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OOGA OOGAMay 2010
PALMETTO BASE SUBMARINE VETERANS
NEWSLETTER
OUR CREED: To perpetuate the memory of our shipmates who gave their lives in
the pursuit of duties while serving their country. That their dedication, deeds,
and supreme sacrifice be a constant source of motivation toward greater
accomplishments. Pledge loyalty and patriotism to the United States of
America and its constitution.
CDR Dean W. Axene of the Thresher (SSN 593) and her crew salute the colors as she noses into the
water for the first time, during launching ceremonies at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine,
9 July 1960. Her sponsor, Mrs. Frederick B. Warder, is standing by the CDR Axene's left side.
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Palmetto Base Officers
Base Commander District Commander Tommy Richardson Jerry Stout
Vice Commander: Brian Steffen
Jr. Vice Commander: D. W. Eggleston
Treasurer: J. P. Watson
Chaplain: Mark Basnight
Webmaster: Mark Basnight
Secretary: Randy Browning
Chief of the Boat: Jim “Snake” Stark
Storekeeper: Brian Steffen
Events Chair: Allen “Buzz” Danielson
Liaison Officer: D. W. Eggleston
Committee Chair: Tom O’Brien
Ship’s Photographer: Jim Null
Bereavement Chair: Randy Browning
Kap(SS) for Kid(SS) Chair: Don Van Borsch
Members
Milt Berky
James L. Charbonneau
Tracy R. Charbonneau
Judy Cline
Ronald Friend
Charlotte Friend
Julian Galloway
Joseph E. Gawronski
Joseph L. Geiger
Glenn E. Harris
Stoney Hilton
Michael House
Fernando Iglesias
John Jeffries
Charlie Kerr
Jim W. Kint
James N. Kirby
George “Scram” Kokolis
John J. Krause
Harold R. Lane
William M. Lindler
Charlie MacKenzie
Eddie McVicker
Bob Miller
Mark Morgan
Tom Paige
Larry Peay
Rebecca Richardson
Sam Sanders
Ted R. Schneeberg
James P. Scott
Leonard M. Snell
John Solis
L. E. Spradlin
Larry Thomas
Jeffro M. Wagner
J. P. Watson
Mark Wright
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April 20, 2010
Attendees Mark Basnight
Milt Berkey
Buzz Danielson
Danielson
D W Eggleston
Julian Galloway
Fernando Iglesias
Charlie Kerr
John Krause
Bob Miller
Mark Morgan
Jim Null
Tom O’Brien
Tom Paige
Rebecca Richardson
Tommy Richardson
Ted Schneeberg
Jim Scott
Johnny Solis
Jim Stark
Brian Steffen
Jeffro Wagner
J P Watson
Minutes
• March minutes were voted on and accepted
• 22 members were present
• Treasury has $3,323.85 and treasurer’s report accepted
• Ted Schneeberg is out of the hospital and attended the meeting, but still faces a brain
operation
• John Krause faces an operation to the aortic and iliac arteries on May 24. (Prayers are
with Ted and John)
• Events officer discussed upcoming Poultry Festival on May 8. Assemble at 0830 with
parade to commence at 1015. Directions will be emailed to members.
• Buzz will contact the commander of “The Denizens of the Deep” base in Aiken to see if
they are interested in participating with us. They have completed their submarine float
and we may be able to use it.
• Buzz to check out possibility of setting up K4K fund raiser at the Poultry Festival
• Tom Paige, our hero, has raised $1,500 plus for K4K
• The “Massing of the Colors” in Columbia was attended by 5 Palmetto Base members.
Carolina Piedmont had 13 members. We need more participation
• First Mate and Honorary Submariner certificate awarded to Brandy for her friendly
attitude and efficiency in dealing with our meeting requirements
• Certificate of Appreciation given to Diane Cummings, O’Charley’s manager for providing
the O’Charley’s facilities
• 15 year loyalty certificate and pin awarded to O’Bie and 5 year certificate and pin to DW
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• Commander Tommy reviewed lifetime base membership for Master Chief MacKenzie
who couldn’t be at meeting to accept. Certificate to be awarded to Mac at his farewell
party on May 10 (7 pm until…). It will be held at VFW Post 6 on Pickens Street in
Columbia
• Depth charge was $100 and won by John Krause who donated his share back to the base
Brian Steffen – May 3rd Glenn Harris – May 7th Dick Lane – May 12th
Mark Basnight – May 15th Charles Mackenzie – May 20th USSVI – May 24th
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Tom Paige
Palmetto Base Hero
Tom Paige raised $1,500 for KAP(SS)4KID(SS) and
graciously acknowledges Palmetto Base applause
Brandy is awarded First Mate and Diane Cummings, Manager at
Honorary Submariner for outstanding O’Charley’s is recognized as
service at the O’Charley’s Sub Base. Commander “O’Charley’s Sub Base”
Sub Base Commander Cummings and
Palmetto Base Commander Richardson
present the award.
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Dates in American Naval History May 1
1898 - Battle of Manila Bay, Adm Dewey defeats Spanish at Manila, Philippines
1934 - LT Akers demonstrates blind landing system at College Park, MD in OJ-2 aircraft
1945 - VADM Barbey lands Australian troops on Tarakan Island, Borneo, supported by naval
gunfire
1951 - USS Princeton aircraft attack Hwachon Dam using aerial torpedoes, only use of this
weapon in Korean War
1980 - 11 Navy ships begin operations assisting Coast Guard in rescuing Cuban refugees fleeing
Cuba in overcrowded boats
May 2
1975 - US Navy departs Vietnamese waters at end of evacuation.
May 3
1861 - USS Surprise captures Confederate privateer Savannah
1898 - Marines land at Cavite, Philippines, and raise U.S. flag
1949 - First Navy firing of a high altitude Viking rocket at White Sands, NM
May 4
1917 - First Navy ships, Destroyer Division 8, arrive at Queenstown, Ireland, to provide convoy
escorts against German U-boats
1942 - Battle of Coral Sea, first carrier vs. carrier battle, begins
1945 - Japanese attempt to land on Okinawa repulsed; kamikaze attacks damage 6 U.S. Navy
ships
1961 - Pilot CDR Malcolm D. Ross, USNR, and medical observer LCDR Victor A. Prather, Jr.,
ascended in two hours to over 110,00 feet in Strato-Lab 5, a 411-foot hydrogen filled
balloon launched from from the deck of USS Antietam. This was the highest altitude
attained by man in an open gondola. Tragically, Prather drowned during the recovery.
May 5
1944 - USS Comfort is commissioned in San Pedro, CA; first ship to be manned jointly by Army
and Navy personnel
1948 - VF-17A becomes first carrier qualified jet squadron (USS Saipan)
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1961 - CDR Alan Shepard Jr. makes first U.S. manned space flight. Flight of Freedom 7 (Mercury
3) which lasted 15 minutes and 28 seconds reached the altitude of 116.5 statute miles
with a velocity of 5,134 mph. Recovery was by HUS1 helicopter of HMR(L)-262 from USS
Lake Champlain(CVS-39).
1980 - USS Robert E. Peary rescues 440 Vietnamese refugees from disabled craft south of
Thailand
May 6
1909 - Great White Fleet anchors in San Francisco
1916 - First ship-to-shore radio telephone voice conversation from USS New Hampshire off
Virginia Capes to SECNAV Josephus Daniels in Washington, DC
1942 - CAPT Milton Miles arrives in Chungking, China, to begin building an intelligence and
guerilla training organization, Naval Group China
1945 - Naval landing force evacuates 500 Marshallese from Jaluit Atoll, Marshall Islands
May 7
1779 - Continental Navy sloop Providence captures British brig Diligent off Cape Charles
1934 - USS Constitution completes tour of principal U.S. ports
1940 - FDR orders Pacific Fleet to remain in Hawaiian waters indefinitely
1942 - Carrier aircraft sink Japanese carrier Shoho during Battle of Coral Sea
May 8
1911 - Navy ordered its first airplane, Curtiss A-1, Birthday of Naval Aviation
1942 - Battle of the Coral Sea ends with Japanese retiring from area
1945 - VE - Day, Germany's unconditional surrender to the Allies
1963 - Navy ships evacuate 2,279 civilians from Haiti during crisis.
1972 - U.S. Navy and Marine Corps aircraft mine Haiphong Harbor in North Vietnam.
May 9
1926 - LCDR Richard Byrd and Chief Machinist Mate Floyd Bennett make first flight over North
Pole; both receive Congressional Medal of Honor.
1942 - USS Wasp in Mediterranean launches 47 Spitfire aircraft to help defend Malta
May 10
1775 - Force under Ethan Allan and Benedict Arnold cross Lake Champlain and capture British
fort at Ticonderoga, New York.
1800 - USS Constitution captures Letter of Marque Sandwich.
1862 - Confederates destroy Norfolk and Pensacola Navy Yards.
1949 - First shipboard launching of LARK, guided missile by USS Norton Sound.
1960 - USS Triton (SSRN-586) completes submerged circumnavigation of world in 84 days
following many of the routes taken by Magellan and cruising 46,000 miles.
May 11
1862 - CSS Virginia blown up by Confederates to prevent capture.
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1898 - Sailors and Marines from USS Marblehead cut trans-oceanic cable near Cienfuegos,
Cuba, isolating Cuba from Spain.
1943 - Naval task force lands Army troops on Attu, Aleutians.
1965 - U.S. destroyers deliver first shore bombardment of Vietnam War.
May 12
1780 - Fall of Charleston, SC; three Continental Navy frigates (Boston, Providence, and Ranger)
captured; and one American frigate (Queen of France) sunk to prevent capture
1846 - U.S. declares war against Mexico
1975 - SS Mayaguez seized by Khmer Rouge and escorted to Koh Tang Island.
1986 - Destroyer USS David R. Ray deters an Iranian Navy attempt to board a U.S. merchant
ship.
May 13
1908 - Navy Nurse Corps established.
1908 - Pearl Harbor Navy Yard, later called Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, was officially
established in the Territory of Hawaii as a coaling station for U.S. Navy ships transiting
the Pacific Ocean.
1943 - Bureau of Navigation renamed Bureau of Naval Personnel
1945 - Aircraft from fast carrier task force begin 2-day attack on Kyushu airfields, Japan
1964 - Organization and deployment of world's first all nuclear-powered task group, USS
Enterprise, USS Long Beach, and USS Bainbridge, to Sixth Fleet
May 14
1801 - Tripoli declares war against the United States
1836 - U.S. Exploring Expedition authorized to conduct exploration of Pacific Ocean and South
Seas, first major scientific expedition overseas. LT Charles Wilkes USN, would lead the
expedition in surveying South America, Antarctica, Far East, and North Pacific.
1845 - First U.S. warship visits Vietnam. While anchored in Danang for reprovisioning, CAPT
John Percival commanding USS Constitution, conducts a show of force against
Vietnamese authorities in an effort to obtain the release of a French priest held prisoner
by Emperor of Annam at Hue.
1975 - Marines recapture Mayaguez, go ashore on Koh Tang Island and release the crew.
May 15
1800 - CAPT Preble in Essex arrives in Batavia, Java, to escort U.S. merchant ships
1942 - First Naval Air Transport Service flight across Pacific
1969 - Sinking of USS Guitarro (SSN-665)
1991 - Amphibious Task Force arrives at Chittagong, Bangladesh, for relief operations after
Cyclone Marian
May 16
1820 - Congress becomes first U.S. warship to visit China
1919 - Three Navy flying boats begin 1st trans-Atlantic flight from Newfoundland
1965 - First US gunfire support in Vietnam by USS Tucker
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May 17
1940 - FDR announces plans to recommission 35 more destroyers
1942 - USS Tautog (SS-199) sinks Japanese sub, I-28; while USS Triton (SS-201) sinks I-164
1951 - Aircraft from carriers attack bridges between Wonsan and Hamhung, Korea
1962 - Naval amphibious ready group lands Marines to guard Thailand's borders from
Communist probes
1966 - Naval Support Activity Saigon established
1973 - First woman to hold a major Navy command, Captain Robin Lindsay Quigley assumes
command of Navy Service School, San Diego, CA.
1987 - USS Stark (FFG-31) struck by Iraqi Exocet missile in Persian Gulf, killing 37 Sailors. 21
were wounded.
1990 - USS Roark rescues 42 refugees from unseaworthy craft in South China Sea
May 18
1775 - Benedict Arnold captures British sloop and renames her Enterprise, first of many famous
ships with that name
1798 - Appointment of Benjamin Stoddert as first Secretary of the Navy
1969 - Launch of Apollo 10, dress rehearsal for first lunar landing mission. CDR John W. Young,
USN, was the Command Module Pilot and CDR Eugene A. Cernan, USN, was the Lunar
Module Pilot. During the 8 Day mission, the craft made 31 lunar orbits in 61.6 hours.
Recovery was by HS-4 helicopters from USS Princeton (LPH-5).
May 19
1882 - Commodore Shufeldt (USS Swatara) lands in Korea to negotiate first treaty between
Korea and Western power
1912 - Navy establishes North Atlantic Ice Patrol following RMS Titanic disaster
1965 - 30th Naval Construction Regiment activated at Danang, Vietnam
May 20
1801 - Four warships sent to Mediterranean to protect American commerce
1815 - Commodore Stephen Decatur ( Frigate Guerriere) sails with 10 ships to suppress
Mediterranean pirates' raids on U.S. shipping
1844 - USS Constitution sails from New York on round the world cruise
1943 - Establishment of Tenth Fleet in Washington, DC, under command of ADM King to
coordinate U.S. antisubmarine operations in Atlantic
May 21
1850 - Washington Navy Yard begins work on first castings for the Dahlgren guns
1917 - USS Ericsson fires first torpedo of war
1944 - During preparations for the invasion of Saipan an accidental ordnance blast on LST 353
sets off cataclysmic ammunition explosions at West Loch, Pearl Harbor, killing 163 and
injuring 396. Six tank landing ships (LST-39, LST-43, LST-69, LST-179, LST-353, LST-480),
three tank landing craft (LCT-961, LCT-963, LCT-983), and 17 track landing vehicles (LVTs)
are destroyed in explosions and fires.
1964 - The initiation of the standing carrier presence at Yankee Station in the South China Sea.
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May 22
1882 - Commodore Shufeldt signs commerce treaty opening Korea to U.S. trade
1958 - Naval aircraft F4D-1 Sky Ray sets five world speed-to-climb records, 22-23 May
1967 - New York City reaches agreement to purchase Brooklyn Navy Yard, ending 166 years of
construction and repair of naval vessels.
1968 - USS Scorpion (SSN-589) lost with all hands
May 23
1850 - Navy sends USS Advance and USS Rescue to attempt rescue of Sir John Franklin's
expedition, lost in Arctic.
1939 - USS Squalus (SS-92) sinks off Postsmouth, NH, with loss of 26 lives.
1962 - Launch of Aurora 7 (Mercury 7), piloted by LCDR Malcolm Scott Carpenter, USN, who
completed 3 orbits in 4 hours, 56 minutes at an altitude up to 166.8 statute miles at
17,549 mph. He was picked up by HSS-2 helicopters from USS Intrepid (CVS-11). The
capsule was recovered by USS John R. Pierce (DD-753).
1962 - USS Valcour (AVP-55) provides medical care to a merchant seaman from tanker SS
Manhattan in the Persian Gulf.
May 24
1917 - First U.S. convoy to cross North Atlantic during World War I leaves Hampton Roads, VA
1918 - USS Olympia anchors at Kola Inlet, Murmansk, Russia, to protect refugees during Russian
Revolution
1939 - First and only use of VADM Allan McCann's Rescue Chamber to rescue 33 men from
sunken USS Squalus (SS-192)
1941 - Authorization of construction or acquisition of 550,000 tons of auxiliary shipping for
Navy
1945 - Fast carrier task force aircraft attack airfields in southern Kyushu, Japan
1945 - 9 US ships damaged by concentrated kamikaze attack off Okinawa
1961 - USS Gurke notices signals from 12 men from Truk who were caught in a storm, drifted at
sea for 2 months before being stranded on a island for 1 month. USS Southerland
investigated, notified Truk, and provided provisions and supplies to repair their
outrigger canoe. The men would be picked up on 7 June by the motor launch Kaselehlia.
May 25
1952 - USS Iowa bombards Chongjin, Korea.
1973 - Launch of Skylab 2 mission, which was first U.S. manned orbiting space station. It had an
all Navy crew of CAPT Charles Conrad, Jr., USN. (commanding), CDR Joseph P. Kerwin,
USN and CDR Paul J. Weitz, USN. During the 28 day mission of 404 orbits, the craft
rendezvoused with Skylab to make repairs and conduct science experiments. Recovery
by USS Ticonderoga (CVS-14)
May 26
1944 - USS England sinks fifth Japanese submarine in one week
1952 - Tests from 26-29 May demonstrate feasibility of the angled-deck concept conducted on
simulated angled deck on USS Midway
1990 - USS Beaufort rescues 24 Vietnamese refugees in South China Sea
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May 27
1813 - American joint operations against Fort George, Canada
1919 - Navy NC-4 completes trans-Atlantic flight from Newfoundland to Lisbon, Portugal
May 28
1813 - Frigate Essex and prize capture five British whalers
1917 - First underway fueling in U.S. Navy, USS Maumee fuels 6 destroyers in North Atlantic.
LCDR Chester W. Nimitz served as Maumee's executive officer and chief engineer.
1957 - 1st of 24 detonations, Operation Plumbbob nuclear test
1980 - 55 women become first women graduates from the U.S. Naval Academy.
May 29
1781 - Frigate Alliance captures HMS Atalanta and Trepassy off Nova Scotia
1991 - Amphibious Task Force in Bangladesh for cyclone relief redeployed
May 30
1814 - Navy gunboats capture three British boats on Lake Ontario near Sandy Creek, NY
May 31
1900 - Sailors and Marines from USS Newark and USS Oregon arrive at Peking, China with other
Sailors and Marines from Britain, France, Russia, Italy and Japan to protect U.S. and
foreign diplomatic legations from the Boxers
1919 - NC-4's transatlantic mission ends at Plymouth, England
1944 - USS England sank a record 6th Japanese submarine in 13 days.
12
Phonetic Alphabet and Signal Flags Related source: Bravo Zulu
A phonetic alphabet is a list of words used to identify letters in a message transmitted by radio or
telephone. Spoken words from an approved list are substituted for letters. For example, the word
"Navy" would be "November Alfa Victor Yankee" when spelled in the phonetic alphabet. This practice
helps to prevent confusion between similar sounding letters, such as "m" and "n", and to clarify
communications that may be garbled during transmission.
An early version of the phonetic alphabet appears in the 1913 edition of The Bluejackets’ Manual. Found
in the Signals section, it was paired with the Alphabetical Code Flags defined in the International Code.
Both the meanings of the flags (the letter which they represent) and their names (which make up the
phonetic alphabet) were selected by international agreement. Later editions included the Morse code
signal as well.
Flags with special meanings in Navy signaling were given extra names. These five flags are called
governing flags. They convey specific information about how to interpret a signal based on their position
among the other flags raised. The governing flags are called Afirm (Affirmative), Int (Interrogatory),
Negat (Negative), Option (Optional), Prep (Preparatory). The Navy often substituted these special names
for the standard word listed in the phonetic alphabet. During World War II, when it was necessary for
the Navy to communicate with the Army or Allied forces, signalmen were directed to use the standard
words, given in parentheses.
The words chosen to represent some letters have changed since the phonetic alphabet was introduced.
When these changes occur, they are made by international agreement. The current phonetic alphabet
was adopted in 1957.
Letter 1913 1927 1938 World War II 1957-Present Signal Flag
A Able Affirmative Afirm Afirm (Able) Alfa
B Boy Baker Baker Baker Bravo
C Cast Cast Cast Charlie Charlie
D Dog Dog Dog Dog Delta
E Easy Easy Easy Easy Echo
F Fox Fox Fox Fox Foxtrot
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Letter 1913 1927 1938 World War II 1957-Present Signal Flag
G George George George George Golf
H Have Hypo Hypo How Hotel
I Item Interrogatory Int Int (Item) India
J Jig Jig Jig Jig Juliett
K King King King King Kilo
L Love Love Love Love Lima
M Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike
N Nan Negative Negat Negat (Nan) November
O Oboe Option Option Option
(Oboe)
Oscar
P Pup Preparatory Prep Prep (Peter) Papa
Q Quack Quack Queen Queen Quebec
R Rush Roger Roger Roger Romeo
S Sail Sail Sail Sugar Sierra
T Tare Tare Tare Tare Tango
U Unit Unit Unit Uncle Uniform
V Vice Vice Victor Victor Victor
W Watch William William William Whiskey
X X-ray X-ray X-ray X-ray X-ray
Y Yoke Yoke Yoke Yoke Yankee
Z Zed Zed Zed Zebra Zulu
Sources:
The Bluejackets' Manual. Revised and Expanded ed. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1913.
The Bluejackets' Manual. 5th ed. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1917.
The Bluejackets' Manual. 7th ed. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1927.
The Bluejackets' Manual. 8th ed. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1938.
The Bluejackets' Manual. 11th ed. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1943.
The Bluejackets' Manual. 15th ed. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1957.
The Bluejackets' Manual. 20th ed. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1978.
Watson, Bruce W. and Susan M. Watson. United States Navy: A Dictionary. New York: Garland
Publishing, 1991.
14
Senate votes to protect Tricare beneficiaries By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Apr 13, 2010 17:47:05 EDT
Although military and congressional leaders insisted it wasn’t necessary, the Senate gave final approval
Monday to a bill intended to reassure Tricare beneficiaries that national health care reform won’t
require them to buy additional health insurance or to pay a penalty if they do not.
Called the Tricare Affirmation Act, the bill now on its way to the White House says Defense Department
health coverage will be treated as minimal essential coverage under the new national health care law,
which means that Tricare beneficiaries would not be subject to the $750 penalty created by Patient
Protection and Affordable Care Act if they do not have private health insurance.
The bill also says that health care coverage provided to non-appropriated fund employees of the
Defense Department also satisfies the requirement of being minimal coverage.
Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., the Senate armed services personnel subcommittee chairman who shepherded
the bill through the Senate, said he hoped passage quelled doubts. “Following months of confusion
surrounding military health care programs, we can now definitively tell our service members and their
families today that their health care is secure,” Webb said in a statement.
“As one who grew up in the military, served as a Marine in Vietnam and spent five years in the
Pentagon, I know the special obligation we have to provide our military service members, their families,
and our veterans with the very finest health care coverage available. Today, we can tell them that we’ve
continued to make good on that promise,” said Webb, who grew up in an Air Force family.
The Senate passed the bill, HR 4887, by voice vote and with no debate on its first day back after a two-
week recess that followed passage of the historic health reform law. The House of Representatives
passed the Tricare Affirmation Act on March 20 by a 403-0 vote, on the eve of its passage of the health
reform law, after questions were raised about whether military families and retirees might be hurt by
the new law.
The acting head of Tricare, Charles Rice, and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius
both issued statements saying Tricare met the definition of essential coverage. But concerns have
continued, fueled in part by some Republicans who are trying to get the reform law repealed, which is
what led the Senate to pass the House bill.
While the bill addresses the narrow question of “essential” coverage, it does not answer every concern
about whether health reform, Public Law 111-148, will affect military members and retirees. Rice said in
an April 2 statement that his agency was battling “misinformation” and was working to squelch rumors
that Tricare benefits will be lost as a result of the new law.
Passage of the Tricare Assurance Act was praised by representatives of major military and veterans’
group. Retired Navy Vice Adm. Norbert Ryan Jr., Military Officers Association of America president, said
his group accepted assurances from congressional and administration leaders that Tricare was not going
to be harmed, but “the lack of statutory clarity was a source of concern to many.” The bill, Ryan said,
provides “clarity beyond any doubt.”
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Thresher Remembered; Sub Disaster Marks 47th Year At Portsmouth Shipyard;
Families Honor Victims By Jason Claffey, Foster’s Daily Democrat, April 11, 2010
KITTERY, Maine — For the families of the 129 men who perished when the Portsmouth Naval
Shipyard-built USS Thresher submarine sank 47 years ago, there are no graves to visit. The bodies of
their loved ones were never recovered, leaving them to mourn in a void as large as the sea.
That changes during a memorial service held every year.
Saturday afternoon at Traip Academy, a crowd of about 300 gathered to remember the worst sub
accident ever in terms of loss of life.
"The ripples have dissipated, but the memories of that day have drawn us here today," said
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Commander Bryant Fuller, who gave the service's introductory remarks in
the school gymnasium.
Faulty piping was blamed for causing the Thresher to sink below crush depth while it was conducting
a test trial off the coast of Cape Cod. At the time, the nuclear-powered, fast-attack sub was the most
advanced in the world.
Lori Arsenault, daughter of Thresher crew member Tilmon Arsenault, said it's important for her
family and others to get together every year and keep the memories of their loved ones alive.
"We need each other," she said.
Her father, a decorated World War II veteran, operated the Thresher's nuclear reactor. When he
wasn't in uniform, he liked to play the organ and taught Lori and her brother, Bill, how to play. She said
he would often have her play in front of his buddies to show off.
"He was so proud of me," she said.
Before he left for the fateful mission, she said he promised to build wooden blocks to prop up the
organ pedals so she could reach them.
Similar stories circulated among the dozens of families gathered during the hour-long ceremony.
"It brings us back to such good times," Arsenault said.
In one of the ceremony's most poignant moments, the family of Billy Max Klier, an engineman
aboard the Thresher, laid wreaths at the water's edge of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. The family
included his wife, Mary Ferrall; son, Billy Klier; and two grandchildren, Michael and Andrea.
The Thresher's sinking led to the establishment of the SUBSAFE safety program that has prevented a
similar disaster, according to Al Ford, director emeritus of the Navy's Submarine Safety and Quality
Assurance program based in Washington, D.C. He flew up to speak at Saturday's ceremony.
"The changes their sacrifice brought about are alive and vibrant today," Ford said.
Fuller said he has signed about 60 SUBSAFE certificates over the year for new and overhauled subs.
16
"Every time I give that signature, I think about the Thresher," he said.
A single sub — the USS Scorpion — has sunk since the Thresher tragedy, though the Scorpion was
not SUBSAFE-certified. The Scorpion sunk from a possible mechanical failure in 1968 near the Azores
while it was observing Russian naval activity. Ninety-nine men perished.
The Thresher had been conducting a test trial off Cape Cod during its doomed mission. It was
accompanied by the USS Skylark.
On April 10, 1963, the Thresher sent the Skylark a message saying, "We are experiencing minor
difficulties, we have a positive up angle, and are attempting to blow. Will keep you informed."
Minutes later, the Skylark received two garbled messages. Its radar then detected a high-energy,
low-frequency disturbance. It turned out to be Thresher imploding, as it had fallen below crush depth.
The men who perished included crew members, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard officer observers, shipyard
civilian workers, and contractor technicians.
17
Submarine Force To Honor Triton’s Historic Voyage By Jennifer Grogan, The Day, April 10, 2010
Robert Perkins said it was an honor to be on the crew of the first ship to circumnavigate the
world while submerged.
“But we were just doing our duty,” said Perkins, a radioman on the USS Triton (SSRN 586).
Led by Capt. Edward L. “Ned” Beach Jr., the Triton followed many of the routes taken by
Ferdinand Magellan, cruising 46,000 miles in 84 days to complete the first submerged circumnavigation
in 1960.
Fifty years later, the Submarine Force is celebrating that feat at the 110th Submarine Birthday
Ball at Foxwoods Resort Casino tonight.
Beach’s wife, Ingrid, and crew members who were on the historic deployment will attend,
including Perkins, who traveled from Florida. Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Rick West is the
guest speaker for the ball.
“A lot of people never cross the equator. On that trip in 1960 we crossed it four times,” said
Dave Boe, who served as a torpedoman.
“And we came away with experiences that affected us the rest of our lives,” added John
Kuester, the submarine’s cook and baker.
Crew members from all stages of the submarine’s life and their family members are in
southeastern Connecticut for the weekend to attend their reunion and the birthday ball. Many went to
a Naval Submarine School graduation on Friday for a basic enlisted submarine class named after the
Triton.
“To be a part of all of this, it really feels like we’re still part of the Navy,” Boe said. “It has
brought back a lot of memories.”
Retired Adm. Henry “Hank” Chiles Jr., who served on the Triton from 1963-1966, told the class
that they will “write the history of the next generation of the U.S. submarine service.”
“It’s a great responsibility,” he said. “You’re not just going to write it, you’ll make it, you’ll be a
part of it. Your ship will be a part of you, just like Triton is for everyone sitting alongside you in this
room.”
Each graduate received a certificate of completion and a commemorative coin celebrating the
50th anniversary of the Triton’s accomplishment.
“We’ll have other reunions, but this will be the top of the line,” said Henry Jackson, the reunion
chairman who was on the crew in 1969 when the Triton was decommissioned. “For the Triton, it’s a
once-in-a-lifetime event.”
18
110 Years of Submarines Broadside Blog, April 13, 2010
On Sunday, April 11th, the U.S. Submarine Force celebrated its 110th birthday. From its humble
beginnings in 1900, the silent service has developed into a naval component that is the most deadly, the
most effective, the most indestructible force in the world.
That's a big claim. But I challenge anyone to dispute it.
It is fascinating to compare the submarines of today to SS-1. Here are the specifications of John
Holland's design for the first official submarine of the U.S. Navy (from the Naval Historical Center):
USS HOLLAND (SS-1)
Power Plant: Otto Gasoline Engine (surfaced) Electric batteries (submerged)
Length: 53.8 feet (16.4 meters)
Beam: 10.7 feet (3.3 meters)
Displacement: 64 tons surfaced, 74 tons submerged (65/75 metric tons)
Speed: 6 knots (11 kph)
Crew: 1 Officer, 6 Enlisted
Armament: One 18-inch (457 millimeters) torpedo tube, Three Whitehead torpedoes
Date Deployed: 12 October 1900 (USS Holland)
And here are the specifications for today's modern submarine (from Navy News Service fact file)
Modern Attack Submarine
Propulsion: One nuclear reactor, one shaft
Length: 377 feet (114.8 meters)
Beam: 34 feet (10.4 meters)
Displacement: Approximately 7,800 tons (7,925 metric tons) submerged
Speed: 25+ knots (28+ miles per hour, 46.3+ kph)
Crew: 14 Officers; 120 Enlisted
Armament: Tomahawk missiles, twelve VLS tubes, MK48 ADCAP torpedoes, four torpedo tubes.
Modern Ballistic Missile Submarine
Date Deployed: Nov. 11, 1981 (USS Ohio)
Propulsion: One nuclear reactor, one shaft.
Length: 560 feet (170.69 meters).
Beam: 42 feet (12.8 meters).
Displacement: 16,764 tons (17,033.03 metric tons) surfaced; 18,750 tons (19,000.1 metric tons)
submerged.
Speed: 20+ knots (23+ miles per hour, 36.8+ kph).
Crew: 15 Officers, 140 Enlisted.
Armament: 24 tubes for Trident II submarine-launched ballistic missiles, MK48 torpedoes, four
torpedo tubes.
In the time between its birth over a century ago to today's modern fleet of nuclear submarines,
thousands of men have answered the call to fight beneath the waves. Some have never returned from
patrol.
In WWII alone, fifty-two submarines were lost, and over 3,500 men were killed.
19
It is a job that has no room for error. Perfection isn't just expected, it is required.
Today's Submariner is smart, technically proficient, and so good it almost seems unfair. Ask any
Surface Warrior how good a U.S. submarine is. It can't be found, even if you know where it is. You only
know a submarine is in the area when it wants you to know.
But ask that same Surface Warrior how it feels to know a sub is operating in the area, and he or
she will tell you how comforting that fact is - doubly so when operating in a combat situation.
So happy birthday to the Submariners of the U.S. Navy. You have earned your reputation
through hard work, a ton of studying, and commitment to being the best.
And you are.
20
Navy Secretary: Putting Women on Subs 'Absolutely the Right Thing to Do' By Ed Friedrich, Kitsap Sun, April 13, 2010
BREMERTON - Women have a place on submarines, cigarettes do not, Secretary of the Navy Ray
Mabus said Tuesday afternoon during a visit of Kitsap facilities.
Mabus, the Navy's top civilian leader, addressed policy changes and the Navy's future during an
interview at the Puget Sound Navy Museum.
Integrating women onto submarine crews is "absolutely the right thing to do," he said. Congress
has a few more days to reject the change, otherwise women will be serving beneath the sea within two
years. Mabus said he's gotten nothing but positive response from Congress and the community.
Women graduating this spring from the Naval Academy and college ROTC programs would be the first
female submariners, after 18 months of training. They've shown a lot of interest, said Mabus, who
became secretary last May.
They'd start out on Ohio-class subs - 10 of the Navy's 18 are based at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor
because the boats wouldn't need to be modified. There'd be a minimum of four women per sub. A
senior female officer would probably transfer from the surface nuclear fleet to mentor the young
officers, Mabus said. It's been 20 years since women began serving on surface ships, and the experience
can be a road map for a smooth transition.
Women would join smaller attack subs later. Existing ones would be modified for them, and
new ones would be designed for coed crews.
"We plan to do a little bit of both to make sure we have some subs women can go in and some
they can't," Mabus said.
Long before women come aboard, cigarettes will be banned. The Navy announced last week
that all submarines will be smoke-free by Dec. 31.
"This is absolutely the right thing to do, not only for the non-smokers but the people who smoke
today," Mabus said. The Navy will give smokers all the help they need to quit, he said.
The Navy has trimmed its fleet way back to 296 ships, which has been adequate because today's
fleet has greater capabilities, but there comes a time when one ship can't be two places at the same
time.
"We have a demonstrated need for at least 313 ships," Mabus said. He, Chief of Naval
Operations Adm. Gary Roughead, and other strategic leaders have determined a need for 324 vessels,
which the Navy plans to reach by 2023.
The next generation of ballistic-missile submarine is being designed because the Ohio-class
boats will begin to be retired in 2027, Mabus said. Although four of them have been converted to carry
conventional weapons the past few years, there's still a need for "boomers," Mabus said.
"We're going to continue to have a need for an effective, survivable deterrent," Mabus said. " A
Trident sub certainly fits that bill and will be important for us as long as you can see in the future."
Taking care of sailors, Marines and their families is the Navy's top concern, Mabus said. "It's what gives
us our edge," he said.
21
USS Lagarto (SS-371)
Lost on:
5/3/1945
Lost on May 3, 1945 with the loss of 88 men near the Gulf of Siam. On her 2nd war patrol, she is believed to have been lost to a radar equipped minelayer. This minelayer was sunk by the USS Hawkbill 2 weeks later.
US Navy Official Photo
NavSource.org
NavSource.org
Class: SS 285 Commissioned: 10/14/1944 Launched: 5/28/1944 Builder: Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co Length: 312, Beam: 27 #Officers: 10, #Enlisted: 71 Fate: Baya tried to contact Lagarto and she made no reply. Japanese records state that during the night of 3-4 May, mine layer Hatsutaka attacked a U.S. submarine in that location, it is presumed that Lagarto perished in battle with all hands. 85 men lost.
22
USS Scorpion (SSN-589)
Lost on:
5/22/1968
USS Scorpion (SSN-589) was returning to Norfolk, VA from a Mediterranean deployment. On May 22, 1968 she reported her position to be about 50 miles south of the Azores. Scorpion was never heard from again. The exact cause of her loss has never been determined.
US Navy Official Photo
NavSource.org
Gil Raynor
Class: SSN 588 Commissioned: 7/29/1960 Launched: 12/29/1959 Builder: Electric Boat Co (General Dynamics) Length: 252, Beam: 32 #Officers: 8, #Enlisted: 75 Fate: Shortly after midnight of 22 May 1968, She indicated her position to be about 50 miles south of the Azores. Her last transmission ended at 0302. Later information has determined the time of the hull collapse as 1842 UDT on 22 May, 1968 at a depth of 1525 f
23
USS Squalus (SS-192)
Lost on:
5/23/1939
USS Squalus suffered a catastrophic valve failure during a test dive off the Isle of Shoals. Partially flooded, the submarine sank to the bottom and came to rest keel down in 240 feet of water. Commander Charles Momsen and Navy divers on the USS Falcon (ASR-2) rescued 33 survivors using the diving bell he invented. 26 men drowned in the after compartments. Later Squalus was raised and recommissioned as the USS Sailfish. In an ironic turn of fate, Sailfish sank the Japanese aircraft carrier carrying surviving crew members from Sculpin, which had located Squalus in 1939. Only one of the crew survived after spending the rest of the war as slave laborers in Japan.
Navy Photo / NavSource.com
NavSource.org
Class: SS 188 Commissioned: 3/1/1939 Launched: 9/14/1938 Builder: Portsmouth Navy Yard Length: 311, Beam: 27 #Officers: 5, #Enlisted: 50 Fate: Sailfish was sold for scrapping to Luria Brothers of Philadelphia, PA. Her conning tower stands as a memorial to the lost crew of the USS Squalus at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, ME.
24
USS Stickleback (SS-415)
Lost on:
5/30/1958
Lost on May 30, 1958 when it sank off Hawaii while under tow after collision with USS Silverstein (DE-534). The entire crew was taken off prior to sinking.
George Arnold / NavSource.com
Jimmy O. Evans-http://members.xoom.com/343crash/NFdieselboats4.html
NavSource.org
Class: SS 285 Commissioned: 3/29/1945 Launched: 1/1/1945 Builder: Mare Island Navy Yard Length: 312, Beam: 27 #Officers: 10, #Enlisted: 71 Fate: She holed her port side. All crew were removed and efforts were made to save the submarine. Compartments flooded, but even with lines tied around her, she sank in 1800 fathoms of water.
