Front Page Issue/date: 20191014

 Up-dated: Monday, October 14, 2019 01:41 PM

 

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U. S. SUBMARINE VETERANSBremerton Base

(Founded in 1981, Membership today is (269^)

P O Box 465, Silverdale, WA 98383-0465 USSVI National Office Tel(360) 337-2978 (6-12 PST)

Base Meeting, Sat, Oct 19, 1000, FRA #29

521 S National Ave, Bremerton

  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec                

 October (Ref: Pig Boats)

Lest We Forget!!! 

USS O-5(SS-66)

USS S-44(SS-155)

USS Wahoo(SS-238)

USS Dorado (SS-248)

USS Escolar(SS-294)

USS Shark (SS-314)

USS Seawolf (SS-197)

USS Darter (SS-227)

USS TangSS-306

W. Earle Smith, Jr. “Celebration of Life”Sandra Smith Sends:

W. Earle Smith, Jr.

“Celebration of Life”Location: “Admiral Theatre”

515 Pacific Ave, Bremerton, WA 98337

360-373-6810

Date & Time: Saturday, November 2, 2019

2:00-5:00pm

Parking: Kitsap Bank will allow cars to park in theirparking lot, since they will be closed on Saturday.

Do not block their drive-through lanes to their ATM machines.A Pay-by-the-Hour Parking Garage is across the street from the theater.

Please email fun stories to share to:

captstwo@wavecable.com

These stories will be part of the “Celebration”,

So…, Sandra wants them to be “clean”

Theme:

“Hawaiian”

Earle will be buried at sea off a Submarine in Hawaii

Menu:

Huli Huli Chicken & Island Fried Rice

Tropical Fruit Salad with Coconut Dressing

Green Garden Salad with Mango Dressing

Please RSVP to captstwo@wavecable.com or 1-360-876-0614

So we know how many to set up for.The tables are set for four people/table,

so you might want to plan who you want to sit with.

Join UsMonthly General Membership Meeting

3rd Sat, 10 AM(Except Summer Picnic & Dec Christmas Party)

FRA #29, 521 National Avenue, Bremerton

Membership Application

Read All

  

"A clear conscience isusually the sign of a bad

memory. "

September 21st Monthly Meeting SummaryPosted September 22, 2019

Cdr Steve Corcoran commenced the meeting with traditional opening ceremonies. He then introduced new or possible new members.

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Then six members of the Blueback Base (from Oregon), led byBase Cdr Bill Long (L) took charge and captured the coveted TravelingDolphins to take home to Oregon, Two members gave some amusing comments about their submarine careers which is required to takethe dolphins.

Member John Wardean's Subvet friend, Jack Jeffries from the Carolina Piedmont Base , was introduced and gave us a good review ofhis efforts for the Subvets (A Base Founder+)American Legion, VFW, WWII Subvets Roster, etc. Jack is a go getter!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That was followed by a Holland club presentation to basemember Ron Seedorf.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That was followed by Commander Steve Corcoran'spresentation of a unique coffee cup to member and newChief Petty Officer, Ileene Davis CSC(SS) of USSMichigan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Storekeeper Ralph Harris showed us a picture of himselffrom 1954-55 era taken overseas that he is proud of.

 

Dutch Kaiser, 2020 Election Chairperson, announced thosevying for office.

(Nominations are open to 30 October 2019 IAW Base By laws(Article VIII)

They are:

 

Commander: Dave Crawford Vice Commander: Don Carpenter Ileene Davis Secretary Wayne Sieckowski Treasurer Dennis Nardone

Chief of the Boat Wayne Peterson

 

========================================================= 

NEWS-01: CALL FOR NOMINATIONSSubmitted by: John E. Markiewicz on 9/11/2019------------------------------------------------------2020 is an Election Year. The Following National Officer Positions and Requirements for Office Are Available:

National Commander: Nominees for National Commander must have completed at least two years as a voting member of the Board ofDirectors by the time they take office as National Commander.

National Senior Vice Commander: Nominees for Senior Vice-Commander must have completed at least two years as a Member of theBoard of Directors and must certify that they have or will develop a working familiarity of the USSVI bookkeeping software.

National Junior Vice Commander: Nominees for Junior Vice-Commander must have completed at least two years as a Member of theBoard of Directors.

National Treasurer: Must be a Regular member in good standing and Nominees for National Treasurer must have some experience inbookkeeping, certify that they have, or will develop a working knowledge of the USSVI approved bookkeeping software, use the USSVIapproved software as part of his/her duties as National Treasurer, and cannot change to another software package without the Board ofDirector’s approval.

National Secretary: Must be a Regular member in good standing.

Regional Director: Must be a member in good standing of a Base within the Region.

Note: All nominations must be sent to the Nominations Committee Chairman on or before March 1st, 2020. The nomination is

accompanied by a letter from the Nominee indicating his willingness to accept the nomination and willingness to serve if elected. TheNomination Letter includes details of the nominee’s qualifications in less than one hundred (100) words.

The 2020 Nominations Committee Chairman is IPNC John E. Markiewicz, e-mail is jemjax2@att.net 

 

 

Up-dates on Bremerton Base events

Base commander Sends:

Hello Bremerton Base Members,

I hope this e-mail finds you doing well. It was a busy August (at least for me). We had the district picnic on the 10th, Rainer ballgame onthe 16th, and base picnic on the 24th, and not to mention the soupdowns on Friday. I want to thank all those members for joining us andmaking the events a success. I then finished the month on business travel to Minneapolis and then extended vacation in the UpperPeninsula of Michigan. Good times. Here we are in September and steaming into the end of the year. I want to share a few events anditems with you to keep you informed, and in an orderly fashion;

•Friday, September 13th, 1200, 251 1st Street, Bremerton, WA. 98337, USS Parche Memorial. CPO pinning ceremony for Ileene Davis.Ileene is serving on the USS Michigan. She has invited the Bremerton Base Submarine Veterans to this special event. Chief Select Davisis an active member of our base and has been nominated and accepted the nomination for Vice-Commander in the up-coming electionsfor Bremerton Base. I hope you can join us for this memorable event for Ileene.

•Saturday, September 21st, general membership meeting, 1000, Fleet Reserve, National Ave., Bremerton.

•Thursday, September 26th, Bells Across America for Fallen Service Members. Naval Base Kitsap, 0900, NBK Bangor Chapel. Socialhour to follow ceremony. (I will forward e-mail)

•September 27, 2019, the Rogue-Umpqua Base will hold it's regular bi-monthly meeting at the Smokejumper Base Museum on Highway199, a few miles south of Cave Junction. (Please see District Commander Jim Demott's e-mail that I forwarded). Any questions, pleasecontact Jim or me.

At the general membership meeting we will also discuss the future of our base float. The E-board had a pretty good discussion at ourrecent meeting . The float is close to 40 years old and it is time for the base to discuss which direction to go. ( Keep repairing or build anew float). Very preliminary at this time, but a topic that needs attention.

Well, that is it for now. Thanks for your time and support. Any questions or concerns, please contact me.

P.S. I must give a special thanks to COB Wayne Peterson for his outstanding effort concerning the base picnic. He did a great job.Thanks Buddy.

Steve CorcoranBase CommanderU.S.S.V.I. Bremerton BaseP.O. Box 6216Silverdale, WA 98315Cell (360) 471-2704

Base Elections 2019Posted July 26, 2019

Base Commander Sends

Hello Base Members, I am sending this on behalf of our Election Chairman, Gary "Dutch" Kaiser.

ARTICLE VIII. BIENNUAL ELECTIONS (Amd 10-18-11) http://gertrude-check.org/bylaws.pdf

Section 1. The Chairman of the Nominating Committee shall conduct the nominations for the five elected offices.

Section 2. The chairman of the Nominating Committee shall call for nominations of eligible candidates for the five elected offices to allmembers on or before August 30. Nominations shall be submitted by any member in good standing on or before October 30, to theChairman of the Nominating Committee, but only if such nominations are accompanied by consent of the nominee that he will accept thenomination and serve if elected and he must be a member in good standing. Upon receipt of all nominations, the Chairman of theNominating Committee shall have published the names, in alphabetical order, of all candidates properly nominated, at least thirty daysprior to the date of elections. Additional nominations, when called for, shall be made from the floor, on the day of the election, and shallbe accepted upon the oral or written consent of the nominee that he accepts the nomination and will serve if elected. Elections willnormally be held at the business meeting in November. The new officers shall be installed during the month of January. (Amd 10-19-10& 10-18-11)

Section 3. For any position with more than one candidate, elections shall be by secret ballot vote of attending members in good standing.If any position has only one candidate, election may be determined by simple showing of raised hands of attending members in goodstanding. (Amd 10-18-15)

Serving as an Officer for Bremerton base is fun and rewarding. Please give a thought to serving your base. If you have any questions orconcerns, please contact me or any E- Board member. Please find attached the nomination paperwork. We will also have the nominationforms available at the picnic in August and the meetings in September and October. Thank you.Preview attachment 2019_Bremerton_Base election form.doc2019_Bremerton_Base election form.doc12 KB

Steve CorcoranBase CommanderU.S.S.V.I. Bremerton BaseP.O. Box 6216Silverdale, WA 98315Cell (360) 471-2704

Left Click on Headline to go Directly to Back Page ArticleSubmariner on USS Pennsylvania charged with dealing cocaineSubmarine War ReportsThe Loss of USS Shark (SS-314)CBO: Navy’s Next Nuclear Attack Submarine Could Cost $5.5B a HullWorse than you thought

Worse than you thoughtHow a junior officer’s horrific death sparked reforms in Navy RHIB operationsLast Call for November 10th Deterrent Park Engraved Brick Installations

Top Archives Back PagePublished for American Submariners by USSVI Bremerton Base -Webmaster Don "Red" Bassler

Back Page

Issue/Date 20191014

Updated:

Monday, October 14, 2019 01:31 PM

gertrude-checkU. S. SUBMARINE VETERANS BREMERTON BASE

P O. Box 465, Silverdale, WA 98383-0465"Stuff you won't see in the local fish wrappers"

" I want to die peacefully in my sleep, like my grandfather.. Not screaming and yelling like the passengers in his car."

Left Click on Headline to go Directly to Back Page Article

technical and operational solutions. On the technical front, the United States invested in new deployable acoustic surveillance systems, including the Surveillance Towed Array Sonar System

(SURTASS) and its controversial low-frequency active component.10 Concurrently, technical solutions were paired with increased cooperation between surface and aerial assets to track Sovietsubmarines.After the Cold War, the United States and NATO largely abandoned their ASW capabilities, but the reemergence of Russian antagonism has refocused them on the submarine threat. They havereached for the familiar: focusing on the GIUK Gap, deploying U.S. ASW aircraft to Keflavik in Iceland, and holding major NATO ASW exercises off the Norwegian coast. This is the wrongpath to confronting the modern Russian undersea challenge. The Advent of Russian Long-Range Strike The primary mission for Russian attack and guided-missile submarines is to prevent the reinforcement of the European theater from the United States by sea. Today’s Russian platforms mayresemble those of the Cold War, but their weapon systems have improved dramatically. Russia does not need to hunt sealift vessels in the open ocean to halt reinforcement of NATO across theAtlantic. Its long-range land-attack cruise missiles can strike the vital North Sea port infrastructure in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany from launch platforms in the Norwegian andBarents seas. The revolution in Russian naval long-range strike capabilities has dramatically decreased the relevance of the GIUK Gap. The long-range strike payload of a single Project 885 Yasen-class SSN likely would cripple Bremerhaven, the primary U.S. surface port of debarkation in Europe. This is the single mostimportant node for moving heavy equipment to the European theater. Bremerhaven would be particularly easy to disable, as the vehicle port is accessed through two locks. In addition, the rail lineto the port goes over two rail bridges. Destroying these targets would render the port largely inoperable for U.S. needs.

U.S. Army (Micah VanDyke) Today, Russia does not need to hunt sealift vessels in the open ocean to halt U.S. reinforcement of NATO. Its long-range land-attack cruise missiles can strike vital North Seainfrastructure such as the port of Bremerhaven—the primary U.S. surface port of debarkation in Europe—from the Norwegian and Barents seas.

Alternative ports such as Rotterdam and Antwerp are more resilient because of their larger size, but they have some of the same weaknesses as Bremerhaven. For example, a portion of Antwerp isaccessed through a lock system that if rendered inoperable would bring port operations to a halt. In addition, onward rail movement relies heavily on a series of bridges that span the Dutch canalsystem. Brittle points in the European logistics system were thought to be secure during the Cold War; this no longer is the case.

The Russian Navy is in the middle of a generational change in its power projection and long-range strike capabilities, as demonstrated by its support of combat operations in Syria.11 Russianthinkers during the 1980s understood that precise long-range strike capabilities could reach targets previously believed to be rear area sanctuaries. Writing about a “military technical revolution,”

they foresaw how increases in range and precision would render previous classes of weapons largely impotent. The Gulf War confirmed the Russian views.12

Precise deep strike against rear logistics areas was the exact problem NATO imposed on Soviet forces at the end of the Cold War. This is the world NATO planners now face. While Russiananalysts and policymakers, including President Vladimir Putin, have complained loudly about the destabilizing effects of long-range strike weapons, they have been diligently developing their

own versions.13 The now-infamous 3M14 Kalibr naval land-attack cruise missile, with a purported range of up to 1,500 miles, gives the Russian Navy a long-range strike capability it has never

before possessed.14

SputnikLand-attack weapons now are included on nearly all new-design vessels for the Russian Navy. The Project 636 Improved Kilo-class submarines Kolpino and Veliky Novgoroddemonstrated their strike capabilities, launching Kalibr missiles at targets in Syria.

The importance of land-attack weapons to Russian naval power is evident in their inclusion on nearly every new-design vessel the Russian Navy has commissioned in the past five years. The

Yasen-class SSNs often are termed SSGNs because of their significant missile payload, believed to be up to 40 Kalibrs.15 Russia also has prominently displayed the long-range strike capabilities

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of its new Project 636 Kilo-class submarines and is planning to modernize the Oscar II class to carry up to 96 Kalibrs.16 This last step would give the Russian Navy a capability akin to that of theU.S. Ohio-class SSGN. The New Future for NATO Maritime Forces Russia’s new strike capabilities give its navy and, in particular, its submarine fleet a tremendous ability to influence the European military balance. The GIUK Gap will not provide a geographic

crutch to help mitigate the threat, as long-range weapons allow Russian submarines to operate from the relative security of the Norwegian and Barents seas.17 For example, a submarine-launchedcruise missile (SLCM) with a range of 1,000 miles would give the Russian Navy a potential patrol area of 100,000 square miles from which it could strike Bremerhaven while remainingreasonably secure. An SLCM with a notional range of 1,250 miles would increase the likely patrol area to more than 220,000 square miles, including waters north and west of the island of JanMayen, 500-plus miles from the nearest NATO ASW base. A longer range would allow Russian boats in the White Sea to strike targets in northeast Europe, most notably the Aegis Ashore site inPoland. In addition, likely North Atlantic patrol zones are only one to three days’ sail from Russian bases on the Kola Peninsula, decreasing their exposure to NATO ASW assets. This new reality cannot be addressed by focusing on the GIUK Gap. To respond adequately, the United States and NATO must move beyond the outdated barrier-defense concept and fullyembrace open-ocean ASW, with far greater emphasis on operating in contested waters well north of the Arctic Circle. Instead of static ASW barriers, the United States and NATO must shift to amodel of mobile ASW nets that can be rapidly constituted and focused on likely areas of operation. This will require developing a new generation of ASW capabilities. Chief among potential systems are large unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) with considerable on-station time to provideinitial cueing for other ASW assets. In addition, the Navy will need a new family of disposable acoustic ASW payloads. A major element would be small, disposable UUVs and unmanned surfacevessels (USVs) deployed by ships, aircraft, submarines, or large UUVs that could quickly be seeded into an area and provide persistent ASW coverage for upward of a week. These new capabilities will be effective only if they are paired with a new networking concept that knits together aerial, surface, and subsurface assets to understand the undersea battlespace. Thisis a daunting technical challenge, likely achievable only if subsurface platforms have considerable onboard processing and analytic capacity and are supported by persistent communication nodes.While these technical solutions, and the new operational concepts they enable, will help detect and track Russia’s submarine fleet, they must be paired with SSNs with the speed, stealth, andsensors to hunt the latest generation of Russian submarines. By unshackling themselves from past modes of thinking and forging new and existing capabilities together, the United States and itsNATO allies will be able to meet the evolving challenge posed by the Russian submarine fleet. 1. Thomas Gibbons-Neff, “Report: Russian Sub Activity Returns to Cold War Levels,” The Washington Post, 4 February 2016.2. Owen R. Coté Jr., The Third Battle: Innovation in the U.S. Navy’s Silent Cold War Struggle with Soviet Submarines, Newport Paper #16 (Newport, RI: Naval War College Press, 2013).3. Office of Naval Intelligence, The Russian Navy: A Historic Transition (Washington, DC: ONI, 2015), 1–5. 4. Norman Polmar and Kenneth J. Moore, Cold War Submarines: The Design and Construction of U.S. and Soviet Submarines (Washington, DC: Potomac Books, 2004), 107–14.5. Edward C. Whitman, “SOSUS: The ‘Secret Weapon’ of Undersea Surveillance,” Undersea Warfare 7, no. 2 (2005); Gary E. Weir, “Deep Ocean, Cold War,” Undersea Warfare 7. 6. Coté, The Third Battle, 41–46.7. Coté, 63–67.8. Polmar and Moore, Cold War Submarines, 197–98. 9. Coté, The Third Battle, 71–76. 10. Coté, 76–78.11. For example, see Sam LaGrone, “VIDEO: Pentagon Officials Confirm Russian Ships Fired Cruise Missiles on ISIS Positions in Syria,” USNI News, 31 May 2017.12. Dima Adamsky, “Through the Looking Glass: The Soviet Military-Technical Revolution and the American Revolution in Military Affairs,” Journal of Strategic Studies 31, no. 2 (2008): 258–60.13. Vladimir Putin, remarks at the “Meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club,” Sochi, 24 October 2014 (official transcript available here).14. Kathleen Hicks, Lisa Sawyer Samp, et al., Recalibrating U.S. Strategy Toward Russia: A New Time for Choosing (Washington, DC: CSIS, 2017), 75–82.15. Stephen Saunders, Jane’s Fighting Ships (London: HIS Global Limited, 2016).16. Ryan Maass, “Russia to Arm Antey Nuclear Subs with Kalibr Missiles,” UPI, 7 March 2017.17. Russian submarines operating in the Mediterranean and Black Seas will create similar problems for NATO planners. However, the Kilo-class diesel-electric submarines that operate in these basins cannot achievelarge salvo densities and are more limited in terms of magazine depth in comparison with the Northern Fleet’s SSGNs and SSNs.^  

Navy's new attack submarine, future USS Oregon, is christened in ConnecticutBy ASSOCIATED PRESS Published: October 5, 2019

GROTON, Conn. — The U.S. Navy's newest attack submarine, the future USS Oregon, waschristened in Connecticut on Saturday.Politicians, shipyard leaders and Navy officials gathered for a ceremony at the General DynamicsElectric Boat shipyard in Groton, where they spoke about the importance of Virginia-class submarinesand praised the skills of the thousands of shipyard workers in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Virginiawho built the Oregon. Vice Adm. James Kilby said the Oregon, outfitted with the most modern weapons and sensors, willdisappear beneath the waves and never be detected until a time and place of its choosing. It "trulyrepresents naval combat power," said Kilby, a deputy chief of naval operations. The submarine is expected to cost about $2.7 billion and join the fleet next year. It will officiallybecome the USS Oregon when it's commissioned. Electric Boat, which has facilities in Connecticut and Rhode Island, builds attack submarines withNewport News Shipbuilding in Virginia. Jennifer Boykin, president of Newport News Shipbuilding,said the submarine represents the "very best of American innovation, quality and pride." About 100 Electric Boat workers, upset over a proposed new contract, protested outside of theceremony, according to The Day newspaper in New London. A vote on the contract is scheduled fornext week. Inside the shipyard, the ship's sponsor, Dana Richardson, christened the nuclear submarine with sparkling wine from Oregon and water from Crater Lake National Park in Oregon. Richardson, anative of Corvallis, Oregon, said the privilege of being a ship sponsor is beyond her wildest dreams. She's married to retired Adm. John Richardson, who served as the chief of navaloperations from 2015 until this summer.

The submarine is the third Navy ship to honorthe state. It will carry on the proud legacy of itspredecessors, said Republican U.S. Rep. GregWalden of Oregon, who delivered the keynoteaddress. Walden said the submarine has thecapability to prevent nuclear war. Construction began in the fall of 2014. It's the20th Virginia-class submarine. The class ofsubmarines, equipped with torpedoes andmissiles, are designed to carry out a wide rangeof missions, including surveillance work and thedelivery of Special Operations forces.

The Oregon is part of a group of submarines with design changes so the submarines will need one less period in theshipyard for maintenance over their lifespan, according to the Navy. Consequently, they will be able to do one moredeployment over their lifespan, for a total of about 15 deployments. ^

http://www.gdeb.com/christenings/   The Loss of USS Dorado (SS 248) Naval History and Heritage Command  

Dorado, a newly commissioned submarine, under Lieutenant Commander E.C. Schneider, sailed from New London, Connecticut, on 6 October1943 for Panama. She did not arrive at Panama nor was she heard from at any time after sailing.The Commander in Chief, United States Fleet in his comments concerning the Court of Inquiry covering the case, lists three possible causes forthe loss of Dorado: operational casualties, enemy action, and attack by friendly forces. The standard practice of imposing bombing restrictions within an area of fifteen miles on each side of the course of an unescorted submarinemaking passage in friendly waters and fifty miles ahead and one hundred miles astern of her scheduled position was carried out and all concernedwere notified. A convoy was so routed as to pass through the bombing and attack restriction area surrounding Dorado on the evening of 12October 1943, assuming correct navigation and adherence to schedule by both. A patrol plane which was assigned by Commandant, Naval Operating Base, Guantanamo to furnish air coverage on the evening of 12 October,received faulty instructions as to the location of the bombing and attack restriction area surrounding Dorado and at 2049, local time, the planedelivered a surprise attack of three depth charges on an unidentified submarine. About two hours later, the plane sighted another submarine withwhich it attempted to exchange recognition signals without success. This submarine fired upon the plane. A German submarine was known to beoperating near the scene of these two contacts.

Because of the lack of evidence, the Court of Inquiry was unable to reach definite conclusions as to the cause of the loss of Dorado.^

 

Lost USS Escolar (SS 294)Naval History and Heritage Command

Escolar (Commander W.J. Millican) departed Pearl Harbor on 18 September 1944, to proceed to Midway to top off with fuel. There she joined Croaker and Perch and left on 23 September toconduct a coordinated patrol (Escolar's first patrol) in the Yellow Sea north of 30°-00'N. Commander Millican was in command of this coordinated attack group, which was designated "Millican'sMarauders."

On 30 September, when Escolar was estimated to be about north of the Bonin Islands, the following partial message was received from her: "This from EscolarX attacked with deck gun boatsimilar to ex-Italian Peter George five OTYI - ." Although no further transmissions have ever been received by bases from Escolar, who was forced to break off the transmission and theengagement with the gunboat at this time, the Commanding Officer of Croaker has stated that she suffered no damage and was in frequent communication with Perch and Croaker until 17October 1944.

Perch reported that on 17 October she had received a message from Escolar stating that she was in position 33°-44'N, 127°-33'E, and was heading for Latitude 33°-44'N, Longitude 129°-06'E.Neither Perch nor Croaker could raise Escolar by radio after this transmission was received.

Had Escolar left her area on the scheduled date, she would have arrived at Midway about 13 November 1944. All attempts to contact Escolar failed and she was reported on 27 November 1944 aspresumed lost. It is assumed that she was lost about 17 October. Information supplied by the Japanese on antisubmarine attacks gives no clue as to the cause of her loss, but the Yellow Sea area isthought to have been mined. A course line plotted between the two positions given above does not cross any known Japanese mine lies, but positions of mines laid before April 1945 are notdefinitely located. The known minefields in Tsushima Strait were laid in April 1945. However, there were mines in the general area of Escolar's predicted position, and the most likely explanationfor her end at present is that she detonated a mine. (A more recent investigation has raised another pssiblilty for Escolar's loss.) ^

 

 

USSVCF Information

Submitted by: Bob Frick, National Scholarship Committee Chairman on 10/4/2019------------------------------------------------------

The USSV Charitable Foundation Academic Scholarship Program will be open for applications on 30 October 2015. All process and procedure instructions are located on the USSVI.ORGwebsite by logging in, navigating to the Charitable Fund page and from there to the Scholarship and finally the Scholarship application page.

Any questions should be sent to Bob Frick, Scholarship Chairman at refrickussvcf@gmail.com

Bob Frick

^

  

December 7th Remembrance & Memorial ServiceUSSVI WD4 Cdr Sends:

Base Commanders,

I am forwarding this message from Mike "Willie" Williamson, District Commander for Western District 6. It is for a ceremony on December 7th, in Riverside, Ca. He asked that you share withyour base members. You may have some dual members that live near there. (I know Willie is a dual member of Bremerton Base.) Feel free to spread the word however you see fit, whetherannouncing at meetings, putting on website, or in newsletter.

Thanks for your support,

Jim DeMottWestern District 4 CommanderDistrict Cmdr. Of the Year(360) 895-0547 (h)(360) 710-0411 (c)jedemott@hotmail.comPride Runs Deep ^

 

 

Some veterans have contacted Military Times to say that they are eligible for the new benefit that takes effect Jan. 1, but are concerned they won’t have access to the stores.(Defense Commissary Agency/Kevin Robinson)

(old news) As defense officials get ready for 3 million more people who will be able to shop at military stores on base, some veterans are wondering whether they’ll be able to use their new benefits. Some veterans have contacted Military Times to say that they are eligible for the new benefit that takes effect Jan. 1, but are concerned they won’t have access to the stores. That’s because theydon’t have the specific credential required ― the Veteran Health Identification Card, or VHIC, issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Based on responses to Military Times queries, there are no answers yet for these veterans. Information was not immediately available about how many veterans could be affected. Under a 2018 law, Purple Heart recipients; former prisoners of war; veterans with a service-connected disability from 0 to 90 percent as documented by the Department of Veterans Affairs; andcertain primary veteran caregivers will be newly eligible to shop at commissaries and exchanges. It applies to all military bases, including Coast Guard. Medal of Honor recipients and veterans with a VA-documented service-connected disability rating of 100 percent and their authorized family members have long been authorized these privileges,under DoD policy.

Commissaries sell discounted groceries. Military exchanges sell a variety of items ranging from clothing and shoes to toys, furniture, home appliances and electronics. They have on-base gasstations and stores that sell alcoholic beverages. This newly eligible population will also be able to use certain morale, welfare and recreational, or MWR, facilities such as golf courses, movie theaters, clubs and certain other programs andfacilities that are self-sufficient, generating enough revenue through fees and/or sales to pay their operating costs. The departments of Veterans Affairs, Defense and Homeland Security have been working together for months on plans for how the program will be implemented. A crucial part of that is thecredential required to get onto the base and to shop at the stores, because most veterans who aren’t retired don’t have access to installations. Defense officials are working to enable technology at the front gate to scan those veteran cards so veterans can get in to use those benefits. Commissary officials are working on adjusting theirtechnology to enable systems to read the cards. Some veterans have said they are eligible for the new benefits because of their disability rating, but don’t qualify for the VHIC, for various reasons. One veteran said she has tried to get answersfrom VA about what she can do to be able to shop, but has been unsuccessful. “I hope the VA and DoD will work together to ensure that no veterans with a service-connected disability areoverlooked on this benefit,” said the veteran, who asked to remain anonymous. “The VHIC is the only credential that DoD resale and MWR facilities will accept from veterans authorized privileges solely under the Purple Heart and Disabled Veterans Equal Access Act of2018,” said DoD spokeswoman Jessica Maxwell. “Specific questions about who can and how to obtain a VHIC should be directed to the Department of Veterans Affairs.” For their part, VA officials say DoD is in charge of this benefit expansion. "We are working with DoD to accommodate all eligible veterans,” said VA spokesman Randy Noller. For veteran caregivers who are newly eligible, the process will be different, initially, since caregivers aren’t directly affiliated with DoD or VA, other than through the annual appointment to be acaregiver. The benefit applies to the primary caregiver of wounded/injured veterans who are registered in the VA caregiver program. The VA will post a memo to VA.gov for caregivers, to be usedfor access at the front gate, along with driver’s license or other authorized form of ID. The VA process will later transition to a caregiver-type ID card, which will have scanning swipe capability.

Some other questions from readers: Where do I get VHIC Card?

Q.https://www.va.gov/healthbenefits/news/two_forms_id_needed_vhic_card.asp ^

 

The Loss of USS_O-5_(SS-66)From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

O-5 was laid down on 8 December 1916 by the Fore River Shipbuilding Company of Quincy, Massachusetts. She was launched on11 November 1917, and commissioned on 8 June 1918 with Lieutenant commander George A. Trever in command. During the finalmonths of World War I, O-5 operated along the Atlantic coast and patrolled from Cape Cod to Key West, Florida. On October 6,1918 O-5 was at the Brooklyn Navy Yard when Lieutenant (Junior Grade) William J. Sharkey noticed that the submarine's batterieswere giving off toxic gas. Sharkey informed his commanding officer and the two went forward in the submarine to investigate. Thebatteries then exploded killing LTJG Sharkey and fatally injuring LCDR Trevor. LTJG Sharkey was posthumously awarded the NavyCross. O-5 departed Newport, Rhode Island on 3 November 1918 with a 20-submarine contingent bound for European waters;however, hostilities had ceased before the vessels reached the Azores.

After the Armistice with Germany, O-5 operated out of the Submarine School at New London, Connecticut until 1923. O-5 thensailed to Coco Solo, Panama Canal Zone, for a brief tour. On 28 October, as O-5 entered Limon Bay, preparatory to transiting thePanama Canal, she was rammed by the United Fruit Company steamer Abangarez and sank in less than a minute. Three men died;16 others escaped. Two crewmembers, Henry Breault and Lawrence Brown, were trapped in the forward torpedo room, which they

sealed against the flooding of the submarine. Local engineers and divers were able to rig cranes and other equipment and lift O-5 far enough off the bottom that the bow broke the surface,exposing a hatch which led to the compartment where the two men were trapped, allowing them to be freed. Henry Breault was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions.

Struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 28 April 1924, she was raised and later sold as a hulk to R.K. Morris in Balboa, Panama, on 12 December 1924. The sinking made O-5 valueless forfuture naval service. She was stripped of valuable fittings and equipment when sold for $3,125. Her original cost had been $638,000.^

  

Starting Oct. 1, sailors who are currently being forged by the sea will at long last nolonger blend in with i After 11 perilous years of parading around looking like victims of an airplane toilet explosion, the Navy finally is saying sayonara to the Type I Navy Working Uniform, a heinous half-nylonboondoggle that not only wasted hundreds of millions of dollars but endangered the lives of everyone who donned the accursed “blueberry." That’s because until 2012, sailors didn’t realize that a mere spark could turn them into blueberry flambé. Or — as the Navy Clothing and Textile Research Facility eloquently put it after testing a uniform that doubled as “a thermoplastic fiber” Yankee candle that “melts and drips” when lit — it “willburn robustly until completely consumed.” Surveys suggest most sailors, if given the opportunity, will robustly choose to avoid welding clothing to their skin. A pile of blueberries and a lone Zippo might’ve solved the Navy’s NWU I problem in 2013 but, instead, the admirals embarked on a three-year process of swapping it out for what lookssuspiciously like Marine Corps digital woodland cammies. At least sailors falling overboard today will stick out like a deciduous forest inexplicably bobbing from the sea and be saved.

If there’s a hero in this sordid sartorial story, it’s probably the vice chief of navaloperations, Vice Adm. Robert P. Burke, who orchestrated the blue-to-green shiftbeginning in 2016 when he was the chief of naval personnel. “Our sailors want uniforms that are comfortable, they want them to be lightweight andbreathable and ultimately, they want fewer of them,” Burke told Navy Times in 2016. Fewer uniforms in a seabag already overflowing with unnecessary items is a welcomeconcept for any sailor.A cash-strapped seaman apprentice shouldn’t be required to maintain as many uniformsas the Nike-fueled University of Oregon Ducks football team. Fleet feedback told Burke that the Type III was favored because it’s "lighter, it breathesgood in hot weather climate, it’s got the rightaccessories for cold weather climates — and itjust wears better.” Even if it’s green and brown and makeseveryone look like a plumper Marine. But that’s not the only change! The NWU Type III eight-point cover with theAnchor, the frigate Constitution and Eagle —“ACE” — logo replaces the old cover with rankinsignia. Beginning on Oct. 1, 2017, sailors were given afull 24 months to purchase all the new requiredNWU Type III components and the Navy hikedtheir annual clothing replacement allowances topurchase them. And they did that because sailors would neverblow their money on beer or something ill-advised, which is why they won’t desperately

dial the NEXCOM emergency uniform hotline tonight at 877–810–9030 to figure out a way to pass inspection tomorrow morning. Instead, they’ll gather with shipmates, family and friends on this last day of the federal fiscal year to say fair winds and following seas to the blueberry, theugliest, most flammable Navy working uniform ever invented.^

  

Last Call for November 10th Deterrent Park Engraved Brick InstallationPosted September 30, 2019

 

We are nearing the deadline for the second and last 2019 Deterrent Park engraved brick installation. Application with check should be given to me, Don Bassler or Treasurer Dennis Nardoneat the October 19th meeting or received by the base, by October 27, 2019 through the US mail. That is (Bremerton Base, P O Box 465, Silverdale, WA 98383-0465).

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