The Deck Log
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THE DECK LOG USSVI Central Texas Base January 2021 USSVI Creed Section 1: To perpetuate the memory of our shipmates who gave their lives in the pursuit of their duties while serving their country that their dedication, deeds, and supreme sacrifice may be a constant source of motivation toward greater accomplishments, and to pledge loyalty and patriotism to the United States of America and its Constitution. Camaraderie Section 2: In addition to perpetuating the memory of departed shipmates, USSVI shall provide a way for all Submariners to gather for our mutual benefit and enjoyment. Our common heritage as Subma- riners shall be strengthened by camaraderie. The USSVI supports a strong U.S. Submarine Force. Perpetual Remembrance Section 3: The organization engages in various projects and deeds that bring about the perpetual remem- brance of those shipmates who have given the supreme sacrifice. USSVI also endeavors to educate all third parties it comes in contact with about the services United States submariners performed and how the sacrifices of lost shipmates made possible the freedom and lifestyle American enjoy today USS Pittsburgh SSN 720 January 2021 Page 1 Table of Contents USSVI National Commander ============================= Wayne Standerfer 972-298-8139 [email protected] Creed ---------------------------------------- 1 USSVI National Senior Vice-Commander Table of Contents ------------------------- 2 Points of Contact -------------------------- 2 Jon Jaques 615-893-7800 [email protected] Publication, Web Site, Base Mtg ------ 2 USSVI Central Region Director Links------------------------------------------ 3 Tom Williams 512-632-9439 [email protected] Eternal Patrol ------------------------------ 4 27MC Base Announcements ---------- 5 USSVI Central District 4 Commander Base Commander’s Report --------- 5 Bill Scott 512-826-8876 [email protected] 2021 Dues Notice ---------------------- 6 Central Texas Base Officers Birthdays --------------------------------- 6 Commander Rick Mitchell 512-639-0035 [email protected] Membership ----------------------------- 6 Vice-Commander Gene Hall 210.373.3198 [email protected] Base Treasurer’s Report ------------- 6 Yeoman Frank Abernathy 512-426-3427 [email protected] Binnacle List----------------------------- 6 Chief of the Boat Bill Scott 512-826-8876 [email protected] Storekeeper Corner ------------------- 7 Treasurer Joe Keller 512-626-3202 [email protected] Chaplain’s Corner---------------------- 7 Base Support Appointments Calendar of Events -------------------- 7 Chaplain - Bob Steinmann 512-255-5250 [email protected] Kap(SS)4Kid(SS) ---------------------- 8 Memorial - Gene Hall 512-864-2860 [email protected] Underseas Warfare News -------------- 8 Storekeeper - David Paulson 512-940-1112 [email protected] History ------------------------------------- 21 Membership - Chuck Malone 512-694-5294 [email protected] USSVI Official Business News ------ 27 Newsletter Editor - Bill Scott 512-826-8876 [email protected] Once Upon A Time --------------------- 31 Webmaster - Chuck Malone 512-694-5294 [email protected] Thoughts ---------------------------------- 32 Parade Chairman - Tom Sprague 858-755-6071 [email protected] Holy Humor ------------------------------- 30 K4K Chairman - Shawn O’Shea 702-682-9170 [email protected] Sea Stories ------------------------------- 34 Fundraising– Jeff Lindner 512-966-8237 [email protected] Editor’s Desk The Deck Log is a monthly publication of the Central Texas Base, United States Submarine Veterans, Inc. It is delivered via email in Mi- crosoft Publisher PDF format to the Base Mem- bership. A copy is printed and mailed via USPS to those shipmates not having email. Deck Log Editor Harold W (Bill) Scott II, STSCS (SS) USN Ret. Holland Club, Life Member USSVI Central District 4 Commander SS-242, SSN-612, SSN-595, SSN-596 [email protected] 512-826-8876 Web Site: https://ussvicentraltexasbase.org/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ussvicentraltexas/ Base Meetings - Base meetings are held on the third Wednes- day of the month at M/SGT Ben D Snowden VFW Post 8587, 1000 N College St, Georgetown, TX 78626. We hold a quarterly social in lieu of a Base Meeting in March, June, September and December. January 2021 Page 2 National Information Sources A listing of Internet information addresses of the various organizations as places to obtain information on national items of interest. Shipmates, you are invited to add to the list (just let me know via email of any you use), so over time it would become more comprehensive. https://www.ussvi.org/home.asp http://www.ussvi.org/base/CentralTexas.asp http://www.csp.navy.mil/ http://www.navytimes.com/ http://www.navy.mil/swf/index.asp http://www.military.com/ http://www.med.navy.mil/pages/default.aspx http://www.fra.org/ http://defensetech.org/ http://www.subvetstore.com/index.php http://www.subforce.navy.mil/ http://www.vfw.org/ www.navyleagueaustin.org www.navyleague.org http://www.usni.org/ http://www.navy.mil/navydata/cno/n87/n77.html www.military.com/military-report/ www.moaa.org www.shiftcolors.navy.mil http://www.va.gov/ http://www.submarinesailor.com http://www.public.navy.mil/BUPERS-NPC/Pages/default.aspx http://isausa.org/ WWW.DESIGNED4SUBMARINERS.COM http://www.dfas.mil/ http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/ http://www.ausn.org/ https://www.facebook.com/ussvicentraltexas/ January 2021 Page 3 TOLLING OF THE BOATS – JANUARY “I can assure you that they went down fighting and that their brothers who survived them took a grim toll of our savage enemy to avenge their deaths.” Vice Admiral Charles A. Lockwood, USN USS Scorpion (SS-278) Lost on Jan 5,1944 with the loss of 77 officers and men in the East China Sea, on her 4th war patrol. It is assumed she was sunk by a mine. USS Argonaut (SS-166) Lost on Jan 10, 1943 with the loss of 102 officers and men off Rabaul, on her 3rd war patrol. While attacking a convoy, she torpedoed a Jap destroyer who along with 2 other destroyers depth charged her. As she tried to surface, the destroyers sunk her by gun fire. USS Swordfish (SS-193) Lost on Jan 12, 1945 with the loss of 89 officers and men some- where near Okinawa, on her 13th war patrol. Probably was lost to a mine. USS S-36 (SS-141) Lost on Jan 20, 1942 with no loss of life, on her 2nd war patrol. She ran hard aground on a reef and radioed for help. The entire crew was rescued by a Dutch ship after they scuttled her. USS S-26 (SS-131) Lost on Jan 24, 1942 with the loss of 46 officers and men in the Gulf of Panama, on her 2nd war patrol. She was rammed by the USS PC-460 and sunk within seconds. The CO, XO and one lookout on the bridge, were the only survi- vors. We Remember For those who gave their lives in the defense of our country We Remember January 2021 Page 4 Happy New Year Shipmates! 2021 is upon us and I’m sure many of you are happy to say goodbye to 2020. Though 2020 has been both a difficult and controversial year for many of us I believe our Central Texas Base can look back and be proud of the way we handled it and happy with the results. We are all still here and I am sure we all have learned a few things along the way. They say hind sight is 2020 don’t they? I’ve pointed out a lot of the pos- itives in the past BC reports (feel free to go read them again, they are all on our base website in the ship’s library www.ussvicentraltexasbase.org ) so I’m not going to repeat them here again. I just want to thank all of you for hanging in there and doing what each of you had to do to not only make it through but doing so in style. One of the things as an organization we have struggled with is participation levels and attendance at meet- ings and other base functions. Here at the Central Texas Base I feel like we do as well as if not better than most in this area but let me tell you, nothing better than a good ole pandemic to make us realize what a privi- lege we have to meet and gather freely and have fellowship with other human beings in person. While this pandemic seems to have been extended a bit I do feel we will be hitting homeport sometime here in the rela- tively near future. I am looking forward to the time we can simply schedule our meetings and events and don’t have to look through the various city, county, state and federal health warnings and guidance to see what we should and should not do. Until then we will continue as we are currently doing and adjusting and adapting as needed. It’s just what we have done since the beginning of time and something I believe Subma- riners are especially good at. When things go wrong or in a different direction than desired when we were deployed we just looked at what we had and worked within the confines we were given and since 1968 have always brought the boat back home. Hang in there, I’m happy to have you all as my shipmates! New Years is a time many people make resolutions. Me personally, I’m not really one for New Year’s resolu- tions. I try to always be in a mode of looking for ways to improve and making things better. Not sure how good I am at that but it is something I try to do. Since our current meeting/social schedule seems to work well for most I don’t see any need to change that. What I do hope to start implementing soon is more frequent smaller opportunities for shipmates to gather rotating around the area outside of our normal meetings. May- be one Saturday a month we schedule an event in some of our outlying areas such as a breakfast or lunch, maybe a sporting event, fishing or whatever.