1

From the 2018 Reunion Committee Chairman -

Chuck Hladik, TM2(SS) G 67-70; USSVI – USS

Oklahoma City Base:

October 1st = 375 days until OKC!!!

We now have our location for the

2018 Reunion. We will be at the

Embassy Suites Oklahoma City

Downtown Medical Center.

I am working on details for the

Stimson Reunion here in Oklahoma

City. October is one of the better times

to visit Oklahoma. The temperature has moderated

and on average few tornadoes. April, May, and Early

June is tornado season here. We can get some heavy

rain for the remnants of Gulf Hurricanes. Oklahoma

City and the surrounding area has lots of public golf

courses with varying degrees of difficulty.

Another place of interest is Oklahoma History

Center is less than 2 miles from the Embassy Suites

Hotel. It is free to Active Duty Military and Veterans.

The Oklahoma Museum of History is a division of

the Oklahoma Historical Society.In addition to

supporting the mission of the OHS to preserve and

perpetuate the history of Oklahoma and its people, the

museum collects, preserves, and interprets the history

of Oklahoma for everyone. The museum fulfills its

mission through the application of the highest

standards of collections care, the presentation of

diverse in-house and traveling exhibits, and multi-

disciplinary educational programs.

The Oklahoma Museum of History is also an

affiliate of the Smithsonian Institute. Smithsonian

Affiliations are among the most comprehensive forms

of Smithsonian national outreach. Through

Smithsonian Affiliations, young people, families and

students are able to experience a piece of the

Smithsonian— their national museum—through their

own hometown museums. http://www.okhistory.org/

historycenter/

————————————————————————

From The Editor

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Reunion Hotel Information: As stated last month, we

have been told the hotel will not be able to take

reservations for the reunion dates until sometime the

first of November. Because of that, the hotel

registration link and reunion registration form will be

placed in the November newsletter and posted on the

Stimson website at least by mid-November. The

November newsletter will be delayed in publishing until

we have the hotel information.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Is a new feature I think

would be great to have

in our newsletter. It

never ceases to amaze me at the talent we have in our

Association. Here is an opportunity for you, as a

Stimson Shipmate, or a member of your family, to

VOL. 2017 #10 OCTOBER 2017

U S S H E N R Y L . S T I M S O N A S S O C I A T I O N S S B N 6 5 5 N E W S L E T T E R

A s s o c i a t i o n O f f i c e r s & B o a r d o f D i r e c t o r s 2 0 1 7 — 2 0 1 8

PRESIDENT Ray [Rita] Kreul

VICE PRESIDENT Tom [Marie] Krauser

SECRETARY Nick [Linda] Nichols

TREASURER Ken [Diane] Meigs

OUTGOING PRESIDENT Chuck [Joyce] Hladik

HISTORIAN / CUSTODIAN Larry [Linda] Knutson

WEBMASTER / NEWSLETTER Nick [Linda] Nichols

CHAPLAIN Jake Morris

STOREKEEPER / SHIPS STORE Jim [Suzie] Weaver

O t h e r P o s i t i o n s 2 0 1 7 - 2 0 1 8

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showcase something special they are able to do. I

know we have many woodworkers, artists, metal

workers, musicians, etc. and this will give them a

chance to show their talents. Our first entry was

concerned that it would appear as bragging if he

allowed me to put in the pictures of a piece of furniture

he made. That is why I‘m calling this the ―Shipmate

Showcase‖. When you have a talent it is not bragging

to show that talent to others. Of course, the only way

this section will work is if you submit your items to me.

A couple of pictures, or an MP3 (if you‘re a

musician….hint hint Bill) that I can link to...anything

that will show others something you can do. Please

help make this a great success!!!

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Submitted by George Birmingham ET1(SS) G 69-74

CC Cleaner Hack Affects Millions of Users: I know

a lot of people use AVAST anti-virus, so they probably

get CC Cleaner too from the same place.

Here‘s some info you may want to send this on to

our shipmates about phishing "Bank" e-mails in light of

the Equifax hack.

https://www.darkreading.com/attacks-breaches/

report-bank-email-fraud-increases-since-equifax-

breach/d/d-id/1330007?

https://blog.barracuda.com/2017/09/28/threat-

spotlight-email-malware-impersonates-secure-

bank-messages/

Check out Tom Krauser‘s article about concerning

the CC Cleaner Hack and how to check your copy of

the program.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

LOOKING FOR SHIPMATE

Our online ―Looking For Shipmate‖ sailing list is

very long. The shipmates listed in this file were

stationed on the Stimson at one point. Please check

out the list to see if you know someone that you can

contact to get them into the Association. Use the same

password as you do on the Secured Sailing List.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

DEPENDENTS CRUISE PICTURES:

Do you have pictures of your family (wife/children/

parents, etc.) when they came on the boat with you

either for a dependents cruise or just a visit during

upkeep? Do you want to share them with your

shipmates? If so, just send them to me at

655webmaster@ssbn655.org and they will be in a

future newsletter.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

PSYCHIATRIST VS. BARTENDER....

As far back as he could remember the old Chief

had a fear of someone under his bed at night. He

decided to go see a shrink and told him: ―I've

got problems. Every time I go to bed I think there's

somebody under it. I'm scared. I think I'm going crazy.‖

"Just put yourself in my hands for one year," said

the shrink. "Come talk to me three times a week and

we should be able to get rid of those fears.‖

―How much do you charge?‖ the old Chief asked.

―One hundred fifty dollars per visit,‖ replied the

doctor.

―I'll sleep on it,‖ he said.

Six months later the doctor met the Chief on the

street.

―Why didn't you come to see me about those fears

you were having?‖ he asked.

―Well I got to thinking about the money. $150 a

visit, three times a week for a year, is $23,400.00,‖

said the Chief. ―A bartender I know cured me for

$10.00. I was so happy to have saved all that money

that I went and bought a new pickup truck.‖

―Is that so?‖ the doctor asked with a bit of an

attitude. ―And how, may I ask, did a bartender cure

you?‖

The Chief looked at the doctor and said, ―he told

me to cut the legs off the bed. Ain't nobody under

there now.‖

The Rest of the Story: We all know that the story

above is a bald-face lie. It‘s a well-known truth that a

Chief Petty Officer never gets old….and he‘s not afraid

of anything.

———————————————————————–--

From the Association Storekeeper - Jim Weaver,

SK2(SS) B 68-69; USSVI– Corvina Base:

The ships store has patches, decals

and challenge coins ($5/ea + $1 flat

mailing fee). Email or text if interested.

775-750-6891/

jweaver2845@gmail.com

One of our shipmates sent me a link

to order embroidered hats. He has

ordered a couple and here‘s the

results:

Submitted by Wayne Fourniquet, ETN2(SS) B 72-76:

I noticed your ‗ship‘s store‘ section of the Stimson

Draft stating: "I have been checking online to find

some good vendors where I can direct you to for Hats

and Shirts. I tried out Your Boat Your Shirt and the

quality was good."

Thought that I would send you a link to another

good place to order a real nice looking custom

embroidered ball cap. I am currently wearing my first

and have made an order for another. Anyway, here is

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the link:

https://navypictures.net/product/ssbn-655-uss-henry-l-

stimson-embroidered-hat/

The one I am currently wearing arrived Dec 2013. I

wear it ‗all the time’. This is a very good way to come

into contact with other submariners; I meet them all the

time out shopping for whatever. The only reason I

have ordered another is obvious, I wanted a new one

after almost 4 years of sweat, so I think the quality is

good. It takes 4-6 weeks to arrive though, cost starts at

$29.95. She can add custom printing to the sides (2

lines of 14 characters each) for $7.00 extra on each

side. You can order it on-line but I call and talk with the

lady personally, to make sure of what I want printed on

the side of the cap. I am an oldie and would rather

order stuff the ‗old way‘ person to person.

Just received my ‗new‘ Stimson Cap today.

Ordered on Aug 14 and received Sept 21. I was a little

concerned about them, I think they are located in

Gainesville, Florida and Irma went right over them. I

guess they faired alright.

————————————————————————

From the Association Historian/Memorabilia

Custodian

Larry Knutson, MMCS(SS) B 79-81 USSVI-

Charleston Base:

One of the items in our

Memorabilia collection is a wooden

card box. This box contains the report

in card on every crewmember that

served under the command of Captain

Bob Weeks. The Association Secretary

has begun scanning these cards and

emailing a copy to anyone he has an email for. Hope

you enjoy seeing what you looked like when you

reported onboard the Stimson.

Nick is still looking for the person who sent him the

pictures that were in the August newsletter. If that

person happens to be you, please let Nick know.

655webmaster@ssbn655.org

————————————————————————

From the Association President and wife -

Ray & Rita Kreul, TM2(SS) G 65-69

USSVI– Snug Harbor Base:

Stimson shipmates mourn

the recent loss of Mr. Hugh

Hefner. We, the Stimson Gold

crew, proudly displayed our

Playboy Bunny flag for many

years. Mr. Hefner personally

signed our bunny flag in February 2002 and placed an

article I wrote about the Henry L Stimson in his

February Playboy 2002 edition page 16. He and his

daughter Christine were fans of the boat as we

displayed the Playboy bunny painted on all our missile

hatches.

Our designer of the bunny template/ensign was

Stan Penning TM3 Gold Crew commissioning. Captain

Bob Weeks loved the Playboy flag Earl Forbs obtained

and presented to him I believe Earl got it from a

torpedo retriever gang while we were in San

Juan. Capt. Bob brought that pendant everywhere he

went. I was able to have his wife Gerry send me the

flag and with the help of Hugh‘s daughter, Christine,

had Hugh sign it. During one of our Stimson reunions

after getting the flag back, Rita Kreul asked Capt. Bob

where his pendant was. He didn‘t know and that‘s

when Rita presented Capt. Bob with pendant signed

by Hugh. Bob could not believe it! That is one item

that Capt. Bob kept in his den for years and even

today Gerry Weeks holds dear the pendant of

memories past.

I am going to buy a Sympathy card and send to the

family of Hugh Hefner on behalf of the Association.

I want to let all the shipmates that were in harm‘s

way recently with the massive storms we had that they

were always in our prayers. I want to thank all those

who sent emails to Rita and I voicing concerns for

us. We will always remember them.

Remember families and friend ships last a life time

so stay in touch with Nick Nichols if you change your

phone numbers or address so we can keep out

Stimson family connected.

4

Remember also mark the calendar for the

upcoming reunion. We are just a year out from the

gathering in OK city. OK. Chuck and his team have

been on track for the gathering and working hard for all

of us. Watch the date Chuck posts to start calling the

hotel and sending in your reversions. Watch for more

on this from Nick and Chuck.

Stay safe shipmates and God watch over you all.

————————————————————————

From the Association Vice President -

Tom Krauser, MM1(SS) B 72-74

Tom’s articles just keep coming. If

anyone has a suggestion for a future

article you would like to see, please

send them to the webmaster at

655webmaster@ssbn655.org

CCleaner Hacked and Malware

Inserted By Tom Krauser See Page 6

————————————————————————

MM1(N) (SS) Vernon F. Olson G 66-69 Plank Owner

Departed on Eternal Patrol August 31, 2017

[Verified by Legacy.com]

If any of you have any information about the following

shipmates being on Eternal Patrol please send it to me

at 655webmaster@ssbn655.org as soon as possible.

HM2(SS) George D. Hinds, B 76-78

(possibly lost at sea)

————————————————————————

BINNACLE LIST

(if you would like to be placed on our Association

Binnacle List please send an email to

655webmaster@ssbn655.org)

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

**********

Bob Faulkner, MT1(SS) B/G 80-86 OVHL2

Remember Bob as he continues to find the best result

to manage Parkinson's Disease symptoms.

**********

Larry Hall, STS3(SS) B 65-69:

Remember Larry as he is still awaiting a kidney and

can‘t travel to the reunions.

————————————————————————

WELCOME ABOARD & FOUND SHIPMATES!!

(Shipmate has contacted us to be added or have info

updated on our Sailing List. Please check the online

Sailing List to access the shipmates contact info.)

**********

QM2(SS) Taylor Albright G 74-76

(updated info per his request)

ET3(SS) Greg Sikora B Decom 91-93

(updated info per his request)

Many of our shipmates are on FaceBook but are not

listed on our Sailing List. Please check the new

‗Looking For‘ Sailing List on the website to help locate

these shipmates. When you see shipmates on

Facebook ask them if they are on the Sailing List and

please send them a personal invite to contact

655webmaster@ssbn655.org to be listed and

become a member of the Stimson Association.

————————————————————————

GREAT LINKS TO SPEND TIME WITH

(all links from “The Draft” will be on the website)

**********

655 Association Website

www.ssbn655.org

**********

1989 Christmas on the 655

Submitted by Gordon Long, RM2(SS) G 81-85

I found a video of 655 at Christmas was shot in the

mess decks and wardroom and shows a lot of crew

members.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=mZSpFQpJCqY

**********

Brainteasers

Studies show that working out your mind is as

important as working out your body! One good way to

flex your brain "muscle" is by solving a daily dose of

puzzles and brainteasers.

http://interactivesites.weebly.com/

brainteasers.html

**********

41 For Freedom

By Erica Buell on Friday, 11 August 2017 at 10:54 am

Posted in Submarine History

The name ―41 for Freedom‖ conjures images of

greatness, power, and the beginning of something

new.

http://ussnautilus.org/blog/41-for-freedom/

**********

Submarine Naming throughout the Years

By Erica Buell on Friday, 18 August 2017 at 8:19 am

Posted in Submarine History

5

Have you ever wondered how a ship gets their name?

There isn‘t a random lottery or a vote that takes place.

In fact, there is a unique set of rules and guidelines

that throughout the evolution of the submarine force

has dictated how submarines are named.

http://ussnautilus.org/blog/submarine-naming-

throughout-the-years/

**********

The Real Reason the US Navy Keeps Hitting

Merchant Vessels

This article originally appeared at In Military (IM).

By Wes O‘Donnell

Managing Editor, In Military (IM)

Editor’s note: Wes O’Donnell, (Managing Editor of our

sister blog In Military) secured an interview with a

recently retired U.S. Navy captain who spent 20 years

at sea and 10 in the Pentagon, working on process

improvement projects. He asked to remain anonymous

due to a number of political considerations and a need

for privacy. For the purposes of this interview, we will

call him Captain F (Captain F).

http://inmilitary.com/real-reason-us-navy-keeps-

hitting-merchant-vessels/

**********

Lightning hits a river!

If you have any doubts about the power of nature this

will change your mind. This video is of DRY

thunderstorm lightning--The kind that causes the

majority of forest fires. It appears that the video was

filmed from a stationary remote camera as a human

operator may not have survived this strike. Notice

where the lightning strikes the river bank, then into the

river and then downstream.

Lightning Hits a River

**********

Replace Veterans' Medals, Awards, and

Decorations

The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) does

not issue service medals; that is a function of each

military service department. Requests for the issuance

or replacement of military service medals, decorations

and awards should be directed to the specific branch

of the military in which the veteran served. However,

for cases involving Air Force and Army personnel, the

NPRC will verify the awards to which a veteran is

entitled and forward the request along with the records

verification to the appropriate service department for

issuance of the medals. Use the addresses listed

below, and mail your request accordingly.

https://www.archives.gov/veterans/replace-

medals.html

————————————————————————

America opens its doors to North Korea!

————————————————————————

SEA STORIES:

=====

Submitted by James P. Cota IC2(SS) G 65-68 Plank

Owner

CAPT Weeks’ Checkin Cards

I don‘t remember Capt. Weeks doing anything like

this. I checked in June 1966; before the boat was

ready for commissioning.

I do remember when I left the boat in 1968. All

commissioning crew was to receive a ships plaque,

however they hadn‘t made very many yet. Maybe I

was one of the earliest or even the first enlisted man to

leave as I was getting out on June 28, 1968. Anyway

since there was no ships plaque to give me, he told

me to come to his residence that night and he would

have one then.

I was invited in and he said ―they still didn‘t have

any.‖ He then took his own plaque off the wall and

gave it to me and said "he could always get another

6

one"!

It hangs proudly on my wall now.

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

Submitted by Don Ort, MM3(SS) G 69-70 & MM1(SS)

B 70-74

MMCM Rudolph Dias was a great chief. One

upkeep in Holy Loch he worked M-Div so hard none of

us got any liberty even though we were all port and

stbd duty sections. One Friday morning he mustered

the division back in the engine room, got the section

leaders and gave them each $10 or $20, I don't

remember which, and said take your duty section on

liberty. That upkeep each section got off one night

each on Rudy Diaz. Back then during happy hour at

the club in Holy Lock a gin and tonic was only ten

cents!

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

Submitted by Don Ort, MM3(SS) G 69-70 & MM1(SS)

B 70-74

Here is another man who was a chief's chief. This

guy was an amazing leader of men and so talented. I

had the privilege of working with him for a while. I saw

him hand carve the most beautiful rifle stock you have

ever seen. He took months to do it. Sometimes I get

pretty emotional when I think of all the great chiefs and

great sailors I have worked with.

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

Submitted by Greg Sikora ET3(SS) B Decom 91-93

I reported to Charleston in 1992 and made the last

patrol from Kings Bay in the Strat Nav Dept. Marshall

Lawrence was the ETC (I ended up serving with him at

three commands the 655, Alabama and at OTSU2 in

Cape Canaveral) Then we did some various fleet ops

and MIDI rides and such after crew combination. Had

a great time on the Hog - We went to Bremerton

through the Canal. Interesting trip. Lots of EB Green

and super glue to get there! I think we did a deep dive

on the way, we had a canal picnic topside which was

great, and then the dive cert ran out off of the coast of

Oregon and if I remember right we were on the surface

for the approach to the straits in WA. We were

decommed/defuled in the aircraft carrier dry dock with

if I remember right 617, 656, 659 all parked prop to

prop. 4 boomers in the same drydock. It was an

interesting thing to see. The sad part is that there were

other boats there being cut up like the Grant and the

Clay. Sad to see all of the boats we saw on the east

coast sitting there being recycled all at the same time.

Just a short time before we were scrounging eggs,

milk and non-skid from those guys in Charleston and

then we were all being cut to pieces in WA. Oh well!

Time marches on. I did a tour on the Alabama, the as

an instructor at TTF then went to FBM OTSU2 at Cape

Canaveral. I got out as an ET1 and went to Dental

School and am now a dentist working for Indian Health

Service in Arizona. ————————————————————————

Part 7 – CCleaner Hacked and Malware Inserted

By Tom Krauser

The 32 bit versions of the popular program

CCleaner version 5.33 and CCleaner Cloud Version

1.07 was hacked to include malware code in the

installation package.

According to Piriform in the link below, it only

affected the 32 bit version and not the 64 bit version

and only users running version 5.22.6162 or CCleaner

Cloud version 1.07.3191.

https://www.piriform.com/news/blog/2017/9/18/

security-notification-for-ccleaner-v5336162-and-

ccleaner-cloud-v1073191-for-32-bit-windows-users

The threat was resolved by upgrading to any newer

version of CCleaner. To the best of Piriform‘s

knowledge the threat was disarmed before it was able

to do any harm.

If you are using the 32 bit version and have used

the infection version you can check to see if you were

infection by opening the Registry with the Registry

Editor and check the following key:

HKLM\Software\Piriform and see if there is a key

labeled Agomo:MUID. You can do a search in the

Registry for the word ―agomo‖ to see if that value

exists. If this key shows then you may have been

infected at one time. If you were infected you can use

System Restore to restore your system to a time

before August 15, 2017. You should also run a full

virus and malware scan. If you do use System Restore

to go to an earlier date you will have to reinstall any

software added since the restore date.

Make sure your CCleaner is updated go going to

the following site and downloading the latest version.

https://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/download

————————————————————————

The Grey Ghost: Examining the Future of USS

Clamagore

Megan Schuller, All Hands Magazine, August 30

An American flag flies above the charcoal, Cold-

War era submarine, USS Clamagore (SS-343). The

7

sub idly sits, sun-faded in the Charleston, South

Carolina harbor as saltwater eats at it, causing orange

rust and corrosion.

Inside the narrow steel haven, Patriot's Point Naval

& Maritime Museum volunteer and Navy veteran Sid

Busch stands as the captain of this retired vessel. The

Clamagore is, for Busch, more than a giant steel tube.

Inside a time capsule of days past, memories drift on

his mind like a cool breeze as waves lap on a humid

afternoon against the submarine in the harbor. More

than a longtime friend, she is among the only family

Busch has left. He even goes in early to pick up trash

before the tourists show up to view the Clamagore -

named after the blue parrot fish, found on coral reefs

in shallow water.

"Sometimes I'll be sitting on the battery and have

flashbacks to 50 years ago," Busch said, reflecting on

his service days. He is 70 years old with a chiseled

jaw, a retired Navy senior chief and an experienced

runner who has run more than 200 marathons.

Busch served on the Clamagore from 1969 to 1972

as a sonar technician. He's been volunteering at

Patriots Point, near downtown Charleston, for the past

10 years, giving tours of the boat he first boarded

when he was 19. These days, he often incorporates

personal stories into his detailed and impassioned

tours. But Busch's days aboard his beloved Clamagore

could be numbered.

The 320-foot submarine, which has called Patriots

Point home since 1979, could become an artificial reef

off the Florida coast. To remain a floating museum,

she needs an expensive restoration, one that could

cost about $6 million, according to Chris Hauff, a

Patriots Point spokesman, and the lack of financial

resources to fix the Clamagore may one day sink the

vessel.

Two Navy ships at the maritime museum, USS

Yorktown (CV 10) and USS Laffey (DD 724), also

require repairs and maintenance that are deemed a

higher priority. Museum officials are looking into the

possibility of reefing - in other words, sinking - the

Clamagore so that she becomes a permanent

underwater museum, Hauff said.

"With our budget of a couple million, we can't do all

three of the ships. The USS Yorktown needs $40

million worth of work and for us - that's what people

come to see," Hauff said. "It comes down to a

business decision: Where do we put money when we

have it?"

Although Clamagore is registered as a national

historic landmark, even that can't save her. According

to documents from a Palm Beach County

Commissioners meeting in January 2016, the

submarine can receive approval to become scuttled

(deliberately sunk) as an artificial reef by the Naval

Sea Systems Command through the Section 106

historical review process, which requires federal

agencies to consider the effects of their actions on

historic properties. It further dictates that

documentation, such as war diaries, deck logs and

operation reports, be taken off an historic vessel like

the Clamagore. These records would then be

transferred to the National Archives and Records

Administration.

Recent reports suggest the Clamagore will wait in

the harbor for at least a year while the Navy decides if

it will approve the plans.

The Grey Ghost

The diesel-powered Clamagore was commissioned

following World War II to patrol the Caribbean and

North Atlantic during the Cold War. Nicknamed the

"Grey Ghost" of the Florida coast during her service,

she is now the last submarine with the Balao-class

GUPPY III upgrade. This improved the submerged

speed, maneuverability, battery capacity and overall

performance of the Clamagore.

After decommissioning the submarine in 1975, the

Navy donated her to the state of South Carolina, and

Patriot's Point was given the responsibility for the Grey

Ghost's maintenance and upkeep. Those costs are

now unsustainable.

According to Hauff, Patriots Point contracted

Artificial Reefs International, a Miami-based firm that

creates reefs for economic development and

environmental benefits by sinking ships, to find a reef

suitable for the Clamagore. Palm Beach County,

Florida, officials agreed to the project and put aside a

million dollars toward reefing the Clamagore off the

coast of Jupiter, Florida.

"People could enjoy the history of the ship, just

from a different way," Hauff said.

Reefed submarines and ships serve as underwater

tourist attractions, allowing experienced scuba divers

and tourists to dive and explore with guides.

If the Clamagore is reefed, sponges, coral and

barnacles will attach themselves and colonize the

8

vessel over time, and an array of fish species will take

over not long after it sinks. Joe Weatherby, senior

project manager of Artificial Reefs International-USS

Clamagore said reefed vessels provide marine life with

protection from predators, breeding opportunities and

food sources while also offering economic

opportunities for scuba diving and fishing industries.

Bill Cogar, executive director of the Historic Naval

Ships Association, a nonprofit that helps preserve and

market historic ships across the world, supports a

responsible and accountable way to reef the

Clamagore. He contended that the submarine, having

run her life's course, would remain a functional object,

and noted that the equipment removed from the

submarine could be distributed to other vessels of

Clamagore's class.

Fate, Hope & Clarity

For Busch, the Clamagore is still worth saving,

however: "These submarines had personalities. I

guess it's because when you came on a submarine,

you had to learn it backwards and forwards. ... Each

submarine developed their own unique personality.

The synchronicity to how they rode on the surface -

they started to be more like a living entity then just a

metal tube."

He's not the only one who wants to see her

restored rather than reefed. The main hope appears to

lie within the USS Clamagore SS-343 Restoration and

Maintenance Association, which has been working to

relocate the submarine to a land berth. That way, it

could still serve as a submarine museum and

memorial for future generations, according to Rick

Wise, secretary of CRAMA and retired Navy senior

chief.

"We are not trying to do anything that has not been

done before," Wise said. "It reduces the maintenance

cost quite a bit."

He explained that CRAMA is trying to get a letter of

intent from the South Carolina state legislature.

Between that and a number of corporations interested

in saving the Clamagore, he believes CRAMA could

raise enough capital to store the submarine in a

shipyard temporarily. Then the team would evaluate

the damage, make the necessary preservation repairs

and purchase land to permanently house the

Clamagore.

"We're not giving up," Wise said optimistically.

"We're submarine Sailors, we don't give up until we're

on the bottom and we've blown all the air we can."

Still, the Clamagore's fate and the destiny of two

lifelong friends remain uncertain. If and when she

leaves Patriot's Point, Busch plans to stop volunteering

at the maritime museum. He feels he would no longer

be needed and that it would be too difficult to return

once she is gone.

"I always tell people, she kept me safe, she got me

home. It's my turn to save her, and, unfortunately, I

couldn't do a good enough job at it," Busch said, his

words rinsed with emotion. "It's going to be a dark day

for me when she finally leaves. I plan to show up just

to see her towed out."

For now, the Clamagore rests at a secluded far

end of Patriots Point's concrete dock - perhaps

spending her final months in South Carolina as

museum ship before the Grey Ghost of the Florida

coast permanently returns to the waters she once

patrolled.

—————————————————-——————--

The U.S. Navy's Most Advanced Submarines Will

Soon Be Using Xbox Controllers

(VIRGINIAN-PILOT 19 SEP 17) ... Brock Vergakis

The control room of one of the Navy‘s most

advanced submarines is filled with sophisticated

computers, flat-screen monitors and sailors who grew

up in a digital world.

At times it can look a bit like a video game arcade,

and not just because of the high-resolution graphics.

The Navy is beginning to use an Xbox 360

controller – like the ones you find at the mall – to

operate the periscopes aboard Virginia-class

submarines.

Unlike other types of submarines people are

familiar with from Hollywood, Virginia-class

submarines don‘t have a traditional rotating tube

periscope that only one person can look through at a

time.

It‘s been replaced with two photonics masts that rotate

9

360 degrees. They feature high-resolution cameras

whose images are displayed on large monitors that

everyone in the control room can see. There‘s no

barrel to peer through anymore; everything is

controlled with a helicopter-style stick. But that stick

isn‘t so popular.

―The Navy got together and they asked a bunch of

J.O.s and junior guys, ―˜What can we do to make your

life better?‖ said Lt. j.g. Kyle Leonard, the USS John

Warner‘s assistant weapons officer, referring to junior

officers and sailors. ―And one of the things that came

out is the controls for the scope. It‘s kind of clunky in

your hand; it‘s real heavy.‖

Lockheed Martin and Navy officials have been

working to use commercial off-the-shelf technology to

reduce costs and take advantage of the technological

skills sailors grow up with. The integration of the video

game console controller grew out of that effort.

Lockheed Martin refers to the classified research

lab in Manassas where testing occurred as the

submarine version of ―Area 51‖, the nickname for the

Nevada base where some of the Air Force‘s most

advanced and secretive projects are tested.

The Xbox controller is no different than the ones a

lot of crew members grew up playing with. Lockheed

Martin says the sailors who tested the controller at its

lab were intuitively able to figure out how to use it on

their own within minutes, compared to hours of training

required for the joystick.

The Xbox controller also is significantly cheaper.

The company says the photonic mast handgrip and

imaging control panel that cost about $38,000 can be

replaced with an Xbox controller that typically costs

less than $30.

―That joystick is by no means cheap, and it is only

designed to fit on a Virginia-class submarine,‖ said

Senior Chief Mark Eichenlaub, the John Warner‘s

assistant navigator. ―I can go to any video game store

and procure an Xbox controller anywhere in the world,

so it makes a very easy replacement.‖

The Navy says that the system has gone through

extensive testing over the past two years and that the

Xbox controller will be included as part of the

integrated imaging system for Virginia-class subs

beginning with the future USS Colorado, which is

supposed to be commissioned by November.

The Xbox controller will be installed on other

Virginia-class submarines, such as the Norfolk-based

John Warner, through the normal modernization

process, according to Brienne Lang, a spokeswoman

for the Navy‘s program executive office for

submarines. The John Warner had a demonstration

model aboard this past week as it transited from Naval

Station Norfolk to Groton, Conn.

Eichenlaub said the Navy doesn‘t plan on stopping

innovation with the Xbox controller, either. The goal is

to develop technology that young people already are

comfortable with, such as working with electronic

touch screens on iPads and in virtual environments.

―Ideally, what they want to see in 10 years down

the road is, there‘s basically a glass panel display with

windows, and you can just pull a window of

information, review that, push it off, bring in the next

window,‖ he said.

―They want to bring in sailors with what they have

at home on their personal laptop, their personal

desktop, what they grew up with in a classroom.‖

https://pilotonline.com/news/military/local/the-u-s-navy-

s-most-advanced-submarines-will-soon/

article_5c24eefc-8e70-5c4a-9d82-00d29e052b76.html

————————————————————————

An Oldie but a Goodie

The Haircut

A teenage boy had just passed his driving test and

inquired of his father as to when they could discuss his

use of the car.

His father said he'd make a deal with his son, "You

bring your grades up from a C to a B average, study

your Bible a little and get your hair cut. Then we'll talk

about the car.‖ The boy thought about that for a

moment, decided he'd settle for the offer and they

agreed on it.

After about six weeks his father said, "Son, you've

brought your grades up and I've observed that you

have been studying your Bible, but I‘m disappointed

you haven't had your hair cut.‖ The boy said, "You

know, Dad, I've been thinking about that, and I‘ve

noticed in my studies of the Bible that Samson had

long hair, John the Baptist had long hair, Moses had

long hair, and there's even strong evidence that Jesus

had long hair.‖

Love the Dad's reply!

"Did you also notice that they all walked

everywhere they went?

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————————————————————————

3 Questions: America’s Next Nuclear-

Missile Submarine

By Ben Watson, Defense One

September 27, 2017

The United States military has four kinds of

submarines. Only one is nuclear-armed. The ballistic

missile submarines currently slipping about under the

ocean have about 10 years of life left. One by

one, each will need to be replaced. But with what,

and at what cost? That's what we're going to find out.

Q1. Why is it time for a new submarine? The

Trident submarine fleet — named for the nuclear

missiles they carry — is what the Pentagon calls ―the

most survivable leg of the U.S. nuclear triad.‖

The Trident subs — formally, the Ohio class of

fleet ballistic missile submarines — are enormous: at

560 feet, each one is nearly two football fields long.

Some 155 sailors and other personnel call them

home for months at a time. On any given day, several

of these 14 "boomers" are at sea. The idea: keep a

portion of the nuclear arsenal safe, ready to strike

back if the U.S. comes under nuclear attack. Each

missile can deliver its multiple warheads more than

4,000 nautical miles. Each boomer carries

the equivalent of roughly 600 Hiroshimas.

But the fleet is getting along in years. The oldest

— USS Henry M. Jackson (SSBN 730) — was

launched in 1983; the same year ABC aired its made-

for-TV nuclear armageddon film, ―The Day After.‖

Thirteen other Ohio subs have entered service

since then, with the last arriving in 1997. Built to

serve for 30 years, the Ohios have since received

upgrades that will allow them to serve a half century.

But even that deadline is nearing. The Jackson is due

to retire in about a decade, with the rest following,

one by one, until 2040.

So the U.S. Navy is developing a replacement.

Even if it comes in on time and on budget, it will be

the country‘s third most-expensive weapon

system ever.

Q2. What is this new sub? It‘s known as the

Columbia-class submarine, the fifth type of U.S.

ballistic missile submarine since the Navy started

building them in 1959. Its designs were finished just

three years ago; so far, it still only exists on paper.

It is named for the District of Columbia, that capital

city who license plates read ―Taxation Without

Representation.‖ It‘s a joint program with the Brits,

who call theirs the ―Dreadnought class.‖

Officials promise that it will be stealthy, the least

detectable sub ever. It will ply the underwater seas

with a magnet-motor electric drive designed to be

quieter than a mechanical drive system.

The Columbias will be as long as the Ohio class, and

one foot wider. They will displace almost 21,000 tons,

not just almost-19,000 displaced by the Ohios.

Like the Navy‘s fast attack subs of the Virginia

class, the new Trident subs will feature jet propulsion

and use a joystick control system — along with new

sonar systems, and an innovative twist on the

periscope: mast-mounted cameras, eliminating the

need for long tubes that descend through a break in

the hull.

Columbia‘s missile tubes are each 44 feet long, about

a meter deeper than the Ohio-class, with a diameter

that exceeds seven feet, all to accommodate the

larger ICBMs of the future. Each sub will carry 16 of

them. Contrast that with the Ohios, a Cold War

product designed to carry 24 nuclear missiles.

Russia is keeping a close eye on the evolution of

U.S. subs. Recall that in May, a Russian navy spy

ship traveled within 30 miles of the U.S. Naval

Submarine Base in Connecticut, before cruising

around the east coast to around 20 miles of Kings

Bay, Georgia, another of America‘s submarine bases.

Who else is out there under the ocean? More than

three dozen navies have submarines — but only six

nations arm them with ballistic missiles: the U.S.,

Russia, China, France, the United Kingdom,

and India.

Production for America (and Britain's) new Trident

will be handled by General Dynamics and

subcontractor Huntington Ingalls

Industries. Production will be spread across dozens

of states, as well as Britain.

Contracts are beginning to go out — about a

dozen have been signed since February.

Which raises the question…

Q3. What will it cost? In all, $122.3 billion.

Production costs alone will run about $8.2 billion for

the first sub, slated to arrive in 2028, and about $6.5

billion for the remaining 11.

The Navy says it needs the first of these on patrol

by 2031. So if you're counting, that's about four years

of one less Trident out on patrol. The Navy says:

Fine, as long as the program stays on schedule and

the service can maintain at least 10 operational

SSBNs.

One big hiccup: building the Columbia-class

―would consume about half of the shipbuilding

funding available in a given year,‖ the U.S. Navy said

in 2016. That could be a problem. The Navy, with

President Trump's blessing, has set its sights on

11

boosting its fleet to 355 ships and subs, up from the

current 274 total.

On top of all this, the Navy has a habit of

underestimating the cost of first-of-a-kind ships by 27

percent, the Congressional Budget Office found in

2015. The Ohio class, for example, came in at 50

percent over budget and two and a half years behind.

The only programs more expensive:

The F-35 at $379 billion;

And America‘s ballistic missile-defense network at

$143 billion.

Which leads critics to ask: Could the money be

better spent elsewhere — like shifting the ballistic

missiles to the Virginia-class subs? Others argue this

is where you spend the money first — then branch

out from nuclear deterrence to more conventional

naval deterrence like attack subs and aircraft carriers.

But another question that‘s getting more attention:

Who should really be paying for these expensive

things — the Navy or the wider Defense Department,

since Strategic Command is actually in charge of the

ballistic missile submarine force?

As long as other countries — North Korea, in

particular, nowadays — possess nuclear weapons,

you can expect the U.S. Navy will want its Trident

submarine fleet up-to-date.

Already this year, development for the Columbia-

class program has been delayed a few months —

$843 million for ―advanced procurement‖ beginning

October 1 — thanks to the standard budgetary tug of

war between Congress and the White House. So

whether or not the program looks exactly the same

six months or six years from now is still up in the air.

But down beneath the surface, for the Navy

boomer fleet anyway, the clock is ticking.

————-

By Ben Watson // Ben Watson is news editor for

Defense One. He previously worked for NPR's ―All

Things Considered‖ and ―Here and Now‖ in

Washington, D.C. Watson served for five years in the

U.S. Army, where he was an award-winning combat

cameraman and media advisor for southern

Afghanistan's special operations command during the

2010-11 surge.

September 27, 2017

http://www.defenseone.com/technology/2017/09/3-

questions-americas-next-nuclear-missile-

submarine/141317/

————————————————————————

Does Anyone Remember These Items? Last month I

included several items I had sitting around to see what

stories I would get back from you. Really wanted the

memories. Enjoy reading the ones that came in. If one

of these conjures up a thought send it to me at

(655webmaster@ssbn655.org). Any comments

made will be posted in the upcoming newsletters.

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

Submitted by Tim Jenkins, MM1(SS) B 75-79

The jeweler‘s files made me think of all the NiCu nut

rings and several NiCu bolt head necklaces I made.

Attached are some my wife still has.

The metal box made me think about my own

theoretical worst case accident for a

submarine.....simultaneous failure of all pop rivets.

Movie box made me think about movie marathons

with hamburger haven.

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

Submitted by Chip Paulding, MM3(SS) G 68-72

I just finished reading the September issue about

the navy's most decorated sailor. Damn, that guy had

some "chutzpah", eh! :)

Anyway, looking at the "items remembered" I saw

the set of files and it reminded me of what I used them

for. We were out of Holy Lock, Scotland, at the time

and I had occasion to spend some off hours in the

nearby town of Dunoon, along with the rest of the off-

duty section, sampling some of their fine local

"libations". Having accumulated an amount of their

money in the form of coins, some of which I still have, I

decided to try to make a pendant out of one, for my

sweetheart, by filing away the flat surface leaving the

raised portion in relief. It turned out to be a lot of

work but there was no hurry to get it done because I

had the upcoming patrol to accomplish it! And those

"jewelers‘ files" were just the tool I needed.

Unfortunately, I can't show any of them to you

because said pendant is lost to history, into the void,

12

poof...gone! I'm glad you showed the files...a memory

almost lost!

P.S. I was going to define that sailor's "chutzpah" in

"manly terms" that any sailor would easily understand

(big b-lls) but I thought a female or two might read this!

P.P.S. Once a sailor, always a sailor! :)

————————————————————————

Submitted by Chuck Hladik TM2(SS) G 67-70

This is a stand I just finished with wood from a

pecan tree that grew in Joyce's parent‘s backyard for

years. A few years before Joyce's dad died he had the

tree cut down. I took it to a sawmill and dried it in the

attic. The flower holder in the second picture is

something I made from that same tree a few years

ago.

————————————————————————

Thresher Widow Reunited and Resting In Peace

With Lost Husband at Sea

Lt. j.g. Daniel Mongiove, The Dolphin, Jun 18

ATLANTIC OCEAN - About 200 nautical miles east of

Cape Cod, Mass., USS Annapolis (SSN 760) fulfilled

the final request of devoted Navy wife and mother

Irene Harvey, by laying her cremains to rest at sea

with her husband, Lt. Cmdr. John "Wes" Harvey, on

April 23.

Wes was the commanding officer of USS Thresher

(SSN 593) when the submarine was lost at sea, on

April 10, 1963, during sea trials.

All persons aboard perished, including 112 Navy

personnel and 17 Portsmouth Naval Shipyard civilian

workers and contractors.

Irene‘s idyllic life, having married her high school

sweetheart when he graduated with distinction from

the U.S. Naval Academy in 1950, and raising two

young sons (Bruce and John), was shattered, along

with the lives of all family members who suffered loss

that day.

―When [my father] died I was 8 years old,‖ recalled

Bruce. ―We always did things as a family, like going to

the beach or visiting the pool at the officer‘s club.‖

In the face of tragedy, Irene persevered, noted

Bruce with pride.

―She believed that the meaning of life is not to be

found in mere survival. Instead, life‘s purpose is to be

found somewhere in the process of caring, sharing,

and loving,‖ said Bruce. ―As a nurse and Navy widow,

[Irene] touched many lives.‖

Irene passed away at 87 years of age, on Tuesday,

February 11, 2014, leaving behind Bruce; his brother

John; Bruce‘s wife Maresa; and, two grandchildren,

Laura and John.

She also left behind a last request: to be buried at

sea alongside her husband.

In a solemn Navy tradition, USS Annapolis (SSN

760) fulfilled Irene‘s wish.

As the Los Angeles Class, fast-attack submarine

transited from its homeport in Groton, Conn., to a

shipyard maintenance period in Kittery, Maine,

Annapolis paused near the last known location of

Thresher.

With engines and all unnecessary work stopped,

lights dimmed to low-level, and the national ensign

lowered to half-mast, Annapolis Executive Officer, Lt.

Cmdr. Jared Severson, conducted a religious service

and the committal of Irene‘s cremains. A gun salute

and the playing of taps concluded the ceremony.

The chance to fulfill a Navy widow‘s wish, honor a

Submariner who had made the ultimate sacrifice, and

reflect on the loss of Thresher, was an important

opportunity for the entire Annapolis crew, said the

submarine‘s Commanding Officer Cmdr. Kurt Balagna.

―To reunite Cmdr. and Mrs. Harvey at sea was an

honor,‖ stated Balagna.

It was also somber, he said, as he thought about

Thresher‘s loss due to a series of catastrophic events

while conducting sea trials. After Annapolis‘ shipyard

period, the submarine and crew will be conducting

similar trials.

―My crew will be in a similar situation in two years

when Annapolis conducts its own sea trials,‖ noted

Balagna. ―The burial reminds us that submarining is a

dangerous business and it‘s every Submariner‘s

responsibility to remain vigilant and alert to ensure the

safety of everyone aboard.

Such vigilance is the foundation of the Submarine

Safety Program (SUBSAFE), instituted on Dec. 20,

1963, after the loss of Thresher, said Annapolis‘ Chief

of the Boat, Master Chief Jason Avin.

―The men who lost their lives on USS Thresher

paved the way for submarine force safety and process

improvement,‖ said Avin.

13

SUBSAFE provides maximum reasonable

assurance that a U.S Navy submarine maintains

watertight integrity and the ability to surface should a

boat experience flooding.

―By doing things right every day and staying

vigilant, we do our best to honor the Sailors who took

Thresher on eternal patrol,‖ assured Avin.

For Bruce Harvey, Annapolis has done more than

that; Annapolis honored his father and mother by

reuniting them on eternal patrol.

————————————————————————

A Couple of New T-Shirts for Your Collection!

STIMSON MEMORIAL BENCH LOCATED AT

PATRIOT’S POINT COLD WAR MEMMORIAL IN

CHARLESTON SC

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