As we all are in the final stretch to get ready for Christmas I remember a Christmas 27 years ago. I was a junior member of the weapons department on the USS Hammerhead on patrol in the eastern-Mediterranean. It was 1983 and the conflict in Lebanon had heated up after the bombing of the Marine barracks at the Beirut International Airport. Our boat was tasked with protecting the battlegroup off of Lebanon and watching unfriendly ports in the eastern-med. We were also the only US submarine in the Mediterranean at the time. (Now you may understand my interest in Lebanon.)
So while I knew my family was getting ready to eat themselves silly and open too many presents that my Mom bought, I was helping to write a small page in history by being there. I would not want to trade that patrol for anything in the world or the Christmas celebration we had on board.
So while we open presents tomorrow remember not only the troops that are in Afghanistan and Iraq but all of our troops were every they are stationed, American, NATO and all of the others that defend us.
So while we open presents tomorrow remember not only the troops that are in Afghanistan and Iraq but all of our troops were every they are stationed, American, NATO and all of the others that defend us.
Merry Christmas.
Jonathan Yuengling TM2/SS
Jonathan Yuengling TM2/SS
Nice post Jon. Just curious, can you tell me if the Hammerhead had a DDS? And did the sonar room have a roll of toilet paper for wiping off grease pencil marks when you served on board?
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas,
Mark
The second one was a yes. We also had TP in the Control Room and the Torpedo Room. It was on the Hammerhead that Clancy saw the TP and added it to the movie.
ReplyDeleteOh I know, it's in the Hammerheads' Wikipedia entry. Just wondering if they were using the TP earlier in the decade when you served.
ReplyDelete