COLD WAR BOATS FAMILYGRAM: 11 MAR 2023

USS LAFAYETTE (SSBN 616) surface transits against the setting sun.

CHOPPER EXTRACTION

We had been on patrol for about one month above the Arctic Circle when one of our Navigation Electronic Technicians (Nav ET) became ill. Years before, Ballistic Missile Submarines carried a full-fledged MD, plus a corpsman. Over the years of keeping records of crew member illness while on patrol, MDs were deemed unnecessary. Specially trained corpsmen were the only medical help onboard while on patrol for two and one-half months.

It didn’t matter. In all the years I made patrols, this Nav Electronics Technician (ET) was the only person ever to become sick. Well, we did have a man die, but we put him in the freezer. While submerged, we made our air and water. Moreover, as part of the ship’s ventilation system, machines called scrubbers and burners continuously cleaned the air. At the end of each patrol, we would surface and open the hatch. Fresh air stinks. Very few ever got sick on patrol, but we all got a sore throat or a slight head cold after being exposed to fresh air again.

Remember showers on the boat? As much as I loved my daily ephemeral oblutions, snagging a shower before watch was a major evolution.

First, slide out of my rack on the port side of the eighteen-man bunkroom. Stand on that ice-cold floor, doubly so in north Pacific or the 'Sea of None of Your Business'. Pull my damp shower shoes out of the shoe locker, grab my shower gear, don't forget the towel, shuffle over to the ladder, slowly pull my way up to Bow Compartment Upper Level by the door to the 'Goat Locker', clamber sleepily through the hatch into Ops Middle Level, hoping I didn't drag any bare skin across cold hullmetal, turn starboard into the shower room, and hope there was an empty shower stall. All that just to get there.

Hang my towel and skivvies, open the door, and climb into one of two stainless steel iceboxes. If you were lucky, someone just left having warmed up the stall, otherwise hope you didn't bump the bare steel wall with any body part you didn't want to get frozen off. Readjust the shower head so you didn't get blasted with icy cold or searing hot water until you got temperature adjusted, turn on the hot and cold, quickly adjust the temperature, readjust the shower head, get my hair and skin wet, savor that feeling for about 15 secs, and then shut off the water.

The Cold War Boats website has posted three logroom archive articles from the spring of 1968, courtesy of Carl Seitz, a shipmate from the USS HALIBUT (SSGN 587). These bi-monthly newsletters, titled "Periscope," were published by SUBMARINE FLOTILLA ONE at SUBASE POINT LOMA and offer a fascinating glimpse into life aboard submarines during the late sixties.

The first of our Periscopes, from April 19, 1968, highlights the return of the USS SEGUNDO (SS 398) and the USS CAIMAN (AGSS 323) from WestPac, the USS FLORIKAN (ASR 9) on her twenty-fifth anniversary, the 68th anniversary celebration of the Submarine Service, along with advancements and recognition of the contributions of shipmates of all local commands.

The second Periscope, from May 03, 1968, includes successful advancements of USS NEREUS (AS 17), the largest group in the ship’s history. Noted is the Ballast Point visit by the HMS TABARD (S 42) and recent adventures of the USS MEDREGAL (AGSS 480) after changing her homeport to San Diego and logging another WestPac. A visit to San Fransisco by the USS NEREUS (AS 17), and the decommissioning the USS ARCHERFISH (AGSS 311) fill the newsletter with a great deal of interesting news.

Finally, the third Periscope, dated May 29, 1968, offers a timely tribute to the boats and men lost during WWII and a moving memoriam to those that have gone before us. The return of the USS BUGARA (SS 331), a new skipper for the USS VOLADOR (SS 490) (and a new baby for the skipper and his bride!) and the issue wraps up with local news, sporting activity, and other highlights.

These Periscopes offer a brief glimpse into daily life in the Navy of the late Sixties, whether at a shore command, a tender, or aboard a submarine. They include news about sports teams, social events, wives clubs, and, revealing how much the world has changed in fifty-five years, a bikini-clad pin-up in almost every issue!

These newsletters are an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the history of submarines and the Cold War era. They showcase the technological advancements and strategic maneuvers that were crucial to the United States' efforts to maintain its military dominance during this period. We are grateful to Carl Seitz for sharing these articles with us and are pleased to make them available to registered users of coldwarboats.org.

I hope that they provide a deeper understanding of this critical period in our history and the sacrifices made by those who served aboard submarines during this time.

They can be found in the Carl Seitz Collection:

HOMEPORT >> HISTORY & HERITAGE >> COLLECTIONS >> HALIBUT HISTORY BY CARL SEITZ or,

in SUBASE POINT LOMA’s Logroom Archive at:

HOMEPORT >> SUPPORT COMMANDS >> SUBMARINE BASES >> SUBASE POINT LOMA >> THE LOGROOM >> ARCHIVES >> PUBLICATIONS

Click on either of the above links to find the Periscopes, and remember you must be registered and logged in to view them.