U.S. Navy Submarine Force official anniversary April 11, 1900.

Thanks to all of you for being ocean astronauts; for going where few would dare to go. Thanks to your families.

And remembering the about 4,022 submariners who followed the "one goes down, we all go down." Bless them and their families.

Nancy

Heading down to the Tri-Cities for the second annual Inland Empire Base USSVI Submarine Birthday Ball this Saturday, concurrent with a U.S.S. Trout (SS-566) reunion. We'll be saying a prayer for all our fellow Submarineers who are "Still on Patrol"...

Happy Birthday To All My Fellow Submarineers!!

If only there was one near us.

Far as I can tell the USSVI here doesn't do one (and being in KS there aint many submariners, either). There is a meeting an hour away at the closet group on Sat, though, that I think Adam will be going to.

Happy Birthday!

And just think...the Sub Service doesn't look a day over 75!

And if we go back to the USS Alligator, Civil War, to a boat powered by oars, how old is the Sub Service? Hummm

Challenge: Will personally donate $100 to the sub musuem of your choice if you provide to me any print media story about Sub Force Anniversary.

Print unlikely to be a result of Sub Force PR as Navy and other military still focus on Public Affairs.

However, did any sub museum, other sub entities, use anniversary as peg for local story?

Let me know.

Nancy

Submarine Verse of Eternal Father Navy Hymn

"Bless those who serve beneath the deep,

Through lonely hours their vigil keep.

May peace their mission ever be,

Protect each one we ask of thee.

Bless those at home who wait and pray,

For their return by night or day."

-Rev. Gale Williamson

The Heart that Beats in the Shark Of Steel

In all of it's power and glory - tactical weapons and weapons of mass destruction, precise navigation and sophisticated communications, absolute stealth and long range sonar, nuclear propulsion to steam submerged many times around the world; ability to deter an enemy, defend a people or destroy a nation; respected by all, feared by most, and loved only by the men called submariners - the submarine is but a mass of steel, electronics and weaponry.

It's the sweat of the men in her that's the lifeblood flowing through the veins of the beast. It's their courage that matches the violence of the seas. It's their dedication and ingenuity that provide the margin of victory over the enemy. It's their service that assures the peace for a free nation. And it's their personal sacrifice that is shared only by their families. These are the men who live in the belly of the beast. They are the crew. They are the heart that beats in the shark of steel.

Captain Don V. Hahnfeldt , CO. USS Tennessee SSBN 734 (retired)
A Submariner
(reprinted with permission from The Submarine Review April 1996)

quote:

nancybonar said:And if we go back to the USS Alligator, Civil War, to a boat powered by oars, how old is the Sub Service? Hummm

Ask Mac, he commissioned most of those boats

quote:

Originally posted by lamedog:
Ask Mac, he commissioned most of those boats

HAHAHAHA!.... What a crack up!!!

I just knew if I wandered around here long enough I'd find a reference to my commissioning, or serving in, something pre-dating Turtle.

See, I travel to dangerous places in the world, return safely, and get 'hammered' by my friends. Ah, well.

This reminds me of the old story of the Russian peasant who was walking behind his horse in the snow-covered Steppes. He saw a little bird, freezing in the snow. He scooped up some fresh, steaming 'droppings' from his horse, made a crook in his arm, made a little nest of the droppings, and plunked the bird in the middle of it. As they walked along, the bird became nice and warm and began to sing merrily. Suddenly, a hungry wolf heard the singing and leaped up and gobbled up the bird.

The Moral? It's not always your enemy who gets you into it; it's not always your friend who gets you out of it; and, when you're up to your neck in it - DON'T SING!!

Oh, yes - Happy Anniversary. Remember Thresher and her crew; and Scorpion and her crew.

"Mack the Knife"
CDR USN (Ret)

I tend to remember the USS Threasher more. Since I served on one of that class of boats. ARRROOOOOGGGGGGAAAAAHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday all. Here is a frosty one to all the shipmates that came before me and to all that are yet to be.

quote:

Originally posted by PO1_Kline:
And just think...the Sub Service doesn't look a day over 75!

I don't know man, just got back from my first Subvets meeting here yesterday, and there was one guy there said he didn't buy green bananas any more because he wasn't sure if he'd get a chance to eat them.

On a side note, the guy that served on the battle ship Wyoming, served on the Pargo and rode on the SSBN Wyoming tiger cruise was there too. John somethingoranother guess he lives in kansas now. Thought you would find that interesting...

I do find that interesting, 'sparky' (what's with that moniker - I thought you were originally in A-gang moving to O-gang?). Anyway, I use that line all the time. I always buy a banana with my cigs on the way to work every day. It's true - I never know if I'll get to eat a green one - and my Scottish heart doesn't want to waste anything.

As an aside, did you enjoy meeting all the ol' farts at the SubVets meeting? We enjoy ourselves, I'll tell ya that. Don't know if the younger folks do or not - but the stories are always good.

"Mack the Knife"
CDR USN (Ret)

E-Gang to O-Gang. Nuke all the way here. I actually had my first exposure to the subvets when I was in CT. A retired senior chief at our church passed and had in his last wishes for a party to be thrown for him at the subvets (and he, even after his death somehow picked up the tab). I had a blast there meeting all the (I want to say old, but I'll use a better sounding term) more experianced submariners. I really wanted to be more involved with the chapter, but it was difficult to find the time between the whole "division of one" thing and the three to four section duty of NR-1. Now that I'm out here in KS, I have a little more free time than I used to, and my wife, seeing how depressed I was not being around my kind (we have one other bubblehead in the unit) looked them up and got me to go to their meeting yesterday.

We bubbleheads are a little isolated out here, (they call it "drydocked") but sure as **** I was right back at home. Now I just need to make me one of those vests, I still got some old patches I could put to better use. I may have to do some talking but I think I might be able to get diesel boat status from the NR-1, we'll have to see, they've already conceded to "fast attack tough" though.

Well I’m happy to report we had an excellent 2nd annual USSVI (SS) Birthday Ball down in the Tri-Cities at the Shiloh Inn on Saturday night. Hosted by the Inland Empire USSVI Base. We had 50 plus folks show up. A WWII Submarineer from Bremerton base showed up selling the new Western District 4 USSVI Patch and we had one couple that had attended the Trout (SS-566) Reunion stay one more day to attend the (SS) Ball. The couple consisted of a MSC(SS) and his drop dead gorgeous wife. It was great that they blessed our party with their attendance. Just as last year, A.K.L. (SS) (Captain, Retired), who qualified me on the JA (SSBN-620)G just shy of 36 years ago cut the cake with the youngest member present. We had a great nine-piece swing band playing for us too. The string bass player showed up this year in uniform. A full CDR (Ret.) with Gold Dolphins and a SSBN deterrent patrol pin. Being near Hanford, we have more than our share of prior service and retiree NUC Submarineers living in the Tri-Cities area. We even had two token Naval Aviators. One a Capt retired who was the guest speaker flew S-2 trackers off the Essex (CVS-9) during the Cuban Missile crisis. He gave a motivational speech on team work and how it related to the Submarine Service. Great guy, (for an Airdale)….
Just as it was last year, it was good to set with John C. MMOM1/c(SS), who’s first boat was the R-20 out of Key West in 43, but he then went on to new construction and qualified on the Angler (SS-240) and did several war patrols in her. John C. rode into town with Len C., an EM2(SS) who’s qual boat was the Gudgeon (SS-567)… It was great to talk with both of these guys again. Len related two great N.S. sea stories about the Gudgeon. I’ll be glad to re-tell them here if you desire… Some of the younger crowd will probably call B.S. on them, but Len is a straight shooter and I’m sure CDR Mac will vouch for Len and me as to how things were “back in the day”….

Thanks for "being" Shipmates
May You All Have Fair Winds and Following Seas

This message has been edited. Last edited by: IC2SS19Z50C5,

Happy birthday bubbleheads

Shockey

Well, I attended the O's Ball held at Sub Base Bangor this past weekend.

This was my third ball and it's never the same and never boring......there's always something that's good for a story.

Granted, this is the silent service, but some things are just too good to not pass up.

Year one was the LTjg that really had a problem with me...

Number two was the civilian that had a real problem with me...

(Is there a trend happening here...?)

This year was getting to watch the dueling Navigators....oh, wait...now that I think about it, one was a WEPS...

quote:

Originally posted by egovreau:
Well, I attended the O's Ball held at Sub Base Bangor this past weekend.

So why was there a separate (SS) Birthday Ball for the O Div types....????.... No enlisted swine were allowed......????

The E's had their own Ball. As to why they do it that way, I don't know. If I had to guess, however, I'd say that it was because if it was combined, the turn out would be larger than most places could hold.

That's just a guess, though