NAVY SUBMARINERS

Comment

Comment by Dan Hall on December 15, 2011 at 9:13pm

Scott,

My son received his Dolphins in Sept.  He was promoted to Petty Officer 3rd Class ET3 in October.  I want to say 'Congrats' to your son and to you.

Comment by Scott L. Waller on December 15, 2011 at 7:31pm

Randy I know what your saying on getting your Dolphins. My son is getting his pinned on tomorrow. He's been on his boat for about 10 months with it being in dry dock for over six months.

Comment by John W Parker on December 13, 2011 at 9:00pm

A friend of mine sent me this to share with my son, the Submariner!! I thought it only fitting to share with ALL our SUBMARINERS, so here goes, I hope it will be passed along.

T'was the night before Christmas, and what no-one could see,
The men with the dolphins were under the sea.
Most of the crew was flat on their backs,
Snoring and dreaming all snug in their racks.

Those men on watch were making their rounds,
Some manning the planes or listening for sounds.
Back in maneuvering or down in the room,
They all hoped the oncoming watch would come soon.

I'd finished some PM's whose time was now due,
And hoped for some sleep, even an hour or two.
Against better judgment I took a short stroll,
And found myself wandering into control.

The Nav had the Conn, the COW was in place,
The COB had the Dive and a scowl on his face.
The helm and the planes were relaxed but aware,
The QM and ET were discussing a dare.

To comply with the orders the Nav told the Dive,
To bring the boat up with minimum rise.
The orders were given and soon they were there,
At periscope depth with a scope in the air.

The QM confirmed our position with care,
The broadcast was copied, we brought in some air.
The Nav on the scope let out a small cry,
He shook his head twice and rubbed at his eyes.

He looked once again to find what it was,
That interrupted his sweep and caused him to pause.
Try as he might there was nothing to see,
So down went the scope and us to the deep.

I asked what it was that caused his dismay,
He sheepishly said, "I'm embarrassed to say."
It could have been Northern Lights or a cloud,
Or a meteorite he wondered aloud.

But to tell you the truth I guess I must say,
Whatever it was it looked like a sleigh.
And though it passed quickly and never was clear,
I almost believe it was pulled by reindeer.

We laughed and teased him and I got up to go,
When our moment was broken by "Conn, Radio."
They told us a message was just coming in,
We looked at the depth gauge and started to grin.

"Radio, Conn, I feel safe to say,
Your attempt at a joke is too long delayed.
If it had been sooner it might have been neat,
But I doubt we're receiving at four-hundred feet."

"Conn, Radio, you can come down and see,
We're not playing games to any degree."
I headed aft with nothing better to do,
Surprised by the fact it was still coming through.

It stopped and was sent to control to be read,
The Nav read it slowly and scratched at his head.
Then again he began but this time aloud,
To those that now waited, a curious crowd.

"To you Denizens of the Deep and men of the sea,
Who risk your life daily so others stay free.
I rarely have seen you on this, my big night,
For far too often you are hidden from sight.

But purely by luck I saw you tonight,
As your scope coaxed the plankton to glow in the night.
And lucky for me I've finally won,
The chance to say thanks for all you have done.

I know that you miss your families at home,
And sometimes you feel as if you're alone.
But trust what I say and I'll do what's right,
I'll take something special to your families tonight.

Along with the gifts I'll take to your kin,
I'll visit their dreams and leave word within.
They'll hear of your love, and how you miss them,
I'll tell them that soon you'll be home again.

It might not be much I know that is true,
To thank you for all the things that you do.
But I'll do what I can, while you do what's right,
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight."

Comment by Drew's Dad on December 13, 2011 at 6:38am

Dana. My son is on a fast attack sub out of Groton. He has only been there since June. His longest cruise so far has been about a month. Most have been 7-10 days. They will be going out for a 6 month deployment next year.

Comment by Dana Dupar on December 12, 2011 at 11:40pm

Does anyone in the group have a submariner on the USS Pasadena?  My son  has been assigned to her once he finishes with C school.  I was wondering if there is a scheduled completion date for dry dock and being redeployed to the Pacific fleet.

Comment by Dan Hall on December 12, 2011 at 10:42am

Randy,

Thanks so much for your comments regarding my son.  I didn't know that he alone made PO.  The America Supports You - Texas group is planning a 'welcome home' event at the airport. 

I will pray that your son gets clearance for diving and your other son's success a A-school.

We wish you and yours a Merry Christmas, too.

Comment by Kenorian on December 12, 2011 at 9:10am

Randy, my son is a diver.  The quals for that certification were really tough - just about half the class didn't make it.  He maintains he's prouder of that than his dolphins. All the best to him.

Comment by Randy Leeper on December 12, 2011 at 8:30am

Hi Dan,

   I just got back from a visit to Groton late yesterday. While there I had the chance to meet your son Micheal. You should be very proud of him being the only sailor from the Alexandria to make Petty Officer this fall. My son says your son has a very good rep on the boat. I flew up from Baltimore (got to luv Southwest rates $41) to Providence, RI and my son met me there. I stayed Sat. & Sun. then drove his p/u with cycle back to PA.

    My son Dave is planning on becoming one of the scuba divers for the boat, pending he gets medical clearance. If so, he heads for Panama City in Jan. for 5 weeks. We have another son in Pennsacola for A-school right now and we are hoping to visit when they are both there.

   Well, I wish you and your family have a Very Merry Christmas and enjoy your sailor's visit.

Comment by John on December 12, 2011 at 5:39am

My son in law is now the Eng on the Alaska, and needless to say, we are proud of him. Thanks for you prayers. His name is Steve. They don't get underway for awhile, yet, he will not have much time now starting this new position while in port. Thanks again.

Comment by Kenorian on December 11, 2011 at 10:48pm

All sorts of electronics are allowed including DVD players, laptops, Kindles, etc.  But, in all honestly, he will (should be) focusing on qualifying.  Between that and cranking in the galley there won't be much time for reading for relaxation! Paul did have an MP3 player loaded with songs and that was a real help.  

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