March 2019 Meeting Reminder

The next Seattle Base meeting is this coming Wednesday, March 20, 2019. We will meet at VFW Post #2995 (4330 148th Ave N.E., Redmond WA 98052). Social hour starts at 6PM with business meeting at 7PM.

We will have our normal business meeting first, followed by a program on Simon Lake's submarine Protector.

Protector submarine (from commons.wikimedia.org)

In addition to the monthly meeting, we want to remind you of a couple other upcoming events in the area.

National Vietnam War Veterans Day Commemoration

At the U.S. Naval Undersea Museum on Friday, March 29, at noon (you can also see more about this event on this Facebook Event page)

Veterans who served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces at any time during the period of November 1, 1955 to May 15, 1975, regardless of duty location, are invited to attend and be recognized. RSVP by e-mailing NUM_Operations@navy.mil or calling 360-396-5548.

Following the veteran recognition, Naval History & Heritage Command Historian John Sherwood, author of "War in the Shallows: U.S. Navy Coastal and Riverine Warfare in Vietnam, 1965-1968," will provide an overview of the Navy's operations and activities during the Vietnam War. He will also delve into the operations of the Navy's three inshore task forces from 1965-68, focusing on such themes as basing, technology, tactics, and command and control. Throughout his talk, he will pay homage to the humanity behind the hardware – the Sailors who served on the rivers and coasts of Vietnam.

Vietnam Veteran Norman Johnson will follow Mr. Sherwood with a talk about his participation in the war as a Green Beret in Laos up to 1962. His talk will include insight into the "Operation White Star" mission, which he played a role in during the war.

This event is open to the public. The museum invites regional Sailors and the public to join the event and to say "thank you" to our Vietnam Veterans.

Treason Book Release Party

Submarine book author Rick Campbell, a retired submariner, will be at the Kitsap Mall Barnes and Noble to sign copies of his latest submarine book Treason on Saturday, March 30 starting at noon. The signing will be followed by a release party at the Yacht Club Broiler.

Click here to learn more about the signing and release party.

You can see more about Rick's books on his website.

March - April 2019 Dolphin Brotherhood Posted

The March - April 2019 issue of the Dolphin Brotherhood has been posted and is ready to view and download.

Click for a larger view and read more about this design in the newsletter

This issue has photos from the February meeting Show & Tell, information on the 2019 USSVI national convention, an article on a Cold War submarine aircraft carrier design, and the usual submarine related articles.

Hardcopies will be mailed out shortly. I hope you all enjoy the newsletter.

Dave Schueler
Seattle USSVI Base Newsletter Editor

February Meeting Notes

Editor’s Note: Check the full Seattle Base Meeting Minutes for complete details on the items below.

We started off the February meeting with Tolling the Boats lost in February, followed by birthday wishes for our members. We followed that up with the Officer Reports and introductions.

Old and New Business
Base Updates – Reminder that we are still looking for someone to fill the Base Secretary position. Please contact any of the Base officers if you are interested in being the Secretary. We also got an update on Earl G (Jr Vice Commander), who is recovering from triple-bypass surgery.

Base Float Update - We were informed that the Base Float survived the recent Winter storms thanks to replacing the roof on it’s shelter. However, we were informed that we need to find a new place to store the supporting equipment (flags, bunting, signs, etc.). Some suggestion will be offered at our next base meeting, but feel free to contact the base officers with your ideas.

Kaps for Kids Update - Kerry gave us a preliminary report on our Kap for Kids program saying that Seattle Children’s Orthopedic Hospital has instituted some new policies that limits what charitable organizations, such as ours, can do with their patients. However, we did discuss options which included, but not limited to, purchasing caps with the dolphin logo and certificates of Honorary Submariners or special comfort blankets (different sizes for the various recipient ages), etc. Kerry is doing a little more research on our options. Also he indicated that he would check with other children care centers (hospitals) to see if they had similar policies as Seattle Children’s Orthopedic Hospital.

USSVI National Awards - We were reminded that nominations for USSVI National awards opened in February and that members should take the time look into this. It was recommended that we should consider nominating Base Commander Ric for the Ben Bastura Historical Achievement award for his work on the Pig Boats website. You can download a copy of the Awards Manual, with information on the nomination process on the USSVI website.

February Program
The program for the evening was Show and Tell by the membership.

Don U brought to our attention to a special bottle of wine. The wine was presented to his old Skipper to commemorate the 50th anniversary of a rescue at sea during World War II by one of the airman that was rescued. The skipper was not really a drinker, so the bottle was subsequently passed onto Don for safe-keeping.

Don shows off the wine bottle

Dick G spoke about a recent presentation he did for some Cub Scouts and showed the Thank You card they gave him. He also talked about the involvement by the Seattle Base with the Boy Scouts and Eagle Scouts presentation when he was Base Commander.

Dick telling us how smart the Cub Scouts are

Larry A showed pictures of his boat the USS Salmon (SSR-573) and told of his being transferred to it from sub school, going thru the Panama Canal, and what he was charged with when becoming a Shellback as the boat crossed the equator.

Larry and hie boat photos

Bill L talked about how he became a member of the base because he wrote the book “Beneath the Surface” about submarines that were built in Seattle. We have a copy of the book in the Base Library and you can still purchase a copy online.

Bill with a copy of his book

Doug A told a story about when Redfish pulled into Acapulco and they did a "celebrity cruise" with Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, and Jimmy Dean. Doug shared how Jimmy Dean came back to maneuvering to sit with the crew and told them all how he wanted to shoot a torpedo.

Doug talking about meeting Jimmy Dean

Ric H showed the us his original qualification card from the Flasher and went through the various sections on learning the boat. He also showed a copy of qualification guide book that was given to him after he had qualified, which was very different than his qualification card.

Ric and his original qualification card

We all had a good time hearing stories about the various show and tell items.

Good of the order:
Submarine book author Rick Campbell, a retired submariner, will be at the Kitsap Mall Barnes and Noble to sign copies of his latest submarine book “Treason” on Saturday, March 30. The signing will be followed by a release party at the Yacht Club Broiler. You can see more about Risk's books on his website.

We were reminded that the United State Submarine Service is celebrating it’s 119 birthday in 2019. We were asked to think about doing a celebration of some kind. We talk about this again at the next meeting, so bring your ideas!

We added a new book to the Base Library (you can see the full list at the link) - The book, Operation Drumbeat, covers the German submarine offensive on the east coast at the start of 1942.

Eternal Patrol: Robert Andrews

Robert Clyde Andrews, departed on eternal patrol on Feb. 19, 2019.

Robert was born July 23, 1929, in Washington, D.C. He joined the U.S. Navy in August 1946. He served on the destroyers USS Henry W Tucker (DD-875), USS Rogers (DD-876), USS Boyd (DD-544), USS Yarnall (DD-541), the fleet oilers USS Marias (AO-57), and USS Truckee (AO-147) before transferring to the submarine force in 1962. Robert qualified on USS Scorpion (SSN-589) in 1963 and also served aboard USS Nathaniel Greene (SSBN-636), USS Daniel Boone (SSBN-629) and USS Mariano G Vallejo (SSBN-658). He retired from the Navy as Machinist Mate Master Chief in 1976. He was a member in good standing of the Holland Club, Seattle Submarine Veterans, and North Carolina Tarheels Submarine Veterans groups.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Margaret Craig Andrews; and a sister, Helen Andrews Siehl. He is survived by his children, Janenne Andrews Morris-Penrod and her husband, Randy, of Logan, Utah, Anthony C. Robertson and his wife, Carol, of Southern Pines, Michael O’Connell and wife, Melissa, of Vacaville, Calif.; seven grandchildren, 15 great grandchildren and 14 great-great grandchildren; three nephews and five nieces.

A graveside service with military honors will be held at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.

Online condolences may be made at www.bolesfuneralhome.com.

Sailor, Rest Your Oar.

February 2019 Meeting Reminder

The next Seattle Base meeting is this coming Wednesday, February 20, 2019. We will meet at VFW Post #2995 (4330 148th Ave N.E., Redmond WA 98052). Social hour starts at 6PM with business meeting at 7PM.

Not where we are meeting, but a photo of the Kirkland Marina Park Pavilion, where we will hold the Tolling the boats ceremony in August (thanks to Don Ulmer for sending the photo)

We've been keeping tabs on the weather, driving around, and we believe we are OK to hold the meeting. That said, you'll need to make your own decisions about safe driving in the current conditions.

Base Commander Ric has talked with the VFW Post and we are a go for meeting in the hall where we normally hold our meetings.

The program for February is Show 'n Tell, you bring it, show us, and tell us about it. Please keep it submarine related.

Stay warm, be safe and we hope to see you at the meeting!

USSVI and Submarine News Updates

There isn't a lot happening with Seattle USSVI Base right now, but I wanted to pass along some USSVI and submarine news updates.

Army Approves USS Thresher Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery

The Secretary of the Army, Dr. Mark Esper, has approved the proposed USS Thresher Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) Memorial. The memorial is dedicated to the 129 men lost aboard USS Thresher (SSN-593) on April 10, 1963 while conducting deep dive exercises 220 miles off of Cape Cod.

The loss of Thresher was the largest Submarine disaster ever experienced by our Nation, and led to the inception of the Submarine Safety (SUBSAFE) program that has, and continues to protect the men and women who serve on our Nations Submarines.

In the 55 years since the inception of SUBSAFE, we have lost only one Submarine, USS Scorpion in what is believed to be due to a battery explosion. In the 46 years prior, we experienced a non-combat average loss rate of one Submarine every 3 years.

The USS Thresher ANC Memorial Foundation received nearly $60,000 in donations from USS Thresher family, USS Thresher former crew, Submarine Veterans, current and former Naval Sea Systems and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard employees. This will cover the cost of the memorial and ensure that funding will be in place to replace the monument in perpetuity.

On behalf of the USS Thresher family and former crew, the USS Thresher Arlington National Cemetery Memorial Foundation would like to thank the ANC representatives who conducted the analysis of our proposal, and provided the lower five levels of approval prior to the final approval signature received today from the Secretary of the Army.

See the USS Thresher Arlington National Cemetery Memorial Foundation website for the story of USS Thresher.

2019 USSVI Awards Nominations are Open

We have many individual members and Bases that contribute untold hours working to help their shipmates, advance our organization and follow the directives of our purpose/creed. Unfortunately, too many of these efforts and accomplishments go unnoticed because they take place at the local level and remain under National's radar. But you can change that by nominating them for an award!

Please don’t procrastinate, read the individual award requirements and submission procedures described in the 2019 USSVI Awards Manual and take the painless steps to recognize these Shipmates, Bases, and Newsletters.

You can see a PDF version of the 2019 USSVI Awards Manual on the USSVI National website.

2019 Awards Submission Timeline

• February 1, 2019: All USSVI Members in good standing submit their Award nominations to the National Awards Committee Chairman John Stanford.
• April 30, 2019: All Award nominations (with exception of Newsletter Award) must be received by the National Awards Committee Chairman.
• May 15, 2019: Deadline for submission of Newsletters for Newsletter of the Year Award.

2019 Western Region Roundup

The annual USSVI Western Region Roundup will be held at Don Laughlin's Resort and Casino in Laughlin Nevada from March 25 through March 29, 2019.

Highlights include guest speakers Frank Hood, co-author of "Poopie Suits and Cowboy Boots" and Capt Dick Noreika, former Commanding Officer of USS Kamehameha and USS Michigan and Trident Refit Facility, Bangor WA. Note that book sales from "Poopie Suits and Cowboy Boots" will benefit the Charitable Foundation.

Laughlin has many activities in addition to reminiscing in the hospitality room or partaking in a game of chance in the casino. Visit the Western Region Roundup website for a listing of things to do and shows while there. Online registration is available through the website.

If you have questions, see the website Registration page for information to contact Gene E. Kellar.

USS South Dakota Commissioning

USS South Dakota (SSN-790) joined the fleet Saturday as the 17th Virginia-class fast-attack submarine during a commissioning ceremony on February 2, 2019 in Groton, Conn.

The 377-foot long submarine started construction in 2013 and is the next-to-last Block III Virginia class submarine. Modifications inserted into the Block III design are primarily in the boat’s bow to accommodate a water-backed Large Aperture Bow (LAB) sonar array and the addition of two Multiple All Up Round Canisters that can each hold six Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAM). You can watch the ceremony below, click the Full Screen icon to enlarge the video.

January Meeting Notes

Editor’s Note: Check the full Seattle Base Meeting Minutes for complete details on the items below.

We started off the first meeting of 2019 with Tolling the Boats lost in January, followed by birthday wishes for our members. We followed that up with the Officer Reports and introductions.

A quick view of the meeting

We were also reminded that USSVI Base and National dues are due! If you need to pay either, you should have gotten notification of what you owe. If you don’t pay your dues, you will be removed from the roster until you pay.

Old and New Business
Seattle Base Secretary – Bill G is stepping down from the Base Secretary position. We want to thank him for all his work as Base Secretary and as Base Storekeeper, which he did before becoming secretary. We also need someone to step up to take on the position. Please contact any of the Base officers if you are interested in being the Secretary.

Holiday Luncheon – The lunch at the Nile Shriner club was a big success and we voted to return there in 2019. We are tentatively looking at December 14 (the second Saturday in December), but will have more information later in the year.

Fund-Raising Opportunities – We are looking at a number of fund-raising opportunities throughout the year. If you have some ideas, be sure to bring them up at the meeting or with the Base officers. There are several items being discussed and we have the following events on the list so far:

• Memorial Day Weekend (dates to be determined): Cabela’s event
• July 12 – 15: Smokey Point Rest Stop event, Arlington WA - southbound area

Tolling Ceremony – We have tentatively planned on holding our Tolling Ceremony on Saturday, August 17. We are working on reserving the Kirkland Pavilion and will provide more information as we get closer to the event.

Base Float Refit – Once the weather starts warming up and before the parade season, we will be looking for people to join a work party to help refurbish the Base float. We expect it to happen sometime in March or April and will put out the call for help then.

Salmon for Soldiers – In keeping with our previous commitment to the event, we voted to donate $100 to the Salmon for Soldiers event.

Base Funds – Over the past few years we have had part of our funds in a savings account that was not drawing much interest. It was determined the Executive Board would obtain some information on options for other ways to invest these funds and present those to the base for a decision.

Binnacle List
Our Junior Vice Commander Earl Greening underwent triple bypass surgery this past week. It appears all is going well - Earl has been released from the hospital and is recovering at home. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

Good of the Order
We have information available on the Puget Sound Honor Flights. If you would like more information or an application, be sure to check with the Sr. Vice Commander

The next Heroes Cafe will be held on January 22 in Lynnwood. These events are held on the 4th Tuesday of every month between 0900 hrs. and 1330 hrs. The Hero’s Cafe is a monthly gathering for all veterans to focus on fostering positive outreach, interaction, and welfare within the neighboring community. You can find directions and more information at this web page.

Be sure to check the 2019 Seattle Base Activities Calendar page (linked at the top of the blog) for upcoming events.