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Proud to be Part of a Proud Tradition!

United States Navy Samuel D. Johnson, CDR, USN (Retired). Proud to be Part of a Proud Tradition! This is the story of my 34 year career in the United States Navy’s Submarine Force.

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Proud to be Part of a Proud Tradition!

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  1. United States Navy Samuel D. Johnson, CDR, USN (Retired) Proud to be Part of a Proud Tradition! This is the story of my 34 year career in the United States Navy’s Submarine Force. I still strongly believe the U. S. Navy is the best employer in the world and cannot imagine how I could be more proud of my service and of working with the fine people, both military and civilian, that I either led, worked with or for at any time in my career. I encourage anyone eligible to join the Navy to contribute a few years of your life to continuing the proud tradition of the Navy in ensuring this Nation’s safety and security. A nuclear powered fast attack submarine entering port.

  2. United States Navy Samuel D. Johnson, CDR, USN (Retired) I was not originally oriented toward a career in the military and definitely intended to do my time and get out. Sometime during my 2nd or 3rd year I realized what I was doing was critical to our Nation’s security and for ensuring the ability of the American people to continue enjoying the freedoms they so often take for granted. I was especially amazed that a guy from a humble town in West Virginia was important to the success of that effort. A nuclear powered strategic missile submarine departing on patrol..

  3. SR SA STS3(SS) ST1(SS) ENS LTJG LT LCDR CDR RETIRED  Summary I was in the Navy on Active Duty 33 years, 10 months and 25 days • Enlisted Service: December 27, 1967 – December 21, 1975 • Sonar Technician First Class, Qualified in Submarines • Commissioned Service: December 21, 1975 – November 1, 2001 • - Commander, Served in Command of a Nuclear Powered, Strategic Nuclear Missile Submarine 1967 1975 1991 2001 Enlisted Dec 27, 1967 Commissioned as an Ensign Dec 21, 1975 Command of USS HENRY L. STIMSON (SSBN ^55) APR 1991 – MAY 1993 Retired Nov 1, 2001

  4. NOTE: I can’t tell you much about what I did on my job on the submarines, so a lot of the information in here is stories about funny or interesting things that happened. However, I can assure you, the job was much more fun than any of these stories. USS SUNFISH (SSN 649) conducts an “Emergency Main Ballast Tank Blow” in March of 1980. I was the Officer of the Deck.

  5. SR SA STS3(SS) ST1(SS) ENS LTJG LT LCDR CDR RETIRED  Sea Duty Sea Duty Sea Duty Sea Duty Sea Duty Sea Duty 18 years of Sea Duty 6 full years submerged at sea and more than 4 years of arduous shipyard duty The Pentagon Vanderbilt University USS HENRY L STIMSON SUBRON-22, Italy USS FRANCIS SCOTT KEY USS JAMES MONROE USS PUFFER USS TANG USS BLUEBACK USS SUNFISH Defense Programs Washington, DC 1967 1975 1991 2001 Enlisted Dec 27, 1967 Commissioned as an Ensign Dec 21, 1975 Command of USS HENRY L. STIMSON (SSBN ^55) APR 1991 – MAY 1993 Retired Nov 1, 2001

  6. SR SA STS3(SS) ST1(SS) ENS LTJG LT LCDR CDR RETIRED  Enlisted Service: 12/27/1967 – 12/21/1975 Basic Training (Boot Camp); Naval Station Great Lakes, IL - Boot Camp (Company won “Brigade Drill Flag” - Previously sworn into Active Duty as a Seaman Recruit at AFEES, Ashland, KY, on 12/27/1967 Boot Camp life in 1968: My Boot Camp Company Commander was “Mr. A. S. Lamp, Boatswains Mate, Chief, United States Navy”. (It’s amazing what you remember, eh?) He had started out in the Navy as an Electronics Technician, but couldn’t pass the exam to get a promotion at one point, so he switched ratings to Electricians Mate, but he couldn’t pass the Chief’s test, so he changed ratings to become a Boatswains Mate. He then made Chief Petty Officer. He was a great guy, but an absolute by the book disciplinarian. One day, the guy next to my bunk and I got into an argument. Chief Lamp had us come to his office and do 300 deep knee-bends with us back to back. We were not allowed to touch each other. We had to count them off “1 – 2 – 3 -….” and do them in synch! The problem was, if we ever got out of synch or touched each other, we had to start over: 1 – 2 – 3 -…. “ I believe I had finally done about 700 deep knee-bends when a sore on my finger ruptured a blood blister and was spurting blood like I had been shot. He sent me to Sick Bay, but when I went to leave the barracks and go down the steps from our area on the 2nd floor, I could hardly walk and fell down the steps. I dragged myself up and literally crawled to Sick Bay. Beginning Rank: SR (Seaman Recruit) Ending Rank: SA (Sonar Apprentice)

  7. SR SA STS3(SS) ST1(SS) ENS LTJG LT LCDR CDR RETIRED  Enlisted Service: 12/27/1967 – 12/21/1975 “How I Got Into Submarines” I enlisted mainly to avoid the draft (but that’s another story). I would estimate at least half of all sailors joined the Navy with no particular career in mind, like I did, back then. Many signed up for two additional years to get as much training and a guaranteed promotion later. I didn’t do that, though, so, in Boot Camp, I went to see a “Career Counselor” so the Navy could figure out what to do with me. He (an enlisted E-6 who was a professional career counselor) told me I had done very well on the basic test battery and that I could go into any field I wanted. The following is a verbatim transcript of my career counseling interview: Me: “Then I guess I’m wondering who gets paid the most.” Him: “That would be the “Special Programs”. Me: “What’s a Special Program”? Him: “Oh, like aviation, submarines or SEALs.” Me: “Who gets paid the most?” Him: They all get paid the same; hazardous duty pay is $55 per month, regardless.” Me: Well, which one’s the most dangerous?” Him: Probably aviation. There’s always guys getting hurt on the flight decks of the carriers.” Me: “Which one’s the safest?” Him: “Oh, submarines for sure. Submarines have the best safety record in all the Navy.” Me: “Sign me up!”

  8. SR SA STS3(SS) ST1(SS) ENS LTJG LT LCDR CDR RETIRED  Enlisted Service: 12/27/1967 – 12/21/1975 I then started out in a training pipeline to ready me to serve in the the Fleet: Basic Enlisted Submarine School; New London, CT (NLON) - “(SU)” added to job code: “Submarine Designated” Basic SUBSCOL was very good, but I had a draft dodger’s attitude and, basically, just partied the entire time. I graduated at the bottom of the upper half. (This is a vital piece of information for later in my career.) They did play tricks on us, though. For instance, they taught you that the biggest pipe running the entire length of the ship was for soup and you could get soup 24x7 anywhere in the ship. While I was in school there, 50% of our pay was withheld against our will. It was the Sub School Commander’s way of teaching us to save money, according to his own lips. It did, indeed, because when we all graduated, we had all saved such a huge wad of money that we were able to throw one heck of a big party, which we did. Beginning Rank: SA Ending Rank: STSA(SU) (Sonar Technician, Seaman Apprentice, Submarine Designated)

  9. SR SA STS3(SS) ST1(SS) ENS LTJG LT LCDR CDR RETIRED  Enlisted Service: 12/27/1967 – 12/21/1975 “How I Became a Sonarman” Just because I was going to submarines did not mean I had a career field. I still needed a job, preferably before I got to my first ship, but not necessarily. My goal in choosing a career was avoiding sea duty for as long as possible so I could party. At “SUBSCOL”, as it’s called, we had people come around from various ratings telling us about what they do and how we could become one of them. One day, a Quartermaster (QM) came: QM: Quartermasters do navigation and keep the Ship’s Log. You’ll go to a 6 week school right here in New London. Me: You mean I wouldn’t go to sea for 6 more weeks? QM: Right. Me: Sign me up! A month later, a Chief Sonarman came and told us about Sonar: STS2: “Sonarmen listen to the ocean and tell people what’s outside. You go to a 14 week school in Key West, Florida.” Me: “So, if I went to became a Sonarman, I wouldn’t go to sea for 14 weeks?” STS2: “Well, actually, you go to another 14 week school on electricity and electronics first. It’s also in Key West.” Me: “I’m signed up to become a Quartermaster, but if you can get me out of that, I’d prefer to become a Sonarman!” He did and I did.

  10. Enlisted Service: 12/27/1967 – 12/21/1975 My 28+ weeks at Key West Naval Station, Florida in Basic Electricity & Electronics (BE&E); Key West FL - Transistor theory and basic circuitry (STs really needed that stuff back then) Fleet Sonar Class A School; Key West FL - Basics of sonar equipment, operating it and how to interpret sounds around the ship It turned out that we had the same instructors for both BE&E and Sonar Class “A” School. My head instructor was STS2(SS) Douglas Weston. STS2 Weston, my instructor, was the biggest partier this planet has ever seen, bar none. No way. No how. He was also the best Sonar Technician any Navy has ever seen, bar none. He had been “busted” three times already at the point I came to know him and had literally been all over the world. Our classes got done on Wednesday and Thursday. On Friday, the entire school skipped out early. On Mondays, Weston would come in and bury his head on his desk in front of us and tell us to be quiet so he could sleep. He’d been out partying all weekend.. On Tuesday, he’d spend most of the day telling us about what he had done that weekend. Weston would occasionally come to the base Enlisted Men’s (EM) Club and drink with us for a while. He was super cool. Actually, though, I believe these were the best two schools I went to in the Navy. Doug Weston really knew how to teach his subject matter. I later realized I was very well prepared to be a Sonar Technician and, I also believe, it was evident that I knew the basics much better than those who had gone to the much lengthier Class “A” & Class “C” school pipeline in San Diego (a 1-1/2 year program you had to sign up for 2 additional years to go to). Beginning Rank: SR (Seaman Recruit) Ending Rank: STSA(SU) (Sonar Technician, Seaman Apprentice, Submarine Designated)

  11. Enlisted Service: 12/27/1967 – 12/21/1975 STS2(SS) Doug Weston, professional partier, hero and the best Sonarman in the world. There are WAY too many Weston stories to count, but here is a simplified version of a better Doug Weston story: One Friday, after school was out early, Weston came to the base EM Club and had a few with us. He got tanked up pretty good. At around 11PM., he took off to go home. We later learned that when he left in his car, he had been speeding 70+ mph when he ran out the gate past the Marine Military Police (MP) guards. In those days, you got checked on the way out, as well as on the way in, so he was supposed to stop. He kept on going down the street and when he saw the MPs jump in a car and turn on the siren, he hung a right turn. He flopped himself right into a game of stickball in the middle of 500 Cubans playing hanging out in the street. When he stopped, they jumped him and started beating on him (there were lots of little kids out there too). He was already bleeding badly when the MPs came and arrested him. They beat him up too. That Sunday night at about 3AM, my barracks roommate and I heard someone tapping on our door. It was Weston. We let him in. He “shshshed” us and told us he had just escaped from the brig (jail) and he wanted us to help him escape! We tried to convince him he needed to turn himself in, but he wanted to cool off for a couple of days first. He then took off, went to his house and got some clothes and disappeared. Two weeks later there was an Awards Ceremony especially to give Weston a medal for heroism on the lawn of the Base Commander’s home. Here’s what happened: Weston had been caught speeding, DUI and more and had been thrown in the brig. While in the brig, he actually witnessed some Marine Guards beat a prisoner to death. Weston had overheard the guards talking about the guy being a drug dealer FOR THEM and the guy had been holding out money from them. Weston then thought he would be dead too, because he was sure they knew he had heard them talking. So at the first opportunity, he jumped a guard and got away. The day after seeing us, he had snuck over to the Base Commander’s house and told him all about it. Voila! Weston the hero! I ran into Doug Weston again a few years later on the USS BLUEBACK.

  12. SR SA STS3(SS) ST1(SS) ENS LTJG LT LCDR CDR RETIRED  PUFFER in Pearl Harbor, HI, its “Home Port”. During my tour on USS PUFFER, I Qualified in Submarines in Nov 1970 at Mare Island and was earlier awarded the National Defense Service Medal. PUFFER’s patch Enlisted Service: 12/27/1967 – 12/21/1975 • USS PUFFER (SSN652)(Sea Duty) • - New construction at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, MS • - Rode all seat trials and those of PCU ASPRO (SSN 648) • - Commissioning Crew • Attended Advanced Electricity & Electronics, New London, CT • Submarine Escape & Rescue multiple time • (I was in the last group to go through the New London Diving Tower the day it burned down.) • - Subjective Submarine Sonar Analysis (“SSSA”) (Pearl Harbor, HI) • Beginning Rank: Ending Rank: • STSSA(SU)ST2(SS)

  13. Mark 48 Torpedo being loaded at Pearl Harbor Naval Weapons Station USS PUFFER (SSN 652) In November, 1968, I reported to Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) PUFFER (SSN 652), in new construction at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, MS. My first assignment was the Seaman Gang where, as a mighty E-3, I was “2nd in command” of a group of 20 non-rated Seamen. I qualified and stood watches as “Topside Sentry” and Nuclear Weapons Security Guard. I later qualified as “Petty Officer of the Deck” and several other non-Sonar watches. My first time at sea – ever – was on PCU ASPRO (SSN 649)’s initial dive and sea trials. (ASPRO was slightly ahead of PUFFER on the schedule.) I rode ASPRO for 3 weeks for my own training, learning the Helm, Steering and Diving watch stations and stood “Under Instruction (U/I) watches in SONAR on the AN/BQS-6 and AN/BQR-7B SONAR Systems. I also saw Admiral Hyman G. Rickover for the first time. Adm. Rickover always rode every nuclear submarine on its initial dive. (More on this five years later.) On PUFFER’s initial dive and sea trials, I was a “Mess Cook” serving meals to the nearly 400 people on board for the at sea trials. (Normal crew: about 120.) I also stood SONAR watches U/I and worked on my other qualifications. “USS PUFFER” was then commissioned in August, 1969, departed the shipyard and conducted post shipyard trials in the Caribbean Sea trial areas. Hurricane Camille struck Mississippi right after we left Pascagoula. Communications were nonexistent, so I returned there from Key West, FL, to help my family because they were still there. We were lucky, though. We did sound trials in Puget Sound and an extensive availability in Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo. While there, I successfully completed enlisted requirements for “Qualified in Submarines”. I then was “allowed” to move my family from Pascagoula to Vallejo, CA, and caught up with the ship there. As an experienced STS2(SS), I learned how to “Rig Topside for Dive” and served on many torpedo handling parties, as shown here. Mainly, I worked in the Sonar rooms and equipment (no pictures available, sorry). During the period of 1970-1971, PUFFER completed numerous operations oriented toward SONAR and torpedo tactical development to ready it for deployment.

  14. GUITARRO slowly sinking All available assets attempt to keep the PCU GUITARRO from tipping over as it slowly sinks alongside the pier in Mare Island in May, 1969. (The reactor had not yet been installed.) PUFFER tied up right in front of GUITARRO while we were in Mare Island. USS PUFFER (SSN 652) “Sinking of the GUITARRO at Mare Island Naval Shipyard” While in Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo,we were parked right in front of the PCU GUITARRO which had sunk while under construction. Only the upper half of the ship’s sail was sticking out of the water and a walkway had been constructed around that along with an entry. At that point, the ship had not been raised. Later, it was and eventually was commissioned as USS GUITARRO and served a long and healthy career in the U. S. Navy as a premier, nuclear powered, fast attack submarine. However, one day when I was standing Topside Watch on the PUFFER, a problem occurred below decks which shorted out the Flooding Alarm. That’s when we learned that a lot of the shipyard workers on PUFFER had been working on GUITARRO when it sank alongside the pier. When that alarm started, they started evacuating like bats out hell! As Topside Watch with no indication otherwise, my duty was to seal the ship. So, I did that. I ordered the people back into the ship and shut and dogged the hatches. Fortunately, it turned out to only be a minor electrical problem and not flooding that caused the alarm. On another day, almost the same thing: about a 4.5 Richter Scale earthquake occurred while I was on watch and someone sounded the Alarm thinking something must have busted. Same scenario for the shipyard workers and hatches.

  15. USS PUFFER (SSN 652) Two more PUFFER stories and then we’ll move on. This one also from Mare Island first: When the ship first came into Mare Island, we had been warned by Naval message of an Anti-Vietnam War demonstration brewing. As we came into San Francisco Bay and passed under the Golden Gate Bridge, several thousand people tried to drop garbage on us from the middle of the bridge. To give you an idea of how high the Golden Gate Bridge is, the closest any of the garbage came to us was more than 100 yards. Their aim and timing were BAD! A few days later, some of these nuts “declared” that they were going to storm the Shipyard and take over some nuclear submarines. PUFFER was right near what was at the time the Main Gate. We were ordered to take stations for “Repel Boarders” in the event they got anywhere near the ship and tried to do that. My station was on the ship’s Bridge at the top of the sail with a rifle. These morons began coming down the main drag toward the Main Gate. We could see there were at least a couple of 1000 of them. The Shipyard Commander had stationed a single United States Marine in Full Dress Uniform standing at Parade Rest outside the gate. As the demonstrators got closer and closer, the Marine never batted an eyelash, but the demonstrators got quieter and quieter. When the crowd got to within a stone’s throw of the Marine, they all came to a slow halt. Then they stood there quietly and mulled over what they wanted to do, looking away from the Marine the whole time who stood there like a statue, still not batting an eyelash. After about five minutes, the crowd simply fizzled away and over the next ten minutes, dispersed and disappeared. We laughed about that for days!

  16. USS PUFFER (SSN 652) My BEST PUFFER story: The PUFFER did numerous tactical operations in the local Hawaiian waters after leaving Mare Island and beginning its fleet service in the Pacific Submarine Fleet. One such operation was to go out and shoot literally dozens of torpedoes allowing the Prospective Commanding Officers attending that school to lead the effort to shoot them at fake targets. When I was an STS3(SS) on watch for pone of these shots, I determined that the torpedo that had just been shot had reversed course and was coming back at us. The Captain thought I was a moron and asked my seniors what they thought. Those chickens were afraid to agree with me because the Captain know the answer he wanted: about two minutes later: BULANG!!! A quicky TANG preliminary story: This happened again by the same scenario when I was a Sonarman on the TANG (my next ship). Once again I warned everyone that the unit had turned around and was coming at us. Nobody believed me. BULANG! That time the torpedo hit the ship in the sail and made us rock pretty good. We were the laughing stock of Pearl Harbor when we returned to port.

  17. SR SA STS3(SS) ST1(SS) ENS LTJG LT LCDR CDR RETIRED  While on USS TANG, I was earned the Good Conduct Medal and was awarded the Navy Expeditionary Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for service in South Korea, the Viet Nam Service Medal for service in Viet Nam, and TANG earned its 5th consecutive “Battle “E”.. TANG’s patch STS2(SU) ST1(SS) Enlisted Service: 12/27/1967 – 12/21/1975 USS TANG (SS563) - 7 Mo. Western Pacific Deployment - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (South Korea) - Viet Nam Service Medal (Viet Nam) - Navy Expeditionary Medal - Overhaul, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard

  18. USS TANG (SS 563)

  19. SR SA STS3(SS) ST1(SS) ENS LTJG LT LCDR CDR RETIRED  BLUEBACK’s final resting place: a Submarine Museum in Oregon. While on BLUEBACK, I was not awarded any new medals. BLUEBACK’s patch ST1(SS) Enlisted Service: 12/27/1967 – 12/21/1975 USS BLUEBACK (SS 581) - Overhaul, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard - Selected for Commissioning Program

  20. USS BLUEBACK (SS 581) “How I Became an Officer” While on the BLUEBACK, one day the Executive Officer (XO) asked me if I was interested in becoming an officer. I had been encouraged to do so earlier on the PUFFER by one of the officers whom I respected most. I told the XO, “Yes”. The XO then convened a “Board” to determine if I was suitable to become an officer. I took several tests and several interviews, but I distinctly remember being asked at my final board (with the XO and two other senior officers) what the bottom line was why I wanted to become an officer. I answered, “To make more money” and the officer asking me that said, “Right answer!” and I was soon off on my way to NESEP Prep School. At NESEP Prep School, where the program selectees all came together, I was later miffed a bit because I had actually had to take several tests and had a Board, whereas, some of the other selectees were simply asked if they wanted to become an officer and were then simply signed up for the program. Most of those types of guys really had attitudes and many flunked out of the program. I was always proud of the BLUEBACK officers who made me do it right.

  21. SR SA STS3(SS) ST1(SS) ENS LTJG LT LCDR CDR RETIRED  While in NESEP Prep, I was not awarded any new medals. ST1(SS) Enlisted Service: 12/27/1967 – 12/21/1975 Education:NESEP* Prep School, San Diego, CA *: “Navy Enlisted Scientific Education Program”, a terrific scholarship program for officer accession

  22. SR SA STS3(SS) ST1(SS) ENS LTJG LT LCDR CDR RETIRED  While at Vanderbilt, I was not awarded any new medals. ST1(SS) Enlisted Service: 12/27/1967 – 12/21/1975 Education:Vanderbilt University, Nashville,TN Bachelor of Engineering Degree Dec. 21, 1975, Cum Laude

  23. USS PUFFER (SSN 652) “My First Meeting With Admiral Rickover’s Twin” Admiral Hyman G, Rickover Father of the Nuclear Navy, APOLOGIZED to me!

  24. USS PUFFER (SSN 652) “My First Five Nuclear Power Program InterviewsWith Admiral Rickover” Admiral Hyman G, Rickover Father of the Nuclear Navy, APOLOGIZED to me!

  25. SR SA STS3(SS) ST1(SS) ENS LTJG LT LCDR CDR RETIRED  While at NPS & NPTU, I was not awarded any new medals. Commissioned Service: 12/21/1975 – 11/01/2001 Education:Nuclear Power School, Orlando, FL and Nuclear Propulsion Training Unit, Windsor Lochs, CT Began as: Ended as: Ensign (ENS) ENS

  26. SR SA STS3(SS) ST1(SS) ENS LTJG LT LCDR CDR RETIRED  While on SUNFISH, I “Qualified in Submarines” as a Line Officer and was awarded a Navy Achievement Medal and a 2nd Navy Expeditionary Medal. Commissioned Service: 12/21/1975 – 11/01/2001 USS SUNFISH (SSN 649) - Mediterranean Deployment - Navy Expeditionary Medal - 34 Mo. Refueling Overhaul ENS Lieutenant (LT) “JO”: Junior Officer – served in various division officer assignments on SSN 649 (SONAR, Electrical, Reactor Controls and Chemistry / Radiological Controls Divisions) SUNFISH’s patch

  27. USS SUNFISH in Port Everglades, FL, loading up exercise torpedoes for a run at Autek in the Bahamas. USS SUNFISH (SSN 649)

  28. USS PUFFER (SSN 652) “My Phone Call With Admiral Rickover’s Impersonator” Admiral Hyman G, Rickover Father of the Nuclear Navy, APOLOGIZED to me!

  29. While at SOAC, I was not awarded any new medals. Commissioned Service: 12/21/1975 – 11/01/2001 Education:Submarine Officer’s Advanced Course, New London, CT (or “SOAC”, aka, Department Head School in the rest of the Navy) LT LT

  30. SR SA STS3(SS) ST1(SS) ENS LTJG LT LCDR CDR RETIRED  MONROE’s patch Commissioned Service: 12/21/1975 – 11/01/2001 USS JAMES MONROE (SSBN 622)(BLUE Crew) “Engineer”: - Ship’s Engineer Officer & Engineering Department Head “Engineer”: Ship’s Engineer – responsible for the nuclear propulsion plant and all ship’s mechanical systems, electrical generation and distribution equipments and atmosphere control and ventilation. While on MONROE, I “Qualified for Command of Nuclear Powered Submarines”, won the “Expert Pistol” Ribbon, was awarded a Navy Commendation Medal while the ship won two Battle Efficiency “E” Awards and was awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation.. LT Lieutenant Commander (LCDR)

  31. I introduce the Engineering Department’s entry into a Half-Way Night Extravaganza! An ammunition supply ship typical of the ships that carried missiles to the forward overseas sites such as Holy Loch, Scotland, and Rota, Spain.. USS JAMES MONROE (SSBN 622) JAMES MONROE heads out to sea from Charleston, SC, harbor, just after passing under the “Roller Coaster” bridges over the Cooper River. I’m the Officer of the Deck on the Bridge.

  32. SR SA STS3(SS) ST1(SS) ENS LTJG LT LCDR CDR RETIRED  While in The Pentagon, I was awarded a 2nd Navy Commendation Medal and was awarded a Letter of Commendation. Commissioned Service: 12/21/1975 – 11/01/2001 Shore Duty:The Pentagon; “Post DH”: Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (OPNAV / CNO); Submarine Directorate (OP-02), Head, Advanced Systems Division (OP-211C) Coordinator, TRIDENT Missile, TRIDENT Submarine Construction (Ohio Class) & Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base development programs “DH”: Department Head – typically one’s 2nd sea tour; mine was as Engineer on SSBN 622 on my previous tour of duty. LCDR LCDR

  33. While in the PXO Course, I was not awarded any new medals. Commissioned Service: 12/21/1975 – 11/01/2001 Education:Prospective Executive Officer (PXO) Course, New London, CT LCDR LCDR

  34. KEY operated out of Kings Bay, GA, while the crews lived in Charleston, SC. SR SA STS3(SS) ST1(SS) ENS LTJG LT LCDR CDR RETIRED  While on KEY, I was awarded a 3rd Navy Commendation Medal, made 6 Strategic Deterrent Patrols, was awarded the “Sea Service Deployment” Ribbon and the Blue Crew was awarded a Humanitarian Service Medal for service in Hurricane Hugo in Charleston, SC. KEY’s patch Commissioned Service: 12/21/1975 – 11/01/2001 USS FRANCIS SCOTT KEY (SSBN 657)(BLUE Crew) “XO”: - Executive Officer “XO”: Executive Officer – 2nd in command. Responsible for everything, 2nd only to the Captain LCDR LCDR

  35. USS FRANCIS SCOTT KEY (SSBN 657)

  36. While at SOAC, I was did not receive any new medals. Commissioned Service: 12/21/1975 – 11/01/2001 Education:Prospective Commanding Officer Course - Tactics: Pearl Harbor Submarine Base, Hawaii (or “SOAC”, aka, Department Head School in the rest of the Navy) LT LT

  37. SR SA STS3(SS) ST1(SS) ENS LTJG LT LCDR CDR RETIRED  While in Command of STIMSON, I made 2 Strategic Deterrent Patrols, combined the Blue & Gold Crews, took the Combined Crews to sea on the first-ever week-long female USNA Midshipmen Cruise, transited the Panama Canal arriving at Bangor Naval Submarine Base with no equipment out of commission and then defueled & decommissioned the ship at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. I was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal and earned the Expert Rifle Ribbon. STIMSON’s patch USS HENRY L STIMSON (SSBN 655) departing for sea Commissioned Service: 12/21/1975 – 11/01/2001 • USS HENRY L. STIMSON (SSBN 655) • “CO”: - Commanding Officer • Panama Canal Transit • Defueling & Decommissioning at • Puget Sound Naval Shipyard Rank: Commander “CO”: Commanding Officer – Captain Responsible for everything, period.

  38. SR SA STS3(SS) ST1(SS) ENS LTJG LT LCDR CDR RETIRED  At right is a picture of four submarines in a large dry dock to have their nuclear reactors defueled and decommission them. These are attack submarines. STIMSON, a larger “SSBN” missile submarine, was in an even larger dock with three other SSBN missile submarines, each much larger than these attack boats. Once we moved off the ship, we lived in barracks and had offices on a barge, like this one. These are very common in Navy ports and shipyards. USS HENRY L. STIMSON (SSBN 655)

  39. USS HENRY L STIMSON (SSBN 655)

  40. SR SA STS3(SS) ST1(SS) ENS LTJG LT LCDR CDR RETIRED  This is an excellent picture of what was our daily routine. Two U. S. submarines are tied up to the tender at our small facility, not much larger than what is shown behind the ship. They are having various repairs done and loading stores. The City of La Maddalena is off to the upper right where most people lived. No one lived on the small island where these ships are . We road boats in from La Maddalena and another town, not shown, called Palau.. We lived on the far side of the hill beyond La Maddalena overlooking the Tyrhennian Sea., This picture shows Navy SEALS readying a practice mission from a submarine operating out of La Maddalena. I coordinated and arranged for these missions with the SEALS and the submarines. Commissioned Service: 12/21/1975 – 11/01/2001 Submarine Squadron 22 (Sea Duty) La Maddalena, Italy “Post CO”: - Chief Staff Officer - Meritorious Unit Citation - Meritorious Service Medal “CO”: Commanding Officer – as Captain on SSBN 655

  41. In La Maddalena, at the Commodore’s direction, as the 2nd in Command of the Squadron, I drove in all incoming ships and parked them alongside the tender. What was unusual about this is that I served as both bar and harbor pilot, for both submarines and surface ships, both U.S. and visiting foreign ships (i.e., not Italian ships, after all, it’s their port) and got them underway, as well. Coming in, I met them out at the 12-mile line, about an hour’s distance, and drove them in through a rather tricky channel with few and far between channel markers. Upon their departure, I usually took them out of harbor and let them go on their own from there with a caution to stay to the right of center channel on the way out. These are some of the types of ships I drove in and out of La Maddalena. I was also the head Tugmaster, meaning I was responsible for the use of the two World War 2 vintage tugboats we had (which were maintained in “like new” condition) and for the qualifications of the individual Tugmasters who drove the tugs. These pictures of ship ship classes, among many others, that I drove in and outr of La Maddalena’s waters.

  42. I drove in and parked an LST with an onboard complement of 600 U. S. Marines and armored tanks. The Marines made the Italians on the NATO Base nervous with their jogging in formation and chanting. The NATO Base CO asked me to tell them to quit, which I did. Then they rolled a tank out onto the pier and the Italians went nuts. I toild the Marines to get the tenk back on board and do their maintenance there. SUBRON 22 I drove in all types of ships. Some are shown here. The Tender CO wanted to drive in the AEGIS Class Cruiser. He did.  And numerous auxiliary vessels – like this Minesweeper.1 Several PERRY Class Frigates visited La Mad. I drove all of them in.

  43. SR SA STS3(SS) ST1(SS) ENS LTJG LT LCDR CDR RETIRED  Commissioned Service: 12/21/1975 – 11/01/2001 Shore Duty:Defense Programs, Department of Energy “Post Command”:Deputy Director, Office of Site Operations (DP-24) (Environment, Safety and Health and Infrastructure Management for the Nuclear Weapons Production Complex) - Secretary of Energy Commendation - Meritorious Service Medal

  44. Summary Commissioned Service: 12/21/1975 – 11/01/2001 (continued) Training (major): Naval Nuclear Power School (1st class in Orlando, FL) Naval Nuclear PowerPrototype(S1C, Windsor, CT) Submarine Officer’s Basic Course (New London, CT) Submarine Officer’s Advanced Course (New London, CT) Nuclear Propulsion Plant Engineer Qualification Command of Nuclear Submarines Qualification Prospective Executive Officer (New London, CT) Nuclear Strategic Weapons (Dam Neck, VA) Strategic Navigation(Dam Neck, VA) Prospective Commanding Officer (1ST half [OPS]: Pearl Harbor, HI & 2nd half: Norfolk, VA) Major Nuclear Repairs (Charleston Navel Shipyard, SC) Education: Masters in Business Administration, Dec 2000 Frostburg University Highest Rank: Commander (O-5)

  45. My tribute to John Kerry.

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