February Meeting Notes

We started the February meeting with the Tolling of the Boats for February, followed by birthday wishes for our members and introductions.

After introduction our new Sr. Vice-Commander, Art Thompson, was sworn into office.

Art Thompson after being sworn in by Pat Householder

Art's first duty was to present outgoing Base Commander Keith Watson with a plaque and mug in appreciation of his work as commander for the Seattle Base.

Art presents Keith with the plaque and mug

Then it was on to our normal business. Here is the important information that was shared at the meeting.

Holiday Luncheon Survey - We are trying to get some feedback from our members on the Holiday Luncheon. We came up with a few questions and have planned several ways for you to the questions. You should have already received an e-mail with survey questions and can respond that way. Alternately, you can respond to the survey online, just click here to go to the survey website. Finally, the survey questions will be published in the next issue of the Dolphin Brotherhood. Your opinions are important in determining what we should do for this year's luncheon. Thanks in advance for your feedback.

Base Float Work - Jim Harper and Karl 'Dutch' Krompholz gave us a report on the work they've been doing on the Base float. After removing the submarine from its cradles and surveying the trailer, a decision was made to look for a new trailer that can better handle the load. The current trailer is being refurbished and sold, with the money going toward the purchase of a new trailer. We are looking for a trailer that is around 18 feet long. If you have any ideas about where to get a new trailer or are interested in purchasing the old trailer, contact Jim Harper by email (kh6cn@earthlink.net) or phone (425) 357-6485.

VFW Honor Guard - The Honor Guard at VFW Post #2995 is looking for a new member. The Honor Guard helps out with funerals and ceremonies at Tahoma National Cemetery (usually the second Wednesday of the month) and other locations. If you are interested, let one of the Base officers know and they will put you in touch with the right people.

American Submariner Magazine - The electronic version of the American Submariner is available online at this link (you'll need to log in to the USSVI website to see the entire issue). Hardcopy versions of the magazine should be arriving in mailboxes soon.

Calendar Recycling - Karl 'Dutch' Krompholz asked members to bring any old submarine calendars to him at future meetings, so that the pictures can be 'recycled' for other purposes.

Upcoming Events
Bremerton Armed Forces Day Parade - The 64th annual Bremerton Armed Forces Day parade will be held on Saturday, May 19. Seattle Base is planning on participating in the parade with our float. Be sure to mark the date on your calendar.

Smokey Point Rest Stop Event - This year the Base drew July 9 and 10, a mid-week timeslot, for manning the coffee booth at the Smokey Point rest stop. Once again, Steve Shelton will be heading up the effort to man the booth. He will have more information and a sign-up sheet at future meetings.

February Program
February's presentation was "Deep Dives, Dives, and Angles that were not on the Plan of the Day." We were treated to the stories when six boats found themselves in unexpected situations. The stories involved: NR-1 on a deep dive, USS Wahoo (SS-565) with shorted motors, USS Chopper (SS-342)with large down and up angles, USS Pompon (SS-267) with conning tower flooding in enemy waters, USS Seawolf (SSN-575) getting stuck while on a special operation, and the collision between USS Nautilus (SSN-571) and the carrier USS Essex (CV-9) during an ASW exercise. All the stories were interesting, including Keith Watson's remembrance of the event on Wahoo. It was a good reminder of the dangers we all faced during out time on the boats.

The Nautilus after colliding with USS Essex