AMERICAN SUBMARINER2019 • Second Quarter • $6.00 LEST WE FORGET 10 APRIL 1963 22 MAY 1968 || 1 Second Quarter 2019 THE 2019 USSVI SUBMARINE CALENDAR 2019 United States Submarine Calendar UNITED STATES SUBMARINES Submarine Squadrons of the Atlantic Fleet Plan your next reunion in USS Nautilus become an important (SSN 571), national the firsthistoric nuclear landmark vessel, anchoring was a true a trailblazerpopular East and Coast record-breaker, submarine museum.serving the None Navy of 25 the years Force’s under “firsts,” COMSUBLANT however, hasbefore had retiring more impact to USS NAUTILUS (SSN 571) than the truly pioneering initial message sent by this very boat to COMSUBLANT in January of 1955: “UNDERWAY ON NUCLEAR POWER.” NORTH LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS! It is our purpose 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 sacrifi ce be a constant source of motivation toward greater accomplishments. Pledge loyalty and patriotism to the United States of America and its Constitution. COMSUBLANT Commander, Submarine Force Atlantic (COMSUBLANT) is the Submarine Force U.S. Atlantic Fleet type commander under the United States Fleet Forces Command. The principal responsibility is to operate, maintain, train, and equip submarines. SUBMARINE REUNION PACKAGE COMSUBLANT also has additional duties as commander of NATO’s Allied Submarine Command and also Commander, • Full run of USS Razorback Naval Submarine Forces. Have your next reunion at USS • Experienced sub vets on-hand Dedicated to all U.S. submariners who manned January 2019 Razorback (SS-394), a 90-percent (Five Submarines and 318 men lost) • Group photo our U.S. submarines—from the commissioning Sunday Monday operational sub maintained by Tuesday • Hospitality space at museum “The Submarine will Wednesday one day become the Navy’s 1 Thursday of USS Holland (SS-1) in 1900 through the newest most deadly weapon.” 2 vets like you. FULL RUN of the — Robert Fulton 3 Friday • Engine lighting ceremony Saturday 6 4 7 New Year’s Day 5 boat and assistance from our nuclear submarines in the fleet. Submariners have 8 • Free reunion planning assistance 9 10 SCORPION (SS-278) 1944 experienced reunion team! 13 14 11 • Gorgeous views of the Arkansas River always performed a vital service to our nation. U.S. 12 15 16 ARGONAUT (SS-166) 1943 17 • Access to Hoga, a tugboat from Pearl Harbor Submariners sank more than 1,392 Japanese ships 20 18 SWORDFISH (SS-193) 1945 21 19 LET US HOST YOUR 22 • Planning spouse outings around town 23 during WWII, landed raiding parties during the Korean S-36 (SS-141) 1942 24 27 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 25 • Assistance with caterers and group dining 28 26 War, monitored the Soviet Navy, and conducted 29 30 S-26 (SS-131) 1942 NEXT• Planning REUNION assistance with entertainment 31 intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance Reservations include a full, hot breakfast buffet missions during the Cold War. From the late 50s 3 blocks from AR Inland Maritime Museum until 1964 submariners conducted Regulus cruise Two ballrooms divisible by seven sections Six breakout rooms missile patrols and since 1960 the submariners Two Hospitality Suites serving aboard Strategic Ballistic Missile subs have 220 spacious newly renovated guestrooms maintained a continuous nuclear deterrent force at Your Reunion Team Complimentary airport/downtown shuttle sea. Today’s submariners provide covert intelligence Jim Gates (USS James K. Polk); Complimentary shuttle to & from maritime museum and tactical missile strikes when needed in support Order Today! Camille Smith; Myna Miller; Greg Complimentary parking Individual calendars are $10.95+2.75 shipping. Order yours today Zonner (USS Von Steuben); Joe Mathis of the Global War on Terror as well as carrying out Outdoor Pool by credit card at ussvinationalstorekeeper.com or by sending your (USS Jefferson City) 2 award winning restaurants & lounges on site continuous deterrent nuclear missile patrols. For check or money order made payable to USSVI to: 118 years, U.S. submariners have and continue to Barry Commons BOOK TODAY: provide a vital service to our nation and we salute USSVI National Storekeeper Scott Sudduth them all! The loss dates for all U.S. submarines sunk 2063 Main St. PMB 293 • Oakley, CA 94561 or destroyed are listed in addition to other historic Email: [email protected] • Tel: (925) 679-1744 (501) 404-0397 dates in both U.S. submarine veteran and U.S. Navy Contact Barry Commons for information on quantity discounts. submarine history. Proceeds to benefit USSVI operations and projects. 2 Riverfront Place North Little Rock AR 72114 Call 1-866-657-4458 for more information | | American Submariner 2 3 Second Quarter 2019 AMERICAN SUBMARINER The Official Magazine of the United States OFFICER’S CALL Submarine Vete rans Inc. is published quarterly by USSVI. United States Submarine Veterans Inc. Wayne Standerfer is a non-profit 501(c)(19) corporation in the State National Comander of Connecticut. Contents New Website NATIONAL OFFICE 8 Presidents Who Rode or Served on Submarines As most of you are aware, we have been Fred Borgmann 9 undergoing the painful process of replacing our POB 3870 10th Bi-Annual Spinax Reunion Silverdale, WA 98383 12 antiquated national website. The longer than (877) 542-DIVE First Strike Capability Part 2 expected time to bring the new site online is USSVI COMMITTEES 14 difficult to explain to anyone unfamiliar with computer programming Beyond the Thresher (which includes me), but I will give it a shot from a layman’s perspective. MEMBERSHIP Steve Bell, NJVC The present USSVI website is the product of technical “organic” 15 Sailors helping Sailors (704) 824-3510 growth. Originally designed to support a single FBM submarine crew and [email protected] NATIONAL EDITOR All You Need to Know About Growing Older its activities, it has evolved into what we have today. WAYS & MEANS T Michael Bircumshaw POB 892616 16 The underlying database structure primarily supports two major fea- Jon Jaques, NSVC Temecula, CA 92589-2616 Silent Service Memorial Reaches Its Goal tures of the present website; Decklog and USSVI membership. The initial [email protected] (615) 893-7800 [email protected] intent of Tim VeArd, the original architect, has been altered by numerous (951) 775-4549 Reading Base Honors Eagle Scouts additions and changes to the original programming code which is now CONSTITUTION & BYLAWS Fax (951) 239-0522 17 no longer supported by developer. This, along with Tim’s passing in 2013, Skip Turnbull 50th Scorpion Anniversary Ceremony for USS Scorpion (Parliamentarian) TREASURER and with him his somewhat proprietary programming style, has made it (217) 487-7710 [email protected] Paul Hiser 18 Snook Base Builds Arkansas Memorial next to impossible to update the website to reflect our current and future (215) 317-5666 needs using the existing code . AWARDS [email protected] 19 A Lost Ring Leads to a New Friendship As a result, we have an antiquated infrastructure that has become ex- John Stanford DISTRIBUTION (904) 502-8586 20 tremely cumbersome, difficult and costly to maintain, and which resides [email protected] Neal Britner A Message from Dr. Joyce Brothers on server hardware that is approaching its end of life. (315) 409-8476 NATIONAL CONVENTION 21 In view of this, the Board of Directors decided to pursue development [email protected] COMSUBLANT Sailor of the Year Program Richard (Ozzie) Osentoski of a new website with an updated data infrastructure. The inability to work (734) 671-3439 BOAT SPONSORSHIP CHAIR Jack Messersmith The Lighthouse on Corregidor Island with the existing code, coupled with the need to retain as much data as EAGLE SCOUT PROGRAM (928) 227-7753 22 possible has resulted in what is now our third attempt to “right the ship” David Farran [email protected] Tin Can Sailor’s Breakfast and a Visit to the VA Hospital (the first two were professional website developers). (318) 352-1015 [email protected] PROOF TEAM 27 Consequently, out of cost concerns and a better understanding of or- Bill Andrea Rickover ganizational needs we taken our efforts in house. A couple of very ded- BOAT SPONSORSHIP Neal Britner 29 icated members are working on our new site on a pro bono basis. It is in Jack Messersmith Its What Shipmates Do! (928) 227-7753 Dick Kanning the early design phase and, based on past experience we are not setting [email protected] John Mansfield 30 Jerome’s Bench a target date for completion. It will be done when it is done. BOARD OF INQUIRY Joan Miner Your patience and understanding is appreciated. Fortunately for now, Chairman John Stanford 31 USS Corporal — The First Submarine to Reel in a Helicopter our current website handles our bare data necessities. Ross Sargent (JA) STAFF ARTIST 33 While on the subject of our national website, the database is only as (703) 629-1119 Tom Denton USS Drum to Celebrate 50th Anniversary accurate as the information entered by the Base Tools Manager and each Members (301) 845-0049 34 individual member. It is impossible for anyone at the national level to keep Dutch Holland [email protected] Tarheel Base Color Guard Herbert Orth up with the comings and goings of more than 12,000 members and 175 WWII SUBVET HISTORIAN 35 Bill Windle Jack Jeffries The LastTime bases without local level cooperation. Base Tools Managers and indi- HISTORIAN (704) 254-2423 37 vidual members need to step up and ensure the accuracy of their base Peter J. Koester [email protected] Do You Recognize This Man? information which include current base officers, meeting locations, and (978) 500-5085 member profiles. Shipmates, this does not require a brain surgery men- STOREKEEPER AMERICAN SUBMARINER DEADLINES In Every Issue tality.