Bruce:
A simple "thank you" seems so inadequate. You have enriched us all over many years, and continue to do so. Your postings are a treasure. Thank You!
George
WOW! I remember Tom Ueker and some other OT'S having the highest praise for your analysis ability including myself. You must be going to that TOP SECRET outpost on MARS that I recently read about! You know the one that has the TOP SECRET portal that President Eisenhower's great grand daughter has been to!!! Oh well...I will miss reading your posts.
One final Sea story that kinda goes to your Santayana Quotation:
About 20 years ago, I was attending an ASW Symposium at Sub Base, New London. After listening to some really depressing capabilities and forecast briefings, a few of us decided to get together right before lunch to discuss the "state of the System". The speaker shall remain nameless. He informed all of the attendees about the recent shut downs and the manner by which the shut downs had been carried out. After a few "You're kidding me" and "that's criminal" types of statements, the meeting adjourned for lunch. Being somewhat dejected by what I had heard, I chose to get a sandwich and go off by myself to try and digest what I had heard and my sandwich simultaneously. It didn't go very well.
As I was eating, the man who had chaired the meeting came over to my table and struck up a conversation. We talked for a few minutes during which time he told me of the decision making process and reasoning that went into the closures to which I responded that "The person or persons that had the responsibility to make and carry out these horrible decisions really had their head up their A_ _ this time".
I was later informed that this person had been strategically involved in those decisions and had been highly offended by my comments.
It was never my intention to take it to a personal level but the number of instances over the past decade where some non-existent pieces of the system might have been useful coupled with our other super powers of the world recognizing and responding to the need for a surveillance capability simply points out how arrogantly we ignored history and "butchered" a capability that would now take a national mint to restore.
I too, will miss your postings Bruce. Most of the time, I have not felt qualified to respond but that certainly, in no way, took away from the enjoyment and education I got from your writings.
Bruce,
Since your informative postings I found myself getting back into the desire to study and learn like I had nearly 40 years ago as a newly arrived STGSN at Naval Facility Argentia NFLD. My fear of missing something was instilled in me by many, many, excellent leaders. I had first heard of "Bruce Rule" in Argentia as well as others and thought "Just another Sand Crab" Civilian who never pounded the "mats". Well it did not take long to dismiss that thought. Your posts I personally will miss as so much of the information you put out was not disseminated in the early years. Thanks again Bruce.
Chuck Cable
It is a sad day to think that we won't be able to read any future postings from you or be privy to some of the thought processes that were used to get critical data to we analysts in the fleet that enabled us to do our jobs better.
I would hope that after a period of time you might re-think your decision and rejoin us at some future point in time.
Bruce,
With appreciation for all that you've done for the nation and the system we loved, thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts and experiences here. And a special thanks for the package you sent. You'll never know how much I'll treasure it.
Best to you,
Rick
