SILENT SERVICE

[GKC]

When I was in the Navy, I applied for Submarine Medicine School (I was a corpsman.) It was approved, and I was slated to be in the Polaris subs, after school...but the approval also came with a 3 year extension on my enlistment. I had already done 2 years, and I knew (at the time) I didn't want to do an extension past my original enlistment, so I declined. I then got orders to the 1st Marine Division at Cherry Point, NC.

Now, I've often wished I had taken the school and the extension...I might have made it a career, who knows. But then, I wouldn't have met my wife and had our children, so I really have no regrets. I just think (now) it would be so interesting to have served on a sub.

 

[Old 44 Guy]

Memorial day memories

Seems like yesterday that I worked with a bunch of WW2 vets. That was in 1950. Some would not speak of their service. Some would. Some real serious, others were funny. Most are long gone. My one foreman I worked for was in Europe in the Signal Corps US Army. Was at the bridge at Remagen. [Sp]. Later on into Germany. When in high school about 1946 or so the submarine Puffer docked in our town. I was in the machine shop at the time & our teacher who was a WW1 vet took our class to see the sub. We entered thru the foreward hatch & left thru the rear. I deceided right then no sub duty for me. I remember the galley was the size of a closet. The Puffer was headed for Mare Island to be scrapped.

 

[mtgianni]

Korean war vets are leaving us also. A friend's father, who was mostly deaf, told me it came about from being a gunner in a battle that lasted the better part of three days and nights. He then commented that he didn't know how he stayed alert for that time. I said "Don, they were probably shooting back." He laughed and said "They sure were".
His son told me he had never heard that story.

 

[meaneyedcatz]

Thanks to all who have served! I did not but wish I had.

San Francisco has a fantastic WWII submarine anyone can tour. It has been restored and is worth a visit.

 

[GKC]

Korean war vets are leaving us also. A friend's father, who was mostly deaf, told me it came about from being a gunner in a battle that lasted the better part of three days and nights. He then commented that he didn't know how he stayed alert for that time. I said "Don, they were probably shooting back." He laughed and said "They sure were".
His son told me he had never heard that story.

My dad, who died a couple of years ago at age 92, was a machinist's mate in WWII and Korea. In his last few years, he lost most of his hearing. He was at the VA getting a prescription refilled for his heart medicine, and they noticed he was very hard of hearing, so they set him up for testing. They found that he has lost almost all his hearing...apparently from working inside the big ships and being subjected to repeated clanging and banging. Now, get this, they submitted it, and he was ruled to have 100% disability. He got back pay for two years, and then began getting his monthly pay. It made their last few years very pleasant (he and my stepmother.) I've never heard of the VA going out of their way like that!

 

[Izzydog]

Diesel boat sailors are truly a different breed of men. I think that I've read most of good submarine books, from 90 Degrees North, to Run Silent, Run Deep. Those WWII, and Cold war submarine sailors have my utmost respect, and admiration. I've read Blind Mans Bluff as well, and I can say that, not all submarine duty was like what's described there. I served on the USS Phoenix SSN 702 from early 91, to late 95. I got out because, I wanted to meet decent women, something that can't easily be done while pulling submarine duty. I don't really like to talk about my time in service, for a number of reasons. I'm not ashamed, there just isn't much to tell, and most people I come into contact with don't care anyway.

 

[Izzydog]

Thanks to all who have served! I did not but wish I had.

San Francisco has a fantastic WWII submarine anyone can tour. It has been restored and is worth a visit.

Never regret not joining the military, because you have served your country in other ways. Some of the most honorable people I've ever met, never severed. I can also honestly say that some of the most detestable I've ever met were veterans.

 

[rwsmith]

I always have to mention....

... my friend Bill Polzin who was on the USS Cochino when it sank from battery explosions and told me the story in vivid detail. All of the crew survived but 11 people from the rescue sub USS Tusk including some civilians were washed overboard and 6 were killed due to faulty 'survival suits' that floated head down'.

 

[meaneyedcatz]

Never regret not joining the military, because you have served your country in other ways. Some of the most honorable people I've ever met, never severed. I can also honestly say that some of the most detestable I've ever met were veterans.

Thank you for the kind words.

 

[muddocktor]

... my friend Bill Polzin who was on the USS Cochino when it sank from battery explosions and told me the story in vivid detail. All of the crew survived but 11 people from the rescue sub USS Tusk including some civilians were washed overboard and 6 were killed due to faulty 'survival suits' that floated head down'.

I read about that incident in the book Blind Man's Bluff. It is a great read on submarine actions during the cold war.

 

[rwsmith]

Yes indeed....

I read about that incident in the book Blind Man's Bluff. It is a great read on submarine actions during the cold war.

....some things are worth hanging around for 'when the truth can finally be revealed'. More amazing than I could have imagined. About the only detail we got was that Soviets and Americans played 'cat and mouse' out there.