Was topside in port New London in my qualification boat SS-244. The in-port OOD Jack Feeney had just qualified in submarines - he was belowdecks. Two of the ship's officers convinced the topside watch to pass on the 1MC "Duty Officer topside after-battery hatch! Emergency!" As Jack emerged from the hatch, the two qualified officers grabbed him and started to move him to a clear spot on the port side.
He knew what was happening and, with quick thinking, said;"Wait. Stop. I'm the OOD - I can't leave the ship!"
As he was cartwheeling over the side into the Thames, one of the officers - happened to also be the senior watch officer - said with equal presence of mind "I relieve you sir."
Great story! There's an old saying attributed to a crusty ol master chief..." The Navy ain't what it used to be and never was" There's some truth to that but it's also true that the military has slowly been made to reflect society. Going under the ice, shooting someone in the desert or landing a jet on a pitching carrier are not acts of routine society. I think some hard play to go with the hard work is still essential and beneficial.
I guess we all could see it coming, with the all volunteer force came an end to initiations that after all is said and done had a profound effect on the individual being initiated, and if it did not then "it did not take".
There were sound reasons for these evolutions as well as sound reasons for the "Draft"
You can't live in the past but not Everyone needs to be forced to join the Military, but should perform some sort of government service, as well not Everyone is CPO material but those that are should have some sort of meaningful initiation.
Just my "OLD TIMERS" thoughts.
Chuck Cable
CPO USN Ret
I love it when old timers reminisce! (<: I will hold my own personal opinions regarding Navy initiations to myself - and yes, I endured a CPO initiation at Centerville Beach in 1981 - some of you may have attended!
My favorite initiation however had to be during my first watch string on my first Mid Watch at my first NAVFAC. That would be Bermuda, 1974! I actually believed I was talking to a Sonar Operator onboard USS Finback through an "aquatic" sound powered telephone!
This video and subsequent postings bring to mind some of (vague) memoreies of nearly a half-century ago. Shortly after the Post Analysis efforts related to the Scorpion sinking - and subsequent formal declaration of its loss,myself and the Ops Officer -Lt. Rutkowski (both at NavFac Bda) were issued TDY orders to board the USS Greenling SSN-614. After putting to sea, I distinctly remember the CO opening orders and announcing our "classified mission" - previously unknown to those on board - which would prove to last a few weeks. As an OT (former Sonarman) - and with my only previous sea time, a short stint in ops aboard the USS Bennington CVA-20 off southern California in 1960, I got to do some things most of us "landlubbers" had only dreamed of. Got to sit several 6 hour sonar watches (active pinging/passive listening) - got to sit on the bow planes & the boat's rudder (with the COB watching over me). My worst moment was when the skipper "barked" - "who the hell is on the rudder" (or something to that effect)- as we went past his ordered course by about 10 degrees. The COB (after assuring the skipper he had the situation under control) - calmly put his hand on my shoulder, and in a reassuring voice, explained to me that Newton's Law about "a body in motion - tends to stay in motion" - also holds our craft - and you need to "counter-correct" the rudder with the rudder control "BEFORE" reaching your intended course. After bringing the sub back on course, I was pretty glad to be relieved by a more qualified submariner. The best moments were doing "angles & dangles", port call in St. Thomas (wouldn't ya know it - I pulled Shore Patrol) - and when we did an "emergency blow" before entering the harbor at New London, upon our return. What a great experience !! Unfortunately, some of the details are lost in my memory - kind of like the harbor fog of New London - when we surfaced (with our radar "smoked") !! That's the best REAL "sea-story" that I can tell my grandkids !!
Best to all-----------Dee
Dee: welcome to the secret world of the underwater warrior (surprised they didn't put you messcooking)...
if anyone wants to see what an 'emergency blow' entails, check out this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhs47KP01vk (Ya gotta love yardbirds...)
After THRESHER's loss decision was made to upgrade the blow system in submarines under the SubSafe program. Problem was two-fold. One was that the air blowing tanks had to traverse from air banks inside the ballast tanks through long lines to the blow valves in control and then back to the ballast tanks to blow them, resulting in lag and loss of pressure. Second was that the valves themselves had a tendency to ice up (pv=nrt) and throttle the air.
The fix was to parallel this system used in normal surfacing with an emergency main ballast tank (EMBT) blow system that had special valves just inside the pressure hull at each ballast tank capable, when activated with a pneumatic signal from control (the chicken switches), of dumping the whole air bank directly into the ballast tanks that housed it, no line lag, no icing. The ride is like an express elevator. It was in the test of this system in GREENEVILLE that she surfaced under the EHIME MARU and killed those nine kids in 2001.
Rubber Ducky - aaahhhhh! No messcooking !! That's the advantage of traveling with a Mustang submariner! LT Rutkowski was an ex- ET (SS). I think you beat me by a few years - my first NavFac was PacBch - right after the commissioning crew. I go back there every 3 years for a reunion. Last one, we had the CO from NOPF Whidbey come down, took us thru the TE Bldg w/dependents, & gave a Power Point briefing at our dinner in the old EM club. I was on the commissioning crew at Adak (Nov 1963) - as PO2 was the "leading Sonarman" of the FIVE of us that were first ordered in (early- coming on line) due to the Cuban Missle crisis.
One SO per watch section - myself on board 24/7 as relief & to maintain Admin/limited PA functions. Had all my meals brought in ....only glimpses of daylight for the first 30 days - till we got more sailors on board. Thanks for sharing..........Dee
P.S. By the way - never got my Plankowner Certificate from Adak. Any way you know of getting such an animal??
Dee: Ed Rutkowski, right? Was his detailer at one point, got to know him a bit.
Plankowner certificates can probably be purchased from the Naval Institute. they used to sell them.
Thanks much for the information - Ed Rutkowski was Ops Officer in Bermuda. I was the OPS LPO at the time. We also worked together (for short time) at NAVELEX in Crystal City when he retired. I was with TRW under contract to PME-124. Capt Jerry Nifentoff was Program Manager (CDR at that time). Can't recall the specifics of Ed's time there. Thanks for the information on the plankowner certificate. Will follow up on that.
Irv, your story about having the rudder brought back memories. In 71 I was part of a US Det assigned to a Canadian AOR for the first RIMPAC exercise. One day I was delivering the next days flight schedule to the bridge and the helmsman asked if I wanted to try steering, before I answered the Capt. said "approved". So with the guidance of the helmsman I took the helm and quickly demonstrated my ability to zigzag. After about 30 minutes of my attempting to hold a steady course, the CO told me that we were not attempting to evade submarines. I did eventually get where I could hold, and change course smoothly. After that I would relieve the helmsman once or twice til the end of the Det. The Canadians sure had some different ways of ship life, but enjoyed every minute of my Dets with them.
Terry - never had the opportunity to serve with you, but I am sure we had some mutual friends that we served with. In 71 I was finishing up my second tour at Adak - on my way to OTM shool in Key West (1 yr CPO). I am glad I "jogged your memory" - and at my age I am lucky if I can "jog" anything !! I got to thinking about the initial posting by Capt Donovan - regarding Sea Dragon under the ice. I believe I can recall holding her during her northbound transit - was at Coos Bay at the time - came up there from SNI and met my "wife to be" (Linda Zumwalt)! No, that didn't have anything to do with my finally making Chief !! - That was when they put EVERYONE in the military on "indefinite extension" and I got orders to Adak. Wasn't supposed to be on line for another 4-6 mos - but we brought it up early & "put on our ears" !! thanks for your post.