The One MC. Volume 13, Issue 5: May 2008 OUR CREED:

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1 The One MC Volume 13, Issue 5: May 2008 OUR CREED: To perpetuate the memory of our shipmates who gave their lives in pursuit of their duties while serving their country, that their dedication, deeds, and supreme sacrifice be a constant source of motivation toward greater accomplishments. Pledge loyalty and patriotism to the United States. Greetings, fellow shipmates, associates and friends! This is going to be a very short Commander s Log but sent with thanks to All Hands who participated in the Base Auction. While the traditional Pirate leads were not available this year, the overall response by shipmates and friends who attended was outstanding. A Hearty Thanks to All Hands who participated in the Auction! Key events/updates for the June meeting include: COMMANDER S LOG A Base Cookout. Please bring a side dish or dessert to accompany super burgers and hot dogs. Volunteers to help in setting up and cleaning up will be appreciated. Final decision on once again participating in the Lorton Independence Day Parade as members of the Northern Virginia Base and with Post 162. Participation hinges on having enough Base members to march. Brunch Cruise raffle tickets will be available for purchase. The 2008 Holland Club Recognition Dinner will be held once again at the Army-Navy Country Club on Friday, October 3rd. The EXCOM will keep everyone up to date as the summer progresses. I am sure All Hands are aware of the re-structuring of the USSVI Districts. Based on current status, I am pleased to announce that Tim Shannon volunteered to be a candidate for the new position as Eastern Region North (ERN) District Commander. A formal notification will be made in the near future. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 WARDROOM Base Commander Tom Perrault (703) cdr@ussvinova.org Vice Commander Joe Phoenix (703) vcdr@ussvinova.org Secretary/Historian Mark Riethmeier (703) secretary@ussvinova.org Treasurer Steve Jaeger (703) treasurer@ussvinova.org Chaplain Tom Phythian (703) chaplain@ussvinova.org Storekeeper/ Veterans Affairs Lou Maruzo (540) Lou@subshipstore.com Chief of the Boat Tim Shannon cob@ussvinova.org On the Web at: MEETINGS Held on the second Saturday of each month at 1100: American Legion Post Legion Drive Lorton, Virginia

2 Chaplain s What Is A Seal? Corner The English language is sometimes difficult for many outside our country to understand and sometimes for the native born as well. Many words have multiple meanings. So I ask the question, what is a seal? It is a mammal that lives by the sea and is most comfortable in the ocean. It is also a select fighting unit of the U. S. Navy specializing in underwater warfare. Several submarines were converted especially to support seal deployment. COMMANDER S CORNER, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Finally, please keep all our shipmates and forces deployed in your thoughts and prayers. To maintain the tradition of the USSVI and history of the submarine force. Active participation in base meetings, activities and volunteer activities requires needs support of all members. Once again, thanks to all hands for the support and participation of the base I look forward to seeing you at the June meeting. Fraternally, Tom Tom Perrault Base Commander USSVI Northern Virginia Base SSBN 642 Batcave For SEAL Support For those of you that remember the time of the mason jar, you d wait around the kitchen for the fruit or vegetable jar to pop. With that pop, you knew the jar was sealed to preserve the contents from corruption, nothing could leak in. In the nuclear plant of the submarine, all primary valves were capped [sealed] preventing the corruption from entering the atmosphere of the boat. When a boat was in the yard and had weld repairs, the inspector would sign it off as acceptable, giving his seal of approval. Also some devices had a tamper seal to tell if it had been entered and its integrity violated. My personal favorite submarine type seal was the shaft seal. Every patrol some seamen would be doing quals wondering where the animal was kept back in the engine room. The shaft seal s purpose was to prevent the ocean from entering the boat with some permissible leakage. On test dives, there were always personnel stationed back aft to measure the leakage and insure the seal s integrity. Ephesians 4:30 states, And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. We are preserved from corruption, kept from being tampered with, allowed some leakage to spread blessing to others and have received a seal of approval from our heavenly Father. ~ Tom Phythian Base Chaplain 2

3 LAGARTO (SS-371) was built by the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, WI and commissioned 14 October 1944, Comdr. F. D. Latta in command. After trial tests and training in Lake Michigan, LA- GARTO entered a floating drydock 3 December 1944, was floated down the Mississippi River, and 2 days later departed New Orleans for the Pacific. LAGARTO left Pearl Harbor 7 February 1945 on her first war patrol around the Nansei Shoto. In a coordinated attack on 13 February with submarines HADDOCK (SS-231) and SENNET (SS-408), she engaged four heavily armed picket boats in a gun battle, sank two, and damaged the others. On 24 February, LAGARTO sank a small freighter and later spotted and sank the Japanese submarine I-371 in a day periscope attack. LAGARTO arrived at Subic Bay 20 March. Historian s Corner: Loss Of The USS LAGARTO (SS-371) May 4, Men Lost. LAGARTO departed Subic Bay for the South China Sea 12 April and late in April was directed to patrol in the Gulf of Siam, where her sister ship BAYA (SS- 318) joined her 2 May. That afternoon BAYA signaled that she was tracking a tanker traveling under heavy escort. That night BAYA tried to attack but was driven off by enemy escorts equipped with radar. The two submarines met early next morning to discuss attack plans. BAYA made a midnight attack but was again driven off by the unusually alert Japanese escorts. Early next morning, 4 May, when BAYA tried to contact LAGARTO, she received no reply. Japanese records state that during the night of 3-4 May, the mine layer HATSU- TAKA attacked a U.S. submarine in that location, and it was presumed that LAGARTO perished in battle with all hands. In the Summer of 2006, experts at the Naval Historical Center in Washington, D.C. confirmed that a World War II submarine wreck found in the Gulf of Thailand last year was LAGARTO. Underwater archeologists at the center completed their examination of evidence obtained in June by Navy divers from USS Salvor (ARS 52) and Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 1, both based in Pearl Harbor. "We now know for certain that this is LAGARTO," said Rear Adm. Jeffrey Cassias, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet Submarine Force. "I am grateful to all those involved in helping to bring closure to the families of these 86 men who died in service to our nation." 3

4 DOWN CHANNEL COMING EVENTS FOR NOVA SUBVETS Jun 14 Jun 26 Jul 4 Jul 12 Jul 31 Aug 9 Aug 28 Sep 1-7 Sep 13 Sep 25 ~~ Monthly Meeting with Cookout ~~ EXCOM Meeting ~~ Fourth of July Parade ~~ Base Meeting with Used Book Sale ~~ EXCOM Meeting ~~ Monthly Meeting ~~ EXCOM Meeting ~~ ~~ National Convention, Ft. Worth, TX Monthly Meeting with Silent Auction ~~ EXCOM Meeting May Birthdays Stephen Brodie May 2nd Wayne Baldwin May 5th Carl Clauson May 8th Ron Williams May 14th Mark Riethmeier May 16th Sue Shannon May 24th Bill Clement May 28th Sherry Herst May 30th June Birthdays Don Basham June 1st Reb Wootten June 7th Lee Turner June 11th William Moore June 14th Dan Burke June 15th Richard Roberts June 17th Art Rosen June 19th Curt Haggard June 29th 4

5 News From Around The Fleet USS North Carolina Joins the Fleet All American Patriots, May 6, 2008 WILMINGTON, N.C. (NNS) -- The Navy's newest nuclear-powered submarine, USS North Carolina (SSN 777), was brought to life May 3 during a commissioning ceremony held in its namesake state at the Port of Wilmington. USS North Carolina Joins the FleetUSS North Carolina Joins the Fleet More than 6,500 guests, including submarine veterans and battleship North Carolina alumni, attended the ceremony welcoming the submarine as the fourth naval vessel named after the "Tarheel State." The ship's sponsor, Mrs. Linda Anne Rich Bowman, wife of Admiral Frank L. "Skip" Bowman, retired U.S. Navy Admiral and former Director, Naval Nuclear Reactors, gave the order, "Officers and crew of the USS North Carolina, man your ship, and bring her to life!" "You're a team and ready to go forth and defend this country," said Bowman. "My hope is that she (USS North Carolina) will sail in peace to keep us free. My assurance is that she will always be ready to defend that freedom whenever necessary." The ceremony included speeches made by local and congressional politicians as well as flag officers of the submarine force. The Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter was the principal speaker at the ceremony. "As the fourth ship to carry the name North Carolina, this boat will bear an illustrious name, and follow in North Carolina's long and honored tradition as the home of military heroes," said Winter. "She now joins the world's greatest Navy, and will be tasked with a wide range of missions in support of battle groups, in reconnaissance and surveillance missions, in special operations, and as part of the submarine force that continues to deter aggression from every potential foe." North Carolina arrived in Wilmington on Apr. 28 and participated in more than 50 community events to celebrate the state's first namesake vessel since 1947, when battleship North Carolina was decommissioned. "The local community embraced us with open arms and we will not only continue to foster our namesake relationship with the residents of Wilmington, but also the great state on North Carolina," said Capt. Mark Davis, USS North Carolina commanding officer. The Navy's newest class of submarine, the Virginia-Class, is the first designed and built post Cold War in order to meet the challenges of the 21st century. The USS North Carolina is the fourth submarine of the Virginia-Class and has improved stealth, sophisticated surveillance capabilities and special warfare enhancements that will enable it to meet the Navy's multi-mission requirements 5

6 Reunions USS Boston (CA-69, CAG-1 and SSN-708) USS Boston CA-69, CAG-1 and SSN-703 will hold a reunion July in Portland, Maine. All USS Boston shipmates, crew members of all U.S. Navy ships named Boston are invited. Information: USS Boston Shipmates Inc., Arthur L. Herbert, secretary, P.O. Box 816, Amherst, NH ; or USS Sea Devil (SS-400 & SSN 664 Combined Reunion) USS Sea Devil SS400 & SSN664 Combined Reunion (all years/all crews) in Norfolk, VA, April 23-26, 2009, at the Norfolk Airport Hilton. Contact: Jim Schenk, Association Secretary at submareener@msn.com; Phone: ; Snail mail: P.O. Box 476, Morrisville, NY, Website: click the ALL HANDS tab and read 14 June, 2007 message for particulars. Jury convicts man of stealing submarine parts in Norfolk By Patrick Wilson, The Virginian-Pilot, 20 May 2008 NORFOLK A New York man accused of stealing parts from the attack submarine Hampton was convicted on two charges by a federal jury Tuesday, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. The jury convicted Frank E. Spaulding, also known as Khalif Immanuel Bey, of one count of theft of public property and one count of a false statement, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for Virginia's Eastern District. Sentencing for Spaulding, 37, of Jamaica, N.Y., is scheduled for Aug. 21. According to trial testimony, he was at Norfolk Naval Station in December 2006 when he found two pieces of submarine equipment at Pier 1, the Attorney's Office said. The steel domes are used as protective covers for antitorpedo units bolted to each side of the submarine. Each one is 3 to 4 feet high and weighs 230 pounds. They had been removed for refurbishment. "After examining the domes closely, Spaulding believed that they were a valuable type of metal that he could sell for scrap at a profit," the release said. "He loaded the domes in the back of his pickup truck and removed them," it said. Spaulding called scrap dealers the next day and sold the domes for about $2,000 to a dealer in Virginia Beach, the Attorney's Office said. A week later, a sailor who had worked on the sub saw the domes in the scrap yard. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service handled the case. Spaulding told investigators he found the domes outside a restaurant. The news release didn't say why he was on the naval base. 6

7 Navy Urged To Develop Guam As A Ship Repair Center Marianas Variety By Therese Hart, May 21, 2008 THE Navy has not identified voyage surface ship repair requirements for 2012 and beyond for vessels operating near Guam, according to a recent General Accountability Office report. The report states that existing Navy-owned capabilities in Guam are inadequate to address current voyage repair requirements for surface vessels and are unable to address additional voyage repair requirements without increased capabilities and capacity. Navy officials said that they cannot estimate such requirements because the Navy has not fully identified its future Pacific force structure or finalized operational plans. The Marine Corps has not finalized its plans for any additional vessels associated with the buildup, and Military Sealift Command expects changes to its force structure for ships operating near Guam. The 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review indicated that the Navy plans to operate six aircraft carrier strike groups and 60 percent of its submarine force in the Pacific. In addition, the service has plans for a 313-ship Navy, but it has not yet identified the specific ships that will comprise the force structure in the Pacific beyond Also, the Navy plans to replace the USS Kitty Hawk at its homeport in Japan with the USS George Washington a new nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. Officials stated that operational plans for that carrier's strike group will include visits to Guam for periods of two to three weeks. Similarly, the Marine Corps' plans for additional vessels in Guam have not been finalized, but conceptual plans for relocating Marines from Okinawa to Guam may include the home porting of four new High-Speed Vessels and two new Littoral Combat Ships. Additionally, the relocation from Okinawa to Guam is expected to result in visits by amphibious vessels home ported in Japan. Navy officials identified potential options for providing repairs in Guam but have not fully assessed their viability or identified time-critical planning tasks. Officials said that they will not begin planning until preparations begin for submissions to the president's budget for fiscal year However, lead time is required to perform planning tasks necessary to provide repair capabilities. Without assessing the viability of each option for voyage repairs in a timely manner, the Navy increases the risk that voyage repair capabilities for ships operating in the Pacific may not be available when needed, potentially undermining ships' ability to accomplish their mission, according to the report. The Navy relies on four different sources to provide repairs in Guam. First, the USS Frank Cable, a ship home ported in Guam provides voyage repair capabilities for submarines when needed. Second, the Navy relies on its Emergent Repair Facility, a repair crew left behind from the USS Frank Cable when that ship is deployed. Third, fly-away teams from Naval shipyards have been sent to Guam to conduct voyage repairs when needed. And finally, the Navy has used its contract with Guam Shipyard for voyage repairs of both submarines and surface ships and newcomer Gulf Copper Inc. However, these options are inadequate to meet the increased demands for the buildup. The Department of Defense's planning effort for a military buildup in Guam, which could have an impact on ship repair requirements, has begun. DOD plans to relocate 8,000 Marines and 9,000 dependents from Okinawa to Guam, construct a new Navy pier to support visiting aircraft carriers, improve piers to support visiting amphibious vessels, increase the submarine presence in Guam and the Pacific region, and locate an Army ballistic missile defense capability in Guam, according to the report. GAO recommends to DOD that the secretary of defense direct the secretary of the Navy to estimate requirements for repairs for surface vessels operating in or near Guam, assess the benefits and limitations that exist in each of the options selected for providing repairs to ships operating near Guam in the future, and perform an assessment of anticipated costs and risks associated with each option and select the best option, or combination of options, for providing repair capabilities to support surface ships operating near Guam, and develop a plan and schedule for implementing a course of action to ensure that the required ship repair capability will be available by October In the report, DOD concurred with all of the GAO's recommendations. 7

8 MINUTES OF THE USSVI NORTHERN VIRGINIA BASE MEETING HELD ON SATURDAY, 8 MARCH 2008 The Base Commander, Tom Perrault, called the meeting to order at 1112, 10 May 2008 at American Legion Post 162, Lorton, Virginia. MEMBERS AND GUESTS IN ATTENDANCE Dex Armstrong, Stephen Brodie, Debbie Brodie, Howard Chatham, Catherine Chatham, Debbie Davis, Ed Ettner, Roger Hall, Sue Heflin, Chris Herst, Sherry Herst, Tara Herst, Darlene Jaeger, Steve Jaeger, Lou Maruzo, Rich McSpadden, Robert Miller, Paul Nelson, Tom Perrault, Willie Petruy, Tom Phythian, Mark Riethmeier, Tim Shannon, Sue Shannon, Rob Smallbrock, Art Smith, Ray Stone, Reb Wootten Holland Club New Member Associate Guest Member The Base Chaplain, Tom Phythian, delivered the Invocation. The Base Commander read the names of the boats lost in the month of May. These were: USS SQUALUS SS May 1939 USS GUDGEON SS May 1944 USS LAGARTO SS May 1945 USS STICKLEBACK SS May 1958 USS SCORPION SSN May 1968 The Chief of the Boat led all hands in the Pledge of the Allegiance. The Base Secretary, Mark Riethmeier, read the minutes of the EXCOM meeting that was held 1 May, The Base Historian, Mark Riethmeier, read a passage on the loss of USS LA- GARTO (SS-371) on 3 May MEETING MINUTES The newsletter containing the minutes from the April 2008 base tolling of the boats has been posted on the Base web site ( A motion was to accept the April meeting minutes as written. The motion was 8

9 seconded and carried. COMMITTEE REPORTS The Base Treasurer, Steve Jaeger, provided the most recent Treasurer s Report. Beginning Cash on Hand: $ Receipts: $ Expenditures: $ Ending Cash on Hand: $ A detailed report is available upon request. Steve Jaeger (treasurer@ussvinova.org). Membership Information 97 Members 17 Holland Club Members (Including 2008 inductee Paul J. Nelson) 3 World War II Members (includes newest member, SVWWII transferee Alvin Anceravage. 52 Life Members 18 Associate Members 6 Life-Associate Members Major Financial Activity for July None Base By-Laws Approved by the ED3 Commander on March 27th, 2008 Membership Vote on May 10th, 2008, approved by-law changes, which include a $5.00/year dues increase beginning with the 2009 dues cycle. Reformatted Base Patches Updated Northern Virginia Base patches are now available for purchase. The cost is $7.00 per patch. A motion was made to accept the Treasurer s Report as written. The motion was seconded and carried. MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE REPORT 9

10 The Base currently has 97 active members; of these, 52 are Life members; 17 are members of the Holland Club; and 18 are Associate members. The Base is in need of a Membership Chairperson. Bylaws were changed and distributed which included dues updates and some editorial changes. A motion was made to accept the Bylaws as written. The motion was seconded and carried. STOREKEEPER S & VETERANS AFFAIRS OFFICER REPORT The Storekeeper and Veterans Affairs Officer, Lou Maruzo, said that there are updated links for benefits on the website. WEBMASTER S REPORT The Base Webmaster, Rob Smallbrock, reported that the April 1MC was posted and there was also information on the dinner cruise raffle and updated links to veterans affairs interests. Rod Puffer NEW BUSINESS The Eastern Region has been reorganized in attempts to level out membership. The District will consist of Maryland, Delaware, Virginia and the internet base of West Virginia. Nominees for District Commander are required by 23 May. The base nominated Tim Shannon. Chris Herst announced that the 2008 Virginia Renaissance Faire is from May 17 through 15 June (Saturdays, Sundays and Memorial Day) from 10 am until 6 pm. The Faire is at the Lake Anna Winery, 5621 Courthouse Rd, Spotsylvania, VA. You can see details at May 24, 25 and 26 the Faire is honoring the Military and military history. Military should be able to get in free, but it only cost $7 to visit. It is still in the works, but there has been discussion of a SUBRON 6 diesel boat reunion to be held in Norfolk, VA. Thelma is scheduled to be the guest speaker. There is discussion of a USS Tusk (SS-426) reunion at New London, CT. The base needs a coordinator for the 4 th of July Parade in Lorton to work with the American Legion. The coordinator would need to those participating in the parade to keep them informed. Rob Smallbrock volunteered to coordinate the march. BINNACLE LIST 10

11 50/50 RAFFLE The 50/50 raffle was conducted, with $58 going to the winner The Base Chaplain, Tom Phythian, delivered the Benediction. The Base Commander made a motion that the meeting be adjourned. The motion was seconded and carried, and the meeting was adjourned at Meeting Minutes Respectfully Submitted, Mark J. Riethmeier Secretary USSVI Northern Virginia Base For any questions, suggestions or comments on this or any Northern Virginia Base 1MC, contact Rob Smallbrock at webmaster@ussvinova.org 11