RR Layout 1 - USS Rasher

THE
RASHER REPORT
2nd Quarter • June 2013
http://www.ussrasher.org
NEWSLETTER
In This Issue
Reunion Photos . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Rasher History & Past Reunions
.3
Editor’s Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Crew Meeting
OF THE
USS RASHER (SS/SSR/AGSS-269)
USS Rasher Association
Reunion 2013
New Orleans, LA
.............5
Member Query
............5
Questions Answered . . . . . . 5 & 6
Chaplain’s Corner
..........7
Treasurer’s Report . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Richard Moore’s Summer
Reading List . . . . . . . . . . 8 & 9
Vehicle Decals
More Photos
.............9
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Rasher WWII vets, Hestel Walker, Charlie Reuff, Ziggy Ziegelmann, Ken
Tate, and Bill Meterraud
2013 Rasher Reunion Attendees
24th Annual
USS Rasher Reunion
St Louis, Missouri
May 14—19, 2014 (Approx)
Reunion Host: Bob Bidon,
Assisted by John Beatty.
Richard & Kitty Moore
Howard “Snuffy” &
Charlotte Hughes
Frank Ziegelmann—WWII
Patty Fifer & son Steve
Trevor & Verna Hughes
Nelis “Van” & Shirley Vanderpol
John Beatty
Bob & Carol Bidon
Betty Johnson
Bill & Ruth Stoel
Hugh Rood
Vicky Keegan
Bob & Karen Henniger
Charlie Reuff—WWII
Robert & Tamra Reuff
Karen Brown
Carl & Margaret Culig
Chris Culig
Hestel—WWII & Jean Walker
Nolan & Sandra Walker
Ken Tate—WWII
Bill—WWII & Elaine Meteraud
Cliff Smith
USS RASHER — FIRST AMONG EQUALS
USS Rasher Association Reunion 2013
New Orleans, LA
USS RASHER — FIRST AMONG EQUALS
PAGE 2
NEWSLETTER
OF THE
PAGE 3
USS RASHER (SS/SSR/AGSS-269)
T
Rasher History
hroughout her nearly thirty-years of service, from 1943 to decommissioning in the late 1960s, the Rasher had fifteen
commanding officers. For crewmembers who served under one or more of those skippers and may have forgotten who
they were, here are their names and dates of command.
The list was compiled with the help of Wolfgang Hechler from Germany, who has a special interest in the U.S. Navy; Ron
Reeves, researcher and analyst at NavSource, a naval history Website; and Wendy Gulley, Submarine Force Library and
Museum archivist.
Edward S. Hutchinson, CDR, 8 June 1943–9 December 1943
Willard R. Laughon, LCDR, 9 December 1943–17 July 1944
Henry G. Munson, CDR, 17 July 1944–17 October 1944
Benjamin E. Adams, Jr., LCDR, 17 October 1944–1 April 1945
Charles D. Nace, LCDR, 1 April 1945–22 June 1946
Donald L. Ely, LT, 14 December 1951–22 July 1953
Robert W. Stecher, CDR, 22 July 1953–22 July 1955
Alden W. Adams, Jr., LCDR, 22 July 1955–(?)* July 1957
Ord Kimzey, Jr., LCDR, (?) July 1957–(?) September 1958
Carl F. Turk, LCDR, (?) September 1958–(?) 1960
John Haslip, CDR, (?) 1960–(?) 1961
Bruce I. Meader, LCDR, (?) 1961–6 November 1963
James D. Tregurtha, Jr., LCDR, 6 November 1963–(?) 1965
Stuart L. Taylor, CDR, (?) 1965–(?) 1966
Joseph W. Bird, Jr., LCDR, (?) 1966–27 May 1967
* Unknown or unconfirmed dates.
—Peter Sasgen
More History—Association Reunions
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
1968 Chicago—25th Anniv. of commissioning
1973 Manitowoc—30th Anniv. of commissioning
1978 Lincoln
1983 Annaheim—40th Anniv. of commissioning
1988 Manitowoc
1990 Ft Worth
1992 Lakeland
1993 Manitowoc—50th Anniv. of commissioning
1994 Fresno
1995 Hampton
1996 Ft. Worth
1997 Manitowoc
1998 Branson
2000 Minneapolis
2001 Charleston
2003 Manitowoc—60th Anniv. of commissioning
2004 Las Vegas
2005 Manitowoc
2006 Silverdale
2007 Manitowoc
2009 San Diego
2011 Branson
2013 New Orleans—70th Anniv. of commissioning
Reunion hospitality suite
CREDITS
Editor: Richard Moore
9177 Davenport Road
Gloucester, VA 23061-3141
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 804-815-0730
Treasurer: Bob Bidon
86 Riverside Terrace
Cannon Falls, MN 55009-5277
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 507-263-3882
Graphics/Layout & Production:
Peter & Karen Sasgen
157 W. Village Drive
St. Augustine, FL 32095
E-mail:[email protected]
Phone: 904-823-9436
USS RASHER — FIRST AMONG EQUALS
NEWSLETTER
OF THE
USS RASHER (SS/SSR/AGSS-269)
New million-dollar
paint job on my RV
R
Editor’s Corner
asher Reunion New Orleans 2013
is over, and from what I’ve
heard, everyone who attended had a
great time. Sixteen Rasher crewmembers showed up with spouses, girlfriends, and other family members
for a total of 35 attendees.
Five Rasher WWII veterans were
present at this reunion. We were
pleased to see Charlie Reuff, Hestel
Walker, Ken Tate, Bill Meteraud
and Frank Ziegelmann. We wish
them continued good health and
hope to see them at the next reunion.
The reunion hospitality room was
open daily. Finger food was provided
each afternoon to stave off hunger
while sea stories and camaraderie
prevailed. The hotel was very accommodating in tidying up the room
every day and providing ice for the
coolers.
We enjoyed a New Orleans city
tour that covered the beautiful
Garden District and historic places
like Jackson Square, the French
Market, the “Cities of the Dead”
cemetery. We also viewed the ongoing recovery efforts after the disastrous Hurricane Katrina. Our tour
guide provided an outstanding running commentary during the tour.
The World War II Museum was
very interesting as was the new USS
Tang submarine display, “Final
Mission.” More time is needed than
just 3–4 hours to fully appreciate this
museum. A big plus on this tour
occurred when our WWII Rasher veterans got to talk with some USS
Bowfin WWII veterans who were visiting the museum the same day.
Last, but not least, the Swamp
tour. A very knowledgeable boat captain narrated and navigated us
around the famous Manchac Swamp.
An abundance of alligators, turtles,
and swamp birds were observed.
Feeding of alligators (right next to
the boat) and a live baby alligator
PAGE 4
(mouth taped shut) was passed
around. A very good tour complemented by good weather.
Our reunion wrapped up Sunday
evening with a banquet, and Tolling
of the Boats ceremony conducted by
Richard Moore, Bob Bidon, and
Trevor Hughes.
Many attendees took this opportunity to bring their Rasher membership dues up to date. Please take a
moment to think about your own
membership dues. Contact Treasurer
Bob Bidon or myself to provide you
with an update of your membership
standing. Two years in arrears and
your name is moved to the inactive
data base. No more newsletters.
Also, please see the business meeting minutes on page 5 of this newsletter provided by Bob Bidon.
Departing the reunion, Kitty and I
traveled in our Winnebago along the
gulf coast into Florida. We visited
one of my sisters in Sebastian and
then stayed for two weeks at the military RV Park in Key West. We had a
waterfront view of the Gulf of Mexico
and loved the evening sunsets.
I had been stationed in Key West
in 1963 and 1964, attending two submarine weapons schools. I must
admit I enjoyed Key West much more
back in the 60s. Leaving Key West,
we stopped briefly in Naples and
Brooksville to visit family and
friends.
The RV Park at the Mayport Naval
Base in Jacksonville was our next
stop for almost two weeks. Our site
had a waterfront view
of the St. Johns River
with its commercial
ship traffic of oceangoing freighters and
tankers. We also saw
U.S. Navy ships and
those of other countries. I was fortunate to see a
Brazilian diesel submarine transiting
outbound, about 50 yards away.
Hearing “colors” sounded at 0800
every morning and again in the
evenings took me back to my active
duty days. I love being around Navy
bases.
While we were in Jacksonville,
Kitty and I visited with Peter and
Karen Sasgen in St. Augustine. Peter,
as most of you know, is our Rasher
historian and custodian of Rasher
artifacts. Karen is the layout and
design artist of our newsletter. I
gather the newsletter information
and Karen superbly forms it in the
newsletter. Karen has been doing this
for the Rasher Association since Dick
Traser was the newsletter editor. We
thank you, Karen for your continuing
efforts. The four of us enjoyed a very
pleasant afternoon followed by a fantastic meal prepared by Karen.
Peter is the author of seven submarine-themed books and I was fortunate to have him autograph my
copy of Red Scorpion. During our
travels I do a lot of reading and have
finished Stalking the Red Bear and
Hellcats. I also re-read Red Scorpion. I
hope to finish reading the remainder
of them this summer. Peter’s books
are very interesting and I heartily recommend them. I’ve listed his books
on pages 8–9 in this newsletter for
the benefit of the Rasher crew.
Leaving Florida, we stopped for
four days at Kings Bay Naval
Submarine Base, Georgia, to attend a
USS RASHER — FIRST AMONG EQUALS
NEWSLETTER
submarine reunion for the USS Sea
Devil (SSN-664). This was my last
boat ride in 1979 while on active
duty. It was great reminiscing with
these guys.
One more quick stop in North
Carolina for a visit with Kitty’s
daughter, and we arrived home in
Gloucester on 30 May.
Two weeks from now we’ll be
traveling our summer itinerary in
New England for three months.
Enjoy a great summer!
April 7, 2013
Roll Call: William “Billy” Meteraud,
Frank “Ziggy” Ziegelmann, Ken Tate,
Hestel Walker, Charles Reuff, John
Beatty, Howard “Snuffy” Hughes,
Trevor Hughes, Richard “Yogi”
Moore, Hugh “Mother” Rood, Nelis
“Van” Vanderpol, Bill Stoel, Cliff
“Smitty” Smith, Bob “Short Fuse”
Bidon.
To: All Rasher Crew
I’m trying to contact anyone who
has a copy of the Rasher 1966, WESTPAC cruise book. This was my first
boat and first WESTPAC trip and I’d
love to have a copy or make a copy.
Best regards
Oneil (MM1 SS) (1966-67)
5 Misty Vale Cir.
Columbia, SC 29210-0000
Tel: 803-979-9779
Email: [email protected]
Betty Johnson by Karma statue
USS RASHER (SS/SSR/AGSS-269)
Crew Meeting
Richard Moore
Query from Oneil
Vanderhorst
OF THE
I. Financials
• Ships Stores: Discussion about
continuing to purchase bulk quantities of ships stores, because of our
aging crew. It was recommended that
we do not purchase items, however
we will assist crew members who
wish to purchase specialty items.
Ships stores will post an inventory of
goods in future newsletters.
• Treasurer: Financial report page 7.
II. Rasher Artifacts
• Bell in possession of Gene Olander,
continued discussion of what to do
with it, nothing determined.
• Conning Tower, Shears and
Periscope in Manitowoc. Though we
have no rights to these items, the
crew decided to continue in some
way to help find a home for them.
• Personal items held by the crew.
We would like to make an inventory
of what the crew has and try to find a
permanent home for these items as
we pass on.
A motion was made, seconded,
and passed to authorize pursuing
communications with various museums to assist in finding a home for
any artifacts we would like to share.
Richard Moore, Trevor Hughes and
Cliff Smith will form this committee
III. Steering Committee—A motion
was made, seconded, and passed to
retain the current Steering Committee
consisting of: SS, Charlie Reuff; SSR,
Howard Hughes; AGSS, Nelis
Vanderpol; Newsletter Editor,
PAGE 5
Richard Moore; Webmaster, Paul
Benton; Treasurer, Bob Bidon.
IV. Discussion of next reunion
Motion made, seconded and passed
to hold the next reunion in St Louis,
MO, May 14 thru 19, hosted by Bob
Bidon; John Beatty will assist.
The following letters were sent to
me from Bill Schossell regarding my
snorkel flooding and UNIDENT
questions in the last newsletter. My
thanks to Bill for his reply.
Richard Moore
January 21, 2013
Dear Chief Moore,
In reference to the question: Do I
remember the snorkel/engine room
flooding incident during sea trials in
1960, my answer is an emphatic,
“Yes!” Since I was the engineering
officer of Rasher, I was right in the
center of the whole thing.
Here are some of the details:
About a day prior to sailing, Chief
Engineman Gurney and I checked
out the entire snorkel system—mast
seals, head valves, etc. First I hit the
shut and open air buttons in the control room, while Chief Gurney
observed the action at the top of the
sail and reported shut, open, shut,
open. We then exchanged positions
and repeated the procedure. We then
signed off on the system and continued with the remainder of the many
ship inspections.
What we didn’t know was that a
yard workman later went up, disconnected the flex air hoses and reinstalled them switched, a very easy
mistake to make since the fittings are
identical. The worst was bound to
happen. During the test dives at sea
off San Francisco, the skipper, John
Haislip, ordered, “Prepare to
Snorkel.”
I had the dive and Chief Niess had
the hydraulic manifold. We raised the
USS RASHER — FIRST AMONG EQUALS
NEWSLETTER
snorkel mast and started the draining
procedure. The sight glass never indicated a dry mast and I noted that the
ship was getting heavier. I reported
“Captain, I can’t hold her any
longer.” He ordered, “Blow the main
ballast.” We surfaced.
That’s when Mr. “Red” Batke and
I discovered the crossed flex hoses.
Mr. Batke went ballistic, knew who
had done the switch, took the man
behind the sail and removed about
ten years from the poor guy’s life
span. It took hours to drain the air
induction system and re-run the tests.
At least we didn’t have to blow safety.
I reported aboard the Rasher in
1959, after my first submarine,
Tilefish (SS-307), was sold to
Venezuela. I was ready for qualification, but now had to do my notebook
all over again. Tilefish was a
Portsmouth design (Fairbanks-Morse
engines, different trim and drain system, different valve locations, etc.).
The Rasher was an EB design (GM
engines, hand-powered outer doors
on the torpedo tubes, tons of air control radars and communications
equipment, an extra 30-foot section in
the hull, and no aft tubes. I qualified
during our 1960 WestPac deployment, complete with another captain
in-port exam, an at-sea three-weeklong exam on another submarine,
and the final exam by COMSUBFLOT 7, who observed that he had
never before met a guy with two
notebooks.
Cal Turk gave me my dolphins.
Turk was my first Rasher captain,
then John Haislip, then “Trigger”
Tregurtha. Albie Niess was a close
friend and neighbor and one of the
most ideal leaders I ever had the
pleasure to serve with. Those who
have Red Scorpion, which chronicles
the Rasher’s WWII record, will note
that Albie Niess was in the torpedo
gang.
Rasher had a fabulous war record.
Her crew was superb, to say the
OF THE
USS RASHER (SS/SSR/AGSS-269)
least. I’m 80+, but I still can see the
faces, even if I can’t recall all of the
names. To name a few: EMC Koenig,
MM1 Capley, EM1 Futrelle (later
EMC), TM1 Pavlidis (later TMC),
ENC O’Shea, “Ma” Strobel, Pete
Fitzwilliam, “Fearless Fred” Fagan,
Nick Frank, Con Nosal, “Daddy
Warbucks” Warburton, and the list
goes on.
I was detached from the Rasher in
June 1962 and ordered to the Special
Projects office in Washington D.C.
From then on I was in the Polaris,
Poseidon, and Trident end of the
business as a civilian engineer after
1964. I retired in 1987 with 31 years.
I look forward to every issue of
the Rasher Report and thank you for
all the work you do to keep us
together. Now I have to remember to
send in my dues.
Very Respectfully,
Bill Schossell
January 23, 2013
Dear Chief Moore,
The UNIDENT incident near San
Diego really began many months
prior. In or about June 1960, the
Rasher had just returned from a sixmonth deployment to WestPac and
had been back for about two days
when we were ordered to sea to
cover the commitment of another
submarine to provide ASW services
to a division of destroyers.
That morning I was returning
aboard when I saw the enginemen
hastily throwing their engine parts
below. They had been in the process
of overhauling one of the diesels.
The prospective new skipper, John
Haislip, was aboard and the change
of command evolution, complete
mess inventory, RPS re-certification
and many other things was underway, so we had two captains aboard.
The ever-ready Rasher sailed to
provide the ASW target services.
PAGE 6
How fortunate we made it back from
WestPac in time.
While providing the services, our
sonarman detected and taped a noisy
target, cavitating and proceeding at a
good rate of bearing change. We notified the destroyer DIVCOM by UQC
and surfaced. The DIVCOM was
unconvinced. I was the communications officer at the time, so when
Captain Turk composed the proper
secret contact report, I had to encrypt
it for transmission, a difficult task for
me since I am a terrible typist and
still am, hence this is a hand written
letter.
The surface-skimmer destroyer
DIVCOM got really angry and
chewed out Captain Turk over PRITAC for the whole world to hear,
saying we had interrupted his training and that our contact, “was fish,”
“I repeat fish.” It was obvious he didn’t have a clue.
I was jammed into the radio shack
along with two radiomen and both
skippers when he insulted our skipper and therefore our entire crew. I
know the Rasher was correct and I
was probably as angry as Captain
Turk and I said, “Captain, that was
uncalled for.”
The incident of course required a
further investigation by higher-ups,
so I guess the sonar tapes proved our
case. This probably made that DIVCOM gun-shy, in addition to incompetent, when he disclosed the subject
of the secret message on PRITAC.
Thus, when this same DIVCOM
some months later detected a sonar
contact he over-reacted and stopped
all of the submarines returning to
San Diego from local ops. Nick Frank
said, “Captain, that’s the same DIVCOM who refused to believe us
before and now he wants one of us to
dive and collide with his contact.”
The contact obviously wasn’t a
submarine contact since it didn’t
move or have a screw beat. The DIVCOM requested that the Rasher per-
USS RASHER — FIRST AMONG EQUALS
NEWSLETTER
form the act. That’s when Captain
Haislip said “Negative, my skin is
too thin.”
One of the other submarines being
held hostage took the DIVCOM’s
challenge dived through the contact
and surfaced covered with kelp!
Captain Haislip only smiled,
ordered all ahead full on four
engines, and didn’t gloat on it a bit,
at least not in public. The rest of us
did though.
Very Respectfully,
Bill Schoessell
USS Rasher
Association
Financial Statement
(May 31, 2013)
Balance Dec. 31, 2012 . . . .$8209.06
INCOME
Dues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .460.00
Reunion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3461.20
Sale of cups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27.00
Donation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40.00
EXPENSES
Newsletter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(128.47)
Reunion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(7144.27)
Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5824.52
Bob Bidon. Treasurer
Reunion Recap
INCOME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3761.20
EXPENSES
Tours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(4763.00)
Cups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(310.00)
Hospitality . . . . . . . . . . . . .(760.83)
Banquet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(1120.50)
Sub tour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(150.00)
Shipping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(49.91)
Total Expenses . . . . . . . . .($7272.71)
Net Gain/(Loss) . . . . . . . .($3511.51)
OF THE
USS RASHER (SS/SSR/AGSS-269)
Decals continued from pg. 9
chances your vehicle will be targeted
by a criminal or terrorist attack. The
identifying decals aren’t supposed to
be used to determine gate entry, so
removing them should not result in
longer waits at the gate, Salamy said.
The military has required 100 percent
ID-card checks since the Sept. 11,
2001, terrorist attacks, and the decal
is not a substitute. If in practice, sentries are waving lots of cars through
the gate based on decals, that’s a violation of policy and may be worth
reporting, Salamy said, as it compromises security.
4. Officer salutes. Commissioned
officers will continue to be saluted
under the new policy. Once an ID
card is checked, a sentry will “render
the proper salute, assuming traffic
conditions and force protection conditions permit,” installation officials
state on a list of frequently asked
questions. You can read them at
www.cnic.navy.mil. You are also able
to submit your own questions.
5. More changes. By July, the Navy
expects to go operational with several automatic gates installed at
Northwest Navy installations,
Salamy said. The new gates are not
intended to eliminate sentries, but
will be a “low-man concept.” They
should free those sentries still on-site
to focus on other things than ID
cards, Salamy said. For example,
scrutinizing passengers or vehicle
contents.
PAGE 7
The Chaplain’s
Corner
On Eternal Patrol
George Richard Straka III, 81, of
High Point, NC, passed away May
16, 2013 in the Hospice Home at
High Point. Mr. Straka was born
November 30, 1931, in Southern
Pines, NC, to George Richard, Jr. and
Helena Vick Straka. He graduated
from Fairleigh Dickinson University
and served during the Korean conflict in the submarine USS Rasher.
Mr. Straka had been a resident of
High Point since 1977 and retired
from the High Point Enterprise after
11 years of service as Business
Manager. He later worked part-time
at Altizer & Company as comptroller
until last November.
He is survived by his sister
Dorothy Cochrane (Sam), of
Pompton Lakes, NJ, their children
and grandchildren; his son James V.
(Terri) of Hickory, NC and their children (Weston and Kelli); son George
Richard IV (aka Chip) of High Point,
NC; and daughter Kathryn Layne of
Charlotte, NC.
Send memorials to Hospice of the
Piedmont, 1801 Westchester Drive,
High Point, NC 27262. Please share
your condolences with the family at
www. sechrestfunerals.com.
Published in News Record on May
18, 2013.
Sailors, Rest your oar,
and Rest in peace.
Bill and Ruth Stoel
USS RASHER — FIRST AMONG EQUALS
NEWSLETTER
Richard Moore’s
Summer Reading
List
BOOKS BY PETER SASGEN
Red Scorpion: The
War Patrols of the
USS Rasher
(Nonfiction, hard
and soft cover, ebook)
During the war in
the Pacific, one submarine and its sailors made history
with their aggressive tactics, relentless pursuit of the Japanese fleet, and
astounding combat record: the USS
Rasher. During eight war patrols she
sank eighteen Japanese ships for the
second-highest tonnage of the war,
for which she received a Presidential
Unit Citation. In one of the Rasher’s
most daring attacks she sank four
enemy ships, including an aircraft
carrier, in a single night action off the
Philippines.
Peter, whose father served in the
Rasher, details the gripping account
of our storied submarine, her dogged
commanders, and the brave crewmen
who made the “Red Scorpion” a legend in the annals of submarine warfare.
Hellcats: The Epic Story of World
War II’s Most Daring Submarine
Raid (Nonfiction,
hard and soft cover,
e-book)
In late 1945,
American sub force
commanders
believed that if the
remnants of the
Japanese merchant
fleet holed up in the Sea of Japan
were sunk, the Empire would be
forced to surrender. Protected by a
seemingly impenetrable barrier of
deadly minefields, that merchant
OF THE
USS RASHER (SS/SSR/AGSS-269)
fleet appeared immune from attack
by submarine.
This is the gripping story of
Operation Barney, a daunting mission in which nine submarines, the
Hellcats, were tasked with penetrating the minefields to destroy the
enemy’s remaining ships. Drawing
on original documents and the personal letters of one Hellcat commander, Lawrence Edge of the
doomed Bonefish, Peter crafts a tale of
heroism and of World War II’s most
ambitious and dangerous underwater raid.
Stalking the Red Bear: The True
Story of a U.S. Cold War
Submarine’s Covert Operations
Against the Soviet
Union (Nonfiction,
hard and soft cover,
e-book)
Stalking the Red
Bear is the story of a
covert U.S. submarine espionage operation against the
Soviet Union during the Cold War. It
takes readers into the Barents Sea
aboard a Sturgeon-class boat, and
closer to Soviet targets than any book
on submarine espionage has ever
done before.
Peter, who worked with an exSturgeon-class CO, describes in detail
the techniques used by our subs to
track and record the maneuvers of
the Soviet Northern Fleet, its surface
ships and submarines, its anti-submarine operations, and its torpedo
and missile tests which were remarkable for their successes as well as
stunning failures. And he describes
how, cloaked in virtual invisibility to
avoid detection, U.S. subs thwarted
Russian attempts to prevent us from
gaining entry to Soviet-controlled
waters, whereas everyone knows,
when it was sub vs. sub, anything
can happen.
PAGE 8
In Deadly Waters
(Fiction, Kindle and
Nook e-book)
The ultimate
weapon and a secret
mission deep into
waters ruled by the
forces of Imperial
Japan. This is a story of courage and
betrayal in the waning days of World
War II.
As scientists race to build the
atomic bomb, President Roosevelt
initiates a peace plan that will save
millions of lives and end the war
without having to use the bomb.
A submarine commanded by a
combat-tested skipper embarks on a
secret mission through mine-infested
waters guarding the Sea of Japan. In
Washington, a cadre of White House
advisors opposed to FDR’s plan
argue that the use of atomic weapons
on Japan will ensure a U.S. victory
not only in the Pacific, but also in the
looming postwar face-off with the
Soviet Union.
Peter sets the stage for an explosive confrontation between men
determined to shape history and
courageous submariners fighting to
survive in deadly waters.
The Last U-Boat (Fiction, Kindle and
Nook e-book)
With the Axis in
its death throes,
Japan asks
Germany for help
to defeat the
United States.
Adolf Hitler
approves a secret
plan for a U-boat to deliver biological
weapons, developed in Nazi labs, to
Japan for use against American
forces. In exchange, the Japanese will
send Hitler gold bullion which the
Reich must have to mount a final
stand against the Allies.
U-boat skipper, Kapitänleutnant
Horst Bekker, receives orders to
USS RASHER — FIRST AMONG EQUALS
NEWSLETTER
undertake the mission to Japan.
Bekker, a battered and cynical survivor of the U-boat wars, mourns his
wife and daughter killed in a Berlin
air raid and is haunted by guilt over
their deaths and his survival. He agonizes over issues of loyalty and duty
to a Führer and a regime he despises.
He questions the morality of a
scheme to help the Japanese win the
war by killing millions with virulent
strains of anthrax and plague. Yet
even though he knows the chances of
surviving the voyage to Japan are
slim, he and his loyal crew depart on
the mission.
When the Allies discover the
Nazis’ plan they dispatch a task force
to find and destroy Bekker’s U-boat
and its deadly cargo. Their task
becomes ever more urgent when the
Americans and British discover that
they’re in a race to keep the U-boat’s
cargo from falling into Soviet hands.
His U-boat under attack, Bekker
must decide whether to carry out
Hitler’s orders and prolong the war
or consign the Reich’s weapons of
mass death to the North Atlantic
deep. His decision could alter the
course of history.
War Plan Red
(Fiction, paperback,
e-book)
In a Murmansk
hotel, a U.S. naval
officer is found dead
along with a young
Russian sailor in
what is labeled a murder/suicide.
But American navy commander Jake
Scott thinks otherwise. Assigned to
escort the dead officer’s body back to
the United States, Scott uncovers the
secret that cost the officer his life—
and may cost the world even more.
Aided by alluring weapons expert
Alexandra Thorne, Scott uncovers a
conspiracy of betrayal, terror, and
vengeance intended to target a summit meeting of the American and
OF THE
USS RASHER (SS/SSR/AGSS-269)
Russian presidents. To prevent an
attack that could ignite World War
III, Scott takes the helm of a decrepit
Soviet-era sub to track down a
hijacked Russian submarine.
Red Shark (Fiction, paperback,
e-book)
A United
Nations-brokered
détente between
North and South
Korea is about to
make history when
two powerful bombs
rock Midtown
Manhattan, killing the warring
nations’ representatives as well as
innocent bystanders. A renegade
North Korean general is behind the
violence and, with a political
firestorm unleashed on Washington,
D.C., Jake Scott is ordered to infiltrate a secret meeting of the North
Korean plotters on an island off the
coast of Taiwan.
Scott and his crew aboard the
submarine USS Reno are up against
an enemy armed with hair-raising
technology: miniaturized nukes
stowed on board the Sang-o, the Red
Shark—a sub that handily dodges
conventional sonar and satellite
detection. The clock is ticking as
Scott makes a chilling discovery:
The weapons are poised and ready
to bring down Korea’s most
despised foe: the U.S.A.
Peter’s books can be purchased
new and used at most book stores
and on Amazon.com.
Happy Reading!
Richard Moore
PAGE 9
No More Vehicle
Decals
Get ready to rip that
sticker off your windshield
E
Navy Times, June 3, 2013
ffective July 1, all bases that fall
under Navy Installations
Command are no longer requiring
vehicle decals. The news came via a
fleet wide message issued May 29.
The decals, only in use stateside,
have become a security threat and a
liability, officials say. They’ve already
been eliminated at Air Force and
Army bases.
The Marine Corps is still hashing
out its plan to do so. With the Navy
only weeks away from implementing
its policy, here’s what you need to
know:
1. Why they’re going away. In the
U.S., post-9/11, decals present problems for base security. They are easily
counterfeited, for one. Also, some
sailors sell their cars to civilians and
don’t remove the stickers, said Ray
Salamy, deputy program director for
anti-terrorism at Navy Installations
Command. “Decals posed a Trojan
horse for us,” he said. As a bonus,
cutting decals will save $750,000
annually.
2. Surprise vehicle checks. The real
purpose of decals, installation officials said, was to ensure compliance
with state requirements such as registration and insurance. So with decals
gone, how will they do this? Salamy
said bases will rely on random
checks, similar to drunken driving
checkpoints. Command-authorized
inspections such as these are not new,
but you may see more of them with
decals eliminated.
3. What do you do on July 1? The
Navy recommends sailors remove
decals on this day to reduce the
Continued on page 7
USS RASHER — FIRST AMONG EQUALS
NEWSLETTER
Reunion Banquet
The Rasher Report
USS Rasher Association
9177 Davenport Road
Gloucester, VA 23061-3141
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
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PAGE 10