Boat Notes

BOAT NOTES
GROTON BASE “FIRST AND FINEST”
QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER
Apr/May/June 2016
Our Creed
“To perpetuate the memory of our shipmates who gave their lives in the pursuit of their duties while serving their country.
That their dedication, deeds and supreme sacrifice serve as a constant source of motivation towards greater
accomplishment. Pledge loyalty and patriotism to the United States of America and it’s Constitution.”
CONNECTICUT’S
SUBMARINE
CENTURY
Centennial Anniversary
of Naval Submarine Base
New London and
Naval Submarine School
Celebrating the Submarine Capital of the World
and the Home of the Submarine Force
What’s Inside This Issue
2
3
3
4
5
6
7
7
8
Officers and Committee Chairs POCs
Commander’s Corner
The Board of Trustees Report
US Submarine Losses
Shipmates on Eternal Patrol
Shipmates on Eternal Patrol
House Committee
Chaplains Offerings
SUBSCHOOL Graduations
8 Club Manager
9 Holland Club Report
9 Westport Satellite Group
10 GROTON BASE 2016 ELECTIONS
10 Groton Base Ballot for Base Officers
11 Newsletter Sponsorship Program
12 Dark is the Harbor (Part 3)
13 Dark is the Harbor (Part 3)
14 Submarine Memorial East Photos
14 Shipmate in the Spotlight
15 Color Guard
15 Scholarship News
16 Silent Service License Plates
16 Submarine Qualification Recognition
17 Groton Base Small Stores
17 Boat Reunions
18 Kap(SS) for Kid(SS)
19 Upcoming Events
PAGE 2
UNITED STATES SUBMARINE VETERANS, INC., GROTON BASE BOAT NOTES
Groton Base Officers, Committee Chairs
and Points of Contacts
Base Commander
Holland Club
Alvin Kinsall
[email protected]
H. Patrick Urello
[email protected]
Vice Commander
Kap(SS) for KId(SS)
Al Atkinson
John Riley
[email protected]
[email protected]
Secretary
Membership
Charles Murray
Chris Remiesiewicz
[email protected]
[email protected]
Treasurer /Webmaster
Memorial
Robert Perritt
Dick McGirr
ISSUE 2016 - 2
Boat Notes
The Official Newsletter of the United States Submarine
Veterans, Inc., Groton Base is published quarterly by USSVI
Groton Base. United States Submarine Veterans, Inc., Groton
Base is a 501(c)(19) corporation in the State of Connecticut.
Deadlines for Submission
1st Quarter ~ December 1
2nd Quarter ~ March 1
3rd Quarter ~ June 1
4th Quarter ~ September 1
Articles received after the deadline may be considered for
publication in a future edition of the newsletter. All articles are
published at the sole discretion of the Editor.
Boat Notes Editor
Rich Cheatham
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
House Committee
Public Affairs Officer
Contacting USSVI Groton Base
[email protected]
Suzan Perritt
[email protected]
Base Chaplain
Scholarship
Jack Gallimore
Gregory Kane
US Mail: USSVI Groton Base, 40 School Street, Groton, CT 06340
Phone: (860) 445-5262
Email: All officers and committee chairs can be reached by
email as noted on the left side of this page. Don’t hesitate to
contact us if your are interested.
Jeff Walsh
[email protected]
Boat Notes Editor
Rich Cheatham
[email protected]
Boat Notes Sponsorship
P.W. Louthain
[email protected]
[email protected]
SFLM Docent
Ken Johnson
[email protected]
Ships Store/Building
Committee
Tom Connors
[email protected]
Board of Trustees Chair
SUBSCHOL Graduations
Joe Smith
[email protected]
Club Manager
Rich Cheatham
Jack Gallimore
[email protected]
SUBVETTEs
Dee Carcioppolo
We provide a lot of information about USSVI Groton Base via
email. If you have email and are not on the Base
Commander’s email list, you should be. If your email is
incorrect, or has changed, we can’t reach you.
Webpage: Our webpage is www.subvetsgroton.org.
Facebook: We have two very active Facebook Pages - LIKE
them to make sure you know the latest happening …
USSVI Groton Base:
https://www.facebook.com/USSVI-GrotonBase-713851432007402/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
SubvetsGroton:
https://www.facebook.com/
SubvetsGroton-1538252029791174/?ref=hl
[email protected] [email protected]
Permittee
David Babington
Veterans Affairs
Color Guard
Walter Grant
[email protected]
P.W. Louthain
Westport Satellite Group
[email protected]
Paul Grammer
[email protected]
CT License Plates
Harrison Solt
[email protected]
Address Changes
Please keep your address up to date at all times. Having the
correct address allows us to get your Boat Notes to you and
saves us money. If we mail Boat Notes to the wrong address,
it end up costing us money, and you lose touch with us..
Address Changes are handled by the Membership Chairman.
It is simple to update your address. Just contact the
membership chairman Chris Remiesiewicz at
[email protected].
WHO CAN YOU SIGN UP AS A NEW MEMBER?
ISSUE 2016 - 2
UNITED STATES SUBMARINE VETERANS, INC., GROTON BASE BOAT NOTES
COMMANDER’S CORNER
It has been a very
active winter and we
have all been
looking forward to
Spring.
Groton
Base Anniversary is
coming up 5 May to
7 May.
We also
have the USS
Thresher SSN 597
memorial Service on
10 April where we honor those who lost
their lives on that horrific day when we
received word that Thresher was missing.
During this next quarter we will be
honoring those who perished on USS
Scorpion SSN 589, sister ship to Skipjack
for which I proudly served.
Al Kinsall
HOOYA Groton Base!
We are working hard to increase our
revenue stream by encouraging more Boat
Reunions to take place in Groton. As you
know Groton is the Submarine Capital of
the World. This is where most submariners
started their submarine careers.
During the next quarter April through June
we will be continuing to improve the
quality of life for our members and their
quests, as well as improving the
performance of the base as we strive to
make the club a destination for all USSVI
members, guests and the fleet here in New
London.
So what’s more fitting to have them return
to where it all began, greater New London/
Groton area – U.S. Naval Submarine Base
New London – USSVI Groton Base. This
year we presently have six boats
celebrating their reunions in Groton. We
plan on doubling that number next year.
It is our promise that member’s welfare
comes first. The only way we can keep
that promise is to have the commitment of
our members to support the Base and the
Club/Bar. We know you will!
HOOYA Groton Base!
The Board of Trustees Report
As we continue
underway into 2016
and call for all ahead
flank toward spring
and summer warmth,
I’d like to tell you
about a few things we
have happening at the
club during the cold
New England months.
"Nino", our newest addition to the kitchen, is
now serving food in the evenings from
1700-2000. Evening specials, hot hearty soups,
and of course our famous chili is available. Nino
comes with over 40 years of experience, so be
sure you stop in for a bite and let him impress
you.
We are also in the infancy of forming a Subvets
cornhole "league" upstairs on the second deck.
Stop by and sign up, and watch out for the dates
posted in house, as well as on our club facebook
pages.
PAGE 3
This is a great opportunity to have some fun
normally associated with warmer weather, and
get your practice in for all the summer cookouts
on the horizon!
We will be hosting our first "Submarine Movie
Night" on the second deck coming up! Keep an
ear to the ground for those dates and details as
well.
Don’t forget to check the schedule for our
monthly dinners and weekly brunches. Your
support is always greatly appreciated and we
hope you will join us.
We have recently installed a nice new bar top
between the bar and the shuffleboard that will
give us more space for our members and guests
to rest elbows, libations, and chow. It is
removable in order to make room when needed,
like for our Thanksgiving dinner service for
example.
Joe Smith
decommission our current ones that have
remained in service much too long. When you
purchase a stool, you also get an embroidered
patch for the back. It can read whatever you'd
like and can be for you, or in honor/in memory
of a shipmate or boat. Stop in and see our Club
Manager Rich for amplifying details and order
forms! We want to replace those at the bar first,
and then procure more for the new bar top.
In the future we want to replace the long tables
by the shuffleboard with high top tables and the
personalized stools there as well.
Lastly, your BOT in conjunction with the EBoard, continues to work hard at the effort to
modernize and beautify the club. We urge you
to present any ideas you may have, and I am
very often at the club so feel free to pull me
aside to discuss anything on your mind.
We thank you all for your continued patronage
and support. See ya there!
We have also started a great initiative for
members to purchase new bar stools in order to
CLUBHOUSE CLEANUP
Our club gets cleaned thanks to our shipmates
on the Saturday Morning Cleanup Crew who
continually donate time every weekend to clean
our clubhouse and keep it looking good for our
members and guests.
The club belongs to the membership, but
cleanup of the club is done by only a small
handful of hard-working, dedicated volunteers.
We can always use more volunteers on a regular
basis to clean. You don’t have to be there every
Saturday, just when you can.
Cleanup starts around 7am and is usually
completed by 10am for our 11am opening.
The clubhouse belongs to the membership, and
at Groton Base we are very fortunate in that we
are the only USSVI Base with its own
clubhouse, even 48 years after the organization
was formed. That is special.
Please pitch in to keep your club clean. If the
membership does not clean the clubhouse, it
does not get cleaned.
B E AT T H E R U S H , R E N E W Y O U R D U E S
PAGE 4
UNITED STATES SUBMARINE VETERANS, INC., GROTON BASE BOAT NOTES
ISSUE 2016 - 2
U.S. Submarine Force Losses
... those submarines that never returned and remain ... on Eternal Patrol … April / May / June
Bless those who served beneath the deep,
Through the lonely hours the vigil they had to keep,
May eternal peace their mission ever be,
Bless each one we ask of thee,
Comfort those who at home who waited and prayed,
For their return night and day.
APRIL
USS Pickerel (SS-177) was lost on April 3,1943 with the loss of 74 crew while on her 7th war patrol, when she was most likely sunk off
Shiranuka Lighthouse, on the northern tip of Honshu, Japan. The probability as to the cause of Pickerel’s loss is that she was sunk by
enemy depth charge attack.
USS Snook (SS-279) was lost sometime after April 9,1943 with the loss of 84
crew while on her 9th war patrol. Snook was likely sunk near Hainan Island,
China, while performing lifeguard duty for British carrier based air strikes.
There is the possibility that Snook was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine
while she was surfaced during her lifeguard duties. The true manner of the
Snook loss still remains a mystery.
USS Gudgeon (SS-211)
USS Thresher (SSN-593) was lost on April 10, 1963 with the loss of 112 crew
and 17 yard workers when she sank while on sea trials near Isle of Shoals,
Maine.
USS Gudgeon (SS-211) was lost sometime around April 18, 1944 with the loss of 80 crew while on her 12th war patrol when she was
sunk probability off Saipan near Maug Island. Gudgeon was possibly depth charged or bombed by enemy planes which claimed they
dropped bombs on a submarine. The true manner of the Gudgeon loss still remains a mystery but there is a great likelihood that Gudgeon
was lost during an unrecorded enemy attack.
USS Grenadine (SS 210) was scuttled April 22,1943 after serious damage by an attack by enemy aircraft while on her 6th war patrol near
Penang, on the Malay Peninsula; approximately 10 Miles West of Lem Voalan Strait. There were no losses in the scuttling operation and all
75 crew were taken prisoner by Japanese forces, 71 crew members survived the war.
MAY
USS Lagarto (SS-371) was lost on or about May 3,1945 with the loss
of 87 crew while on her 2nd war patrol when she was sunk off Malay
Coast in or near the Gulf of Siam; in the Gulf of Thailand (South
China Sea). It is presumed that Lagarto was sank by a Japanese escort
vessel. The wreck Lagarto was located in 280 feet of water in May
2005.
USS Scorpion (SS-589) was lost on May 22, 1968 with the loss of 99
crew when she was sunk west of the Azores while in transit from the
Mediterranean. The true manner of the Scorpion loss still remains a
mystery but some evidence indicates Scorpion may have sank after of
some type of flooding incident (possibly due to an an explosion).
USS Lagarto (SS-371)
USS Squalus (SS-192) was lost on May 23, 1939 with the loss of 26 crew when she flooded and sank while conducting test dives off
Portsmouth, NH. 23 crew survived the sinking. Squalus was recovered and re-commissioned as the USS Sailfish (SS-192).
Continued on next page
To PERPETUATE THE MEMORY OF OUR SHIPMATES ...
ISSUE 2016 - 2
UNITED STATES SUBMARINE VETERANS, INC., GROTON BASE BOAT NOTES
PAGE 5
U.S. Submarine Force Losses (Continued)
USS Stickleback (SS-415) was lost May 29, 1958, when she sank off of Hawaii while under tow. While participating in an antisubmarine
warfare exercise with the USS Silverstein (DE-534), Stickleback lost power and broached approximately 200 yards ahead of the Silverstein
and was holed. There were no losses; the entire crew was taken off prior to the boat sinking.
JUNE
USS Herring (SS-233) was lost on June 1, 1944 with the loss of 83 crew while on her 8th war patrol when she was sunk within shore
battery range of Point Tagan, Matsuwa Island, in Kurlie Islands.
USS R-12 (SS-89) was lost on June 12, 1943 with the loss of 42 crew when she foundered off Key West, FL. 5 crew survived the sinking.
The cause of the loss of R-12 is unknown but probably was caused by the rapid flooding of the forward part of the ship through a torpedo
tube.
USS Golet (SS-361) was lost on June 14, 1944 with the loss of 82 crew
enroute to her second war patrol when she was sunk off the coast of Honshu,
Japan. Golet was probably damaged by a mine and later depth charged and
sunk.
USS Lagarto (SS-371)
USS Bonefish (SS-223) was lost on June 18, 1945 with the loss of 85 crew
while on her 8th war patrol when she was sunk in Toyama Wan; near Suzu
Misaki; off the coast of Honshu, Japan. Bonefish was probably depth
charged and sunk.
USS S-27 (SS-132) was lost on June 19, 1942 while on her 1st war patrol
when she struck a reef and grounded 400 yards off St. Makarius Point on Amchitka Island (in the Aleutians). There were no losses; all the
crew were rescued.
USS 0-9 (SS-70) was lost on June 20, 1941 with the loss of 33 crew when she foundered off Isle of Shoals while conducting test dives, and
sank 15 miles off Portsmouth, NH.
SHIPMATES ON ETERNAL PATROL
The gift for which our departed shipmates laid
their lives on the line is our freedom today.
We express our gratitude for their service by
our remembrance of them.
Take a moment now . . . and in silence breathe
a prayer for our absent shipmates.
When Hank was 16, he left the dairy farm and began
his 20 year Navy career. Hank was proud to be a
veteran of the Korean War.
He Qualified in Submarines on USS GRAMPUS
(SS-523) in 1958. He also served on the USS
HALFBEAK (SS-352), USS TRITON (SSN-586) [the
World’s Largest Submarine at the time], USS
STURGEON (SSN-637) and USS GEORGE
WASHINGTON (SSBN-598).
He was in the Navy during the era when diesel boats
were being phased out for fast attack nuclear
submarines, and he closed out his career on the USS
George Washington in July, 1970; retiring from the
US Navy as a MMC(SS).
Herman H. "Hank" Marquette, 81, passed away at
Sentara Regional Medical Center on the morning of
the 6th of January, 2016. His family was by his side,
holding his hands as he left on eternal patrol.
Hank was born in Northern Wisconsin to Herman C.
Marquette and Anna Marie (Tripovich) Marquette.
Hank was a life member of the U S. Submarine
Veterans Inc. (USSVI) Groton Base since 199, and he
was extremely proud that he was a distinguished
member of the USSVI Holland Club, an honor for
those submariners that were "Qualified in
Submarines" for 50 years or more.
Donald Anthony Cameron, 88, died on January 23,
2016, of natural causes.
Mr. Cameron was born on November 12, 1927, the
son of William M. Cameron and Dorothy (McAuliffe)
Cameron of West Roxbury, Mass.
Mr. Cameron enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1946 and
subsequently was accepted in the NROTC program at
Villanova University. In 1952, Mr. Cameron graduated
from Villanova with a bachelor of science degree in
mechanical engineering and a commission in the
Navy. During his active duty years, Mr. Cameron
served on both destroyers and submarines.
He Qualified in Submarines in 1956 on the
USS CORSAIR (SS/AGSS-435). He also served on
the USS CROAKER (SS/SSK/AGSS-246). He retired
from the US Navy Reserves as a LCDR.
In 1962, Mr. Cameron married Genevieve "Jane"
Szczesny of Norwich. Mrs. Cameron preceded him in
death in 1997.
Continued on next page
QUALIFIED IN SUBMARINES? BECOME A MEMBER
PAGE 6
UNITED STATES SUBMARINE VETERANS, INC., GROTON BASE BOAT NOTES
ISSUE 2016 - 2
SHIPMATES ON ETERNAL PATROL (Continued)
Mr. Cameron was a life member of the U S.
Submarine Veterans Inc. (USSVI) Groton Base
since 2000, and he was extremely proud that he
was a distinguished member of the USSVI
Holland Club, an honor for those submariners
that were "Qualified in Submarines" for 50
years or more. Mr. Cameron was an active
member of the Sub Vets and a volunteer at the
Submarine Memorial, both in Groton.
Mr. Cameron left the active duty Navy,
maintaining his reserve status to complete
graduate courses at Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, MIT. He graduated with a master's
degree in nuclear engineering in 1957 and
accepted a position at Electric Boat Corp. in
Groton.
Later in his professional career, Mr. Cameron
completed a master's degree in business
administration from the University of New
Haven. Mr. Cameron retired from the Naval
Reserves as a LCDR. Mr. Cameron retired from
Electric Boat in 1989 as an engineering chief.
Kenneth E. Brannin, of Milford, beloved
husband of Patricia Brannin, passed away
peacefully on February 11, 2016. He was born
in New Jersey on August 30, 1942. He was the
son of the late Margaret and Alfred Lockwood
and Kenneth Brannin.
Ken served 8 years in the US Navy in the
Submarine Service. He Qualified in Submarines
in 1962 on the USS Trumpetfish (SS-425). Ken
also served on the USS Sailfish (SSR-572). He
left the US Navy as an EM1(SS).
He was a life member of the U S. Submarine
Veterans Inc. (USSVI) Groton Base since 2007,
and he was extremely proud that he was a
distinguished member of the USSVI Holland
Club, an honor for those submariners that were
"Qualified in Submarines" for 50 years or more.
He was employed by the Burndy Corp. and was
a retired Vice President of Bic Corp. Milford
Chamber of Commerce and Bic Corp. have
recognized Ken’s commitment to community
service by creating the Kenneth Brannin
Scholarship in his honor.
He will be missed by his dog Graydon, whom
he affectionately referred to as “my boy in a dog
suit”.
Joseph J. Maruzo Jr., 78, formerly of
Norwich, died on Thursday, March 24, 2016, in
New London. He was born in Norwich, to the
late Joseph and Kathleen (Chausse) Maruzo Sr.
(SS-350), USS Nautilus (SSN-571) and the USS
Skipjack (SSN-585).
Joe joined the US Navy in 1955 and retired
in1975 after serving his country for 20 years He retired as a STSC(SS). Joe served on
submarines and qualified on the USS Growler
(SSG-577). He also served on the USS Plunger
(SSN-595) and the USS Abraham Lincoln
(SSBN-602).
He retired from the US Navy after 22 years of
active duty service
in June 1966 as a
EMCM(SS). After his Navy career, he worked
at Electric Boat for 23 years retiring in January
1989.
Joe taught at sub school before his retirement
from the Navy and afterward he worked as a
systems specialist for civilian defense
contractors.
Robert E. Wilton, of Litchfield, CT, died
peacefully at his home on Friday, March 18th.
He was born in Hartford, CT on September 1st,
1932, to the late Donald H. Wilton & Frances E.
Post Wilton.
Bob served 4 years in the United States Navy, 3
of which were in the submarine service - Bob
Qualified in Submarines in 1953 on the
USS Diablo (SS-479). He left the navy as an
EM2(SS).
Bob was a life member of the U S. Submarine
Veterans Inc. (USSVI) Groton Base since 1997,
and he was extremely proud that he was a
distinguished member of the USSVI Holland
Club, an honor for those submariners that were
"Qualified in Submarines" for 50 years or more.
Wil was a Life Member of the Nautilus Alumni
Association, WWII SubVets Groton Base,
SubVets, Inc., The Holland Club, and VFW Post
1655 Newton, Iowa.
Wil was a life member of the U S. Submarine
Veterans Inc. (USSVI) Groton Base since 1997,
and he was extremely proud that he was a
distinguished member of the USSVI Holland
Club, an honor for those submariners that were
"Qualified in Submarines" for 50 years or more.
"There is a port of no return, where
ships may ride at anchor for a little
space.
And then some starless night the cable
slips, leaving only an eddy at the
mooring place.
Gulls veer no longer,
Sailor rest your oar.
No tangled wreckage will be washed
He graduated with a B.S. degree from the
University of Miami in Florida, attended
graduate courses in Anatomy from the
University of Missouri, and graduated from
Kansas City College of Osteopathy & Surgery,
earning his D.O. degree.
Wilfred G. Nelson, 91, of Groton, passed away
on Sunday April 3, 2016. Wil was born
November 17, 1924 in Newton, Iowa, the
second son of Harvey and Ethel Trotter Nelson.
Wil began his Navy career in May 1943 proudly
serving on submarines as a Electrician’s mate
during WW II in the Pacific theater.
He qualified in submarines on the USS
Scabbardfish (SS-397) in 1944. Wil also served
on the USS Reno (CL-96), USS Nautilus (was
V-6) (SS-168), USS Scabbardfish (SS-397),
USS Sargo (SS-188), USS Gato (SS-212), USS
Razorback (SS-394), USS Dogfish
R E N E W Y O U R M E M B E R S H I P T O D AY
ashore.”
Shipmates
Marquette,
Cameron,
Brannin,
Maruzo,
Wilton and
Nelson
Rest your oar.
ISSUE 2016 - 2
UNITED STATES SUBMARINE VETERANS, INC., GROTON BASE BOAT NOTES
HOUSE COMMITTEE
Hello
Shipmates,
USSVI Groton
Base is proud
to host our
52nd annual
SUBVETS
Anniversary
Weekend.
It will be held 05 May - 07 May 2015,
right where it all started - in Groton, CT.
This year’s theme is Connecticut’s
Submarine Century - 100 years of
SUBASE NL and SUBSCHOOL.
This is a great opportunity for all
Submariners to come back to where we
all got started, to see the advances we
have made in Submarine technology, and
to perpetuate the memories of all
Submariners.
In addition to celebrating our 52nd
Anniversary and having a great time in
sharing camaraderie with our Shipmates,
the other purpose of this event is to serve
as the principal fundraiser for the Groton
Base.
Jeff Walsh
We have registration forms available on
our web page.
Below is the basic Schedule of Events.
The USSVI Groton Base Golf
Tournament is scheduled rain or shine
for Thursday 05 May at River Ridge
Golf Course, in Jewett City. Price is
$120.00 and will include greens fees,
cart, coffee and pastry, lunch at the turn,
banquet dinner and prizes.
Return to Submarine School is
scheduled for Friday 06 May at 09:00
am, and includes a Basic Submarine
School Graduation Ceremony,
Submarine School tours.
Welcome Aboard Reception will be at
the Groton Inn and Suites on Friday 06
May starting at 6:00 pm.
Submarine Tour is scheduled for
Saturday morning 07 May at 09:00 am
and is strictly dependent on SUBASE
security conditions and Submarine
availability; it can be cancelled without
notice. Those wishing to tour a boat must
be physically able to climb up and down
two decks of vertical ladders.
CHAPLAIN’S OFFERINGS
Since the beginning of 2016, members of the
Honor Detail and the Chaplain have provided
services for submarine veterans when
requested including a letter of condolence
and an Eternal Patrol certificate to next of
kin when we were not able to provide
Honors.
Groton Base Honor Detail members
provide Honors Detail shipmates along with
a few members of the WWII group for the
WWII ceremonies when required.
The Chaplain also provides Invocations and
Benedictions or prayers at numerous
ceremonies held at the WWII memorial, for
PAGE 7
Tolling of the Boats Memorial
Ceremony is scheduled for Saturday
afternoon 07 May at 1:00 pm.
SUBVETS WWII National Submarine
Memorial East, Groton CT. There is no
cost and this is open to the general public
as we remember our Shipmates who
made the Ultimate Sacrifice.
The Anniversary Banquet will be held
at the Port and Starboard Banquet Room
in New London and will begin with a
social period and cash bar at 5:30 pm on
07 May, then dinner with a choice of
entrees; our guest speaker, several raffle
prizes. The cost is $35.00 each.
We have an outstanding group of
volunteers who are working hard to
ensure that all who attend the various
events have a wonderful and memorable
time.
Remember our number one goal is to
raise money for the Scholarship funds
which assists all children, grandchildren,
great grandchildren, and step-children of
Groton Base Members as they look to
commence their goals in life as they
enter or continue their college education.
Jack Gallimore
VITAS, the Holland Club induction, and for
many other well known organizations that
support those of the military, whether they are
retired or active duty. During the first couple
of months of 2016, the Honor Detail provided
services for several SubVets shipmates.
Additionally, we provide Eternal Light
services for the wives of SubVets shipmates
when requested.
While not a Chaplain item as such, when
weather permits the "Red Hats" do provide a
7 Gun salute to each boat that comes back
from a major deployment. The salute is
rendered at Garbo's pier near E.B. Each
member of the Red Hat brigade is notified as
security allows. The cannon and blank shells
are provided by Tom Russell.
WHO CAN YOU SIGN UP AS A NEW MEMBER?
PAGE 8
UNITED STATES SUBMARINE VETERANS, INC., GROTON BASE BOAT NOTES
SUBSCHOOL GRADUATIONS
Often referred to as the SHIPMATES
R E M E M B R A N C E C E R E M O N Y,
SUBVETS is actively involved with
Submarine School graduation ceremonies
for the Basic Enlisted Submarine School
(BESS), Submarine Officers Advanced
Class (SOAC), and Submarine Officer
Basic Course (SOBC) as regular
participants.
In August 2010, the SubVets Groton Base
“Heritage Award” presentation formally
provided by PAO Suzan Perritt
Who: Nino Pellegrino
What: Evening Chef at SUBVETS Groton
Base.
When: Evening meals are being prepared
and served by Nino every Wednesday,
Thursday and Friday from 4:00 PM to
8:00PM; the menu including daily and
weekly dinner specials as well as selections
from the Clubhouse main menu.
Where: At the Clubhouse, 40 School
Street, Groton, CT
Why: SUBVETS Chef: “I was a Navy
cook, a stew
burner, I like
being around
Navy people
because I was
in the Navy for
22 years and I
love to cook.”
Nino’s Story:
Born and raised
in Brooklyn,
N e w Yo r k .
Nino grew up
in the family
restaurant
b u s i n e s s
Pellegrino’s located in the Little Italy
section of Manhattan; it is still in existence
today.
Jack Gallimore
became part of the BESS graduation. A
certificate and a Groton Base “Challenge”
coin is presented to the graduating BESS
Class Leader.
(SECF), Submarine Communications
Electronic Rating Field (SCERF), and
Torpedoman “A” (MMW) School as
requested.
SUBVETS, provides volunteers who read
the words of remembrance.
Graduations were supported in 2016 by
SubVets, either as speakers or as
representatives at the tolling ceremony that
was accomplished at BESS, SOAC and
SOBC.
A d d i t i o n a l l y, S U B V E T S p r o v i d e s
volunteer speakers for some of the
advanced graduating classes, i.e.
Submarine Electronics Computer Field
Club Manager
Employee Spotlight
ISSUE 2016 - 2
Rich Cheatham
He was 14 years of age when he began
working as dishwasher at a restaurant. The
following year while working at the family
restaurant, he met his wife Patty.
Nino was a surface
sailor throughout his
entire military
career. He was a
Navy cook from
1971 to 1993.
During one of his
assignments, he was
the Head Cook of
the Fulton. He
retired from the
Navy in 1993 at the
rank of MSCS
(SW).
From 1993 to 2014,
he
was
the
supervisor of the
Niantic Women’s
Prison’s food
services. Nino oversaw and participated in
the production of the three meals for 1500
female inmates which were served daily.
He is very proud of the fact that between
this job and being in the Navy, he wore a
uniform for 43 years of his life.
At 62 years of age, he retired from the
Niantic Women’s Prison’s food services
and had his hip replaced. After his hip
surgery he stated, he felt so good, he
wanted to return to work. He further went
on to say, “I like to stay busy and the food
business is the only thing I know.”
His specialties are Italian foods and he is a
cake decorator by trade. Today, he
continues to use his recipe cards as he
prepares his foods and menus; he takes
pride in the fact that he does
not use a computer for any
of his planning or prep.
His meals are delicious as is
their presentation. His
customer service is the best;
he always checks back with
his diners to ensure they are
happy and satisfied with
their order.
He married his wife Patty in
1971. Nino is the father of
two adult children and the
grandfather of one
grandson. He is very proud
of his family. His wife is
very supportive of his new
role and has assisted him
with some of his events;
they make a great team.
Nino has a few favorite sayings: “he is a
surface sailor giving the submarine sailor
a lesson in how to eat” and “if you have
time to lean, you have time to clean.”
Needless to say, he loves to cook and his
kitchen is spotless and very organized.
Welcome aboard Nino; so happy you are
back in uniform again at SUBVETS
Groton Base!
ACTIVE DUTY AND QUALIFIED IN SUBMARINES? BECOME A MEMBER
ISSUE 2016 - 2
UNITED STATES SUBMARINE VETERANS, INC., GROTON BASE BOAT NOTES
THE HOLLAND CLUB REPORT
I hope everyone had a
Happy Easter and are
looking forward to
Spring.
Pat Urello
The first two Holland Club Planning
Meetings were held on 2 February and 1
We have 38 members eligible for the
Holland Club this year and we also have an
additional four shipmates from another
Base who have requested to be inducted in
Groton. Initial letters were mailed to each
of the eligible members in mid-February.
If you haven’t been to a luncheon recently I
urge you to attend.
You won’t be
disappointed.
Lastly, we are always looking for
volunteers to assist with the upcoming
Holland Club Induction. Many of you
have stepped up in past years to make the
ceremony memorable for those being
inducted and your efforts were greatly
As we get closer to the
Spring season we also
are gearing up for the
2016 Holland Club
Induction Ceremony.
Like in previous years
the ceremony will be
held at Dealey Center
on the Submarine Base
on 4 June 2016. The
Leadership Team on the
Submarine Base –
Commanding Officer,
Executive Officer, and
Command Master Chief
have again graciously
allowed us to use their facilities and are
very supportive of our ceremony and we
are very appreciative.
PAGE 9
March. Subsequent Planning
Meetings will be held on 1
April and 3 May.
Our Holland Club Lunches
continue to provide stimulating and
informative venues thanks in large part to
the efforts of Bud Atkins, Greg Kane and
Dale McKay. Our speaker in January was
the new Commanding Officer of the
Submarine Base, Captain Paul
Whitescarver along with his Executive
Officer and Command Master Chief.
Upcoming speakers include a Squadron
Commander and the Chief of Police of
Vernon, CT.
WESTPORT SATELILITE GROUP
appreciated.
If interested or if you have any questions or
concerns about Holland Club events please
give me a call or email.
Pat Urello,
7 5 7 - 6 3 9 - 4 8 0 2 ,
[email protected].
Paul Grammer
The Westport Group has been participating in the
color guard at Port 5 (National Association of Naval
Veterans) . They are located in Bridgeport and used
as a meeting location for the Westport Group.
We recently donated a SubVets Flag to the color
guard so people could see it along with the other
members of Port 5 in presentations. Here is the flag
being presented to MCPO Richard Lannucci
commander of Port 5.
It was presented by Paul Grammer and David
Rosenbluh of the Westport Subvet Group at a flag
ceremony done at Harbor Yards in Bridgeport last
month.
To P E R P E T U AT E T H E M E M O RY O F O U R S H I P M AT E S . . .
PAGE 10
UNITED STATES SUBMARINE VETERANS, INC., GROTON BASE BOAT NOTES
ISSUE 2016 - 2
GROTON BASE 2016 ELECTIONS
Groton Base has elections every year,
however each year we alternate the officers
being elected so that not all four Base
Officers are elected or relieved together. It
allows for some stability. In Even
numbered years the positions of Base Vice
Commander and Base Secretary are up for
election.
Nominations for this years elections were
open from 04 January - 04 April 2016.
This year the membership will be voting
for Base Commander, Base Treasurer
and Club Officers / Board of Trustees.
These elections for Base Officers and Club
Officers/Board of Trustees are completely
separate elections with different criteria
Jeff Walsh
Candidate for Base Vice Commander
and different voting eligibility as explained
below.
Base Officer Elections:
Base Officer Elections are to vote for the
leadership of Groton Base also known as
the Executive Board (EBOARD). The
EBOARD are the officers representing
Groton Base to the National Organization
of USSVI. According to the Base and
National Bylaws only Regular Members
(nonAssociate Members) are eligible to run
for the Base Officer positions and only
Regular Members may vote in the Base
Officer elections.
The Club Membership consists of all
members of Groton Base including
Associate Members. All members of the
Club including Associate Members are
eligible to run for the Club Officers / BOT,
and they are eligible to vote in the election
of Club Officers / BOT.
There is a ballot included in this newsletter
(below).
Voting opens on 5 April and closes at
midnight 31 May 2016. The ballots will be
counted and the results announced at the
June membership meeting.
The newly elected Base Officers will be
sworn in at the July Membership Meeting.
You can use the ballots enclosed in this
newsletter and drop it off or mail it to the
club or you can vote electronically on the
club’s website [www.subvetsgroton.org].
Charlie Murray
Candidate for re-election as Base Secretary
Groton Base Voting Ballot for Base Officers
The following Groton Base Offices
are open for election until 31 May
2016.
Write-ins will have to provide a letter
of acceptance if declared the winner
prior to being sworn in.
Only Regular Members may vote in
INSTRUCTIONS
Complete ballot marking the YES box for the candidate of your
choice. It is important that your name is written clearly. It is
the only way that we can verify:
1. Those ballots came from members in good standing.
2. That ballots ONLY come from Regular Members and NOT
Associate Members.
3. That no one votes more than once.
Mail the completed ballot to:
Groton Base Ballot, 40 School Street, Groton, CT 06340
Print Name:
the election of the Base Officers.
Associate Members may not vote for
Base Officers.
BASE OFFICER
Base Vice
Commander
CANDIDATE
Walsh, Jeffery
Write in
Secretary
Murray, Charles
Write in
Signature:
GROTON BASE ELECTIONS. VOTE!
Date:
YES
ISSUE 2016 - 2
UNITED STATES SUBMARINE VETERANS, INC., GROTON BASE BOAT NOTES
BOAT NOTES SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM
The Boat Notes
Sponsorship Program
is designed to get our
Newsletter to the fleet,
especially the Groton
Commands. Thanks to all members that have
made donations to sponsor our newsletter. The
donation requested for sponsorship is $10 per
year per Command. Remember, all donations are
tax deductible. Thank you.
PAGE 11
PW Louthain
The attached Reports shows Groton Commands
in Blue. Our minimum goal is to send 6 copies
to each if the Groton Commands.
As you can see we are far short.
The following Commands or Groups are being sponsored and receive Boat Notes:
Command
Sponsor 1
Sponsor 2
Sponsor 3
Sponsor 4
SUBRON-4
Mathis 4/17
Mathis 4/17
USS Dallas SSN 700
Carcioppolo 9/16
Carcioppolo 9/16
Carcioppolo 9/16
USS Providence SSN 719
Casey 9/17
Casey 9/17
McLarrin 10/16
USS Pittsburgh SSN 720
Hardhead Alumni 4/17
Warnock 4/17
USS San Juan SSN 751
Casey 9/17
Warnock 4/17
USS Alexandria SSN 757
Casey 9/17
McLarrin 10/16
USS Annapolis SSN 760
McMullin 11/17
Rusczyk 4/17
USS Springfield SSN 761
McLarrin 10/16
Rusczyk 4/17
USS Hartford SSN 768
Casey 9/16
Sablefish Alumni 4/17
USS Toledo SSN 769
Casey 9/16
Sablefish Alumni 4/17
Cheatham 4/17
USS Virginia SSN 774
Brody 7/16
Murray 8/17
Murray 8/17
Sablefish Alumni 4/17
USS New Hampshire SSN 778
Brody 7/16
Casey 9/17
Howard 10/16
Howard 10/16
USS New Mexico SSN 779
Hardhead Alumni 4/17
Hardhead Alumni 4/17
Murray 4/17
Cornell 4/17
USS Missouri SSN 780
Casey 9/17
Casey 9/17
Cheatham 4/17
Cornell 4/17
USS California SSN 781
Mathis 4/17
Hardhead Alumni 4/17
Hardhead Alumni 4/17
Murray 4/17
McMullin 11/17
USS Minnesota SSN 783
Orstad 6/17
Orstad 6/17
WSG 3/16
WSG 3/16
WSG 3/16
USS North Dakota SSN 784
Howard 10/16
Howard 10/16
Howard 10/16
Orstad 6/17
Orstad 6/17
Warnock 4/17
PCU USS Illinois SSN 786
Solt 5/17
Rusczyk 4/17
Moore 4/19
Lukas 4/17
Cornell 4/17
Warnock 4/17
PCU USS Colorado SSN 788
Louthain 9/17
Hardhead Alumni 4/17
Murray 4/17
Lukas 4/17
Cornell 4/17
Warnock 4/17
Submarine Force Museum
Casey 9/17
Casey 9/17
Murray 4/17
Lukas 4/17
Naval Submarine School
Casey 9/17
Casey 9/17
Casey 9/17
Casey 9/17
(NIOD) Groton
Louthain 9/17
(NOSC) Groton
Louthain 9/17
(NRMD) Groton
Louthain 9/17
(NSMRL) Groton
Louthain 9/17
(NSSC) Groton
Louthain 9/17
(NSSF) Groton
Louthain 9/17
(NUMI) Groton
Louthain 9/17
(STSC) Groton
Louthain 9/17
Miami University NROTC Unit
Mathis 4/17
Mathis 4/17
USS COCC (SSN 705)
Sponsor 6
McLarrin 4/16
McLarrin 4/16
Warnock 4/17
Durrua 1/17
USS Jimmy Carter SSN 23
USS Maine SSBN 741
USS Mississippi SSN 782
USS Oklahoma City SSN 723
USS Albuquerque SSN 706
Sponsor 5
McLarrin 5/16
B O AT N O T E S S P O N S O R S N E E D E D
Howard 10/16
PAGE 12
UNITED STATES SUBMARINE VETERANS, INC., GROTON BASE BOAT NOTES
Dark!is!the!Harbor
A First Hand Account of some of the actions of
the USS TROUT during WWII.
This is Part Three of a Four Part series.
One of the first priorities was for our hospital
corpsman or ‘Doc’, as we called him, to examine
them, in particular to see if there were signs of
parasites. One of the things that was very troubling to
people in close confinement like in a submarine was
body lice or, as we called them, ‘crabs’. Doc
examined their hair very carefully and treated each
one with a medicated powder. In the enclosed
environment of a submarine, if one man should have
body parasite of any type, they can quickly multiply,
and soon inhabit every man onboard if they’re not
very quickly eradicated.
prominent scar on his face. We found out later that a
Japanese officer had attempted to behead him with his
sword for some supposed offense. Mellnik ducked
when the Japanese swung at him and the sword struck
him across the face. It left a red and angry scar but
the major managed to keep his head; that spared his
life.
Lieutenant Commander McCoy was also very
underweight but, other than that, he looked and acted
quite normal. He was usually in good spirits, had
fairly good health, and looked young mostly due to his
dark, almost black hair.
Some of the Filipinos
apparently trimmed his hair before he came aboard;
this good grooming only added to his pleasant and
healthful appearance.
Another major concern of the Doc was the large
sores which covered the lower legs and forearms of
these three men. These sores were caused by bee
stings, insect and jungle leech bites. The leeches
would attach themselves to any bit of exposed skin,
bite in, and feed on the man’s blood. These men knew
they were not supposed to pull the leeches off
forcefully, but some had done so anyway, probably
because the sight of those creatures attached to your
body feeding on your blood was just too revolting!
When a leech was removed by force they often left
behind mouth-parts in the wound that caused infection
to occur. Having no medicine, the men had selftreated these wounds with poultices of chewed
tobacco and it seemed to help a bit. Doc traded this
remedy for more modern medicine and was able to
clear up these sores in a matter of days.
Most of the crew members on board, including
myself, knew little or nothing about these three men.
For myself, I understood that our captain knew their
names since they had been supplied to him prior to
our departure from Australia. I enticed our yeoman to
write their names and ranks on a piece of paper, and
post it on a small bulletin board in the mess room so
we could properly address them with courtesy and
respect. The senior officer of the three was Major
Stephen M. Mellnik, U. S. Army. He was a member
of the Coast Artillery Corps. There was also a Navy
officer, Lieutenant Commander Melvin H. McCoy.
He had been assigned in the Philippine area was
captured along with many others when Corregidor
fell. Finally, there was Captain William E. Dyess. He
was U. S. Army Air Corps, and a fighter pilot in the
Philippine area.
These officers had worked and
planned long and hard to escape from the prison
camp, and managed to survive in a jungle
environment with the help, at times, from some
Filipino personnel; very often, though, they traveled
alone. They were very persistent and refused to give
up even through their hardship, which was why they
now found themselves safely aboard the Trout.
All three men were very gaunt. They were in
good spirits, and of course very pleased to be aboard
but there were clear signs they had suffered greatly
from lack of food, the harsh conditions in the jungle,
and the stress of constant pursuit. Major Mellnik was
very quiet and not a big man; if he had been, he’d lost
so much of his weight that he was a rather small
fellow by the time we met him. He had a very
ISSUE 2016 - 2
Jeweldeen “Deen” Brown
tracking the ship to get in a firing position. The Trout
was put through her paces to get into position; it was
not until almost noon that the captain began his
approach. The ship initially appeared unescorted,
traveling alone at a rather leisurely speed, but at 1210
an escort ship joined the tanker. Thirty-two minutes
later three torpedoes left their tubes and headed
towards the tanker at a range of 1450 yards. The fire
control man who helped operate the torpedo data
computer stood with his stopwatch in hand timing the
run of the torpedoes. He knew exactly how long it
should take to intersect the target. And intersect it did!
Suddenly there was a very large explosion as the first
torpedo decimated the after third of that ship. The
second fish, “eliminated the whole after half.” The
third torpedo struck as well and, “left only bow and
foremast floating.” The captain later noted that,
concerning this attack, “No description of hits
possible except to say whole sections completely
disappeared instantaneously with terrific explosion.”
The escort worked away and eventually dropped
a few depth charges but at quite a distance from us.
The captain looked through the periscope and decided
that is was safe enough that the passengers could have
a look at our handiwork. He invited the passengers to
come to the conning tower and to view the remainder
of the stricken tanker. They came up one by one,
Major Mellnik first. He looked through the periscope
for a few seconds, turned to the captain and said,
“Well, that ship is done,” and then went on his way.
The next was Lt. Commander McCoy who looked for
about ten seconds and noted that there were survivors
in the water who apparently had time to abandon their
ship. He folded the handles up on the periscope, and
said to the Captain like, “Well, they won't bother
anyone anymore,” and then went on his way.
Captain William Dyess was the youngest of the
three and that was to his benefit. He was energetic
and seemed to enjoy visiting and talking to us. He
was quite interested in the operations of the submarine
and questioned us about what individual components
did and what made them ‘tick.’ It was not unlike him
to ask, “Hey Deen, what does this valve do?” or a
number of other similar questions. He was obviously
technically minded and was intrigued by the workings
of our boat. That was generally their demeanor when
they first came aboard. These three men, each in their
own way, were very pleasant companions and
welcome additions to our happy crew and we went out
of our way to be courteous and pleasant to them.
Our “Special Mission” took two days to
accomplish, June 11th and 12th. On the morning of
the second day, after our passengers were safely
aboard, the captain dove at dawn and conducted a
submerged patrol in Moro Gulf to give the crew a,
“much deserved rest after two busy nights.” In the
days following our departure from Davao Gulf, we
proceeded southward and eventually headed back to
Australia. Near dawn on June 15th, the sonar had
detected a ship, a large ship. After observation the
captain recognized the ship as a tanker and began
It was then Captain Dyess’s turn. He looked
through the periscope for quite a long while, maybe
half a minute. Finally he turned to the captain and
said, “Captain Clark, do you have a carbine on board?
If you do, if you'll give it to me and take me up there,
I'll kill every one of those bastards.” Captain Clark
looked at him very soberly, straight in the eye and
said, “Captain Dyess, we don't do that.” So that was
that. It was obvious that Captain Dyess wanted some
payback for the gruesome and inhuman suffering that
he had gone through, he and many, many more like
him. We could certainly understand his feeling, but
Captain Clark was right; “We don’t do that.”
REMEMBER OUR SHIPMATES ON ETERNAL PATROL
ISSUE 2016 - 2
UNITED STATES SUBMARINE VETERANS, INC., GROTON BASE BOAT NOTES
PAGE 13
Dark!is!the!Harbor (continued)
On her tenth war patrol Trout would be credited
with the sinking of a trawler, a troop transport, a
merchant-maru, and an I-62 class submarine for a total
of over 15,000 tons. However, as we waited for this
patrol we really wanted most to know how our late
passengers and new friends were faring.
Unfortunately, this information would not be available
to us until after the end of the war. Like the many
islands we passed and the shipmates we had known
these three men, for us, had simply disappeared.
Though they disappeared for us, these three men
made a significant impact on the conditions inside the
Japanese military prison system. Not long after his
return to the States Captain Dyess provided a
complete account of his experiences as a POW. This
report, and the reports of the other escapees, were
forwarded to the War Department, the State
Department, and ultimately to the President. The
dilemma they had was judging whether the release of
this information would improve the treatment of
prisoners or bring retribution down upon them.
In early December, 1943, the President ordered
Dyess’s report to be temporarily squelched. General
MacArthur objected immediately to this directive
stating that other Allies, like the Australians, already
knew of the camp atrocities, and were moving forward
with their own measures. When his objection was
dismissed and the directive was reaffirmed, the
General, not surprisingly, took matters into his own
hands.
He contacted the Philippine territorial
commander, Japanese Field Marshal Hisaichi
Tersuchi, and informed him that he, MacArthur,
would hold Japanese commanders personally
responsible for, “any failure to accord the prisoners
proper treatment.”
His message had the desired
effect.
In late December the Japanese chief of the
Prisoner of War Bureau issue a warning to all camp
commanders. “Care should be taken to avoid issuing
twisted reports of our fair attitude which might give
the enemy food for evil propaganda and bring harm to
our interned brothers,” the message stated, undeniably
a diplomatic way of saying, “The jig is up. Stop
abusing your prisoners.”
the Japanese vice-minister of war notified POW camp
commanders of the following in March, 1944:
In the light of recent intensified enemy
propaganda warfare, if the present condition continues
to exist, it will needlessly to add to the hostile feeling
of the enemy and it will also be impossible for us to
expect world opinion to be what we wish it to be.
Such will cause an obstacle to our prosecution of
moral warfare.
Not only that, it is absolutely
necessary to the health condition of POW’s from the
standpoint of using them satisfactorily to increase our
fighting strength.
Though it took a while to be felt in the camps,
the information provided by Dyess, Mellnik, and
McCoy with the assistance of the Trout, were
ultimately successful.
Once the war was over I eventually managed to
get back to the States. Nobody at home knew what
we had done on the submarine Trout, but my relatives
had saved newspapers articles about the war that they
thought might interest me. One of the papers, the
Chicago Tribune, had a series of articles containing
the edited reports about the prison camp conditions
that Captain Dyess had provided. I became more fully
aware of how atrocious and pervasive was the
treatment experienced by the Allied prisoners at the
hands of their Japanese captors. I certainly had a
general idea from my many close conversations with
these three men, but seeing it in black and white gave
it a whole new reality for me.
During the war Submarine Squadron Six was
comprised of twelve subs six with names beginning
with the letter “T,” and six with the letter “G.” The
Trout was one of the boats in this squadron and one of
the “Gs” was the USS Grenadier (SS-210). She was
scuttled off Penang, on April 22, 1943, after being
damaged by Japanese aircraft and the crew was taken
prisoner by the Japanese; Edgar Lou Poss, Radioman
First Class, my good friend, was one of them.
Edgar survived the prison camp experience and
returned to the States. In the post-war years, now
Chief Poss and I were assigned to the USS Spikefish
(SS-404) Working in close proximity to Ed Poss I had
a “front row seat” opportunity to learn more about life
in a Japanese POW camp. Ed would not always talk
freely about the subject but if I starting him talking
about an unrelated subject often I could little by little
lead the conversation toward his POW camp
experiences. One of the things he confirmed was
something we had been told in the Philippines by
Commander Chick Parsons.
Parsons said that
Japanese prison camp officials had declared they
would put to death ten prisoners for every one that
escaped. This was to deter prison escapes by instilling
fear of harsh retaliation. The calculation of this
horrible equation went through my mind more than
once on the Trout on the trip back from Davao Bay.
Had I played a part in what might have been the
ultimate execution of thirty Allied prisoners because I
helped three escape?
Ed actually helped ease some of this guilt for me
by relating his experiences. He said that when an
escape took place, even in another camp, somehow
the word was passed through the grapevine to the
POW population. They always became very tense
anticipating the reprisal to come.
The guards
definitely became more belligerent, verbally and
physically abusive, and intimidating. “You no good
American soldiers leave honorable Japanese camp and
honorable Japanese care,” he remembered one guard
shouting at him. Their already meager food rations
were further reduced and routine casual conversations,
previously allowed, were curtailed; the word ‘escape’
would not dare be mentioned out loud. Chief Poss
confirmed the increase in anger and abuse, the
decrease in food and liberties, and the general
atmosphere of imminent retaliation was present but
also confirmed that he never knew of the ‘ten-for-one’
punishment being carried out.
Our three passengers made a great impact on the
conditions in the Japanese POW camps. Though the
conditions within the camps, by anyone’s measure,
were still horrible, the worst of the atrocities ended
once Dyess’ and the other’s reports became public.
Dyess did not live long enough to fully know the good
he had done. He died in a plane crash on December
22, 1943, the same year as his liberation. After
discharge from the hospital, Captain Dyess was
emphatic about returning to active duty. He was
assigned to the 337th Fighter Squadron to fly and test
the P-38 Lightning. Brett A Manis II, 7th Bomber
Wing historian at Dyess Air Force Base described the
tragic accident that ended Dyess’s life:
Following this, the State Department became
aware that Red Cross supplies, previous being
withheld or diverted for Japanese use, began making
their way into the hands of the POWs. Seeing that the
information about camp conditions was already
leaking out and it was causing conditions to improve,
the Dyess information was finally released to the
American press followed promptly by press releases
from the State Department based on reports from
Dyess, Mellnik, and McCoy. Secretary of State Hull,
now armed with these reports, dispatched a formal
protest to the Japanese through the international
offices in Geneva promising continued protest and
personal accountability for war crimes. The Japanese
responded with denial but promises of issue
investigation.
Dyess was killed during training when his P-38's
engine caught fire. Dyess chose not to bail out so his
aircraft would not crash into populated areas of
Burbank, CA. Attempting to land on an open stretch
of pavement, Dyess had to avoid an oncoming vehicle
and crashed his P-38, dying on impact. He is buried
in his hometown of Albany, TX.
Due to intensifying negative world opinion,
continued American announcements concerning the
camp conditions, and concern for post-war retribution,
To Be Continued ... In The Next Issue
GOT SUBMARINES? WE DO!
PAGE 14
UNITED STATES SUBMARINE VETERANS, INC., GROTON BASE BOAT NOTES
ISSUE 2016 - 2
NATIONAL SUBMARINE MEMORIAL EAST PHOTOS
"Any man who may be asked in this century what he did to make his life
worthwhile, I think can respond with a good deal of pride and satisfaction, 'I
served in the United States Navy,'"
- President John F. Kennedy
SHIPMATE IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Robert G. Sharpe is our Subvet of the
Month.
He is always doing Honey Do Lists. He
lives in Ledyard with his lovely wife
Susan.
Bob Sharpe
instrumental in identifying all the RV parks
in the area for those coming into the area
for our annual Anniversary Celebration and
Boat Reunions.
He knows where all the RV parks are from
here to …you name it. He most likely has
used them all.
He joined the Navy in 1962 and retired in
1982 as a STSCS (SS). He qualified on the
USS Remore SS 487. He then served on
USS Lewis and Clark SSBN 644, USS
Gato SSN 615, USS Trepang SSN 674, and
the USS Pargo SSN 650. As a member of
the Holland Club, he joined SUBVETS in
2008.
If you ever need a place to park your RV
just call Bob Sharpe. Bob has been very
HOOYA Bob Sharpe for all your support!
U S E U S S V I G R O T O N B A S E F O R Y O U R N E X T B O AT R E U N I O N
ISSUE 2016 - 2
UNITED STATES SUBMARINE VETERANS, INC., GROTON BASE BOAT NOTES
COLOR GUARD
PW Louthain
Submarine Groton Base Color Guard
events scheduled so far for the remainder
of 2016 are shown below. I request the
Color Guard Volunteers to mark your
calendars for these dates.
Color Guard 2016
*Sunday April 10 at 1300
USS THRESHER Memorial
PAGE 15
The Submarine Veterans Groton Base
Color Guard presents or parades the Flags
for Memorial Services and Events several
times a year. We have had a busy year and
we have used a few members to fill in
when we were short on Color Guard.
Thanks to everyone that helped out this
year.
*Saturday May 7 at 1300 Anniversary
Memorial Service
*Saturday June 4 at 0900 Holland Club
Induction
*Monday July 4 at 0900 July 4 Parade in
Groton
*Sunday November 6 at 1000 Red White
& Blue Mass Norwich
*Friday November 11 at 1100 Veterans
Day Memorial Service
SCHOLARSHIP NEWS
Greg Kane
Groton Base Scholarships Makes a Difference
Here is a note we
received recently:
“Dear committee
members, I wanted to
thank you for the
scholarship you
awarded me this past
July. I intentionally
waited to send this
with my first semester grades [3.88 gpa] to
show you that the money you so generously
gave me is being put to good use. I
absolutely love what I am studying, which
is biomedical science, and look forward to
continuing these studies so that I can fulfill
my dream. of becoming a doctor. Thank
you for being a partner in my education
and enabling me to pursue my dreams.”
Sincenerly, Gabrielle Gualtieri
As you can see through the generosity of
our members, families and friends, many
young students benefit from these
donations.
As you know, a college education is one
very important way to ensure our children
and grandchildren are heading for a
rewarding and prosperous future.
By donating to the Scholarship fund you
continue to invest in keeping the memory
of our shipmates who serve and served in
the submarine service alive.
Anyone who ever received a scholarship
remembers where it came from and I know
will remember the Groton Base USSVI.
All donations, regardless of the amount, are
appreciated. While Donations to this year’s
Scholarship Fund have been slow, I know
our membership will continue to be as
generous as they have in the past.
Please make your checks payable to:
“Groton Base Scholarships” and drop them
off at the clubhouse or mail them to Groton
USSVI
40 School Street, Groton, CT
06340.
If you have any questions please contact
Greg Kane, Scholarship chair.
Save the Date: May 5th 2016 for
Our Annual Anniversary Golf Tournament
Which Benefits the Groton Base Scholarship
MAKE A DIFFERENCE ~ SUPPORT THE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
PAGE 16
UNITED STATES SUBMARINE VETERANS, INC., GROTON BASE BOAT NOTES
USSVI SILENT SERVICE LICENSE PLATES
Do you have your
Connecticut
Silent Service
(USSVI) vehicle
license plate? If
you don’t, I
encourage you to
consider applying
for one. If you
already have a
USSVI plate,
Bravo Zulu, but what about getting one for your
other vehicle(s).
time, seeking the creation of a Connecticut
Silent Service motorcycle license plate. At
present Connecticut has no special interest
motorcycle license plates.
Groton Base currently boasts a membership roll
in excess of 1500 members, unfortunately down
from well over 2000 several years ago. Yet, only
about 700 hundred Connecticut USSVI license
plates have been issues since the program was
created, thanks to the hard work of P. W.
Louthain, in October 2001. That equates to
about 50 plates issued per year.
If you remove the initial 200 required to create
the plate and the initial “novelty” surge you are
in the neighborhood of 28 plates a year. About
five years ago our yearly activity was 30 to 35
plates, which equates to three per month. In the
last four years we averaged just fourteen plates
per year. At a fourteen plate per year average it
would take us ten years to add just 140 plates.
You ask; why do I tell you this; here is why.
Recently we approached and lobbied the
Department of Motor Vehicle, for the second
By applying for a USSVI plate for your
vehicle(s), in addition to the pride of having the
USSVI plate on your vehicle, you can help lay
the ground work for a possible USSVI
motorcycle special interest plate. If we drive
demand up on the vehicle plate we create the
future opportunity to lobby DMV to create a
USSVI motorcycle plate. Getting a vehicle plate
will also reduce any possible doubt at the DMV
regarding continuation of our current plate. We
will never reach numbers like the Sound or Red
Sox plates but continuing interest and
applications for our plate will surely keep it
alive.
To the State the creation of a special interest
license plate is strictly budget driven. The cost
in material and labor to create and produce a
special interest plate is not cheap. Coupled with
this is the fact that the material used has a shelf
life. Low demand for a specific special interest
plate results in a poor investment or return for
the State. The investment to create the plate is
not recovered and the required materials expire
on the shelf.
With this in mind the State is reluctant to create
a new special interest plate unless they are
assured that demand will out strip costs and
material will not expire on the shelf.
Just a reminder that if a Member has more than
one class of vehicle registered in Connecticut
one can have the same plate marker designation
on each vehicle. The Connecticut vehicle
classes are passenger, commercial, combination,
camp trailer, and camper. If you have more than
one class of vehicle registered in Connecticut
you could have the same vanity plate markings
with the Silent Service special interest
background on each vehicle. The prohibition is
having the same marker designation on more
than one vehicle of the same class. I.E. Two
passenger class vehicles with the same marker is
prohibited.
When the Connecticut USSVI vehicle license
plate was created legislation required a
commitment of 200 individuals to cause the
creation of a new special interest plate. Since
creation of our plate the threshold has been
raised to 400 commitments. That means if we
had 400 motorcyclist committed to requesting a
USSVI motorcycle plate we could force the
State’s hand. However, doing so seems unlikely.
As stated, since inception only approximately
700 Silent Service vehicle plates have been
issued. In comparison, The Long Island Plate
numbers in excess of 50,000 plates, the new
Harrison Solt III
Red Sox’s plate [first issued in mid-2014] was
over 25,000 in April.
ISSUE 2016 - 2
Thanks for your continued support, your service
to our great country and all that you do.
SUBMARINE QUALIFICATION RECOGNITION PROGRAM
Attention COs and COBs
Do you know about USSVI Groton Base’s
Submarine Qualification and Recognition
Program (SQRP)?
We would like the opportunity to recognize
your sailors with our SQRP, but to do so
we need your support and involvement.
We need you or one of your Chief Petty
Officers to tell us that you would like to
recognize crew members who recently
Qualified in Submarines at an upcoming
meeting. We need a list of the individuals
including their full names and rates/ranks
at least one week prior to the meeting that
we will be recognizing your sailors so that
way we can prepare a certificate for them.
On meeting night (first Monday of every
month except when it falls on a holiday),
the crew members show up before the
meeting starts at 1830. Usually the COB,
CO, other crew members and family
accompany them. We conduct the SQRP at
the very start of the meeting. The CO and
COB say a few words if desired.
We all sound off our names and boat and
year that we qualified. When the sailors
hear some of the Qualification years it
really hits them. We are usually done by
1900 so all can depart, or proceed
downstairs to enjoy our facilities.
Anyone can stay for rest of the meeting.
Boats just returning from deployments are
the ideal candidates - with numerous crew
members who received their dolphins for
us to recognize. We look forward to
recognizing your sailors.
If you are in port when our meetings are
scheduled give the Base Commander a call
and allow us to recognize your sailors.
If you are not the CO, or COB reading this,
please show them a copy or bring it to their
attention so that we can recognize your
shipmates for their efforts and welcome
them as “Brothers and Sisters of the Phin”
U S E U S S V I G R O T O N B A S E F O R Y O U R N E X T B O AT R E U N I O N
ISSUE 2016 - 2
UNITED STATES SUBMARINE VETERANS, INC., GROTON BASE BOAT NOTES
GROTON BASE SHIP’S STORE
We have lots of small stores merchandise
in stock: golf shirts,
sweatshirts, ball caps,
license plate frames,
wind-shield stickers,
dolphins, DBF pins,
and rating patches in
stock.
PAGE 17
Tom Connors
through me. We can ship to you as well.
The 2016 Coins
are In. Only $5.
This year’s coin
theme is
Connecticut’s
Submarine
Century - 100
years of
SUBASE NL
and
SUBSCHOOL.
We can also order
individual patches,
vests, and garrison
hats. Are you in the
Holland Club? We have Holland Club
coins, patches, shirts, ball caps. and you
can special order Holland Club Garrison
hats.
Small stores
items can be
purchased any
time from the
bartender, or you
can purchase
The 2016 SUBVETS Calendar are SOLD
OUT.
They may be available on the
USSSVI National website.
BOAT REUNIONS
If ordering by mail, Checks should be
made out to U.S.
SUBVETS and orders
mailed to U.S.
SUBVETS; 40 School
St.; Groton, C T 06340;
Attn: Ship’s Store.
We can do special orders
from the USSVI National Storekeeper. At
the USSVI National web page at http://
ussvi.org select Storekeeper.
Let me know at [email protected]
or (860) 445-5262 and we’ll order it.
Got Submarines? We Do!
Plan your next Boat Reunion in Groton at
USSVI Groton Base ... the birth place and
home of USSVI. - and where your
submarine experience began.
We can host your Boat’s Reunion Banquet
in our main hall which can accommodate
165 guest and has its own service bar for
all of your favorite libations.
We can host your welcome receptions in
our dining room, which seats 64. Our full
service bar is adjacent to the dining room
which make it easy for our welcoming and
friendly staff to serve you.
We have a stage for your speaker’s
program, plenty of room for meeting,
Memorial Services, and even dancing and
socializing - and for a fraction of the cost.
Contact USSVI Groton Base club manager at (860) 445-5262 or at [email protected] for booking information
2016 Groton Area Boat
Reunions Information
USS IREX (SS 482)
Contact Al and Terry Hahn, Reunion
Coordinators at:
USS IREX SS-482 Reunion
93 North Granby Road
Granby, CT 06035-2002.
USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN (SSBN
602) Reunion in Groton, CT.
Reunion is from October 21-24, 2004
Groton Inn & Suites
Groton, CT
Please contact Doc McCance if
interested at 860-464-6758 or
[email protected] for further
information. USS FRANCIS SCOTT KEY (SSBN
657)
Reunion in Groton, CT.
Reunion is Wednesday May 4th to
Sunday May 8th. This year our banquet
will be held on Thursday May 5th.
MEMBERSHIP DUES ARE DUE
USS NAUTILUS (SSN 571)
Reunion in Groton, CT.
Reunion is from September 25th to
28th. Contact Gary S. Schmid at
[email protected] or 860
823-9806 for further information.
PAGE 18
UNITED STATES SUBMARINE VETERANS, INC., GROTON BASE BOAT NOTES
KAP(SS) 4 Kid(SS)
John Riley
"No one stands so tall as when they stoop to help a child"
USSVI Groton
Base’s Kap(SS)
4 Kid(SS) Team
continues to
bring comfort
and joy to sick
children and
their families.
There were lots of Kids and lots of parents at
Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital and
Smilow Cancer Hospital, and we enjoyed
making them happy! We made Honorary
Submariners of 29 Kids!
As always, we cannot thank you enough for
your service and all the smiles you make
happen every time you stop by!!!”
Our K4K Team included Norm & Ella Mae
Kuzel, Bob Dulin, Paul Dillon, Jim Mosley
and John & Jackie Riley.
The staff at Yale New Haven Hospital’s Child
Psychiatric Unit requested that we visit their
Kids often because of the positive affect our
visits have on the Children. We let them
know of the positive affect the Kids have on
us, and that we will visit as often as possible!
The Kids were very engaged and had lots and
lots of questions. They thanked us, and the
staff again thanked us for what we do for
their Children.
After we swore 12 Kids in as “Honorary
Submariners” we surprised them with their
choice of sunglasses. There was lots of smiles
and excitement!
Our Kap(SS) 4 Kid(SS) Team consisted of
Norm & Ella Mae Kuzel, Paul Grammer,
Sean Griffin, and John & Jackie Riley.
Our Kap(SS) 4 Kid(SS) Team was invited to
take part in the Rocky Hill Walmart Grand
Opening. During the ceremony we were
presented with a check for $1,000 by store
manager Irving Barnor.
We thanked Irving and let him and his staff
know that the money will help us bring
comfort and joy to many more Children, and
their families. We then made him an
Honorary Submariner while he smiled
broadly and his staff clapped loudly.
After the ceremony lots of photos were taken
with us by Walmart employees and some
customers (must be the uniforms smile ☺
Walmart stores in Groton, Waterford, Derby
and Bristol also donated to our program!
Our Kap(SS) 4 Kid(SS) Team at the Rocky
Hill event included Norm Kuzel, Charlie
Murray, Rich Lukas, Paul Grammer, Jim &
Marsha Bowman and John & Jackie Riley.
Quite a few of the Children were infants and
the comfort and joy we brought their parents
was obvious. The staff let us know that the
stress all the parents are under is
overwhelming at times, and that our visits
make a big difference to them as well as the
Children.
Many of the older Children, and their parents,
were excited to find out that if they visited
the Nautilus Museum in Groton, CT, they
would get a special tour by an Active Duty
Submariner and a Nautilus Challenge Coin!
We were thanked for our service and wished
Happy Veterans Day by many! Our reward,
of course, were the smiles from the Kids and
their families!
Our Kap(SS) 4 Kid(SS) Team included Norm
& Ella Mae Kuzel, Paul Grammer, Mike
DeLeo and John & Jackie Riley.
Abraham Lincoln
Children's and gives our kiddos the chance to
be named honorary submariners!!
One of the Kids was also there during a
previous visit. She asked if she would get
another Honorary Submariner Certificate,
Cap and the other items we share with the
Children. We told her yes because it is
considered a Re-Qualification; she literally
jumped for joy!
The photo is of young Chayse and his
parents with our K4K Team. It was fun for us
to make Chayse an Honorary Submariner. We
all enjoyed his smile, energy and high 5s!
ISSUE 2016 - 2
We visited the Connecticut Children’s
Medical Center (CCMC), and made 21 Kids
Honorary Submariners! Visiting the Kids
room to room is always a wonderful
experience for us. The smiles and thanks we
got during this visit was really gratifying!
The CCMC staff shared the following about
our visits: “Our patients, families and staff
always look forward to visits from Kaps 4
Kids in Connecticut!! KAPS 4 KIDS is an
incredible organization that brings United
States Submarine Veterans to Connecticut
Our Kap(SS) 4 Kid(SS) Team thanks Club
House Chairman Jeff Walsh, and all the
Shipmates who help put on the Kap(SS) 4
Kid(SS) Fundraiser Brunches.
These
brunches are held the third Sunday of each
month at the clubhouse. We thank everyone
who supports the brunches or separately
donates to the program. These funds help us
bring comfort and joy to more Children, and
their families!
FACEBOOK - Check out the photos and
write-ups from our K4K visits over the past 5
years:
https://www.facebook.com/
kaps4kidsconnecticut
"We began by imagining that we are giving to them; we end by realizing that they have enriched us" - Pope John Paul II
KAP(SS)4 KID(SS) ~ STANDING TALL ... HELPING CHILDREN
ISSUE 2016 - 2
UNITED STATES SUBMARINE VETERANS, INC., GROTON BASE BOAT NOTES
PAGE 19
UPCOMING EVENTS
Recommend you cut out and keep it handy so you have a ready reference of all events and start times
Sun, 03 Apr
Mon, 04 Apr
Tue, 05 Apr
Wed, 06 Apr
Sun, 10 Apr
Tue, 12 Apr
Wed, 13 Apr
Sat, 16 Apr
Sun, 17 Apr
Mon, 18 Apr
Tue, 19 Apr
Wed, 20 Apr
Sun, 24 Apr
Mon, 25 Apr
Tue, 026Apr
Wed, 27 Apr
Sat, 30 Apr
Sun, 01 May
Mon, 02 May
Wed, 04 May
Thu, 05 May
Fri, 06 May
Sat, 07 May
Sun, 08 May
Tue, 10 May
Wed, 10 May
Sun, 15 May
Mon, 16 May
Tue, 17 May
Wed, 18 May
Sun, 22 May
Wed, 25 May
Sun, 29 May
Mon, 30 May
Tue, 31 May
Tue, 31 May
Wed, 01 Jun
Fri, 03 Jun
Sat, 04 Jun
Sun, 05 Jun
Mon, 06 Jun
Sun, 12 Jun
Tue, 14 Jun
Wed, 15 Jun
Sun, 19 Jun
Mon, 20 Jun
Tue, 21 Jun
Sun, 2 6 Jun
Mon, 27 Jun
Wed, 29 Jun
April 2016 - See website for updates at www.subvetsgroton.org
Steak 'n Eggs Brunch
Monthly Business Meeting
Holland Club Planning Meeting
Anniversary Planning Meeting
Brunch
SUBVETS WWII Luncheon
Anniversary Planning Meeting
Mongolian Bar B Q Dinner
Brunch
Board of Trustees Meeting
Westport Satellite Group Meeting. Port 5 Naval Veterans Club, Bridgeport
HOLLAND CLUB Luncheon
Anniversary Planning Meeting
Brunch
Leadership Team Meeting
Holland Club Planning Meeting
Anniversary Planning Meeting
Club House Spring Field Day
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
6:30 - 7:30 pm
5:30 - 6:30 pm
5:30 - 6:30 pm
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
11:30 am
5:30 - 6:30 pm
5:30 - 8:30 pm
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
5:30 - 7:30 pm
7:00 - 10:00 pm
11:30 am
5:30 - 6:30 pm
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
6:00 - 8:00 pm
5:30 - 6:30 pm
5:30 - 6:30 pm
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
May 2016 - See website for updates at www.subvetsgroton.org
Steak 'n Eggs Brunch
Monthly Business Meeting
Anniversary Planning Meeting
Anniversary Celebration ~ Golf Tournament
Anniversary Celebration ~ Various Activities and Memorial Service
Anniversary Celebration ~ Various Activities and Banquet
Brunch
SUBVETS WWII Luncheon
Anniversary Wrap Up Meeting
Brunch
Board of Trustees Meeting
Westport Satellite Group Meeting. Port 5 Naval Veterans Club, Bridgeport
HOLLAND CLUB Luncheon
4th July Parade Planning Meeting
Brunch
4th July Parade Planning Meeting
Brunch
Memorial Day Service
Holland Club Planning Meeting
Leadership Team Meeting
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
6:30 - 7:30 pm
5:30 - 6:30 pm
9:00 am - 17:00 pm
9:00 am - 21:00 pm
9:00 am - 24:00 pm
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
11:30 am
5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
5:30 - 7:30 pm
7:00 - 10:00 pm
11:30 am
6:00 - 7:00 pm
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
6:00 - 7:00 pm
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
11:00 am - 2:00 pm
5:30 - 6:30 pm
6:00 - 8:00 pm
June 2016 - See website for updates at www.subvetsgroton.org
4th July Parade Planning Meeting
Summer Steak Dinner
HOLLAND CLUB Induction Class of 2016
Steak 'n Eggs Brunch
Monthly Business Meeting
Brunch
SUBVETS WWII Luncheon
4th July Parade Planning Meeting
Brunch
Board of Trustees Meeting
Westport Satellite Group Meeting. Port 5 Naval Veterans Club, Bridgeport
HOLLAND CLUB Luncheon
Brunch
Leadership Team Meeting
4th July Parade Planning Meeting
6:00 - 7:00 pm
5:30 - 8:30 pm
11:30 am
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
6:30 - 7:30 pm
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
11:30 am
6:00 - 7:00 pm
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
5:30 - 7:30 pm
7:00 - 10:00 pm
11:30 am
10:00 am - 12:00
6:00 - 8:00 pm
6:00 - 7:00 pm
CUT OUT AND KEEP FOR A READY REFERENCE OF EVENTS
A d S p a c e s Av a i l a b l e
Contact Base Commander
for more Information
Kat’s Sitting
... and Dogs Too
Kathy Cheatham
House & Critter Sitter
(209) 352-2773
[email protected]
Serving Tuolumne & Calaveras
Counties for over 8 years
US Submarine Veterans, Inc.
40 School Street
Groton, CT 06340-3940
GROTON BASE
BOAT NOTES
U. S. Postage
PAID
Permit No. 463
Non Profit Org
New London, CT
April/May/June 2016
Visit us online:
www.subvetsgroton.org
Check your address label above! If your Paid To Date
is 2016, you need to renew by 31 January 2017 or you
will be dropped from the roster.
RENEW Your
Membership
Today
for 2017
or for
Multiple Years!