.

Joe Hanisko

Annual Base Christmas Party a Great Success(Update 12-21-2014) Dennis Nardone's photos, most cropped by me, are located at http://gertrude-check.org/2014xmasparty.htm, Just right click on images you want to save; then click on "savepicture as"; then select a file in a folder in your computer where you want to save the image. I stillhave the original images should you want some, Just e-mail me or call me at 509-0250 and I will sendthem to you/ed............................................About 75 members and guests attended the annual Christmas Party at the Bremerton Elks' Club,Saturday, Dec 13th. Of all the the parties in the past at the Elks Club, this was the best meal we haveexperienced as well as the service. Longevity awards were presented to those present.

Ralph Harris receives 20 year longevity pin from Commander Jim Demott.

Family Inn at Manchester

Manchester 12-19-2014Photos provided by Dennis Nardone

Submarine VideosThe Largest Submarine in WWIIJon Jaques Submarine MuseumSubmarine Base 1943 WWII THRILLERPride Runs Deep (1978) - Full Length Documentary on NuclearSubmarinesSSBN HistorySUBMARINES, SECRETS AND SPIES - NOVA -Discovery/Military/History (documentary)Merge of Nuclear Power & Submarine Hull Design VideoTop Ten _ SubmarinesAdmiral RickoverNavy Submarine Force - Silent ServiceSea Spiesuboat.netRESCUED BY SUBMARINE Submarines of World War 1How a World War II Submarine WorksThe Silent Service (in color) - U.S. Navy WWIIThe Largest Submarine in The U.S. NavyOhio Class Submarine | Combat CountdownTrident Missile Launch From a SubmarineSubmarine Service In The 1970sWatch out from belowFast AttackNEW SUBMARINE! U.S. Navy Takes Deliveryof PCU MinnesotaSubmarine nucleare (DOCUMENTAR)Russian submarine HistoryRaising the Kursk Part 1Raising the Kursk Part 2The Kursk Cover Up - RussiaSecret Submarine Rendezvous : Documentary on theWorld War 2 Secret African MissionHMS Victorious Trident Class Nuclear SubmarineSubmarine Patrol 3/3 - Chasing the EnemyOberon Arrival in HalifaxRCN Submarines HD

The "NEW" Horse And Cow

536 4th Street, Bremerton, WA

10 Year Longevity Award: Back row: Sam Swenson, Steve Corcoran, Nelis Vander Pol, Front row: Lloyd Willette , Dennis Nardone Four Holland Club presentations were made.

Holland Club Inducdees; Qualified in 1964: L-R, Don Bassler, Remora; George Pfost, Permit; Bob Springer, John Adams and MartinWattenbarger, Ethan Allen

Passing the hat for the base's annual donation of gifts to the folks at the VA home at Retsil createdover $300. That will added to a base donation of $200. Chaplain Fred Borgmann will buy the giftsand present them to the home. More details and images will appear here later in the week.

USSVI Bremerton Base Makes Donation to Naval Undersea Museum Foundation(Posted 12-12-2014) Base Historian Bob Paul sends:

Jim DeMott, Base Commander, Presented a$1,500 check to Bruce Harlow, Rear AdmiralUSN (Ret), Foundation President and MaryRyan, Curator, Naval Undersea Museum.

On December 5, 2014 The SubmarineVeterans, Bremerton Base was proud to makea monetary donation of $1,500 to the NavalUndersea Museum Foundation to be used insupport of the museum's new exhibit, TheThresher Legacy: A Better, Safer Navy.

Thresher’s sinking on April 10, 1963, with 129officers, crewmembers, and civilians aboard,was the worst submarine disaster in history.The new exhibit, The Thresher Legacy: A

Better, Safer Navy, examines how the tragedy became a defining point in submarine and deepsubmergence history, propelling the Navy to establish the two programs that became Thresher’s

Communications Supporters

Use or lose

Deterrent ParkSponsors for

May 2015Engraved Paver

InstallationKallioGabrioSousa

USSVI-Farragut BaseSilver

Tarcza (2)Kriete

legacy — the Submarine Safety (SUBSAFE) Program and the Deep Submergence Systems Project.

The US Submarine Veterans purpose is to: "Perpetuate the memory of our shipmates who gave theirlives in the pursuit of their duties while serving their country”. This new exhibit goes a long way insupport of our goals.

USSVI Olympic Peninsula Base Founder and Bremerton Base Life Member Loses Wife toCancer (millie)(Updated 12-19-2014) Base Commander Sends: Greetings, It is with great sadness that I send this message. I have received word that Millie Clear, wifeof John, passed away at 0835 Monday morning, December 8, 2014. Services will be scheduledafter the first of the year. I would ask that you all keep John and his family in your prayers andthoughts. Jim DeMottBase CommanderUSSVI Bremerton Base

USS WILL ROGERS (SSBN 659) REUNION (Posted 9-16-2014) Dates: 27-30 August, 2015Location: Bremerton, WashingtonPoints of Contact:Dave Talley – email: david@dmtalley.com, phone: (210) 834-4234Mal Wright – email: malwright@comcast.net, phone: (509) 308 7450 General Information:The 2015 Reunion will be held in the Bremerton/Bangor/Silverdale area, where there are plenty ofattractions and many submarine connections. Hotel reservations will be available near the Reunionheadquarters in downtown Bremerton, close to the Ferry Terminal. Interested shipmates areencouraged to access the reunion website: www.usswillrogers.com.PS: See who is attending

U S Submarine Veterans NEWS (LINK)Click this Link2015 National Dues

ON THE BACK PAGEBELOW ARE QUICK LINKS TO CURRENT MILITARY EVENTS

Stuff you won't see in the local fish wrapper

Its Called Uniform for a ReasonThe Silent Service (WWII History)Breakthrough Capability Keeps Subs, Ships on Safe TrackA Brief Illustrated History of the Navy Goat

Report: Destroyer's command triad blamed for suicide, assaultsPatrol 4, Pearl Harbor T.H., Sat, Nov 15, 1941U.S. Navy Testing Unmanned Sub That Looks and Swims Exactly Like a Fish

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Merry ChristmasGertrude check

BACK PAGE Issue/Date 20141222

AMERICAN SUBMARINERSU. S. SUBMARINE VETERANS BREMERTON BASE

P O. Box 465, Silverdale, WA 98383-0465Stuff you won't see in the local fish wrapper

Updated:December 25, 2014 04:12

Its Called Uniform for a ReasonThe Silent Service (WWII History)Breakthrough Capability Keeps Subs, Ships on Safe TrackA Brief Illustrated History of the Navy Goat

Report: Destroyer's command triad blamed for suicide, assaultsPatrol 4, Pearl Harbor T.H., Sat, Nov 15, 1941U.S. Navy Testing Unmanned Sub That Looks and Swims Exactly Like a Fish

Its Called Uniform for a Reason

Several recent news articles have highlighted the huge amounts of money and effort expended because of service desires to design “the best” combat uniform. These efforts—often duplicative and contradictory—have wasted millions of dollars, but the Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform has been the most successful. Unfortunately, the Corpscopyrighted the design, preventing its use across the Department of Defense.

The DOD could save money by implementing a single combat uniform, while allowing the services to still maintain their uniqueidentities. The Marine Corps has a long history of wearing the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor on the cover and right pocket of thecombat uniform. Navy Seabees have their emblem on the same pocket. The Army displays unit and specialty tabs on the combatuniform. The Air Force has enlisted ranks on the sleeve. Sailors and Marines share the eight-pointed hat. These are meaningfuldifferences justified by tradition that could (and should) be maintained without significant extra cost while sharing a single UnitedStates Combat Uniform.

Money could also be saved by eliminating multiple, unnecessary uniform changes. Management strategy may be to blame, andthe Navy could learn a couple things from the Marines Corps. Read All ^

The Silent Service (WWII History)

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Breakthrough Capability Keeps Subs, Ships on Safe Track Story Number: NNS141216-06Release Date: 12/16/2014 11:18:00 AM By Office of Naval Research

ARLINGTON, Va. (NNS) -- Interactive software that can dramatically cut the time it takes to plan safe submarine missions iscrossing over to the surface fleet and is being installed this month on the guided-missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay (CG 53),officials announced Dec. 16.

Sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), the technology adds speed and precision the process of finding the bestroutes around hazards in waterways around the world.

Sailors spend days or even weeks planning a successful navigation route for a mission. They collect maps and charts, analyzethem, double check them and cross reference information that comes in various hard copy and digital forms.

Through partial automation and use of apps and widgets, ONR's Mission Planning Application technology can review thousandsof chart markings in a fraction of the time, pinpointing potential hazards and creating optimal routes around rocks, reefs and othershallow spots. What now takes days could take just a few hours or less, freeing commanders to concentrate on safely executingthe mission at hand.

"Our goal is for Sailors to be able to carry out a mision effectively and safely," said William "Kip" Krebs, program officer in ONR'sWarfighter Performance Department. "This system merges a variety of crucial data so planners can integrate information aheadof time and the command team can focus on the critical operations at hand."

The easy-to-use tools synchronize navigation route plans to produce a visual composite of "what, when, where, why and how" foreach mission. Relying solely on manual processes to gather, sort, search and maintain massive amounts of complex data is timeconsuming and subject to human error, officials say.Read All ^ (Be careful, No one takes care of themselves better than yourself...cross check/ed)

A Brief Illustrated History of the Navy GoatBy: US Naval Institute StaffPublished: December 12, 2014 4:57 PM • Updated: December 12, 2014 4:58 PM

Pacing the sidelines at the weekend’s Army-Navy game will be the U.S. Naval Academy’s famous goat mascot, Bill XXXIII. At firstblush, a goat seems to be an unusual mascot for the Navy as opposed to something fiercer and maritime — like a shark orbarracuda — but goats have a long history with sailors that led to their revered position at USNA.

Like other popular pets such as cats and dogs that have beenwelcomed on ships since the earliest days of sailing, goats alsoserved a practical role on the waves. Since ships spent months atsea, the crews needed a source for fresh dairy products, meat,leather and fiber. Goats offered advantages over cows. Theyrequired less space and goat’s was sure-footedness was bettersuited for rough seas. A half-ton cow being tossed in a stormcould be as dangerous as a loose cannon.

Goats also spared ships from having to store the enormousamount of special feed that would have been needed for cowsbecause goats would at least try to eat anything placed in front ofthem. Crews would feed goats scraps of whatever was available,giving goats another purpose by turning them into the ship’sgarbage disposal.

Furthermore, goats have a trait that helps their survivability in situations where they might be in water — they swim.

For centuries, fresh goat meat was prized by ship crews not only as a tasty alternative to their regular diet of salted pork, theyalso believed it could cure disease and heal wounds. It was fairly common practice for sailors to release goats on islands andremote shores where the animals would quickly proliferate and become a food reserve (and an environmental disaster in thedecades to follow). Read All ^ Report: Destroyer's command triad blamed for suicide, assaultsBy David Larter, Staff writer 7:22 p.m. EST December 15, 2014

A young boatswain's mate committed suicide on thedestroyer James E. Williams in June and a subsequentinvestigation has found the ship's skipper, the formerexecutive officer and the command master chief responsiblefor a toxic command climate that contributed to the tragedy When investigators started digging into the suicide, theyfound a ship with a rogue chiefs mess led by a juniorcommand master chief with an alcohol problem, and a COand XO either oblivious or unwilling to reign in the mess,according to a newly released report obtained by NavyTimes. The 313-page report found the James E. Williams' topenlisted, CMC Travis Biswell, failed to control a chief's messthat fostered a "culture of retribution" where sailors wereafraid to report to their senior leaders for fear of their chiefs.Furthermore, the report found neither the CO, Cmdr. CurtisCalloway, nor the XO, Cmdr. Ed Handley, did enough toaddress the poor atmosphere on board. (Read all about ourf...up Navy/ed) ^

Yakima Base Commander Rob Jacobsen Sends:

USS James E. Williams' Skipper & CMC

Read All ^U.S. Navy Testing Unmanned Sub That Looks and Swims Exactly Like a FishBy Mike Schuler On December 12, 2014 | gCaptain The U.S. Navy is adding to its list of science-fiction-turned-reality projects again this week with the testing of an unmanned underwatervehicle (UUV) that looks and swims exactly like a fish.

The Navy said this week it had completed tests ofthe new ‘Ghost Swimmer’, part of the chief ofnaval operations’ Rapid Innovation Cell (CRIC)project called ‘Silent NEMO’, which experimentswith uses for biomimetic, unmanned underwatervehicles in the fleet.

Over the past several weeks, the Navy has puttingthe tuna-sized UUV developed by BostonEngineering through its paces, gathering data onthings like tides, varied currents, wakes, andweather conditions all for the development of futuretasks.

“GhostSwimmer will allow the Navy to havesuccess during more types of missions whilekeeping divers and Sailors safe,” said Michael Rufo,director of Boston Engineering’s Advanced SystemsGroup.

The Ghost Swimmer was developed to resemble the shape and mimic the swimming style of a large fish. At a length of approximately 5 feetand a weight of nearly 100 pounds, the Ghost Swimmer UUV can operate in water depths ranging anywhere from 10 inches to 300 feet.

“It swims just like a fish does by oscillating its tail fin back and forth,” said Rufo. “The unit is a combination of unmanned systems engineeringand unique propulsion and control capabilities.” Read All ^

CSBA: U.S. Needs To Exploit Unmanned, Long-Range, Stealth Advantages In Offset StrategyMegan Eckstein, Defense Daily, Dec 9

Former Navy undersecretary and current senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments Robert Martinagecrafted a response to the Pentagon’s development of a third offset strategy, arguing that a shift toward longer-range and moresurvivable platforms would be necessary for future conflicts.

In his report, “Toward a New Offset Strategy: Exploiting U.S. Long-Term Advantages to Restore U.S. Global Power ProjectionCapability,” Martinage identifies five key enduring sources of advantage for the United States military: unmanned systems,extended-range air operations, low-observable air operations, undersea operations and industry’s competence in engineeringcomplex systems.

“What I suggest as one concept for a new offset strategy would be to take those five areas of enduring advantage and link themtogether into a Joint Global Surveillance Strike Network,” he said in a presentation at the Capitol on Tuesday. “The networkwould be balanced ... It would be a mix of legacy systems and new systems, of low systems and high systems to give uspresence around the world. It would be resilient [in anti-access/area-denial environments] and it would be more tolerant ofdisruptions to space-based capabilities.”The network would also be responsive and scalable, allowing the appropriate and immediate response to any event around theworld, he said.

And all this is achievable by the mid- to late-2020s if the Defense Department starts investing in the right research anddevelopment and writing the right platform requirements now, he added.

In the joint services’ unmanned portfolio, Martinage said most air systems are medium range, with the RQ-4B Global Hawk andMQ-4C Triton being the exceptions. They are also non-stealthy, except for the RQ-170 Sentinel and potentially the UnmannedCarrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) system. And none so far are air-refuelable. Martinage argued thatthe portfolio needs to shift towards one that is longer-range, more survivable and support aerial refueling.

In particular, he advocates for a high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR)unmanned aerial vehicle, as well as a duo of land-based and carrier-based combat UAV systems. The HALE ISR UAV wouldhedge against the loss of space-based ISR, and the combat systems would bring better endurance to the fighter fleet.

“One of the potential synergies going forward is the combination of aerial refueling and air-refuelable UAVs, because unlikemanned aircraft they don’t get tired, there’s no pilot to get tired, so they potentially have very very long mission endurances –potentially 20, 40, 60, 80 hours they could remain aloft. And that just opens the door to a range of new operational conceptsabout how we use air power,” Martinage said.He also said that the joint fleet is made up of mostly manned planes and mostly shorter-range attack aircraft instead of longer-range bombers. He wants to see a shift to long-range and unmanned to improve the balance of capabilities.

As for the low-observable capability, Martinage said the Pentagon is not investing in this enabling capability right now but shouldbe.

“When you look at the portfolio, an area that really is a key enduring advantage for us, we’re not really investing very heavily inthis,” he said. “You can see most of the inventory is in the nonstealthy category – whether it’s long-range or short-range it’snonstealthy.”

What the Pentagon should be doing, he said, is staying ahead by harnessing the synergy between low-passive radar crosssection reduction and advanced electronic attack, as well as by focusing research and development money on infrared signaturemanagement. Read All ^ Navy Engineer Caught Trying to Steal Supercarrier SecretsBy Bloomberg On December 6, 2014 | By Andrew Zajac

Dec. 5 (Bloomberg) — A civilian engineer at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard was arrested in a sting operation on a charge of trying tosteal diagrams of the U.S. Navy’s newest nuclear aircraft carrier for a man who he believed to be a spy for the Egyptiangovernment, according to court papers.

Mostafa Ahmed Awwad, 35, of Yorktown, Virginia, was charged with two counts of attempting to export defense informationconnected to the USS Gerald R. Ford in an indictment made public today in federal court in Norfolk.

Awwad in September was contacted by “Yousef,” an Arabic- speaking FBI agent posing as an Egyptian intelligence agent,prosecutors said. Awwad expressed an intent to obtain military technology for use by Egypt, according to a statement in supportof a warrant for a search of Awwad’s home, storage unit and vehicles.

The next month, Awwad told the agent how he planned to circumvent Navy computer security by installing software that wouldenable him to copy documents without triggering an alert, the U.S. said. He provided Yousef with four computer-aided drawingsof the aircraft carrier, which were barred from release to non-U.S. citizens, according to the statement. Read All ^

Saluting the silent heroes of the US Navy’s submarine forceBy David J. KaplanPublished December 07, 2014FoxNews.com

Our most recent elections demonstrated Americans are still very worried about the state of the economy and their own jobsecurity. However, there is an employer looking to hire young, motivated, and intelligent men and women—the United StatesNavy’s submarine force.

It's not easy to be eligible for such employment. Officer and enlisted candidates must first graduate from rigorous nuclearengineering training or technical schools for non-nuclear enlisted rates. In addition, applicants must also pass a thoroughpsychological evaluation. The fortunate few that do indeed make the grade will then embark on a challenging, yet rewardingjourney to become a qualified submariner.

After this extensive training pipeline and another intensive qualification process on board an actual submarine, sailors arerewarded with “Dolphins,” the chest insignia that signifies membership to an elite brotherhood (and now sisterhood as well, since2010) that very few individuals have the privilege to join.

Much like an astronaut, submariners become travelers in another medium deep below the sea.

On September 21, I, along with 13 other American civilians, experienced a brief glimpse into the life of a U.S. Navy submariner.As the guests of Captain Gene Doyle, the commander of Submarine Squadron 11, we were invited to embark on board the USSHAMPTON (SSN 767), a Los Angeles Class fast attack submarine in the waters near San Diego, California.

The captain of USS Hampton, a no-nonsense,highly respected commander named LincolnReifsteck, along with his executive officer,David Fassel and chief of the boat, RichardMoses, welcomed us on board and introducedus to a world few civilians will ever have thehonor and opportunity to experience.

We soon learned that Reifsteck’s most difficulttask wasn’t submerging the ship 700 feet belowthe ocean’s surface (the more difficult part isactually the resurfacing process in the crowdedwaters off San Diego) or even preparing toshoot a tomahawk missile. Instead, Reifsteck’sgreatest challenge is keeping his sailorsmotivated, ready, and vigilant 24 hours a day, 7days a week over a period of several months

(please note, the average age of a submariner is only 22). In our short time on board USS HAMPTON, we witnessed Reifsteck’suncanny ability to both motivate and prepare his sailors for any obstacle before them.

During 2013, the Hampton was at sea for 298 out of 365 days. That’s 82 percent of the year away from family and friends with noaccess to a telephone, the Internet, or the daily comforts that we as Americans have grown so accustomed to. There is a verygood reason why submariners earn on average 30 percent more than other sailors.

While much of their time underway was spent on surveillance, anti-submarine and anti-surface ship warfare, the HAMPTONspent 70 days at the North Pole with a team of professors from Columbia University taking water samples for research beingconducted on current and climate change.

So if you are of the mindset that submarines are all about undersea warfare or hunting the “Red October”; think again. Modernattack subs are now doing everything from the weather change research to delivering special operators ashore on covertoperations.

Initially, the outside observer may get the impression that the men of the HAMPTON live a difficult and isolated life onboard awindowless tube with little or no communication with the outside world.

However, we quickly discovered that the crew thrived in this seemingly austere environment. Through our conversations withthem, we came to the realization that they live by the submarine mantra of “steel ships, iron men (and women).”

The absence of windows and natural sunlight quickly became irrelevant as the ship’s electronics and sophisticated sensorsbecame their window to the outside world.

Much like an astronaut, submariners become travelers in another medium deep below the sea. Any perceived isolation leads to agreater connection with their “shipmates” forming an everlasting bond amongst the crew.

After only one day underway, it became apparent to us that the submarine service is not for everyone—not all men and womenare able to overcome the supposed “sacrifices” many civilians associate with a life at sea.

However, those individuals that successfully complete the demanding screening and training pipeline of a United Statessubmariner, will have excellent advancement and future employment opportunities in both the military and civilian sectors.

Civilian employers are always looking to hire submariners for their technical acumen, leadership skill, and ability to operate underpressure. Those individuals that choose to leave military service are often rewarded with high paying jobs and quickly adapt andexcel in the civilian workforce (the military does retain a very high percentage of these highly skilled individuals with largebonuses, special pay and the intangible sense of patriotic duty that accompanies wearing the uniform of a Navy submariner).

Sir Winston Churchill once said, “Of all the branches of men in the forces there is none which shows more devotion and facesgrimmer perils than the submariners.” From our experience with the captain and crew of USS HAMPTON, we couldn’t agreemore. Any danger of operating a ship under the sea was however quickly overshadowed by the competency of the sailors taskedwith running America’s most stealthy and vital warships.

May God bless the officers and crew-- and their families-- of USS HAMPTON and the Silent Service.^

WWII Submarine Memorial Published on Dec 5, 2014 (See NewVideo)Naperville News 17's Kristin Gitchell Reports Most know about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, but few may realize that 19 miles from here, 28 submarines madetheir last stop before heading into battle in response.

The ships were commissioned in Manitowoc, Wisconsin and cruised through the Chicago River, right under Lake Shore Drive,making their last stop in Lockport before being tugged down to the Pacific to help win the war.

“Initially submarines were supposed to just be used as scouts – to scout ahead of the fleet and report back on enemy fleetlocation and numbers and stuff like that,” said submariner Frank Voznak. “But because of Pearl Harbor, the mission changed andthe submarines actually became the first line of defense. They sent the submarines out then to hunt the Japanese fleet whichthey did very effectively so the mission changed in that context.”

Frank Voznak is the Vice Commander of a submarine veterans group called Crash Dive Base, whose creed is to perpetuate thememory of their lost comrades who died in duty.

Much like an astronaut, submariners become travelers in another medium deep below the sea.

“Through the war, there were 52 submarines that were lost, they were one of the highest percentages of losses in the fleet,” saidVoznak. “These guys kept volunteering, as submarine services were all volunteer organization, you can non volunteer at anytimeif you choose, and these guys kept going back time after time after time. I think it says something about the character of theseveterans at that time.”

While there are plenty of veteran memorials around the country, there are barely any for submariners. To rectify this, Crash DiveBase teamed up with a Pearl Harbor survivor to create a lasting remembrance.

“From there we just kinda thought a simple plaque would probably do to meet our challenge. We had discussions with the City ofChicago and they were first reluctant to give us a spot for just a plaque,” Voznak said. “They kept insisting that they wantedsomething a little bit bigger, a little more eye catching and to use their words, they were looking for spectacular!”

The group had big ideas but no experience in the design department. But as it turned out, help wasn’t far away.

“When my son heard about the project, he was a little bit interested and he wanted to see what he could do. Through college hehad some design experience and he asked if he could take a look at it,” said Voznak. “So I took him up to Manitowoc, WI and themuseum allowed us to go through the submarine up there, the USS Colbia. It was through that experience at the Colbia that hedeveloped the concept and the design that we went with.”

The structure, shaped in the form of a submarine bulkhead, would be placed on the south bank of the Chicago River, just east ofthe Columbus Drive Bridge. It will include several facts, an artist’s rendition of the WWII submarine passing through the LSDdrawbridge, and a watertight door that was salvaged from the USS Trout, decommissioned in 1978.

“When we presented that to the City of Chicago, they’re reaction was, ‘now that what we’re talking about! That’s what we want!’So we used that basic design,” said Voznak.

To make that dream a reality, the Vets have created a GO FUND ME account, in hopes of raising around $250,000 for the cost oftheir memorial. Once funded, it will take less than six months, sealing their place in history.

“It goes back to there’s just not a lot of submarine veteran memorials and this would be kind of an important thing not only for theChicago area and the Midwest, but for submarine veterans themselves,” said Voznak.

For all the information about the memorial and how you can help these veterans, visit http://crashdivebase.com/. ^

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