2020 • Fourth Quarter • $6.00 Fourth Quarter 2020 | American Submariner | 1 You served your country with honor and loyalty. Now, let us serve you. Asbestos widely used throughout submarines endangered everyone aboard. As crew members spent long periods confined in the vessel, asbestos fibers re-circulated throughout the ship, significantly increasing every crew members’ risk of deadly Mesothelioma. At Waters Kraus & Paul, our lawyers have represented veterans for over 20 years. We have the research to identify where your exposure to asbestos occurred. Our team is dedicated to helping submariner vets and their families receive immediate help and compensation. Call us at 800-226-9880 to learn more. Helping Veterans for Over 20 Years 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 Los Angeles | Dallas | Baton Rouge | Moline (by appt.) | waterskrauspaul.com 2 | American Submariner | Fourth Quarter 2020 Fourth Quarter 2020 | American Submariner | 3 AMERICAN SUBMARINER THE The Official Magazine of the United States VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE Submarine Veterans Inc. is published quarterly by USSVI. United States Submarine Veterans, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(19) corporation in the State of Connecticut. Wayne Standerfer Contents NATIONAL OFFICE National Commander Fred Borgmann POB 3870 8 Do You Just Belong? Silverdale, WA 98383 (877) 542-DIVE Naval Submarine League Annual Symposium 11 USSVI COMMITTEES 2021-2022 USSV CF Scholarship Program Procedures Shipmates, MEMBERSHIP 2021 Western Region Roundup Dates Announced Steve Bell, NJVC Considering the restrictions, especially the social distancing requirements, (704) 824-3510 2020 USSVI Election Results imposed on us since March of this year when Covid-19 was declared a pandemic, [email protected] NATIONAL EDITOR USSVI has managed to maintain a respectable level of stability. This is a remarkable Appendicitis at Sea during WWII: WAYS & MEANS T Michael Bircumshaw 12 achievement when you consider that socializing is the backbone of any fraternal Jon Jaques, NSVC POB 892616 The Valor and Ingenuity of the Submarine Corpsman organization. This pandemic has put on hold one of the primary reasons membership [email protected] Temecula, CA 92589-2616 in our organization is so enjoyable, which is the personal contact we have with other (615) 893-7800 [email protected] 18 Welcome to Orlando, Shipmates! members. We have been forced to cancel Base, Regional, and District meetings, (951) 775-4549 CONSTITUTION & BYLAWS District Commander visits, parades, and almost all other activities that normally Skip Turnbull 20 This Ain’t No Sh*t! Sea stories shared by those who lived them... enable us to assemble. (Parliamentarian) TREASURER But despite these frustrating constraints and what seems to be a state of apathy (217) 487-7710 Paul Hiser [email protected] 21 2020 USSVI Award Recipients that has infected a large number of submarine veterans (both inside and outside (910) 691-5378 of our organization), I give credit for the aforementioned level of stability to the large AWARDS [email protected] number of shipmates in our midst that go above and beyond what would be Harold W. (Bill) Scott II U.S. Submarines in WWI DISTRIBUTION 25 considered everyday voluntary participation. These members, both regular and (512) 826-8876 Neal Britner associates, both male and female, work tirelessly (many below the radar with little [email protected] (315) 409-8476 30 Base Activities Around the Country or no recognition) in a variety of leadership and support positions to ensure that once NATIONAL CONVENTION [email protected] Boldly Going Where No Base Has Gone Before! this pandemic is behind us, we will be here as strong as ever and our Purpose/Creed Richard (Ozzie) Osentoski (734) 671-3439 BOAT SPONSORSHIP CHAIR Tucson Base Recognizes WWII-Member Submariners of “Perpetuating the Memory” will continue to be upheld. USSVI would not continue Jack Messersmith with Special 75-Year Holland Club Certificate to exist without these folks. On behalf of the National Board of Directors and a major EAGLE SCOUT PROGRAM (928) 227-7753 portion of our membership, I say to each of these members: “Thank you, your David Farran [email protected] initiative is noticed and very much appreciated!” (318) 352-1015 32 “USS Seawolf Arriving!” Golden Corner Base When this 2020 4th Edition of our American Submariner magazine is posted or [email protected] PROOF TEAM Shows Off Stunning New Float in September Bill Andrea hits your doorstep, we will be entering the fourth quarter of this year. It’s not too BOAT SPONSORSHIP Neal Britner early for our annual members to start the process of paying their dues for 2021. The Jack Messersmith ‘Forgotten’ WWII Vermont Submarine Veteran Officially John Mansfield 33 consistent decline in the number of our members that pay their dues annually has a (928) 227-7753 Joan Miner Memorialized After More Than 74 Years noticeable and unfortunate impact on our organization’s income. So please, if you [email protected] pay annually, take care of your 2021 dues as early as possible before the December BOARD OF INQUIRY STAFF ARTIST 34 John Philip Cromwell — Medal of Honor Submariner Chairman Tom Denton 31st deadline. Doing so will not only help our organization’s bottom line, but it will also help in reducing the workload on our National Office staff members who spend Ross Sargent (JA) (301) 845-0049 (703) 629-1119 39 America’s First Submarine Base an inordinate amount of time every year chasing down “dinks.” I am thanking you in [email protected] Members advance for your cooperation and support. Dutch Holland WWII SUBVET HISTORIAN In closing, I will practice a little self-plagiarism and repeat a portion of what I Jack Jeffries Herbert Orth wrote for my article in the previous edition of our magazine. Until this virus pandemic (704) 254-2423 Bill Windle is under control, the continued recommendation from USSVI National is to do what [email protected] HISTORIAN you feel is necessary to protect your health as well as that of your family members Ron Martini and friends and to abide by the posted requirements established by the governance AMERICAN SUBMARINER DEADLINES (307) 678-9847 of your local area. First Quarter December 1 STOREKEEPER Second Quarter March 1 All the best and take care, Barry Commons Third Quarter June 1 Wayne Standerfer (925) 679-1744 Fourth Quarter September 1 National Commander [email protected] The American Submariner is not responsible for the In Every Issue HOLLAND CLUB claims of its advertisers. The primary focus of this Bud Atkins 5 The View From the Bridge 10 Mail Buoy publication is for the benefit and service to USSVI (860) 440-3120 USSVI Committees On the Cover members. Issues concerning Advertisers may be 18 Kap(SS) 4 Kid(SS) [email protected] sent to the editorial staff for mediation. Lt. Cmdr. Sam Adams stands Officer of the Deck watch from the bridge of the 6 Regional and District 36 Lost boats Ohio-class guided-missile submarine USS Florida (SSGN-728). In March 2011, KAP(SS) 4 KID(SS) The American Submariner is copyrighted under Representatives the laws of the United States of America. Any re- during Operation Odyssey Dawn, Florida launched 93 Tomahawk missiles, with John Riley 40 New Members (203) 668-9131 production in any form without the written consent 7 From the Wardroom 90 effective, out of her total magazine of about 160 missiles. The Tomahawk of the editor is forbidden by law. All authorized 42 Upcoming Boat Reunions missile strikes allowed British, French, and allied warplanes to begin enforcing [email protected] reproduction requires acknowledgement of source, 8 Chaplain’s Corner a no-fly zone over Libya, preventing Muammar Gaddafi from using his air force 44 Eternal Patrol VETERANS AFFAIRS author, and the American Submariner. 9 National Officers to attack rebels in his country. This was the first combat action for the Florida or John Dudas Printed and mailed by Southwest Offset Printing, any other Ohio-class submarine. (928) 420-0061 Gardena, CA. [email protected] 4 | American Submariner | Fourth Quarter 2020 Fourth Quarter 2020 | American Submariner | 5 REGIONAL and DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE WARDROOM REGIONAL DIRECTORS Jon Jaques Steve Bell National Senior Vice Commander National Junior Vice Commander Western Region Director Central Region Director Northeast Region Director Southeast Region Director Shipmates, Shipmates, Victor Van Horn WYVEL “TOM” WILLIAMS III LES ALTSCHULER KENNETH W. NICHOLS (708) 609-9840 (512) 632-9439 (609) 395-8197 (352) 465-7732 As 2020 comes to a close, I am proud to be part of the The dues season should be well underway for all bases. [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] brotherhood of submarine sailors. We share more common For those that are not life members, you need to pay your experiences than most other groups in the military. We all dues to your base, and MALs need to mail their dues to had a COB who got in our face, we sucked air through an the National Office. For all that have paid your national dues, EAB, snorkeled, and shot water slugs. My point is this: You I thank you very much. For those that have not, please take can’t fake being a submarine sailor. a moment to get that task done. One of our shipmates had a tree fall in his yard and two of Retention is one of the most critical issues within our organiza- his base shipmates came over to help cut the tree up. While tion. Far too many wait until the last minute (end of December) DISTRICT COMMANDERS I do not know the names of these two shipmates, I give them and then find an excuse to put it off even more.