1

Submitted by Mark Cormier, STS2(SS) G 79-81

The January 4th funeral

service for Capt. Mueller was

well attended by members of

his church community, local

retired officers, and many

relatives.

Closing comments were

given by his son Steven who

talked about missing his dad

on those long sub

deployments. He mentioned

Joe's many accomplishments

after his retirement. He

also thanked all military

men & women for their

service.

Retired Capt. (Any longtime friend) Curt

Holcomb talked about his desire to try Shrimping

on the Cooper River. It was something Joe

embraced with much success. Soon word spread

which was not a good thing because the spot was

right across from the Navy base.

Joe then invited the base commander to go

shrimping which went well until the boat motor

conked out. It must have been a sight to see Curt,

Joe and the base commander (In the darkness)

paddling back to safety!

Others sharing stories of Capt. Mueller

included Vice Admiral Malcolm Gages and Joe's

Grandson who told us how he took years of trying

before he could finally beat his grandfather at a

game of chess.

All the speakers mentioned Joe's over-the-top

sense of competitiveness and his generosity.

//STS2 Mark Cormier

VOL. 2019 #2 FEBRUARY 2019

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 8 - 2 0 2 0

PRESIDENT Tom [Marie] Krauser

VICE PRESIDENT Steve [Terry] Novic

SECRETARY Nick [Linda] Nichols

TREASURER Ken [Diane] Meigs

OUTGOING PRESIDENT Ray [Rita] Kreul

HISTORIAN / CUSTODIAN Larry [Linda] Knutson

WEBMASTER / NEWSLETTER Nick [Linda] Nichols

CHAPLAIN Jake Morris

STOREKEEPER / SHIPS STORE Jim [Suzie] Weaver

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

Former Stimson Gold Captain, Joseph B.

Mueller.

Capt. Muller's adult children, Steve, Rebecca & Ken with Gold-Crew member Mark Cormier

2

Editor: I also was able to attend Capt. Mueller‘s

memorial service. Many of you sent me emails

with some thoughts on your CO.

——————————————————————

REUNION CONTROL CENTER

I would like to take this

chance to let the Association

know why I was willing to have

the 2020 Reunion in Cincinnati.

To be perfectly honest I had

this (the 2020 Reunion) in the

back of my mind when we left for OKC and I had

talked to Debbie on the plane about it. I was

perfectly willing to let someone else do it. When

no one else raised their hands to volunteer at the

business meeting I knew mine was going up, I

had several reasons for volunteering.

The Navy and submarine service prepared me

for the rest of my life. At first it was being a part of

the deck gang, mess cook/planesman and doing

all the menial jobs by starting at the bottom. I was

not that good of a student in school when I

enlisted, but qualifying gave me the confidence of

what I could accomplish in life. Capt. Weeks was

a great influence in my life. He made the

arrangements to send me to several electronics

schools and eventually to "A" school…plus if not

for him I would have never been on the ship.

That start in life paved the way for a 45 year

career in communications. In my job promotions

were made by doing a 15 minute interview with

the director of the 911 Center where I worked.

Afterwards he asked me what I thought about the

interview. I told him after a qual board that lasted

for over 5 hours and having to draw all the major

systems of a submarine it was a piece of cake!

I figure the reunion is my way of giving back to

the Stimson, without that who knows where I

would be today. I'm banking on my experience

with the 2010 USSVI National Convention to be

able to pull this off and so far so good. This is

small change compared to hosting 1500

submariners. I also knew what a big help our

Convention and Visitors Bureau would be and

they did most of laying the foundation for picking a

hotel and will be a big help on the rest of our

plans.

To sum up, I'm doing this for the Captain and

the ship, may they both rest in peace.

//Dick

——————————————————————

From the Association President -

Tom Krauser, MM1(SS) B 72-74:

Happy Valentines Day to all my

shipmates and their families. Marie

and I just got back from visiting our

daughter in Maryland for a week to

find what the recent ―blizzard‖ had

left for us in upstate NY. My

granddaughter, bless her heart, had

cleared some of the snow but what she left got

wet and froze so I have a busy day ahead of me

clearing all the ice. I am ready for winter to be

over.

Dick Young and the reunion committee are

making great progress in setting up the 2020

reunion in Cincinnati Ohio. Look for his updates in

3

the newsletters.

If you have any questions or concerns for the

board, please feel free to contact us so we can

address them.

——————————————————————

From the Association Chaplain - The Rev.

John K. Morris, LT G/ENG 66-69

(Jake to y‟all)

Looking ahead at February and

March, I wondered when Easter (and

hence Lent) might fall this year.

Seems like Easter is late (April 21st) –

or maybe just right – depending on

your view. Easter Sunday falls

(Western Church) on the Sunday

after the full moon that occurs on or after the

spring equinox on March 21st. Actually, the date of

March 21st was set a long time ago by the Church

and does not always correspond to the

astronomical equinox. Easter Day cannot be

earlier than March 22nd or later than April 25th.

Anyway, you can look forward to February without

Lent intruding (which is what started my train of

thought)!

Hope the New Year is starting well for you and

that you have fair winds and following seas. //Jake

——————————————————————

From the Association Storekeeper - Jim

Weaver, SK2(SS) B 68-69; USSVI– Corvina

Base:

The ships store has patches,

decals and challenge coins ($5/ea +

$1 flat mailing fee). Email or text if

interested. 760-638-1036

jweaver2845@gmail.com

Some links to websites catering to

our Submariner needs. If you have used a

website to order submarine items from please

send this info to me:

SubmarineShop.com - this is where the shirts

and hats were made for the reunion

Designed for Submariners - a website

developed specifically for "Qualified

Submariners" and their families. The products

for sale on the site are all customizable.

——————————————————————

From the Association Historian/Memorabilia

Custodian - Larry Knutson, MMCS(SS) B 79-81

USSVI-Charleston Base:

I hope everyone who attended

the reunion had a chance to view the

selection of Association Memorabilia

that was there. I was unable to

attend and Gordon Long, who was

going to transport the items with him,

also had to cancel attendance at the last minute.

Gordon was able to ship the items for arrival on

Thursday and Nick brought everything back to

Charleston with him.

Don‘t forget the box of check-in cards Captain

Weeks had on every Gold Crew member of his

command. Several have asked for and received a

copy of their card. If you were on Bob‘s crew and

would like a copy just send an email to our

Secretary 655webmaster@ssbn655.org.

————–-—————————————————

From The Editor

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

EMINENT AMERICANS Namesakes of the

Polaris Submarine Fleet (41 for Freedom)

Polaris 1959 - This year is the year of the Polaris

Program. It has been 60 years since the program

burst onto the submarine scene and its impact is

still felt today. The marriage of so much technology

to convincingly prove to the Soviet Union and the

world that a reliable part of the Strategic […] Read

more of this post

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

STIMSON Association Life Membership:

IAW Article 1.VI.a. of our Bylaws, there is an

option for our shipmates to obtain a Lifetime

Membership (LTM) in our Association.

The Bylaws state: At any time, a member may

make a one-time payment of $100.00 for Lifetime

Membership. Special recognition and a separate

roster of all Lifetime Members shall be established

4

and maintained by the Secretary and posted on

the Web Site by the Webmaster.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Sharing Pictures with Shipmates:

If anyone has pictures you would like to share

with your shipmates please follow the directions in

this link and I will be glad to put them in the

newsletter.

Picture Upload Instructions (to Dropbox)

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The Lean Submariner

Here‘s the latest posts on the blog. Still going

strong. The link to his blog is

https://theleansubmariner.com/

*****

Happy New Year 2019 – Annual Report:

2018 was a great year overall - Happy New

Year I thought I would take a few minutes to

reflect on the year just completed and look

ahead to the coming year. Each day when I

check the web site statistics board, I think

about my readers and those who come for a

visit. In the eight years I have been blogging,

[…] Read more of this post

*****

The Emergency Meeting: January 1, 1959 -

The following transcript, (heavily redacted for

security reasons) is a record of an emergency

meeting held at the office of Manpower for the

United States Navy Bureau of Personnel on

New Year‘s Day 1959. This meeting was held

in the strictest secrecy and portions of the

meeting have only […] Read more of this

post

*****

Was that Regular mail delivery or Regulus

mail delivery? - Air Mail like None Other Of all

the submarine stories I have ever read, this

one ranks with the most unusual. In 1959, the

world was still reacting to the Soviet advances

in space. The Navy had invested a significant

amount of money on the Regulus Missile

system as a way to counter Soviet threats. […]

Read more of this post

*****

A Pocket-sized Nuclear Reactor on a Mini-

Submarine? (almost) circa 1958 - The

world's atomic agencies were watching

America's Naval Atomic program closely and

with great interest in 1959. In late 1958, the

focus on atomic submarines was still centered

on what came to be known as the fast attack.

In this report that highlighted all of the sea

going efforts at harnessing nuclear power, the

author […] Read more of this post

*****

I was… - The title of our daily devotion this

morning was ―I was.‖ The story was about a

man‘s reflection when he heard another

person talk about what they were before they

retired. It occurred to me that at a certain point

in all of our lives, we become that person. All

of the titles […] Read more of this post

*****

EMINENT AMERICANS Namesakes of the

Polaris Submarine Fleet (41 for Freedom)

Polaris 1959 - This year is the year of the

Polaris Program. It has been 60 years since

the program burst onto the submarine scene

and its impact is still felt today. The marriage

of so much technology to convincingly prove to

the Soviet Union and the world that a reliable

part of the Strategic […] Read more of this

post

*****

Obstacles to Overcome – Building the

Polaris Submarine - It is a well-known fact

among the submarine community that the USS

George Washington started out life as the fast

attack submarine Scorpion. Building the new

boat was driven by the need for a platform for

the Polaris missile system. Normally when a

new submarine or ship […] Read more of this

post

*****

Inconceivable – It was just a plastic toy

anyone could buy for $2.98 - A most unusual

executive session This story is about the

5

transcripts from a Congressional committee

meeting of a most unusual nature. It was held

on April 9, 1960 on board the USS George

Washington. Some interesting notes: The boat

was underway, the depth was 400 feet at the

time and had just conducted a […] Read more

of this post

*****

First in War, First in Peace, First in the

Hearts of His Countrymen - I asked for a

sign and this is what I got (1638 EST 1/7/2019)

I monitor the traffic on the web site each day to

see what is working and what is not. It was

kind of an interesting surprise to open the blog

up and see that number on the left. Recently,

the focus […] Read more of this post

*****

Writing the story of the “Eminent

Americans… Namesakes of the Polaris

Submarine Fleet” - Writing the story of the

―Eminent Americans… Namesakes of the

Polaris Submarine Fleet‖ Of all the treasures

about submarine lore that have been

recorded, very few meet the level of

excitement for me than the book listed in the

title to this post. When Admiral Rickover

originally wrote his letters about the men who

make […] Read more of this post

*****

USS John Adams SSBN 620 – Libertatem

amicitiam retinebis et fidem (Freedom and

friendship thou shall preserve, and faith) -

USS John Adams SSBN 620 When I first read

the book by Admiral Rickover about the 41 for

Freedom boats, I was curious about the order

of the chapters. After all, the hull numbers

started at 598 and here we were on the

second chapter with hull number 620. But to

Admiral Rickover‘s ordered mind, the […]

Read more of this post

*****

The End of the World was THIS close. (The

Gaither Report and its consequences) - The

End of the World was THIS close. This is a

story about a series of events that happened

in the late 1950‘s that changed the course of

the world in one of its darkest times. America

and her allies had squared off against the

Soviet Union in an increasingly complex game

of […] Read more of this post

*****

——————————————————————

The following Stimson Shipmates have

departed on Eternal Patrol.

=====

CAPT(SS) Joseph Brian Mueller G CO 77-81

Departed on Eternal Patrol 12.31.18

(reported by Chaplain Jake Morris and many other

shipmates)

MM1(SS) John W. Kohenskey G 71-76

Departed on Eternal Patrol 1.22.19

(reported by George Pledger)

=====

The direct link to the Association Eternal Patrol

page is: http://ssbn655.org/eternal-patrol/

eternal-patrol.html

=====

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)

*********

——————————————————————

BINNACLE LIST

(if you would like to be placed on our Association

Binnacle List please send an email to

655webmaster@ssbn655.org)

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

William E. 'Bill' Ratliff, CDR(SS) G XO 68-70

Cards to: 3604 Windmoore Ct., Chantilly, VA 20151-

3381

6

12.20.18: Bill is receiving "in Home Hospice Care"

since 11/1/18. He has frontal lobe dementia and is

unable to walk. Cards & notes welcome.

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

William „Sandy‟ Hastie, CAPT B CO 80 (Oct-

Dec)

Cards to: 365 Kenmure Dr., Flat Rock NC 28731

11.22.18: We are very please that the treatments

are working. Thanks be to God. You certainly may

use our message in your newsletter. Please let

people know that we appreciate their prayers. //

Donna & Sandy

11.20.18: Friends, Sandy and I hope your

Thanksgiving is filled with peace, love, great joy…

and great food! We are well, and hope that is true

for you and your family.

We have not sent an update for a while and

wanted to let you know that Sandy is doing

well. He has had eight Keytruda infusions and

two PET/CT scans since June and the

immunotherapy continues to control (and

eliminate) the mesothelioma cancer. As long as

this continues, he will have an infusion every

three weeks and a scan every three months to

ensure that the Keytruda continues to

work. Keytruda causes significant inflammation in

the body and this in turn causes joint pain. Sandy

has had continued joint pain and is taking

prednisone to help control the pain. He is working

to take a minimum dose because of the possible

side effects of steroids; however, the joint pain is

severe at times and we are looking for something

that will help the pain without increasing the

steroid. This is the only side effect of the

immunotherapy he has experienced and he feels

blessed because there are other side effects

noted in studies that are so severe the

immunotherapy is stopped.

Sandy’s quality of life is good, has a good

appetite, we walk often and we work to keep

healthy. A good friend mentioned to him that God

is doing His job by giving Sandy this time; and

Sandy’s job is to do all he can to stay

healthy. “Thanks be to God for His indescribable

gift!” (II Cor. 9:15)

We have learned the process of getting better

and now we are learning the process of

maintaining, and we are grateful every day for our

blessed life, enjoying our time together that we

value each day. We are both happy to be in our

"happily ever after place," the beautiful Western

North Carolina mountains” and our Kenmure

community.

We wish the peace and joy of family and

friends be with you this thanksgiving time. As we

all enjoy this day of thanksgiving, let’s take a

minute to say thanks to the brave men and

women of our armed forces, away from home in

harm’s way, protecting our safety and to our first

responders who face danger to help us stay safe.

We hope each of you is with those you love

this Thanksgiving and are able to count many

blessings – we know we count you as some of

ours. Your prayers are felt and appreciated.

We continue to be sustained with hope, peace,

and gratitude. //Donna and Sandy

10.26.18: I will be getting a PET scan this

Sunday, October 28. I will give you the results

then. The treatments seem to be going well. The

PET scan should give us a definitive answer on

whether the Keytruda infusions continue to

work. //Sandy

7.25.18: Friends, four months ago we received

devastating news, first a CT scan at Duke showed

that the mesothelioma had returned in force; the

following week Sandy had a PET scan at Pardee

Hospital that showed the cancer had

metastasized to his abdominal/hepatic region,

chest wall and lymph nodes. Dr. John Hill, his

local oncologist, started Sandy on Keytruda

immune therapy infusions immediately and he

received an infusion every three weeks. Sandy

had a PET/CT scan at Pardee Hospital on Sunday

(July 22) to determine if the treatment was

working to reduce or at least stabilize the growth

of cancer. Today we received the best possible

news. Not only has the large nodule in his chest

7

been reduced by 75% but the remaining cancer

nodules are no longer evident.

——————————————————————

WELCOME ABOARD: Found & Updated

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 contact

info.)

**********

MM1(SS) Mike Buraczewski G 76-79

(info updated by shipmate)

MM3(SS) Alan Caraway G Decom 91-93

(info updated by shipmate)

MM1(SS) Steve Woodside G 72-76

(info updated by shipmate)

LT(SS) Robert ‗Bob‘ Sands G (WEPS) 77-81

(info updated by shipmate)

LT(SS) William ‗Chop‘ Rowan B (SUPPO) 88-91

(info updated by shipmate)

LT(SS) David Rubright G 69-71

(info updated by shipmate)

Many of our shipmates are on FaceBook but are

not listed on our Sailing List. Please check the

new ‗Looking For‘ Sailing List on the website to

help locate these shipmates. When you see

shipmates on Facebook ask them if they are on

the Sailing List and please send them a personal

invite to contact 655webmaster@ssbn655.org to

be listed and become a member of the Stimson

Association.

——————————————————————

GREAT LINKS TO SPEND TIME WITH

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

website)

**********

655 Association Website

www.ssbn655.org

**********

Why China‟s SSBN Force Will Fall Short for

the Foreseeable Future

China simply cannot rely on its SSBN force to act

as a reliable second-strike deterrent against the

United States. Not all ballistic missiles submarines

are built equal, and neither is all maritime

geography. https://thediplomat.com/2019/01/

why-chinas-ssbn-force-will-fall-short-for-the-

foreseeable-future/

**********

Worse than you thought: inside the secret

Fitzgerald probe the Navy doesn‟t want you to

read

A scathing internal Navy probe into the 2017

collision that drowned seven sailors on the guided

-missile destroyer Fitzgerald details a far longer

list of problems plaguing the vessel, its crew and

superior commands than the service has publicly

admitted. https://www.navytimes.com/news/

your-navy/2019/01/14/worse-than-you-thought-

inside-the-secret-fitzgerald-probe-the-navy-

doesnt-want-you-to-read/?utm_source=clavis

**********

——————————————————————

THINGS FROM OUR SHIPMATES:

SEA STORIES, COMMENTS, JOKES, ETC.

=====

Submitted by Ray Varkalis, RM? B 88-91

My Canopus story: 89-91, 655B, during a

missile offload, the brow was 2' away from the

missile, life goes on cause everyone has shit they

gotta get done, alot of traffic across the brow. Too

much for the Weps, he tells the topside roving

watch, my buddy Newman to take his shotgun to

the top of the brow and secure it. I went up with

him, and we were standing on the Canopus at the

top of the brow. An unarmed marine told him to

take that weapon off his ship or else. We both

laughed at the 5' tall jarhead, and told him bring it

on. He left, we laughed, there's a bird hanging

8

halfway out the nest. All of a sudden a whole f..n

platoon came out of nowhere and pinned me to

the bulkhead with a barrel at my forehead, they

had Newman on the deck stripping him of his

weapon. Our Weps came running up the brow,

and they pointed a rifle at him, he put his hand on

his 45, the jarhead yelled at the Weps I will shoot

you! About then is when a little old master chief

came walking around the corner and yelled "stand

down marine". He told the Weps to keep his guns

on his ship, and that "my boys will secure the

tender". And then the old master chief told

everyone to stand down and cut off the plastic

zipties off our wrists. Fun times. Anyone else

remember that?

=====

Submitted by George Birmingham, ET1(SS) G 69-

74

Most of us over 65 were HOME SCHOOLED - in

many ways but never knew it!!!

25 lessons we all learned below.

1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A

JOB WELL DONE.

"If you're going to kill each other, do it outside.

I just finished cleaning.‖

2. My mother taught me RELIGION.

"You better pray that will come out of the

carpet.‖

3. My father taught me about TIME TRAVEL.

"If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock

you into the middle of next week!‖

4. My father taught me LOGIC.

"Because I said so, that's why.‖

5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC .

"If you fall out of that swing and break your

neck, you're not going to the store with me.‖

6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT.

"Make sure you wear clean underwear, in

case you're in an accident.‖

7. My father taught me IRONY.

"Keep crying, and I'll give you something to

cry about.‖

8. My mother taught me about the science of

OSMOSIS.

"Shut your mouth and eat your supper.‖

9. My mother taught me about

CONTORTIONISM.

"Just you look at that dirt on the back of your

neck!‖

10. My mother taught me about STAMINA.

"You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone.‖

11. My mother taught me about WEATHER.

"This room of yours looks as if a tornado went

through it.‖

12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY.

"If I told you once, I've told you a million times,

don't exaggerate!‖

13. My father taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE.

"I brought you into this world, and I can take

you out…"

14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR

MODIFICATION .

"Stop acting like your father!‖

15. My mother taught me about ENVY.

"There are millions of less fortunate children in

this world who don't have wonderful parents like

you do.‖

16. My mother taught me about

ANTICIPATION.

"Just wait until we get home.‖

17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING

"You are going to get it from your father when

you get home!‖

18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE.

"If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are

going to get stuck that way.‖

19. My mother taught me ESP.

"Put your sweater on; don't you think I know

when you are cold?‖

20. My father taught me HUMOR.

"When that lawn mower cuts off your toes,

don't come running to me..‖

21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME

AN ADULT.

"If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never

grow up.‖

22. My mother taught me GENETICS.

"You're just like your father.‖

9

23. My mother taught me about my ROOTS.

"Shut that door behind you. Do you think you

were born in a barn?‖

24. My mother taught me WISDOM

"When you get to be my age, you'll

understand.

25. My father taught me about JUSTICE .

"One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn

out just like you!‖

=====

Submitted by Antoine Delaforterie, STS2(SS) G

79-83 (Stories concerning Capt. Mueller)

J B and His Fishing

We were one of the first submarines

redeployed to Kings Bay. There was nothing

down there but alligators, diamond backs, a

railroad spur to the pier and a dirt road leading to

it.

Many years later, as a member of MIUWU214,

we did an exercise with Kings Bay as our base of

operations. That dirt road is now Stimson

Boulevard. Back in 1980, the joke was that the

Navy built the base the Air Force way. Build the

Exchange and golf course first, and then beg

congress for additional funding to build the rest of

the base.

Anyway. JB loved his fishing. At the time, the

base was nothing but that rail spur, a small pier

and vast stretches of salt marsh.

I was topside watch one day and he was

returning with one of those white 5 gallon buckets

with a decent quantity of nice sized shrimp he had

caught with a small net. Never knew whether it

was the shrimp or something else he caught in the

marsh but we deployed and, shortly thereafter, JB

fell ill.He was sick for several days then he

recovered and the patrol went on.

Sonar Repair in the Superstructure

As the junior STS, I was assigned to maintain

all the sonar equipment in the superstructure.

There‘s no joy equal to the task of contorting

oneself to locate and lubricate Zerk fittings,

replacing towed arrays bitten off by sharks or cut

off by your own screw, yes, Comms has

precedence over the towed array. Replacing that

or one of the multitudes of cables that invariably

failed is pure joy, especially if you had to be in the

superstructure on a nice summer day in Kings

Bay.

Invariably the system most noted for the soft

yellow glow, indicating failure, of indicator lights,

was the countermeasures panel located next to

the QM stand. Externally, the system was 8 tubes,

about 6 feet ahead of the sail, 4 per side. If you

look at pictures of the boat, you can see the exit

apertures.

Those cables always corroded. I had read up on

the system and replaced the cable, the lights now

all green.

During the ensuing patrol, one of the lights

turned yellow and, as the "system expert", I was

called upon to explain to JB why it was so. I

explained that, from the literature, you may get a

failure indication but as long as 3 pins had

positive contact, it would launch.

JB, twinkle in his eye, reached over and

pushed the offending button. Immediately, we

heard the thud of the countermeasure launching,

the light turned red and I had passed JB‘s bullshit

detector test.

My prize? To replace the countermeasure and

the cable on our return.

The Wrong Side of JB

I did get on the wrong side of JB a couple of

times. Once was completely justified and I lost a

stripe for it.

The other one, we were on patrol when they

decided to run a drill for hidden explosive

devices.

Sonar‘s sweep area was upper level ops forward

of sonar/radio. That includes the passageway, the

PN office, sonar, forward storage/electronics area

and the XO & CO cabin and head.

That lucky day, I was assigned to do the level

1, 2 & 3 searches. Lo and behold, I found a bomb

10

in a storage compartment in the XO‘s stateroom.

All Hell broke loose, as this was not one of the

weapons planted for the exercise. JB came up to

me and read me the riot act for searching the

staterooms. Yes, I had found a bomb but It was a

spare kept by Woodman.

=====

Submitted by Wayne Fourniquet ETN2(SS) B 72-

76

I‘ve been enjoying a 10% discount at Lowe‘s for

quite some time due to my veteran status, I have

my veteran‘s status loaded on my ―my Lowes‖

card which is also good in that you do not need to

save or track sales receipts. The cashier thanks

me for my service every time during or after I

check out. This last weekend I pulled up at our

local store and noticed 4 reserved spaces right up

front. ―Thank you …. Lowe‘s‖.

——————————————————————

VETERANS AFFAIRS - RETIREE INFO

https://www.va.gov/

And FLEET RESERVE

<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

President Trump Signs Veterans Benefits and

Transition Act

President Trump signed into law the Veterans

Benefits and Transition Act (S.2248), sponsored

by Sen. Jon Tester (Mont.), Ranking Member of

the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. The bill

provides the following provisions:

Provides transparency by requiring the

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to notify

Congress in the event of any significant cost

increase, schedule delay, loss of veteran health

data or breach of privacy in regard to

implementing the VA Electronic Health Record

(EHR);

Requires the VA to report on the possibility of

expanding veterans' access to dental care;

Mandates that the VA to notify veterans with

easy-to-understand electronic or standard mail

notification of any debt that veteran owes to the

VA and the steps they can take to dispute that

debt;

Allows VA to provide headstones or burial

markers to a Native American veteran's spouse

and dependents who wish to be buried alongside

their loved one in a tribal veterans' cemetery;

Forces schools that receive G.I. Bill benefits to

adopt a policy that it will not impose a late fee,

restrict a student veterans' access to campus

facilities, or otherwise punish a student veteran

due to a late payment of tuition or fees from the

VA.

"This legislation is the product of hard work,

compromise and bipartisanship," said Tester. "I

have been honored to work with Chairman

Isakson this Congress... for our nation's veterans."

——————————————————————

Submitted by W.O. Posey, EMCM(SS) B COB 79-

81

That time a surfacing Russian sub slammed

into an American spy submarine

Blake Stilwell Jan. 06, 2017 12:35PM EST | We

ere the Mighty

A submarine surfacing can happen pretty fast.

And pretty violently.

Even at its calmest and slowest pace, that's

still almost 9,000 tons of titanium-hulled, nuclear-

powered Russian sub coming at you at 8 miles

per-hour.

In February 1992, the crew of the USS Baton

Rouge was probably pretty surprised to find out

11

their secret spy mission had been uncovered.

How it was discovered was both surprising and

entirely by accident, recounted in a paper from

MIT's Defense and Arms Control Studies

Program.

The Baton Rouge was assigned to monitor the

Russian Navy near the port city of Murmansk. The

Soviet Union fell just a few months prior, but the

U.S. Navy was still very interested in what the

nascent – but still formidable – former Soviet Navy

was up to.

All was going well off the coast of Murmansk

as the Baton Rouge conducted its mission silently

and unnoticed, until the crew was rocked by an

impact from outside the boat. A Russian Sierra I-

class sub, the Kostroma, collided with Baton

Rouge from below as the Russian sub was trying

to surface.

The American's hull was scratched and had

tears in its port ballast tank. The Kostroma's

conning tower slammed into the American sub at

8 miles per-hour as the Russian moved to

surface. Its sail was crushed from the impact.

Embarrassing? Yes. Deadly? Thankfully no.

Both American and Russian subs get much bigger

and much heavier than the Sierra I-class

Kostroma and the Los Angeles-class Baton

Rouge. Both can carry nuclear-capable cruise

missiles, but neither were equipped with those

weapons at the time.

After ensuring neither submarine required

assistance both returned to port for repairs. In

1995 the U.S. Congress determined that repairing

the Baton Rouge would be too costly and the boat

was decommissioned.

——————————————————————

Whatever Happened To The Merrimack‟s

Brass Bell?

(VIRGINIAN-PILOT 06 JAN 19) ... Katherine

Hafner

NORFOLK, Va. — The brass bell, most of it,

anyway, has survived the Battle of Hampton

Roads, a Portsmouth church fire and the melting

pot of a Baltimore foundry.

Now it's tucked away in a Civil War exhibit at

the Hampton Roads Naval Museum.

The bell from the USS Merrimack-turned-CSS

Virginia sits behind plexiglass under a ―Battle of

Hampton Roads‖ sign, next to a cannonball from

the same ship.

In September, The Virginian-Pilot published a

Back in the Day feature that mentioned a brass

bell from the Merrimack given to the Norfolk

Museum of Arts and Sciences in 1953. That led a

reader to pose the question, through the

newspaper‘s Glad You Asked initiative: Where is

the bell now?

Turns out it endured quite a lot before it ever

made it to a curator's custody.

"This particular one is a little bit mysterious," said

Joseph Judge, deputy director at the naval

museum.

The Union‘s Merrimack, a first-in-class steam

frigate, was built at Boston‘s Charlestown

shipyard and launched in 1855. Six years later it

was at Gosport Navy Yard in Portsmouth —

what‘s now Norfolk Naval Shipyard — for repairs

when the Confederacy approached.

In April 1861 the shipyard, along with the

Merrimack and 10 other ships, was burned to

avoid capture, according to Pilot archives. Virginia

seceded from the Union five days later.

The Merrimack remained underwater for about

a month before the Confederates salvaged its hull

12

to build the ironclad Virginia, Judge said.

The Virginia fought in the famed Battle of

Hampton Roads before it was scuttled by its crew

near Craney Island, he said.

Among the wreckage about a decade later the

bell would be found, according to ―Ironclad Down‖

by Carl D. Park.

"Although a ship's bell has no bearing on the

construction of the ship, the story of the Virginia's

bell is worth telling," Park wrote in the 2007 book.

Around 1875, a diver had a government

contract to blow up parts of the wreck and salvage

what could be saved.

He recovered the bell from the Elizabeth River

and gave it to St. Paul's Catholic Church in

Portsmouth, according to historical accounts,

where it hung in the belfry until 1907. That year, a

devastating fire swept through the church and

broke the ironclad's bell vertically in half. The

remains, along with other scrap metal from the

fire, were sent to Baltimore to be recast into a new

church bell, Park wrote.

But a Hampton Roads woman, "believing that

the damaged Virginia bell was an important part of

Southern history that should be preserved," went

to the foundry and retrieved it before it was tossed

into a melting pot, he wrote. It went to her brother-

in-law upon her death, and subsequently to his

daughter.

The daughter, W.E. Darden, later told the Pilot

that her father " 'loved the bell' and would take it

on the porch every New Year's Eve and use it to

ring out the old year and ring in the new."

He'd had many offers to buy it, including from

the Sons of Confederate Veterans, but refused to

sell, according to the 1953 newspaper article.

"It was exhibited in a store window in

downtown Norfolk once when the Virginia

Confederate Veterans reunion was held here and

was on display on several other occasions,"

according to the article.

In 1953, Darden donated the bell to what was

then the Norfolk Museum of Arts and Sciences

and became the Chrysler Museum, which still

owns the bell.

It‘s been on long-term loan with the naval

museum since the 1980s, according to the

Chrysler.

The ship bell is one of several the museum has

on display, Judge said, though it‘s fairly rare to

have one from the Civil War era.

"Bells are very emotional artifacts to the Navy,"

he said. "Symbolically, they're very rich in

meaning."

"We're preserving the heart of a ship," added

Max Lonzanida, spokesman for the museum.

The bell is engraved with the fading words,

"Ship Bell of Ironclad Merrimac."

Judge said he doesn‘t know when that was

inscribed. There‘s also been mention of a replica

of the bell or a second one pulled from the

wreckage of the Merrimack or Virginia.

Some details about its origin and journey,

Judge said, remain a mystery.

https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-

navy/2019/01/05/whatever-happened-to-the-

merrimacks-brass-bell/

——————————————————————

A New Clue Could Explain The Mysterious

Disappearance Of A Civil War Submarine

David Williams, CNN, January 16

A broken pipe may help explain why a famous

Civil War submarine sank off of Charleston, South

Carolina, more than 150 years ago.

The H.L. Hunley became the first submarine to

successfully attack an enemy ship in combat

when it sank the wooden ship USS Housatonic on

February 17, 1864. The Confederate vessel

disappeared with all its eight crew members.

More than 130 years later the Hunley was

discovered on the ocean floor. The sub was

raised and taken to a laboratory in North

Charleston in 2000.

Since then, conservators and archaeologists

have been working to preserve the vessel and

study its contents in hopes of finally figuring out

what happened.

They found the broken intake pipe at the front

13

of the Hunley while cleaning away the thick, rock-

hard coating of sand, shells, sea life and other

materials -- known as concretion -- that built up on

it over time. The pipe carried water to a ballast

tank that helped the sub submerge and surface.

There was a 1-inch gap where the pipe was

supposed to mount to the side wall.

"It left a crescent-shaped opening in the hull

which would be a great place to flood and sink

your submarine," said Clemson University

archaeologist Michael Scafuri, who's been

working with the Hunley team since 2000.

The evidence is interesting, but not conclusive.

Scafuri said researchers can tell that the pipe

broke around the time the Hunley sunk because

of the amount of concretion that covered the

break, but they can't yet tell whether the pipe

broke during the attack or came apart after it

sank.

"Obviously, with something like this, it's

important (to know) if it happened the night of the

attack and thereby might have caused the sinking,

or if it happened two weeks later from some other

reason after the submarine has already sunk," he

said.

Researchers at the University of Michigan

found it would have only taken 50-75 gallons of

water to drag the Hunley to the ocean floor,

according to a news release from the Friends of

the Hunley organization. It would have only taken

minutes for that much water to flow in through the

hole.

The hole was small enough that a crew

member could have stuffed something in it to slow

the flow of water, or pumped the water, but that

doesn't seem to have happened.

"They weren't trying to escape or taking other

actions to save the sub," Scafuri said. "There's no

sign of panic on board."

On the night of the attack, Scarfuri said that

the captain's single candle would have been the

only light in the cramped, 25-foot long crew area.

If the candle went out, or was lost, they would

have been working in the dark. There also would

have been a fair amount of noise from the ocean

around them.

"I don't know if he could see it, I don't know if

he could hear it," he said.

The crew members' skeletal remains were

found at their stations and their bodies had no

obvious physical injuries.

A number of theories have tried to explain the

mystery of the Hunley. Maybe the crew went too

deep, misjudged their oxygen supply and got

trapped by the current. Maybe a nearby ship

collided with the sub, throwing it off balance into

chaotic waters. Maybe a bullet made it through a

porthole, killing the captain and leaving the crew

adrift at sea.

The Hunley used a 135-pound bomb that was

attached to a 16-foot long pole to sink the

Housatonic. Some scientists think the shock

waves from the explosion could have killed or

incapacitated the crew, but a US Navy study

determined that they would have survived the

blast.

"It's kind of a mystery," Scarfuri said.

He compared the archaeology to a crime

scene investigation, but said it's now a very cold

case.

"All of the evidence that was fresh at the time

of the sinking is now blurred," Scarfuri said.

Scarfuri said each new piece of evidence gives

researchers a better understanding of this

important naval battle. He hopes they will one day

get to the truth, but said he can't make any

promises.

"It's not up to us," he added. "It's up to the

evidence."

——————————————————————

Ensign Keeps New Year‟s Day Rhyming Deck

Log Tradition Alive

(USNI NEWS 02 JAN 19) ... Ben Werner

According to almost a century of Navy

tradition, the year‘s first deck log entry on a U.S.

warship must be written in rhyme. The tradition is

a tricky one since the entry must still include all

the required information about a ship‘s location,

14

propulsion and operations.

On Jan. 1, Arleigh Burke guided-missile

destroyer USS McCampbell (DDG-85) happened

to be operating closest to the International Date

Line and was the first U.S. ship to enter 2019.

Ens. Lauren Larar was the officer of the deck at

the time, and her log entry has garnered attention,

not just for being first, but for the amount of detail

she included about operating on New Year‘s Day.

―Steaming alone over waters no trouble,

McCampbell is ready to fight on the double. /With

lights burning brightly above on the mast, All

engines standard, 16 knots going fast,‖ Larar‘s

entry starts.

Larar includes information about the ship‘s

propulsion, course and what the commanding

officer was doing.

―CO‘s in her chair, she‘s up on the Bridge,

We‘re still left of track, we‘ll come right just a

smidge,‖ wrote Larar.

Given the tradition allows some latitude about

permitting embellishments to the entry, Larar was

able to work McCampbell‘s motto into the final

stanza, writing, ―We‘re mighty, we‘re strong, we

cannot be rattled/In the year that‘s to come we‘ll

stay RELENTLESS IN BATTLE!‖

Larar‘s entry captured the attention of Chief of

Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson, who

linked to the entry in his Facebook page New

Year‘s greeting to the fleet.

―Team, it is my pleasure to share the first deck

log entry of 2019 from USS McCampbell (DDG-

85), one of the first Navy ships to enter 2019,‖

Richardson wrote. ―I ask that everyone keep our

shipmates standing the watch around the world in

their thoughts. Happy New Year team!‖

It‘s not clear how the tradition of writing the first

deck log entry in verse started, according to a

post in the Navy History and Heritage Command

blog, The Sextant.

The New Year‘s tradition of composing deck

log entries in verse does appear to be unique to

the U.S. Navy, according to the blog post. The

U.K. Royal Navy, which is the source for many of

the U.S. Navy‘s traditions, does not celebrate

rhyming log deck entries.

The New Year‘s tradition possibly started as a

way to offer a way for the junior officer to

celebrate the new year while stuck on the bridge

as the crew celebrated, Capt. Robert McNitt wrote

in a 1959 Proceedingsarticle.

―Bad enough, when the ship is in port to forego

a big time ashore; worse still to stand chilled to

the bone on a deserted quarterdeck and glumly

greet the still celebrating shipmates who manage

to make it back before dawn,‖ McNitt wrote. ―And

so grew up the custom of logging the first watch of

the New Year in verse, providing some diversion

for the wretched watch officer, and amusement for

his shipmates the next day.‖

Among the earliest known New Year‘s deck log

rhyming entries is one composed by Ens. E. V.

Dockweiler, the officer of the deck aboard USS

Idaho (BB-42). On New Year‘s day 1926, Idaho

was in San Pedro, Calif., a harbor known for

swells that rolled ships as they were berthed,

McNitt wrote.

―We are anchored in Pedro Harbor Tho there

isn‘t much of a lee, And why they call it a harbor Is

something I never could see!‖ Dockweiler wrote in

1926.

However, McNitt noted a message from

Dockweiler‘s commanding officer, Capt. A. St.

Clair Smith, that suggests the tradition dates even

further in the past. St. Clair Smith‘s message

states, ―The Captain is glad to see that the old

Navy custom of writing up the first watch of the

year in rhyme is known to the younger members

of the Service. The watch stands as written.‖

The following is the entire USS McCampbell

(DDG-85) middle watch deck log composed by

Ens. Lauren Larar, for Jan. 1, 2019.

Steaming alone over waters no trouble,

McCAMPBELL is ready to fight on the double.

With lights burning brightly above on the mast,

All engines standard, 16 knots going fast.

We cut through the waters below deep and blue,

Our course is 200, degrees true.

15

Our position is in the sea to the east.

Our stomachs are full from the grand

midrats feast.

1 alpha, 2 bravo are turning each shaft,

Alpha power units move rudders back aft.

Numbers 2 and 3 are the paralleled GTGs

Material Condition is Modified Z.

Computer assisted manual is the steering mode,

So we can maneuver per Rules of the Road.

CO‘s in her chair, she‘s up on the Bridge,

We‘re still left of track, we‘ll come right

just a smidge.

TAO down in Combat, monitoring aircraft

and chats,

And EOOW in Central, stay vigilant Hellcats!

The year that‘s behind us was challenging,

yes, indeed,

But Ready 85 will always succeed.

We‘re mighty, we‘re strong, we cannot be rattled

In the year that‘s to come we‘ll stay

RELENTLESS IN BATTLE!

https://news.usni.org/2019/01/02/middle-watch

-rhyming-in-the-new-year

——————————————————————

Truth or Fiction --- who can say?

The Origin of "Old Sayings"

Early aircraft throttles had a ball on the end of

it, in order to go full throttle the pilot had to push

the throttle all the way forward into the wall of the

instrument panel. Hence "balls to the wall" for

going very fast. And now you know the rest of the

story.

*****************************

During WWII, U.S. Airplanes were armed with

belts of ammo, which they would shoot during

dogfights and on strafing runs. These belts

were folded into the wing compartments that fed

their machine guns. These belts measure 27 feet

and contained hundreds of cartridges. Often

times, the pilots would return from their missions

having expended all of their bullets on various

targets. They would say, "I gave them the whole

nine yards," meaning they used up all of

their ammunition.

*****************************

Did you know the saying "God willing and the

creek don't rise" was in reference to the Creek

Indians and not a body of water? It was written by

Benjamin Hawkins in the late 18th century. He

was a politician and Indian diplomat. While in the

South, Hawkins was requested by the President

to return to Washington. In his response, he was

said to write, "God willing and the Creek don't

rise." Because he capitalized the word "Creek" he

was referring to the Creek Indian tribe and not

a body of water.

*****************************

In George Washington's days, there were no

cameras. One's image was either sculpted or

painted. Some paintings of George Washington

showed him standing behind a desk with one arm

behind his back while others showed both legs

and both arms. Prices charged by painters were

not based on how many people were to be

painted, but by how many limbs were to be

painted. Arms and legs are 'limbs,' therefore

painting them would cost the buyer more. Hence

the expression, 'Okay, but it'll cost you an arm

and a leg.' (Artists know hands and arms are

more difficult to paint.)

*****************************

As incredible as it sounds, in early days, men

and women took baths only twice a year (May and

October). Women kept their hair covered, while

men shaved their heads (because of lice and

bugs) and wore wigs. Wealthy men could afford

good wigs made from wool. They couldn't wash

the wigs, so to clean them they would carve out a

loaf of bread, put the wig in the shell, and bake it

for 30 minutes. The heat would make the wig big

and fluffy, hence the term 'big wig'. Today we

often use the term here comes the 'Big Wig'

because someone appears to be or is powerful

and wealthy.

*****************************

In the late 1700's, many houses consisted of a

large room with only one chair. Commonly, a long

wide bench folded down from the wall, and was

16

used for dining. The 'head of the household'

always sat in the chair while everyone else ate

sitting on the bench. Occasionally a guest, who

was usually a man, would be invited to sit in this

chair during a meal. To sit in the chair meant you

were important and in charge. They called the one

sitting in the chair the 'chair man.' Today in

business, we use the expression or title

'Chairman' or 'Chairman of the Board.'

*****************************

Personal hygiene left much room for

improvement. As a result, many women and men

had developed acne scars by adulthood. The

women would spread bee's wax over their facial

skin to smooth out their complexions. When they

were speaking to each other, if a woman began to

stare at another woman's face she was told, 'mind

your own bee's wax.' Should the woman smile,

the wax would crack, hence the term 'crack a

smile'. In addition, when they sat too close to the

fire, the wax would melt. Therefore, the

expression 'losing face.'

*****************************

Ladies wore corsets, which would lace up in

the front. A proper and dignified woman, as in

'straight laced' wore a tightly tied corset.

*****************************

Common entertainment included playing

cards. However, there was a tax levied when

purchasing playing cards but only applicable to

the 'Ace of Spades.' To avoid paying the tax,

people would purchase 51 cards instead. Yet,

since most games require 52 cards, these people

were thought to be stupid or dumb because they

weren't 'playing with a full deck.'

*****************************

Early politicians required feedback from the

public to determine what the people considered

important. Since there were no telephones, TV's,

radios nor internet, the politicians sent their

assistants to local taverns, pubs, and bars. They

were told to 'go sip some Ale and listen to

people's conversations and political

concerns. Many assistants were dispatched at

different times. 'You go sip here' and 'You go sip

there.' The two words 'go sip' were eventually

combined when referring to the local opinion and,

thus we have the term ‗gossip.'

*****************************

At local taverns, pubs, and bars, people

drank from pint and quart-sized containers. A

barmaid's job was to keep an eye on

the customers and keep the drinks coming. She

had to pay close attention and remember who

was drinking in pints and who was drinking in

quarts, hence the phrase 'minding your Ps and

Qs.'

*****************************

One more: bet you didn't know this! In the

heyday of sailing ships, all warships and many

freighters carried iron cannons. Those

cannons fired round iron cannon balls. It was

necessary to keep a good supply near the

cannon. However, how to prevent them from

rolling about the deck? The best storage method

devised was a square-based pyramid with one

ball on top, resting on four resting on nine, which

rested on sixteen. Thus, a supply of 30 cannon

balls could be stacked in a small area right next to

the cannon. There was only one problem; how to

prevent the bottom layer from sliding or rolling

from under the others. The solution was a

metal plate called a 'Monkey' with 16 round

indentations. However, if this plate were made of

iron, the iron balls would quickly rust to it. The

solution to the rusting problem was to make

'Brass Monkeys.' Few landlubbers realize that

brass contracts greater, and much faster than iron

when it's chilled. Consequently, when

the temperature dropped too far, the brass

indentations would shrink so much that the iron

cannonballs would roll right off the monkey. Thus,

it was quite literally, 'Cold enough to freeze the

balls off a brass monkey.'

——————————————————————

The U.S. Navy's Most Advanced Submarines

Will Soon Be Using Xbox Controllers

(DAILY PRESS 22 JAN 19) ... Brock Vergakis

17

ABOARD USS JOHN WARNER — The control

room of one of the Navy‘s most advanced

submarines is filled with sophisticated computers,

flat-screen monitors and sailors who grew up in a

digital world.

At times it can look a bit like a video game

arcade, and not just because of the high-

resolution graphics.

The Navy is beginning to use an Xbox 360

controller – like the ones you find at the mall – to

operate the periscopes aboard Virginia-class

submarines.

Unlike other types of submarines people are

familiar with from Hollywood, Virginia-class

submarines don‘t have a traditional rotating tube

periscope that only one person can look through

at a time.

It‘s been replaced with two photonics masts

that rotate 360 degrees. They feature high-

resolution cameras whose images are displayed

on large monitors that everyone in the control

room can see. There‘s no barrel to peer through

anymore; everything is controlled with a helicopter

-style stick. But that stick isn‘t so popular.

―The Navy got together and they asked a

bunch of J.O.s and junior guys, ‗What can we do

to make your life better?‘‖ said Lt. j.g. Kyle

Leonard, the USS John Warner‘s assistant

weapons officer, referring to junior officers and

sailors. ―And one of the things that came out is the

controls for the scope. It‘s kind of clunky in your

hand; it‘s real heavy.‖

Lockheed Martin and Navy officials have been

working to use commercial off-the-shelf

technology to reduce costs and take advantage of

the technological skills sailors grow up with. The

integration of the video game console controller

grew out of that effort.

Lockheed Martin refers to the classified

research lab in Manassas where testing occurred

as the submarine version of ―Area 51,‖ the

nickname for the Nevada base where some of the

Air Force‘s most advanced and secretive projects

are tested.

The Xbox controller is no different than the

ones a lot of crew members grew up playing with.

Lockheed Martin says the sailors who tested the

controller at its lab were intuitively able to figure

out how to use it on their own within minutes,

compared to hours of training required for the

joystick.

The Xbox controller also is significantly

cheaper. The company says the photonic mast

handgrip and imaging control panel that cost

about $38,000 can be replaced with an Xbox

controller that typically costs less than $30.

―That joystick is by no means cheap, and it is

only designed to fit on a Virginia-class

submarine,‖ said Senior Chief Mark Eichenlaub,

the John Warner‘s assistant navigator. ―I can go to

any video game store and procure an Xbox

controller anywhere in the world, so it makes a

very easy replacement.‖

The Navy says that the system has gone

through extensive testing over the past two years

and that the Xbox controller will be included as

part of the integrated imaging system for Virginia-

class subs beginning with the future USS

Colorado, which is supposed to be commissioned

by November.

The Xbox controller will be installed on other

18

Virginia-class submarines, such as the Norfolk-

based John Warner, through the normal

modernization process, according to Brienne

Lang, a spokeswoman for the Navy‘s program

executive office for submarines. The John Warner

had a demonstration model aboard this past week

as it transited from Naval Station Norfolk to

Groton, Conn.

Eichenlaub said the Navy doesn‘t plan on

stopping innovation with the Xbox controller,

either. The goal is to develop technology that

young people already are comfortable with, such

as working with electronic touch screens on iPads

and in virtual environments.

―Ideally, what they want to see in 10 years

down the road is, there‘s basically a glass panel

display with windows, and you can just pull a

window of information, review that, push it off,

bring in the next window,‖ he said.

―They want to bring in sailors with what they

have at home on their personal laptop, their

personal desktop, what they grew up with in a

classroom.‖

https://www.dailypress.com/news/military/

military/navy/dp-nws-navy-subs-xbox-

controller-0122-story.html

——————————————————————

Military Draft Could Expand

(USA TODAY 23 JAN 19) ... Gregory Korte

ARLINGTON, Va. -- Three years ago,

Congress created a commission to help it answer

a pair of questions: Is the Selective Service

System, which requires 18-year-old men to

register for a potential military draft, working?

If so, should it be expanded to include women?

The panel, more than halfway through its work,

is asking even bigger questions.

Should draft registration be mandatory,

voluntary or eliminated?

Should it target people with specific technical,

medical or language skills, in addition to combat

capability?

And should compulsory service be limited to

the military, or should it include other forms of

community service?

The National Commission on Military, National,

and Public Service will deliver an interim report

Wednesday that hints at the breadth of its charge

but gives few clues as to how it's going to resolve

the most controversial issues.

"Personally, I don't think we will remain with

the status quo," commission Chairman Joe Heck

said. "But where we end up on the spectrum is yet

to be determined."

Heck, a retired brigadier general and

Republican former congressman from Nevada,

called the question of whether women should be

required to register for the Selective Service on

turning 18 "visceral."

"When we pose this question to people, it's not

like they say, 'Oh, let me stop and think for a

minute.' They have an answer," he said. "Either

it's yes, women should have to register just on the

basis of equality, or no, women should not have to

register because they have a different role in

American society."

In 2017, the Pentagon argued in favor of

keeping the Selective Service system - and

expanding it to include women.

"It would appear imprudent to exclude

approximately 50 percent of the population - the

female half - from availability for the draft in the

case of a national emergency," the Pentagon said

in the report, which was released under the

Freedom of Information Act.

The military said it's committed to an all-

volunteer force and doesn't plan to implement a

draft.

The commission's review is the most

expansive examination of the draft in U.S. history.

Its conclusions are only advisory; implementing

them would be up to the president and Congress.

Congress has been divided. Lawmakers

created the commission in 2016 after the House

of Representatives refused to go along with a

Senate proposal, supported by both conservative

defense hawks and liberal feminists, to expand

the draft to women.

19

President Barack Obama, in his last weeks in

office, came out in favor of a gender-neutral draft

in response to a question from USA TODAY.

Congress, unable to resolve the issue, did

what it often does: created a commission to study

the question.

With a multiyear budget of $15 million, the 15-

member panel is immune to the partial

government shutdown.

The commission is taking on a debate that's

been brewing for generations.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt, citing a

shortage of nurses, proposed drafting women in

his 1945 State of the Union Address.

The draft was suspended at the end of the

Vietnam War in 1973. When President Jimmy

Carter reinstated draft registration in 1980, he

proposed adding women. Congress disagreed.

In 1981, the Supreme Court decided 6-3 that

male-only draft registration was constitutional

because women weren't eligible for most combat

roles.

Last year, a federal judge in Houston ruled that

the high court precedent might no longer apply

because "now, women can serve in combat

roles."

That decision kept alive a lawsuit brought by

the National Coalition for Men, which represents

two draft eligible men challenging the sex-based

draft.

"We take no position on whether there should

or should not be Selective Service," said the

men's lawyer, Marc Angelucci. "We all would have

disagreements about that.

"What we are concerned about is the sex

discrimination against men. And we oppose that

whether or not there's a draft."

Angelucci said he doesn't trust Congress or

the commission to resolve the issue.

Neither does Edward Hasbrouck, an antiwar

activist who was jailed for four months in the

1980s for refusing to register for the draft.

The prosecutor in that case: Robert Mueller,

who became FBI director and is the special

counsel investigating Donald Trump's presidential

campaign.

"The commission was created as a stalling

tactic," Hasbrouck said. "It may come back with

recommendations that are completely ignored."

Hasbrouck is one of more than 25,000 people

who signed a petition urging Heck's commission

to end the draft.

"I think any objective serious examination of

the last 40 years of draft registration would

conclude that draft registration has failed," he

said. "It cannot be enforced. There's no reason to

think it can be salvaged by expanding it to

women."

——————————————————————

This U.S. Navy Submarine Terrified Russia for

a Simple Reason

(NATIONAL INTEREST 24 JAN 19) ... Kyle

Mizokami

Halibut and her crew were awarded a

Presidential Unit Citation, for ―several missions of

significant scientific value to the Government of

the United States.‖

One of the most unusual submarines of the

Cold War was named after one of the most

unusual fish in the sea. Halibut are flatfish, bottom

-dwelling predators that, unlike conventional fish,

lie sideways with two eyes on the same side of

the head and ambush passing prey.

Like the halibut flatfish, USS Halibut was an

unusual-looking submarine, and also spent a

considerable amount of time on the ocean floor.

Halibut was a ―spy sub,‖ and conducted some of

the most classified missions of the entire Cold

20

War.

USS Halibut was built as one of the first of the

U.S. Navy‘s long-range missile ships. The

submarine was the first built from the ground up to

carry the Regulus II missile, a large, turbojet-

powered cruise missile. The missile was designed

to be launched from the deck of a submarine, with

a ramp leading down into the bow of the ship,

where a total of five missiles were stored. This

resulted in an unusual appearance, likened to a

―snake digesting a big meal.‖ Halibut also had six

533-millimeter torpedo tubes, but as a missile sub,

would only use torpedoes in self-defense.

Halibut was a one-of-a-kind submarine. At 350

feet long, with a beam of twenty-nine feet, she

was dimensionally identical to the Sailfish-class

radar picket submarines, but her missile storage

spaces and launch equipment ballooned her

submerged displacement to five thousand tons.

Her S3W reactor gave her an underwater speed

of more than twenty knots and unlimited range—a

useful trait, considering the Regulus II had a

range of only one thousand miles.

Regulus II was quickly superseded by the

Polaris submarine-launched ballistic missile,

whose solid rocket fueled engine made for a more

compact missile with a much longer range. The

combination of the Polaris and the new George

Washington–class fleet ballistic missile

submarines conspired to put Halibut out of a job—

Regulus II was canceled just seventeen days

before the sub‘s commissioning.

Halibut operated for four years as a Regulus

submarine. In 1965 the Navy, recognizing that a

submarine with a large, built-in internal bay could

be useful, put Halibut into dry dock at Pearl

Harbor for a major $70 million ($205 million in

today‘s dollars) overhaul. She received a

photographic darkroom, hatches for divers to

enter and exit the sub while submerged, and

thrusters to help her maintain a stationary

position.

Perhaps most importantly, Halibut was rebuilt

with spaces to operate two remotely operated

vehicles nicknamed ―Fish.‖ Twelve feet long and

equipped with cameras, strobe lights and sonar,

the ―fish‖ could search for objects at depths of up

to twenty-five thousand feet. The ROVs could be

launched and retrieved from the former missile

storage bay, now nicknamed ―the Bat Cave.‖ A

twenty-four-bit mainframe computer, highly

sophisticated for the time, analyzed sensor data

from the Fish.

Post overhaul, Halibut was redesignated from

nuclear guided-missile submarine to nuclear

attack submarine, and assigned to the Deep

Submergence Group, a group tasked with deep-

sea search-and-recovery missions. In mid-July

1968, Halibut was sent on Velvet Fist, a top-secret

mission meant to locate the wreck of the Soviet

submarine K-129. K-129 was a Golf II–class

ballistic missile submarine that had sunk that

March, an estimated 1,600 nautical miles off the

coast of Hawaii.

K-129 had sunk along with its three R-21

intermediate-range ballistic missiles. The R-21

was a single-stage missile with a range of 890

nautical miles and an eight-hundred-kiloton

nuclear warhead. The loss of the submarine

presented the U.S. government with the unique

opportunity to recover the missiles and their

warheads for study.

Halibut was the perfect ship for the task. Once

on station, it deployed the Fish ROVs and began

an acoustic search of the ocean floor. After a

painstaking search and more than twenty

thousand photos, Halibut‘s crew discovered the ill-

fated Soviet sub‘s wreckage. As a result Halibut

and her crew were awarded a Presidential Unit

Citation, for ―several missions of significant

scientific value to the Government of the United

States.‖ Halibut‘s contribution to efforts to recover

K-129 would remain secret for decades.

In 1970, Halibut was again modified to

accommodate the Navy‘s deep water saturation

divers. The following year, it went to sea again to

participate in Ivy Bells, a secret operation to install

taps on the underwater communications cables

21

connecting the Soviet ballistic missile submarine

base at Petropavlovsk on the Kamchatka

Peninsula with Moscow‘s Pacific Fleet

headquarters at Vladivostok.

The taps, installed by divers and their ROVs,

allowed Washington to listen in on message traffic

to Soviet nuclear forces. Conducted at the bottom

of the frigid Sea of Okhotsk, the Ivy Bells missions

were conducted at the highest level of secrecy, as

the Soviets would have quickly abandoned the

use of underwater cables had they known they

were compromised.

Halibut was decommissioned on November 1,

1975, after 1,232 dives and more than sixteen

years of service. The ship had earned two

Presidential Unit citations (the second in 1972 for

Ivy Bells missions) and a Navy Unit Citation. The

role of submarines in espionage, however,

continued: she was succeeded in the role of

special missions submarine by USS Parche.

Today, USS Jimmy Carter— a sub with a

particularly low profile —is believed to have taken

on the task. The role of submarines in intelligence

gathering continues.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/us-navy-

submarine-terrified-russia-simple-reason-

42377

——————————————————————

USS Thresher Arlington National Cemetery

Memorial

Submitted by: Steve Bell, NJVC on 1/28/2019

Thank you to all USSVI Bases and members

who donated to the USS Thresher ANC Memorial.

We have achieved the final level of approval and

anticipate a dedication ceremony at ANC either

this Fall or next Spring.

Press release:

The Secretary of the Army, Dr. Mark Esper,

has approved the proposed USS Thresher

Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) Memorial.

The memorial is dedicated to the 129 men lost

aboard USS Thresher (SSN-593) on April 10,

1963 while conducting deep dive exercises 220

miles off of Cape Cod.

The loss of Thresher was the largest

Submarine disaster ever experienced by our

Nation, and led to the inception of the Submarine

Safety (SUBSAFE) program that has, and

continues to protect the men and women who

serve on our Nations Submarines.

In the 55 years since the inception of

SUBSAFE, we have lost only one Submarine,

USS Scorpion in what is believed to be due to a

battery explosion. In the 46 years prior, we

experienced a non-combat average loss rate of

one Submarine every 3 years.

The USS Thresher ANC Memorial Foundation

received nearly $60,000 in donations from USS

Thresher family, USS Thresher former crew,

Submarine Veterans, current & former Naval Sea

Systems & Portsmouth Naval Shipyard

employees. This will cover the cost of the

memorial and ensure that funding will be in place

to replace the monument in perpetuity.

Led by NH Senator Shaheen, a letter of

support for the ANC memorial was sent to the

Secretary of the Army signed also by NH Senator

Hassan, Maine Senators Collins & King , and

Massachusetts Senator Warren.

Led by former NH Congresswoman Carol

Shea Porter, a letter of support was sent to the

Executive Director, ANC signed by 15 members of

the House Armed Services Committee.

The ANC commemorative monuments

approval process required six level of approvals.

22

The monument is modest in size, and is designed

to be placed along a walkway in a area not

suitable for burial.

On behalf of the USS Thresher family & former

crew, we would like to thank the ANC

representatives who conducted the analysis of our

proposal, and provided the lower five levels of

approval prior to the final approval signature

received today from the Secretary of the Amy.

See https://threshermemorial.org for the

story of USS Thresher. //Kevin Galeaz, President,

USS Thresher Arlington National Cemetery

Memorial Foundation

——————————————————————

The Computer Corner

By: George Birmingham, ET1(SS) Gold ‟69-„74

If one PC display is good, then two might just

be better and Bluetooth Security

All PC‘s, whether a desktop model, or a laptop,

come equipped with a video display as part of

their standard hardware configuration. So why

would you want a second monitor? Well if you are

using a desktop model, and using Windows, you

can have your favorite applications running on

both screens at the same time and avoid the

tedious switching between apps on the taskbar.

This can come in handy if you want to cut and

paste data between applications.

Now, if you have a laptop, which quite often

has a significantly smaller screen, you can easily

add a second monitor when you are not travelling

to make that experience a little better. I have

personally used dual monitors in both my

professional working environment and at home,

and I can tell you that once you make the change,

you will be hooked.

So what does it cost to add a second monitor?

As flat panel monitors have evolved, their display

size and resolution increased and their prices

came down. Today you can get a pretty good

resolution 24‖ LCD monitor for under $100. Most

office supply stores, like Staples and Office Depot,

as well as retailers Best Buy, and Amazon carry a

good selection to choose from. As we will see in

a moment, all you need to do is determine what

display port connections exist on your system for

adding a display, acquiring the right cable and the

monitor. Then just a little bit of software

configuration work and you are done and can

enjoy the benefits.

For laptop users, this article will explain the

process for adding that second monitor:

https://www.lifewire.com/add-a-second-

monitor-2640288

Ports on your computer will be classified as

DVI, VGA, HDMI, or Mini DisplayPort. Be sure to

look at the various links above so you can identify

what ports are available on your system. I‘m

writing this column on a Dell Inspiron 5000 Series

laptop, and I only have an HDMI port available.

However, my older Toshiba Satellite only has a

VGA port.

The DVI-style ports are generally not found on

laptops but will often be available on your desktop

system along with a VGA port. If your system

only has a single monitor port, then you can still

add a monitor, but you will have to add a video

card to the system to get the additional port(s) for

connection. For desktop systems with available

PCI slots, add-on video cards will often come with

two, or sometimes even all three of the available

port types. Adding a PCI card takes a little more

work and some technical evaluation of the PC to

make sure it can be added. Your PC manual will

often provide that guidance on how to upgrade.

You will likely have to purchase an adapter cable

to get from the available port on your PC to the

proper port on the monitor. I happen to use an

HP 22VC LCD monitor which supports connection

to all three port types and automatically finds the

active signal. So I can move it between systems

as needed.

iPad, iPod and iPhone users – sorry, but no

way to add a second monitor to those devices.

However, iMac desktop and MacBook air users

are in luck.

So here are the links to follow to get that

23

second monitor up and running. Be sure to select

the ―Extend your desktop‖ setting to get the full

experience.

For Windows 10 Systems:

https://www.windowscentral.com/how-connect

-and-set-multiple-monitors-windows-10

For iMac Systems:

https://smallbusiness.chron.com/add-second-

monitor-imac-54442.html

For MacBook Air systems:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202351

So if you choose to add that second monitor, I

think you will wonder how you ever got by with

just one monitor. It‘s a great way to make the PC

more useful.

This brings me to the security topic for the

month – Bluetooth. It‘s not a dental accessory or

a cosmetic item, it‘s a networking capability in

your mobile devices. Yes, even in your cars.

Many cars will allow you to play your music from

your iPhone, iPod or iPad over the car radio via a

Bluetooth connection. You can even make phone

calls hands free via Bluetooth. For security, it

needs to be disabled unless you are using it in

less public places. I keep the Bluetooth in my car

turned off unless I‘m paired with my iPad for

music.

Here are some useful tips for mobile safety

and your wireless devices. Don‘t be afraid to use

those Bluetooth devices, but be informed on how

to use the safely.

https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/how-

protect-yourself-online (be sure to view the

information under all three tabs)

Here are some steps you may wish to take

when using Bluetooth:

Turn Bluetooth off when not in use. Keeping it

active enables hackers to discover what other

devices you connected to before, spoof one of

those devices, and gain access to your device.

If you connect your mobile phone to a rental

car, the phone's data may get shared with the

car. Be sure to unpair your phone from the car

and clear any personal data from the car before

you return it. Take the same steps when selling a

car that has Bluetooth.

Use Bluetooth in "hidden" mode rather than

"discoverable" mode. This prevents other

unknown devices from finding your Bluetooth

connection.

https://www.darkreading.com/attacks-

breaches/bluetooth-security-worse-than-wifi/d/

d-id/1128523

Spring is, hopefully, just around the corner.

Let‘s hope Punxsutawney Phil doesn‘t see his

shadow this year on Groundhog Day…

//George

——————————————————————

This is a true story from the WordPerfect

Helpline

Actual dialogue of a former WordPerfect

Customer Support employee. (Now I know why

they record these conversations!):

This has to be one of the funniest things in a long

time. I think this guy should have been promoted,

not fired. This was transcribed from a recording

monitoring the customer care department..............

Needless to say the Help Desk employee was

fired; however, he/she is currently suing the

WordPerfect organization for 'Termination without

Cause.'

Operator: Ridge Hall, computer assistance; may I

help you?

Caller: Yes, well, I‘m having trouble with

WordPerfect

Operator: What sort of trouble?

Caller: Well, I was just typing along, and all of a

sudden the words went away.

Operator: Went away?

Caller: They disappeared

Operator: Hmm. So what does your screen look

like now?

Caller: Nothing.

Operator: Nothing??

Caller: It‘s blank; it won‘t accept anything when I

24

type.

Operator: Are you still in WordPerfect, or did you

get out?

Caller: How do I tell?

Operator: Can you see the C: prompt on the

screen?

Caller: What‘s a sea-prompt?

Operator: Never mind, can you move your cursor

around the screen?

Caller: There isn‘t any cursor; I told you, it won‘t

accept anything I type.

Operator: Does your monitor have a power

indicator?

Caller: What‘s a monitor?

Operator: It‘s the thing with the screen on it that

looks like a TV. Does it have a little light that tells

you when it‘s on?

Caller: I don‘t know.

Operator: Well, then look on the back of the

monitor and find where the power cord goes into

it. Can you see that??

Caller: Yes, I think so.

Operator: Great. Follow the cord to the plug, and

tell me if its plugged into the wall..

Caller: Yes, it is.

Operator: When you were behind the monitor, did

you notice that there were two cables plugged into

the back of it, not just one?

Caller: No.

Operator: Well, there are. I need you to look back

there again and find the other cable.

Caller: Okay, here it is.

Operator: Follow it for me, and tell me if its

plugged securely into the back of your computer..

Caller: I can‘t reach.

Operator: OK. Well, can you see if it is?

Caller: No.

Operator: Even if you maybe put your knee on

something and lean way over?

Caller: Well, it‘s not because I don‘t have the right

angle -- it‘s because it‘s dark.

Operator: Dark?

Caller: Yes - the office light is off, and the only

light I have is coming in from the window.

Operator: Well, turn on the office light then

Caller: I can‘t.

Operator: No? Why not?

Caller: Because there‘s a power failure.

Operator: A power .... A power failure? Aha. Okay,

we‘ve got it licked now. Do you still have the

boxes and manuals and packing stuff that your

computer came in?

Caller: Well, yes, I keep them in the closet.

Operator: Good. Go get them, and unplug your

system and pack it up Just like it was when you

got it. Then take it back to the store you bought it

from.

Caller: Really? Is it that bad?

Operator: Yes, I‘m afraid it is.

Caller: Well, all right then, I suppose. What do I

tell them?

Operator: Tell them you‘re too damned stupid to

own a computer!

——————————————————————

For your protection

I think all of us have the insurance card and

vehicle registration in the glove box due to

needing it in case of accident or other reasons. I

do and stupidly leave my cell phone and billfold in

the car which I know is stupid. We had a man

playing golf at Indian Hill and when he returned to

his car, he found his billfold gone and someone

had charged over $6000 on his credit card.

ALL THIEVES ARE NOT STUPID!!!

~ LESSONS TO LEARN ~

1. LONG - TERM PARKING: Some people left

their car in the long-term parking at San Jose

while away, and someone broke into the

car. Using the information on the car's registration

in the glove compartment, they drove the car to

the people's home in Pebble Beach and robbed

it. So, I guess if we are going to leave the car in

long-term parking, we should NOT leave the

registration/insurance cards in it, nor your remote

garage door opener. This gives us something to

think about with all our new electronic technology.

25

2. GPS: Someone had their car broken into while

they were at a football game. Their car was

parked on the green which was adjacent to the

football stadium and specially allotted to football

fans. Things stolen from the car included a garage

door remote control, some money and a GPS

which had been prominently mounted on the

dashboard. When the victims got home, they

found that their house had been ransacked and

just about everything worth anything had been

stolen. The thieves had used the GPS to guide

them to the house. They then used the garage

remote control to open the garage door and gain

entry to the house. The thieves knew the owners

were at the football game, they knew what time

the game was scheduled to finish and so they

knew how much time they had to clean out the

house. It would appear that they had brought a

truck to empty the house of its contents.

Something to consider if you have a GPS - don't

put your home address in it. Put a nearby

address (like a store or gas station) so you can

still find your way home if you need to, but no

one else would know where you live if your GPS

were stolen.

3. CELL PHONES: I never thought of this! This

lady has now changed her habit of how she lists

her names on her cell phone after her handbag

was stolen. Her handbag, which contained her

cell phone, credit card, wallet, etc., was stolen.

Twenty minutes later when she called her hubby,

from a pay phone telling him what had happened,

hubby says, "I received your text asking about our

Pin number and I've replied a little while ago."

When they rushed down to the bank, the bank

staff told them all the money was already

withdrawn. The thief had actually used the stolen

cell phone to text" hubby" in the contact list and

got hold of the pin number. Within 20 minutes he

had withdrawn all the money from their bank

account.

4. PURSE IN THE GROCERY CART SCAM: A

lady went grocery-shopping at a local mall and left

her purse sitting in the children's seat of the cart

while she reached something off a shelf/ Wait till

you read the WHOLE story! Her wallet was stolen,

and she reported it to the store personnel. After

returning home, she received a phone call from

the Mall Security to say that they had her wallet

and that although there was no money in it, it did

still hold her personal papers. She

immediately went to pick up her wallet, only to be

told by Mall Security that they had not called her.

By the time she returned home again, her house

had been broken into and burglarized. The

thieves knew that by calling and saying they were

Mall Security, they could lure her out of her house

long enough for them to burglarize it.

Moral of the lesson:

a. Do not disclose the relationship between you

and the people in your contact list. Avoid using

names like Home, Honey, Hubby, Sweetheart,

Dad, Mom, etc.

b. And very importantly, when sensitive info is

being asked through texts, CONFIRM by calling

back.

c. Also, when you're being texted by friends or

family to meet them somewhere, be sure to call

back to confirm that the message came from

them. If you don't reach them, be very careful

about going places to meet "family and friends"

who text you.

26

Received from a Stimson Shipmate but I don‘t remember who sent it. Very sorry.

27

Submitted by Steve Roche, FN(SS) G 71-72