Veterans Day November 11, 2022

[carolinarider09]

I did not see a thread with this topic and I wanted to post a picture (see below).

Each November (seems to be first week) the USS Patrick Henry (SSBN-599) has a reunion.  It's now done at the Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, GA. 

I have not attended, (had issues that got in the way) but there are some pictures that have been posted on our boat's Facebook webpage and this one caught my eye. 

To me is speaks to what it was like to serve, not only in the United States Navy, but in the United States Navy Submarine Service (Or Silent Service to some). 

The picture is from early 70's of some of the crew from the Patrick Henry head out for some "liberty". 

It just brings back so many memories.  Some fun time, some challenges, and trust in your shipmate. 

Just wanted to share the thought and the memories.  And yes, I'd trust these sailors with my life.   No issues.  They can be counted on.  But they are human 



I might try and post a few more "older" pictures.

[carolinarider09]

One of my favorite T-Shirts.

[vanavyman]

That is a great Print. 
USN - 1977 - 2002

[old2soon]

     Active 4 years 2 years inative reserve But like you I have Not stood down. Nor will I. RIDE SAFE.

[Jess from VA]

The picture is from early 70's of some of the crew from the Patrick Henry head out for some "liberty". 

A lotta hair on those boys for active duty.   

[carolinarider09]

The picture is from early 70's of some of the crew from the Patrick Henry head out for some "liberty".  

A lotta hair on those boys for active duty.  

You know I did not notice that.  May have on the off crew.  But that would be unlikely since they would have probably not been together.  I will check.  

Checked: it was posted my a lady who was cleaning up some files in New London, CT.  Several of the Patrick Henry crew said they identified some of those in the picture.   But no comment on the timing of the photo.

[carolinarider09]

Same boat, picture taken by me during Polaris A3 missile testing in Cape Canaveral.  Both crews (Blue and Gold) were there during the tests.  One crew took the boat out for "tests" and the other crew stayed back on the base.  This is a group of the Blue Crew getting ready to head out to Disney World. 

As I understand it the Volkswagen bus thing they drove there had to have a pair of vice grips on the steering column on the way back to the base.  No steering wheel. 

[Jess from VA]

I need some of those plaid pants.   

[Reb]

Thanks for sharing, made be want to dig through the older memory photos from yester-year

One of my favorites, Young Reb and his shipmates watching an at sea replenishment on the flight deck of the GW, circa 2006.

Two of the 6 in this photo are still on active duty, both Senior Chiefs now.

[carolinarider09]

Ah yes memories.   I was on the Wasp (CVS-18) and just there for a year before Nuke School.  The things I saw.   At sea replenishment always amazed me.  It always impressed me what we could do in the middle of the ocean.  

Spring of 1969 somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean.

[old2soon]

     Unreps were Interesting. Our Carrier U S S Yorktown CVS 10 on 1 side of the supply ship and a Destroyer or a Destroyer Escort on the other side getting fresher supplies Fuel for the ship and our embarked aircraft and sometimes personnel And the packaged mail. I personally got my first salt water initiation in the Bosun's Chair.  And the DDs and DEs had to come along side bout every 3 days so those Very Important Ships could refuel from the carrier. As I seem to recall an Unrep it appeared at first glance like semi controlled mayhem. And I've seen canned engines attached wrong to the high line and most likely those engines Still resting in Davey Jones's locker!  RIDE SAFE.

[scooperhsd]

UNREPS ARE semi controlled mayhem !  I didn't participate in any as a commissioned officer, but I saw 3-4 in various stations while on midshipman summer cruise.  On the bridge a couple times, and down on the stations (fueling and cargo) on a Spruance class DD. Then, after we were complete, we got to play leap frog with the oiler as conning officer - what fun !

BTW - a Spruance DD (Gas turbine powered) could out accelerate a Virginia class CGN, both starting at the same speed.

[G-Man]

THANK YOU, thank you, thank you to ALL who served.

 

[carolinarider09]

UNREPS ARE semi controlled mayhem ! 

Agreed.  It's also how I usually describe fight deck operations.   But I sometimes use the term Ballet. 

All those sailors, all those aircraft, all in a small space.....   The Wasp's (unless we were in the MED and then we had some jets)  aircraft were all prop driven.   It amazed me to see those "Airdales" doing the daily ballet on deck with the aircraft, props spinning, aircraft moving, just fun to watch.

[old2soon]

UNREPS ARE semi controlled mayhem ! 

Agreed.  It's also how I usually describe fight deck operations.   But I sometimes use the term Ballet. 

All those sailors, all those aircraft, all in a small space.....   The Wasp's (unless we were in the MED and then we had some jets)  aircraft were all prop driven.   It amazed me to see those "Airdales" doing the daily ballet on deck with the aircraft, props spinning, aircraft moving, just fun to watch.

     And I SURVIVED that ballet/mayhem fer right at 2 year! And other than losing a target tug-all aboard survived-and losing an SH3A-Helicopter-entire 4 man crew LOST at sea-I would NOT change a danged thing. May ALL who made That Ultimate SACRIFICE Forever R I P. 

[Oldfishguy]

Seems like another life ago, (1980-83) definately was.  I’m not looking for thanks, in fact, reverse. Wearing that uniform gave me the means for college. So, I say “Thank you!”

[The emperor has no clothes]

Seems like another life ago, (1980-83) definately was.  I’m not looking for thanks, in fact, reverse. Wearing that uniform gave me the means for college. So, I say “Thank you!”

I got way more from my time than I gave. 78-82 USN

[carolinarider09]

Seems like another life ago, (1980-83) definately was.  I’m not looking for thanks, in fact, reverse. Wearing that uniform gave me the means for college. So, I say “Thank you!”

 

[Willow]

I want to express my gratitude and my country's debt to all who served.  I am especially grateful to those whose full commitment was taken.  All gave some; some gave all.

[Oldfishguy]

1983 West Germany (2nd from left side)

Crazy how close one gets to fellow soldiers in short order; hard to explain, and never duplicated. Best regards to all Veterans that have witnessed this.

[Oldfishguy]

I kept a couple scrap books of my time in the Army; it is wide ranging of many things I did and thought during that time. This is the lead piece I pulled from a military magazine back in the day. It covers the transition from civilian to military life perfectly.

[3fan4life]

1983 West Germany (2nd from left side)

Crazy how close one gets to fellow soldiers in short order; hard to explain, and never duplicated. Best regards to all Veterans that have witnessed this.

Looks like a Winter Reforger to me.

If that was 1983 near Grafenwoehr or Hoenfels, I was there too.

 

[3fan4life]

I kept a couple scrap books of my time in the Army; it is wide ranging of many things I did and thought during that time. This is the lead piece I pulled from a military magazine back in the day. It covers the transition from civilian to military life perfectly.

I remember them marching us to the barber shop and lining us up to get our hair cut.

The barbers sure seemed to be enjoying themselves.

When we got back to the barracks one of the DI's came in with a set of clippers with no guards told us all that we looked like a bunch of hippies and made us all get another haircut.


I wasn't upset about the shortness of the second haircut.

I was upset that they made me pay for the first one and then gave me a second one.

[Jersey mike]

Big thanks to all of you and all of our vets. This sounds like such a simplistic way to to say it but it is with deep respect and admiration of your service.


THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU

[Oldfishguy]

1983 West Germany (2nd from left side)

Crazy how close one gets to fellow soldiers in short order; hard to explain, and never duplicated. Best regards to all Veterans that have witnessed this.

Looks like a Winter Reforger to me.

If that was 1983 near Grafenwoehr or Hoenfels, I was there too.

 

Small world, yes indeed . . . probably anyway.  I seem to remember a bunch of small scramble excursions in to the West German woods for a few years there.  All in preparation for the chance of a surprise Soviet invasion.  Never in my wildest dreams did I think the Wall would fall.

[old2soon]

       The barber shop!   Oh Yeah. A LOT of hair and a LOT of beards ended up on the floor THAT Day!   I remember being Ordered into the chair and the civvy barber Asked   me how
I wanted my hair cut! Dumb azz me-light trim little off the top block the back!   5 or 6 passes later I wuz left with peach fuzz on my gourd!   AND All my hair wuz un the floor!   And thus The Indoctrination into Military Life began. And through Boot then A school-NAS Memphis-RAG Outfit NAS North Island San Diego Then out to the Fleet and My First Duty Squadron. The Airedale Carrier life was some of The Most Intensive Training I've Ever been through. RIDE SAFE.

[3fan4life]

1983 West Germany (2nd from left side)

Crazy how close one gets to fellow soldiers in short order; hard to explain, and never duplicated. Best regards to all Veterans that have witnessed this.

Looks like a Winter Reforger to me.

If that was 1983 near Grafenwoehr or Hoenfels, I was there too.

 

Small world, yes indeed . . . probably anyway.  I seem to remember a bunch of small scramble excursions in to the West German woods for a few years there.  All in preparation for the chance of a surprise Soviet invasion.  Never in my wildest dreams did I think the Wall would fall.

In 1990 I went back to Germany as a Reservist for another Winter Reforger.

It was amazing to see how the German's attitude towards Americans had improved after The Wall fell.

I don't think that they ever believed that it would happen either.


I bet that they're glad to have our presence there now.

Just saw where another Armor Battalion is being sent from the States to Germany.


Judging from what I've seen in Ukraine, American tanks would annihilate Russian tanks in battle.

Of course Putin probably would use the Nuclear option when that happened.

[carolinarider09]

I hope you all don't mind.  I am going to share some pictures of some of the shipmates I served with in Patrick Henry.  The pictures I am going to share were taken on my last patrol.   I remember these men.  I would did trust them with my life each day, each hour.  I was and still am proud of the time we spent together in service to our country. 

But first, I posted some pictures of the USS Wasp being refueled and getting supplies underway.   But the Wasp also had the task of supplying fuel and needed supplies to the smaller ships sailing with us.  The picture below is one such event. 

[carolinarider09]

On my last patrol on the Patrick Henry, our off crew station was in Hawaii, Pearl Harbor.  (well the actual location was Ford Island). 

One day, as I was heading out to do some stuff. I was confronted with the rainbow over the harbor and near Arizona Memorial.  Just thought it was cool and apropos.

[carolinarider09]

Some Shipmates.   

We will start at the top.  I don't remember their names but....  This is the EOOW (Engineering Officer of the Watch). 

Responsible for all things in the Engine Room.  Oh the area we were in (Reactor Operator, Throttle-man, Electric Plant Control Panel, and EOOW) was probably about 10' x 10' if that big.  Never measured it. 

He sat at a small "lectern" kind of thing.  When we were all seated an he could easily see all of the panels over our heads.  Engine Throttle Panel, Reactor Plant Control Panel (RPCP) and the Electric Plant Control Panel (EPCP).

[Oldfishguy]

1983 West Germany (2nd from left side)

Crazy how close one gets to fellow soldiers in short order; hard to explain, and never duplicated. Best regards to all Veterans that have witnessed this.

Looks like a Winter Reforger to me.

If that was 1983 near Grafenwoehr or Hoenfels, I was there too.

 

Small world, yes indeed . . . probably anyway.  I seem to remember a bunch of small scramble excursions in to the West German woods for a few years there.  All in preparation for the chance of a surprise Soviet invasion.  Never in my wildest dreams did I think the Wall would fall.

In 1990 I went back to Germany as a Reservist for another Winter Reforger.

It was amazing to see how the German's attitude towards Americans had improved after The Wall fell.

I don't think that they ever believed that it would happen either.


I bet that they're glad to have our presence there now.

Just saw where another Armor Battalion is being sent from the States to Germany.


Judging from what I've seen in Ukraine, American tanks would annihilate Russian tanks in battle.

Of course Putin probably would use the Nuclear option when that happened.

You did quite a few more years then.  I always found the German attitudes a mixed bag as well, although understandable, we were an occupying force in some regards back then.  I lived about 15 miles from base in an old medieval town for the two years there so I could escape the military encampments quite regularly.  I learned the language and became life long friends with some locals.  I’ve been back several times since as a civilian tourist and find the beer tents as I remembered.  

A small concrete physical piece of that era has found it’s way to me; that was a great gift.

And yes, American armor would dominate.  More so, our air control would stifle any advance.  Through the lens of our media I watch the Russian tactics and aged hardware and am shocked at how little they have advanced their technology.  China is our military pacemaker now, they are what will drive future weapon advances.

[carolinarider09]

I will shift back the the "Surface ship" (also called targets but...).   For some reason Navy Electronics Technicians who had completed A school, were not sent to Nuclear Power School in Bainbridge, MD after graduation from ET school. I was identified as an ETR (Electronics Tech Radar) and when I finished A school in December 1968 I was sent the USS Wasp (CVS-18) who was undergoing some "stuff" in or near Boston, Maine.  So, some very interesting stories while there but no pictures.

The Wasp headed out to sea for a tour of the North Atlantic and the Med in the spring of 1969.  Since I was only going to be on the Wasp for about a year, my first ET task was Mess Deck Master at Arms.  Actually pretty good because I met some of the "real" sailors on board. 

First liberty at sea was Lisbon, Portugal.  Also my first trip outside of the US.    I have a really good, special, interesting story about out liberty there.  Let's just say, I have fond and complete memories of that. 

One of my shipmates on the Mess Decks.     

[carolinarider09]

After a couple of days in Lisbon, we headed back out to the North Atlantic for a few weeks and then we hit Rota, Spain.  Rota was very different than Lisbon.  But it was only the second foreign city I had visited.

We decided to head out to a small town Cadiz.  I was with some of the sailors I worked with on the Mess Decks.  We decide to attend the local Bull Fight.  That was an experience.  A fair, a bull fight, people.

We walked up to the Bull Fight Stadium and the area was like a "state fair". Just two pictures and I don' know where the ladies got the "head gear". 

Oh, if you will look closely, one of the gentlemen standing to the rear of my two shipmates has a coca-cola logo on his shirt.  It was the only words we had in common and started the conversation. 

[The emperor has no clothes]

You submariners weren’t held to a very high standard on your Cracker Jack neckerchiefs ? 

[carolinarider09]

After picking up some Midshipmen in Rota, Spain the Wasp headed back out to the Atlantic and up toward England.  We berthed in Portsmouth England.  We did not stay long but got a chance to see a few sights in and around London.  Then off across the channel to Rotterdam and the to Oslo, Norway, Copenhagen, Denmark and across the Arctic Circle. 

The HMS Victory.   



When you visit ports, at least my experience, is they are different but many of the places we went were very friendly. I don't mean that in a "frivolous" way. At a bar in Rotterdam, there were some patrons that were just friendly.  It was light hearted.  It was just fun.   The Bar Tender was from Australia and he did speak our language (a take off from a song by Men At Work "Downunder").  But we did not ask for a vegemite sandwich.  I cannot easily state what it was like.   As you can see, I remember it well 50 years later. 

The smiles were genuine because of who we were. 

[carolinarider09]

I only spent a year (little less) on the Wasp.   So, back to the best part.  The Submarine Service.

It is a family.  You trust everyone.   We all worked as a unit.  Yes there were a few, issues but....  rare and mostly very limited. 

I worked, as I said before, in the Engineering area of the boat.  It was considered sort of a Special Place and not everyone got to go aft of Frame number (I forget the number).  It is where the Reactor Vessel was and the reactor coolant pumps.   About half way back from this area was Maneuvering.  This is where the reactor the the main engines were managed along with electrical system. 

The EOOW was the man, in charge of all.  In the Maneuvering area were the throttles for the main engines ,the controls for the nuclear reactor and the controls for the electrical distribution system. There were four of us in all.

This picture is of Luie Luana, the EPCP Operator (Electric Plant Control Panel).  His job to keep the power on and right. 





 

[carolinarider09]

Engine Room Lower Level Watch:  Engine Room had an upper and lower level. Upper had the main engines reduction gears and shaft.  Lowered level had the feed water pumps and condensers and... all the stuff that makes steam usable to turn a shaft. 

He was a bit of a card but, when you are out to sea underwater for 60 plus days......   



I think this was the Engine Room Upper Level Watch or the Engine Room Supervisor. ERS was responsible for coordination of stuff between upper and lower Engine Rooms and helping as needed.  Might have also bee responsiblf for the operation of the two evaporators used to make drinking water.

[scooperhsd]

EOOW is Engineering Officer of the Watch. Technically, this could be any officer (or enlisted - at least on small surface ships) who has qualified - in subs / CVNs this may be restricted to those who have completed Nuc Power School (I don't know that for sure). Your Dept Head ( probably a Sr LT or LCDR) would be the Engineering Officer, and his division Officers would be the MPA (Main Propulsion Assistant), DCA (Damage Control Assistant), and the Auxilaries Officer - any of these billets could possibly be filled  by a senior enlisted (more likely for DCA and AuxO). There would have been 2 different quals for EOOW - one for inport, and one for underway - each duty section would have 3-6 EOOWs (inport).

Now - I'm speaking from my experiance on a surface small boy. SInce submarines have smaller crews - I wouldn't be too surprised if the makeup was the same, With the senior enlisteds filling in as the division officers (yes this was done on small boys as well).

[carolinarider09]

On the Patrick Henry, the EOOW was either an Officer (i.e. Ensign, or above) or a Warrant Officer.   We had one Warrant Officer as EOOW.  Good man.  We had a couple of others that were sort of marginal.

The head enlisted man on board was the Chief of the Boat (or COB).  The COB was at least an E7 or above (think I got it right).  Each Division had its own lead enlisted person, generally a Chief Petty Officer.  Don't remember any First Class Enlisted in those positions.

And yes, with one exception, based on memory, the head of the divisions could and generally were E6 or above. 

When I first joined the Patrick Henry Crew in Bremerton, Washington and later was assigned to the "Blue" crew (two crews on a FBM Blue, and Gold), the Commander was a gentleman who's last name was Test.  Captain Test was one heck of an officer and an excellent leader and role model. 

When we were in port once, we had an incident back aft that required us to close the forward Engineering Space Hatches.  The first man to respond to the event, appearing outside of  Maneuvering (I was on watch) was Captain Test.  He looked at us and simply said one word "STATUS". 

To do this, Capt. Test had to run down the top of the boat to the after Engineering Room Hatch, slide down through that hatch around the 480 VAC shore power cables to get to Maneuvering.  We were impressed. 

[Oldfishguy]

This is just a suggestion for those that had a free meal yesterday; I believe it is important to say “Thank You”, when it is deserved.  The following is a short note I will drop by a local establishment today.  Feel free to use all or part in your response.



                     A Not So Small Gesture Goes a Long Way

I just wanted to take a moment to say THANK YOU for the camaraderie experience and fine meal yesterday. 

This day has turned in to something unexpected for us military veterans.  It is just one day, but we remember it all year.  Gone are the days when those in the military are ignored or looked down upon.  That is difficult to realize but ask any of our Vietnam era brothers and sisters and they will give you a cold stare in relation to this.  Even peace time service has been questioned by friends and family at times.  You and your team are a part of recognizing those that left central Minnesota for far away places, years on end for some, then returned to the home area they loved.

Thank you for welcoming us home.



Xxxxx xxxxxxx Sgt United States Army 1980-1983