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: "To perpetuate the memory of our shipmates who gave their lives in the USSVI CREED pursuit of duties while serving their country. That their dedication, deeds and supreme sacrifice be a constant source of motivation toward greater accomplishments. Pledge loyalty and patriotism to the United States of America and its constitution.”

“Some people live an entire lifetime and wonder if they have ever made a difference in the world. A veteran doesn’t have that problem.” Ronald Reagan

ISSUE 19 VOL.3 OCT – DEC 2019

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BASE OFFICERS AND CONTACT INFORMATION

BASE COMMANDER TREASURER/W&Ms STOREKEEPER George H. Arnold Stan Putthoff Wendell Koerner 913-568-5786 573-592-0037 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

VICE COMMANDER CHAPLAIN News letter Editor/PR David John Moore Ed Irwin Oelrichs/Dave Reeve 913-209-6193 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

CHIEF OF THE BASE/BOAT MEMBERSHIP Ceremony and Awards Sam Spayde Dave Reeve John Moore/George H. Arnold 573-496-9981 [email protected] [email protected] Facebook/Website Manager Joe Arnold [email protected]

SECRETARY HOLLAND CLUB Eagle Scouts David Oelrichs Bill Feller Stan Putthoff 573-690-6231 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] SCUTTLEBUT Page 3

Contents

USSVI CREED ...... 1 BASE OFFICERS AND CONTACT INFORMATION ...... 2 COMMANDER’S MINUTE ...... 4 CHAPLAIN’S NOTE ...... 5 MEMBERSHIP REPORT FOR DECEMBER 2019 ...... 7 IT WAS A GREAT DAY FOR A VETERANS DAY PARADE ...... 8 CENTRAL DISTRICT 1 COMMANDER ...... 11 TREASURER’S REPORT ...... 14 A CHRISTMAS POEM ...... 15 A LITTLE COMEDY ...... 17 TOPEKA-JEFFERSON CITY BASE MEETING ...... 18 TJC BASE WEBSITE CHANGES ...... 19 HELPFUL LINKS ...... 20 THE AMAZING TJC BASE TRAVELING MERCANTILE ...... 21

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COMMANDER’S MINUTE

These are thoughts all Veterans say out loud or in their thoughts this holiday season. We Bless our troops and their families for we were in their place years ago. Our desires are to have them home with their families to share:

and a Happy New Year "Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone.”

George H. Arnold TJC Base Cmdr. www.tjcbase.org

TJC Base Commander Topeka-Jefferson City Base – USSVI [email protected] www.TJCbase.org

September 2019

George H. Arnold

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CHAPLAIN’S NOTE

Christmas is upon us, a celebration of our Lord’s birth. Please take some time during this event to remember those who will not be with us this year, those who have departed on their final patrol to the heavenly home port.

Warren Forrest are in the arms of the Lord this year, experiencing a Christmas with Christ. Some of you may have also lost family and friends this year.

I would like to offer this poem in hopes that it will provide some comfort to those who have experienced losses this year. This was given to me by Bennie Cashman, the author was a 13 year old boy who died from cancer, he wrote this to his mother prior to his death on 14 December 1997.

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My First Christmas in Heaven I see the countless Christmas trees around the world below With tiny lights, like Heaven’s stars, reflecting on the snow The sight is so spectacular; please wipe away the tear For you see, I am spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year I hear the many Christmas songs that people hold so dear; but, The sounds of music can’t compare with the Christmas choir up here I have no words to tell you, the joy their voices bring, For it is beyond description, to hear the angels sing I know how much you miss me; I see the pain inside your heart But, I am not so far away, we really aren’t apart So be happy for me, dear ones, for you know I hold you dear, And be glad I’m spending Christmas, with Jesus Christ this year I sent you each a special gift, from my heavenly home above I sent you each a memory of my undying love After all, love is a gift more precious than pure gold, It was always most important in the stories that Jesus told Please love and keep each other, as our Heavenly Father said to do I can’t count the blessings or love that He has for each one of you So have a Merry Christmas and wipe away those tears; remember, I am spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year

To all of our shipmates and family, wishing you all a blessed Christmas and a great New Year.

Ed Irwin Chaplain, TJC Base

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MEMBERSHIP REPORT FOR DECEMBER 2019

Hi all, I've been working to bring everything up to date. A roster in word format was sent out to the base, hope anyone who sees incorrect info behind their name will let me or George know so we can make a change.

Don't forget to check out the base's new face book page and the base web site.

Dave Reeve, Membership Chmn.

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IT WAS A GREAT DAY FOR A VETERANS DAY PARADE

TJC MEETING AND RAFFLE

Lee Summit Veterans Day Parade was held on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2019. Topeka-Jefferson City (TJC) Base USS Guardfish (SS 217) float was in the first parade position and was the third entry in the parade line up. Wow! What an honor. The cloudless blue skies aloud the sun to shine brightly on our float and the 21 smiling faces seated around the sides and 5 in the truck. Our District Commander’s (Ed Irwin) two grandchildren also enjoyed float riding with us. We all looked great during the forty-minute parade.

TJC Base Meeting and Raffle After the parade, we all meet at the Perkins Restaurant that was across MO. 50 highway from the parade assemble location. It was almost 1:30 PM when we were seated in Perkins main dining room. About that time, we were surprised to see Past Cmdr. Daryl Krause enter the room to join us. The service was fast, food was good, and Perkins Restaurant did not seat any of their customers in the room until the meeting was over at 4PM.

At the end of the meeting TJC Base Cmdr. George presented the Quilts of Valor wall plaque to Paul Hobbs. He will present the Patriot Piecers Quilts of Valor at the Columbia

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American Legion Post at next meeting. This is a token of our Base appreciation of what they have, are doing and will do in the future for Veterans.

2019 TJC Base Raffle Results PLACE Ticket # NAME PRIZE 1st 0639 Frank Kirner $750.00 2nd 0031 Wendell Kerner USS Scorpion on Glass 3rd 0470 Uel Smith Framed Sub Picture 4th 0111 Mel Kluisorg MO. Walnut Flag Case 5th 0764 Sam Bushman Nativity Set – Handmade 6th 0299 Dorothy Finlay US Navy Wall Plaque 7th 0499 P.T. Cross Submarine coffee table book 8th 0007 Millie Henry USS Navy Sub “Chef” Recipes 9th 0626 Carl Schmidt Hand Carved Dolphin Plaque 10th 0037 Dave Reeve Navy Holland Club Coin 11th 0407 Billy Courtney Trailer Hitch Chrome 12th 0766 Sam Bushman Garrison & Bucket Hat

To all who entered the TJC Base Raffle, thank you for supporting our USSVI Kap(SS) 4 Kid(SS) cause and the Topeka-Jefferson City Base this year.

Note: A huge thanks to Mr. Frank Kirner for re donating the 1st prize winnings back to the Kap(SS) 4 Kids(SS) organization.

May you all experience the joys and happiness in this upcoming season. Again, thank you all;

George H. Arnold TJC Base Cmdr. [email protected] www.tjcbase.org

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CENTRAL DISTRICT 1 COMMANDER Ed Irwin at Pearl Harbor 7 December 1941 During the cowardly attack in the early morning hours of 7 December 1941, by the Empire of Japan, four U.S. Submarines were in port at Pearl Harbor, three at the Sub Base and one at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard. The three boats moored at the Sub Base were:  USS Narwhal (SS-167) was moored starboard side to at pier No. 4  USS Tautog (SS-199) was moored port side to at pier No. 2  USS Dolphin (SS-169) was moored port side to at pier No. 4  USS Cachalot (SS-170) was moored port side to at Berth 1 in the Shipyard These four boats had returned to port from two to four days previous to the attack, from patrols at Midway and Wake. Two of the submarines (Narwhal and Tautog), were given credit, along with a , for shooting down one enemy plane. The boats were undergoing a repair and refitting period with some of their machinery dismantled and some removed for ship work. The Japanese planes averted the Sub Base in exchange for the juicier targets, but their rueful mistake in not sinking these four boats cost them dearly. On that fateful Sunday morning, we had 16 modern fleet boats and six others of early- class vessels widely dispersed throughout the Pacific Fleet. Twenty-nine subs were in the Far East based in Manila. Narwhal, was built by Portsmouth Naval Shipyard at Kittery, Maine. Her gunners on that nefarious morning assisted in the destruction of two Japanese planes. She was the last of the four boats to leave Pearl Harbor on 2 February 1942 to reconnoiter and later in that first patrol, heavily damaged the Maju Maru, and six days later sunk the Taki Maru in the East China Sea. She earned 15 battle stars for her hard work supporting the war-

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effort with 15 war patrols, and at one time picked up 82 POW’s; 41 accommodated in each torpedo room. Tautog, a Tambor-class boat was built at Electric Boat. She had returned to Pearl Harbor on 5 December 1941, after simulated war-patrol ops in the Midway area, with her sister-ship Thresher (SS-200). She aided Narwhal and a destroyer shoot down a raiding Japanese as it came over Merry Point. She left Pearl for her first war patrol 26 December 1941, and made 13 war patrols, and was one of the most successful boats credited with 26 Japanese sinkings for 72,606 tons, placing her first by number of ships and eleventh by tonnage earning her nickname “The Terrible T.” Dolphin, another of the V-boats built at Kittery, Maine, took the war to the enemy leaving Pearl Harbor on 24 December 1941 and reconnoitered the in preparation for later air strikes. She received two battle stars for service during her three war patrols. Cachalot, another of the V-boats built at Kittery, Maine, and lead-boat of her class, was the first boat to have a TDC (Arma Corporation’s Mark 1) installed, which determined the gyroscope settings fed into the war-shots. One of her men was wounded in the surprise attack, but the ship remained undamaged at the Navy Yard. She steamed out of Pearl on 12 January 1942 and later received three battle stars for her three memorable war patrols. After the surprise attack, divers from the escape training tank and the submarine rescue vessel, Widgeon (ASR-1), rushed to assist in the rescue of men trapped in damaged ships. Most of our deployed boats turned toward the waters of the Far East immediately, and fighting with defective torpedoes early on, and ultimately, improvements in the torpedoes, along with mine-detection equipment, radar, sonar and radio communications, accounted for a final tally of over 5 million tons of all Japanese shipping, and 215 naval vessels totaling over half-a- million tons sunk.

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We are creeded to remember our shipmates on Eternal Patrol with the Tolling of the Boats in remembrance of our honored 52 boats, which gobbled up about 20% of the Submarine Force, taking over 3,600 men of the nearly 18,000 officers and men fighting our boats during the war. Life-guard duty netted 511 downed aviators over the course of the war. Less than two percent of the Navy’s total wartime personnel sunk over 55 percent of Japanese shipping, which includes all other sinkings by other allied forces, combined.

Ed Irwin CD1

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TREASURER’S REPORT Topeka-Jefferson City Base, USSVI November 30, 2019

Total Funds October 31, 2019 $7782.01 NOVEMBER Receipts 1676.09 Disbursements (892.40) Total Funds, November 30, 2019 $8565.70 ………………………………………………………………… Funds Consist of: Share Account $1303.42 Checking Account 3162.28 CD 12 Months @1.75% 2000.00 CD 24 Months @2.25% 2000.00 Change for Lunches 100.00 Total Funds $8565.70 ………………………………………………………………… Book to Bank Reconciliation-Checking Bank Balance $3612.28 Less Outstanding Checks (450.00) USSVI Book Balance $3162.28

Storekeeper Petty Cash $159.00

Stanley M. Putthoff December 6, 2019

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A SUBMARINE CHRISTMAS POEM

T'was the night before Christmas, he lived in a crowd, In a 40 man berthing, with shipmates so loud. I had come down the Sail with presents to give, And to see just who in this rack did live. I looked all about, a strange sight did I see, No tinsel, no presents, not even a tree. No stockings were hung, just poopy-suit close at hand, On the bulkhead hung pictures of far distant land. He had medals and badges and awards of all kinds, But one in particular seem to catch my eye. Why they were Dolphins, with a tiny submarine pinned on with pride, A sobering thought came into my mind. For this place was different, it was so dark and dreary, I had found the house of a Submarine Sailor once I could see clearly. The Sailor lay sleeping, silent and alone, Curled up in his rack, dreaming of home. The face was so gentle, the berthing in such good order, Not how I pictured a United States Submarine Sailor. Was this the hero whom I saw on TV? Defending his country so we all could be free. I realized the families that I've seen this night, Owed their lives to these Submarine Sailors who were willing to fight. Soon 'round the world, the children would play, And grownups would celebrate a new Christmas Day. They all enjoyed freedom each month of the year, Because of the Sailor, like the one lying here. I couldn't help but wonder how many lay alone, On a cold Christmas Eve on a sea, far from home. The very thought brought a tear to my eye,

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I dropped to my knees and started to cry. The Sailor awakened and I heard a rough voice, "Santa, don't cry, for this life is my choice." Defend the seas this day, So others may rejoice. The Sailor rolled over and drifted to sleep, I couldn't control it, I continued to weep. I kept watch for hours so silent, so still, And we both shivered from the night's cold chill. I didn't want to leave on that cold, dark night, This Guardian of Honor, so willing to fight. Then the Sailor rolled over and with a voice soft and pure, Whispered, "Carry on Santa, it's Christmas Day,

All is Secure!!"

Author: Unknown

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A LITTLE COMEDY

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TOPEKA-JEFFERSON CITY BASE MEETING

February 8, 2020 It is important for the Base future that you be here to help in planning.

Location: Oscars Classic Diner: 2118 Schotthill Woods Dr. Jefferson City Mo. RSVP by Feb.6, 2020 E-Board Meeting: 11:00 - 11:30 AM All are welcome at this E-board meeting

Lunch Time: 12:00 – 1:00 PM Base Meeting: 1:00 - 3:00 PM

Oscars Home Style Meal: Golden Fried Chicken, & Oscar’s smoked City Ham, Served with Green Beans, & Real Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Rolls, Cole Slaw, Choice of Beverage, and Ice Cream.

**Meal will be family style; cost is $16.10 per person (including tax). Each person or couple will be billed on separate tickets.

Directions: Highway 50 East, Eastland Drive exit, then right. Go through one set of lights, then take next left. (At Taco Bell) Oscars is on the right just past the car wash and dollar store. Take a right at the road just past the front parking lot, to parking lot behind Oscars. Enter the meeting room at the back of the building. (If you happen to use the front entrance, just tell the girls you are with the Subvets meeting).

ED needs a head count by 6th of February. 573-230-7120 or [email protected]

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TJC BASE WEBSITE CHANGES

Hello everyone and I am writing to you to let you know what changes and happenings have been going on with our website and social media.

WEBSITE (WWW.TJCBASE.ORG)

 Our website has gotten a lot better over this last year with hours of work and help with the base commander and base treasurer. Big things we have recently added is the availability to pay your membership dues thru our website using a credit card by going to: https://www.tjcbase.org/f-a-qs/pay-dues-here/. We are using PayPal and is completely secured. There is also now a DONATE page where anyone can donate any amount to our base if they wish by going to: https://www.tjcbase.org/donate/.  Another great addition is the video pages with soon to be posted videos of our events, a submarine movie page with links to movie trailers (33 as of now!) and also a page with old Navy training video links which have a lot of great information and history in them.  As of December 11, 2019, we have had 8,248 visits and 2,622 visitors to our website since it was built this year!

FACEBOOK PAGE – USSVITJCBASE

 Our new Facebook page has been created this year and currently has 121 members! As we go forward, more information will be posted or created about base events and news. Please go to our page and become a friend if you haven’t already so you can stay up to date on what is going on. Please share your photos and comments with the base.

I look forward to what year 2020 brings us and the future growth of our base!

Joe Arnold Associate base member Webmaster – www.tjcbase.org Email: [email protected]

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HELPFUL LINKS

1. NAVY NEWS: http://www.navy.mil/index.asp

2. REQUEST YOUR SERVICE RECORDS: http://www.archives.gov

3. Submarine Sailor: http://www.submarinesailor.com

4. USSVI OFFICE: http://www.ussvi.org

5. America Gulf War Assoc.: http://www.gulfwarvets.com/

6. Directory of Veterans Service Organizations: http://www1.vagov/vso/index.asp

7. Military VA Loans: http://www.militaryvaloan.com/va-purchase- loan?

8. Through the looking glass: http://www.pigboats.com/

9. A Cold War fought deep: http://www.masshome.com/odevlin/coldwar.htm/

10. Blue Jacket: http://www.bluejacket.com/

11. After Battery: http://www.olgoat.com/substuff/abr.htm

12. Goat Locker: http://goatlocker.org/

13. Navy on the Internet: http://www.refdeck.com/navy.html

14. Submarine Manual: http://archive.hnsa.org/doc/fleetsub/index.htm

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THE AMAZING TJC BASE TRAVELING MERCANTILE

Your Ship’s Store Has New Decals and Patches!

Wendell Koerner Storekeeper, TJC Base

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