Charles Christensen- Cocoa Beach, Fl
USS Clamagore (SS343) 1949

Harry Brown- Melbourne Beach, Fl
USS Odax (SS-484) 1958

Fred Crowe- Pompano Beach, Fl
USS S. Bolivar (SSBN-641) 1966

Phil Eslin- Melbourne, Fl
USS T. Jefferson (SSBN-618) 1969

Michael Hartman- Titusville, Fl
USS J. Madison (SSBN-627) 1976

James Pyatt- Port St. John, Fl
USS J. Calhoun (SSBN-630) 1987

Ernest Tilley- Palm Bay, Fl
USS T. Edison (SSBN-610) 1959

Dan Wiese- Malabar, Fl
USS R.E. Lee (SSBN-601) 1964

Robert Willyard- Merritt Island, Fl
USS R-20 1941

Benita Tilley- Palm Bay, Fl.

August 6, 1945 USS Bullhead (SS-332)

August 13, 1944 USS Flier (SS-250)

August 16, 1942 USS Grunion (SS-216)

August 16, 1942 S-39 (SS-144)

August 24, 1944 USS Harder (SS-257)

August 29, 1943 USS Pompano (SS-181)

September 9, 1943 USS Grayling (SS-209)

September 29, 1943 USS Cisco (SS-290)

* Ball Caps - $10

* Centennial Shirts ( Lg and X-Lg ) $10

* Base Patches - $6

* Centennial Calendars - $6

* Centennial Commemorative Coins - $2

* Submarine Stamp Pins - $3

* Large Automobile Decals "Silent

Service"- $3

* Lost Submarine Pictures - $20

* "41 For Freedom" Patches - $6 (New Item)

* " Join US Submarine Veterans" Bumper

* Stickers - $1 (New Item)

Items can be purchased at Base Meetings or give Larry a call at 561-388-0373.

By now you should have received a ballot to vote in the National Election. If you did NOT receive one, please give me a call at 321-777-2453 and I will mail you one and I ask that you mark it and return it to me ASAP. The deadline for me to submit the Base Tally to National is Sept. 1^st, so I need you to return your ballots to me NLT 20 Aug. As you will notice, there are no candidates on the Ballot for National Treasurer. There are 2 candidates for the office of National Treasurer who submitted their names after the ballot was printed. They are Jim Stassels and Richard Baker. Be sure and mark the proposed changes to the Constitution and By-Laws also. These proposed changes are explained in the May-June issue of the American Submariner. As of the 6^th of August I have only received 20 returned ballots. Come on guys, we can do better than that.

It gives me GREAT pleasure to announce that our own Joe Brown was re-elected to the office of District 4 Commander and Jim Rolle was elected Eastern Regional Director. Congratulations Joe and Jim.

Shipmates,

For those of you who may not have seen the posting on the BBS last week, one of our members Ed Hamilton and his wife Janet had their 12 year old daughter Christina Hamilton die last week. Janet was home in Minnesota because her mom had passed away about two weeks ago, so she and the two daughters were there for the funeral and had stayed some additional time at her fathers farm, while Ed who is the COB on board USS AUGUSTA (SSN 710) was here in Groton preparing his boat and crew for a deployment in a few weeks. About a week ago, Christina was out horseback riding as she has done many times before. She got thrown from the horse, was in a coma for a few days and passed away last Wednesday. The funeral for Christina was today in Minnesota, and sometime in the coming weeks her ashes will be brought to Connecticut for a memorial service here. The combination of these two unexpected deaths have taken a terrible toll both in the way of stress, and financially on this wonderful family.

We have started taking up a collection to give to Ed & Janet Hamilton to help ease the financial burden, and I'm asking you're assistance to take care of one of our own and to help out our shipmate and his family in their time of need. If you or your members would like to help out any amount you decide to donate would certainly be appreciated. Please forward them to:

U.S. Subvets Inc.

Attn: Base Chaplain

40 School Street

Groton, CT 06340

Donations may be in any amount, and checks or money orders should be made out to U.S. SUBVETS, or Elton Hamilton.

Thank you in advance for your support

Sincerely,

1 Nov.
1000 - St. Mary’s Submarine Museum open, Free of charge
1200 - Local Chapter Hosted Hotel Hospitality Room open at Howard Johnson’s,
Located at Exit 3 Kingsland, Ga. (912)729-4363.

2 Nov.
0800 - Golf outing at the base golf course, no registration, just show up.
1000 - Submarine museum open
1100 - Hospitality room open at Howard Johnson’s
1700 - Heavy Hors d'oeuvres provided (free of charge) by the local chapter
1900 - Free entertainment in the Hospitality room provided "Allen Huppman"

3 Nov.
1000 - Memorial service at the WWII memorial pavilion on the Base, followed by tours of Trident Training Facility and Base tours. Reception in the Lobby of the Trident Training Facility.
1200 - Submarine Museum open
1200 - Hospitality room open at Howard Johnson’s
1600 - Reception at the Clubs on the base.
2000 - Entertainment by "Rubye" in the Hospitality room provided by the Local Chapter at Howard Johnson’s

4 Nov.
0900 - Usually an informal District 4 meeting in the Hospitality Room
0900 - Tours of Trident submarines commence
1000 – Submarine museum open
1100 – Hospitality room open at Howard Johnson’s
1700 - Social and Dinner (see below)
2000 – Entertainment by "Rubye" in the Hospitality room provided by the Local Chapter at Howard Johnson’s

There will be a Social and Dinner sponsored by the Kings Bay Trident Chapter of SUBVETS at the BORRELL CREEK restaurant. Limit 250 people. Must reserve and pay in advance. Contact Andy Aanderud for more info (912) 729-1788. Price is $14.00 per person and the bar will have happy hour prices all night. The Restaurant will be closed to the public.

Mail your check to "Kim "Andy" Aanderud, 8081 Hwy. 17, Woodbine, Ga. 31569

Respond early!! We had over 1400 people attend last years event!! See you there!

The Base Storekeeper still has a good supply (I over ordered) of the 2000 SUBVETS WWII calendars left. Even though the year is half over, if you don’t have one of these calendars, then by all means you should purchase at least one. They will make a nice souvenir to commemorate the 100^th Anniversary of our great Submarine Force. The calendars contain artist’s drawings of the Medal of Honor winners, each submarine that was lost during WWI showing the date, patrol and number of fatalities. It also contains photographs of all the National Presidents of SubVets WWII. The calendars sell for $6 each. If you would like one (or more) of the calendars, send me a check made out to "USSVI-Snug Harbor" and I’ll mail them to you. My address is Gil Shaddock, 125 Elm Ave, Satellite Beach, Fl. 32937

If anyone is interested in joining the Naval Submarine League, please let me know and I will send you an application. The dues are $25 per year for retirees and $15 per year for active duty. We have the Central Florida chapter here in Brevard County Florida consisting of about 75 members. We are planning on a meeting on Sept. 12^th at 1800 at the Navy "Greenhouse" at Port Canaveral with a tour of a British "Boomer". If you would like to attend this meeting and take the tour, and are NOT already a member of NSL, then you must join the NSL. Membership in the Naval Submarine League also gets you a subscription to "The Submarine Review" plus an annual Directory of members. The other chapters are: Aloha Chapter (Hawaii); Atlantic SE (King's Bay/ Jacksonville); Capitol (Greater Wash. D.C. area); Hampton Roads (Norfolk/Virginia Beach/Newport News/parts of NC); Mid-Atlantic (NJ/PA/DE); Nautilus (New England and Eastern NY); Northern CA (San Francisco Bay Area + part of NV); Pacific NW (Bremerton/Seattle); Pacific SW (San Diego/Southern CA/ part of NV) and South Carolina (Charleston). The only qualification to join is to be an ardent supporter of having a Strong Submarine Force.

At the end of July, the SUBVETS of Snug Harbor were invited to tour the USS Maine. This tour consisted of a ride from the Greenhouse to the TRIDENT pier (ARC was set) were we were able to get up close. Three young sailors were supplied as our guides, one had qualified in submarines just the past patrol. We descended a vertical ladder that extended from topside to the first level of Machinery Two where giant electrical switchboards supply power throughout the boat. Descending two more levels, on normal ladders (Wheew), we were introduced to the Atmosphere equipment; Oxygen Generators, Scrubbers and Burners that keep the air breathable during a patrol cycle.

Moving forward we entered the missile compartment. On the old boomer boats this was also known as "Sherwood Forest" because the missile tubes looked just like tree trunks extending upward to the decks above. 24 tubes in all. Between the tubes housed the laundry, crews study, crews lounge, 14 Nine-Man bunkrooms and various other storage compartments. (I’m not sure of the number of Nine-Man bunkrooms)

Still moving forward and through a watertight door we entered the Forward compartment. After removing our covers as we walked through the Crews mess, Wardroom and the Chiefs Quarters (better known as the Goat Locker).

Moving back into the main passageway, we descended another level. If you have been counting, the new TRIDENTS have four levels. We now found ourselves in the Torpedo Room were we talked about the four torpedo tubes, torpedoes that were stored in racks and the Fire Control System that control the torpedo when launched.

Moving up two levels, we were now in officer country, looking at the Officer Berthing and the CO/XO Staterooms.

Some groups visited Navigation Center that sits aft of the Control Room, but we were running out of time so we descended back to the second level and started heading aft. Just before the watertight door we stopped to visit the Missile Control Center, the Monitoring station to the Missile system. Now our tour was over. I will never be able to write down in words how great this tour was or how much we appreciated the efforts from the USS Maine.

Shawn Brown will keep us informed of any tours that take place at Cape Canaveral. Remember that these tours will normally be short in notice, so be flexible.

Last year the Commanding Officer at NOTU, Captain Harold Sheffield, researched the possibility of having a Ceremonial Submarine Sail at NOTU for the purpose of conducting Change of Command and Retirement Ceremonies. Through the primary efforts of our Command Master Chief, MTCM(SS) Robert Payne, we were able to acquire the sail of the USS Nathaniel Greene, SSBN 636, from Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.

Once the sail arrived at Cape Canaveral, MTCM Payne sought after the services of a Ceremonial Sail Coordinator. That's when I agreed to take over this project.

This project will be erected at the Navy Port here at Cape Canaveral between the Trident and Central Turning Basins. Since its conception, the NOTU's CO has wanted this to be a community involved project, so I have contacted USSVI, Navy League, Sea Cadets, ex-shipmates who served aboard Nathaniel Greene, and others. We are currently investigating of utilizing the services of BCC's Apprenticeship Program to provide most of the foundation and welding. The base primary contractor here at CCAFS has offered their preservation, rigging, and crane support services, which would be beyond the capability of BCC.

Very Respectfully,

AN UNKNOWN FATHER

How I often think about that fateful morn

Our hearts to be broken, all hope forlorn

On a fog shrouded morning the Thresher headed for sea

The date was April lOth, Nineteen Sixty Three

She was sleek and fast; a proud ship was she

The 1st of her class, her number 593

With her faithful sub tender, Skylark in tow

To test depth that morning the Thresher would go

Skylark to Thresher... "Are you ok?"

Thresher to Skylark... "Having troubles today."

Skylark to Thresher... "Are you still there?"

Nothing from Thresher but bubbles of air

Did you have time to think or chance to pray?

Had you any idea what would happen that day?

With loud clap of thunder, her fate was sealed

What happened to Thresher would not be revealed

One hundred and twenty-nine men on a ship in harms way

Their god, they would meet before the end of the day

Thresher now lay in pieces on the ocean floor

Those fine, handsome sailors… forever … no more

They all died together. ..yet. ..each one alone

Their last thoughts I'm certain were of loved ones at home

Wives, sons and daughters, uncles and aunts too

Waited on shore and prayed for you

The news came slowly. ..and when it did, it was grim

All souls lost! ...My thoughts were of him

Her end was violent and quick we were told

'Twas thought with this, our hearts be consoled

The consolation of our hearts would remain an elusive goal

The best we could manage was to pray for their souls

With not a gravesite to visit, nor a body to grieve

There'd be no respite from anguish, no sorrow's reprieve

You were thirty-four, and me, just one

A heavy burden to bare, for a life just begun

No game of catch would ever be played

Nor pictures of fishing on the wall displayed

No advice ever given on how to be a man

For the Thresher lay deep, a crumpled tin can

What happened to Thresher, the Navy wanted to know

The finger of blame, surely would show

Silver brazed joints were suspected the cause

Her emergency blow system gave others to pause

Their sacrifice, however, wouldn't be for not

Sub-Safe was the program to spare others, their lot

Thirty years and more since this day passed by

Why do we still remember and sometimes still cry?

For we hear their souls call out from the sea

Remember! Remember! Remember me!

So remember we do and fondly so

Of the loved ones we lost so long ago

Time cannot dry the tears that I shed

Thoughts of an unknown father still fill my head

Tim Noonis December 8, 1999