2019 • Fourth Quarter • $6.00 | 1 Fourth Quarter 2019 You served your country with honor and loyalty. Plan your next reunion in NORTH LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS! SUBMARINE• Full REUNIONrun of USS Razorback PACKAGE Have your next reunion at USS • Experienced sub vets on-hand Razorback (SS-394), a 90-percent • Group photo operational sub maintained by • Hospitality space at museum vets like you. FULL RUN of the • Engine lighting ceremony boat and assistance from our • Free reunion planning assistance experienced reunion team! • Gorgeous views of the Arkansas River LET US • AccessHOST to Hoga, a tugboat fromYOUR Pearl Harbor Now, let us serve you. • Planning spouse outings around town • Assistance with caterers and group dining NEXT• Planning REUNION assistance with entertainment Asbestos widely used throughout submarines endangered everyone aboard. As crew members Reservations include a full, hot breakfast buffet spent long periods confined in the vessel, asbestos fibers re-circulated throughout the ship, 3 blocks from AR Inland Maritime Museum Two ballrooms divisible by seven sections significantly increasing every crew members’ risk of deadly Mesothelioma. Six breakout rooms Two Hospitality Suites At Waters Kraus & Paul, our lawyers have represented veterans for over 20 years. We have the 220 spacious newly renovated guestrooms research to identify where your exposure to asbestos occurred. Our team is dedicated to helping Your Reunion Team Complimentary airport/downtown shuttle submariner vets and their families receive immediate help and compensation. Jim Gates (USS James K. Polk); Complimentary shuttle to & from maritime museum Call us at 800-226-9880 to learn more. Camille Smith; Myna Miller; Greg Complimentary parking Zonner (USS Von Steuben); Joe Mathis Outdoor Pool (USS Jefferson City) 2 award winning restaurants & lounges on site Helping Veterans for Over 20 Years BOOK TODAY: Scott Sudduth (501) 404-0397 Waters Kraus & Paul: 800-226-9880 222 N Pacific Coast Highway Suite 1900 El Segundo, California 90245 C. Andrew Waters is the attorney responsible for this advertisement 2 Riverfront Place Los Angeles | Dallas | Baton Rouge | Moline (by appt.) | waterskrauspaul.com North Little Rock AR 72114 Call 1-866-657-4458 for more information | | American Submariner 2 3 Fourth Quarter 2019 AMERICAN SUBMARINER The Official Magazine of the United States Submarine Veterans Inc. is published quarterly by OFFICER’S CALL USSVI. United States Submarine Veterans Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(19) corporation in the State Wayne Standerfer of Connecticut. Contents National Commander NATIONAL OFFICE 12 Fred Borgmann The Forging of a Submarine Icon: Admiral Nimitz and Pearl Harbor POB 3870 Silverdale, WA 98383 18 Buffalo Base Hosts 75th Anniversary Celebration (877) 542-DIVE USSVI COMMITTEES of USS Croaker Commissioning MEMBERSHIP 19 The 2019 National Convention is now history and except for the normal Steve Bell, NJVC Chicago Proudly Presents a New WWII Submarine Memorial but still unexpected hiccups encountered at every convention, it was a great (704) 824-3510 success! The Central Texas and Brazos Valley Bases are to be congratulated [email protected] 20 SUB-MA-REENER? OR SUB-MARE-INNER? The Debate Rages On NATIONAL EDITOR and thanked for the tireless work they contributed that enabled the attendees WAYS & MEANS T Michael Bircumshaw 21 to spend such quality time with their shipmates and friends. Jon Jaques, NSVC POB 892616 A Brief History of the Western Region Roundup [email protected] Temecula, CA 92589-2616 Our 2020 Convention, which is being hosted by the Tucson and Perch Bases (615) 893-7800 [email protected] From Corpsman to Hero to Medic and Beyond in Tucson, is still roughly 11 months away, but it is not too early to begin making (951) 775-4549 your plans to join us in this second largest city in Arizona. CONSTITUTION & BYLAWS Fax (951) 239-0522 22 I Am Not Here to Bug You Skip Turnbull I had the pleasure of joining our Convention Committee early last year to (Parliamentarian) TREASURER participate in the vetting of potential hotel sites for this convention, and since I (217) 487-7710 Topeka-Jefferson City Base Members Awarded Quilts of Valor Paul Hiser am a lover of the United States Southwestern desert, I thoroughly enjoyed my [email protected] (215) 317-5666 23 2019 USSVI Award Recipients two days in Tucson. The Hilton El Conquistador Hotel is a beautiful place with all AWARDS [email protected] the amenities you could ever want, and for me, next August 23-30th can’t come John Stanford DISTRIBUTION 26 (904) 502-8586 The Ellwood Bombardment Revisited soon enough. [email protected] Neal Britner Steady progress is being made on the new National website. However, the (315) 409-8476 27 Veterans History Project effort needed to preserve as much of our old data as possible still has too NATIONAL CONVENTION [email protected] Richard (Ozzie) Osentoski many unknowns to even attempt estimating a completion date at this time. As BOAT SPONSORSHIP CHAIR Keystone Base Awards Certificate at Eagle Scout Court of Honor (734) 671-3439 mentioned previously, our existing website is capable of handling our present Jack Messersmith 28 EAGLE SCOUT PROGRAM (928) 227-7753 Lentil Soup Down in Mountain Home Arkansas needs from National down through the Base level, so please be patient. We will David Farran [email protected] 29 get there soon! (318) 352-1015 PROOF TEAM Keystone Base Members Attend USS Thresher Memorial Dedication Finally, when this edition hits the streets, we will be into the fourth quarter [email protected] Bill Andrea 30 of this year and it’s not too early to start the process of paying our dues for BOAT SPONSORSHIP Neal Britner Blueback Base Visits Veterans Home 2020. The consistent decline in the number of our members that pay their dues Jack Messersmith Dick Kanning annually has a noticeable and unfortunate impact on our organization’s income. (928) 227-7753 31 Hoosier Base Dedicates USS Indiana[olis Submarine Memorial [email protected] John Mansfield So please, if you pay annually, take care of your 2020 dues as early as possible Joan Miner BOARD OF INQUIRY 32 Penny on Patrol before the December 31st deadline. Doing so will help our organization’s bottom John Stanford line while also helping to reduce the workload on our National Office staff Chairman Ross Sargent (JA) STAFF ARTIST 33 Bremerton Base Captures “Traveling Dolphins″ at Western District 4 Picnic members who spend an inordinate amount of time each year chasing down (703) 629-1119 Tom Denton “dinks.” Thank you in advance for your cooperation. Members (301) 845-0049 37 First-Ever Undersea Memorial Honors Lost I wish all of you a calm and enjoyable sea during the wind down of this Dutch Holland [email protected] Herbert Orth year 2019. WWII SUBVET HISTORIAN U.S. Submarines and Their Crews Bill Windle Jack Jeffries 38 All the best, HISTORIAN (704) 254-2423 Call for Nominations Wayne Standerfer Peter J. Koester [email protected] National Commander (978) 500-5085 39 Looking for an Easy Fundraiser? AMERICAN SUBMARINER DEADLINES STOREKEEPER Barry Commons First Quarter 1 December In Every Issue (925) 679-1744 Second Quarter 1 March [email protected] Third Quarter 1 June 16 Kap(SS) 4 Kid(SS) Fourth Quarter 1 September 5 Officer’s Call On the Cover HOLLAND CLUB The American Submariner is not responsible for 28 Classifieds Crew members man watch stations at sea aboard USS Seawolf (SSN 21). Bud Atkins USSVI Committees (860) 440-3120 the claims of its advertisers. The primary focus Commissioned in 1997, Seawolf was built entirely out of Hy-100 steel and of this publication is for the benefit and service to 6 Regional and District 34 Boat Sponsorship Program [email protected] features a strengthened sail, designed to permit operations under the polar USSVI members. Issues concerning Advertisers Representatives 36 Lost boats KAP(SS) 4 KID(SS) may be sent to the editorial staff for mediation. ice cap. She is driven by a “pump-jet propulsion system,” allowing her to John Riley 8 Chaplain’s Corner 40 New Members maintain acoustic stealth even when cruising at high speeds. The American Submariner is copyrighted under (203) 668-9131 the laws of the United States of America. Any re- 9 National Officers 42 Upcoming Boat Reunions [email protected] production in any form without the written consent 10 Mail Buoy VETERANS AFFAIRS of the editor is forbidden by law. All authorized 44 Eternal Patrol reproduction requires acknowledgement of source, John Dudas author, and the American Submariner. (928) 420-0061 | | American Submariner 4 5 Fourth Quarter 2019 REGIONAL and DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVES OFFICER’S CALL Steve Bell National Junior Vice Commander Medal of Honor WOW! What a convention we had in Austin. Yes, it SubmarinerS was hot outside, but the hotel A/C worked very well. Those Texas bases involved did a great job. Now it is time for all of us to look forward to Tucson next year. The 2020 Convention is now posted on the USSVI website. Take a look and begin making your plans now to attend. Western Region Director Central Region Director Northeast Region Director Southeast Region Director We are now in what I call “Dues Season.” It is time for those that pay annual JIM DENZIEN WYVEL “TOM” WILLIAMS III LES ALTSCHULER KENNETH W. NICHOLS dues to submit them to their base. If you are a MAL, then send your check in to (623) 547-7945 (512) 632-9439 (609) 395-8197 (352) 465-7732 the National Office (you can get the address off the website). Help your Base [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Treasurer/Membership Chair by getting them submitted early. Earlier this year it was necessary to drop more than 800 members due to non-renewal.