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The tour ended up about 1500 hrs on Friday at
the Nautilus Museum and at 1800 hrs we were treated to a very fine
Buffet Dinner at the USSVI Groton Base Clubhouse.
I must say that John Carcioppolo, Base Commander of Groton Base does a
4-0 job in setting up this "Return to Sub School" and his and the
Groton's Base hospitality is second to none.
On Saturday, 30 April, we were treated to a tour of the USS Miami (SSN
755) which was in for upkeep. It was great to see these dedicated
young Officers and Enlisted men so enthused about their jobs. We
were also able to get a close up look of the USS Jimmy Carter ( which
by the way is over 485 ft long) and also the USS Virginia which were
both tied up to piers in the Lower Base.
As we all know, there are quite a few differences between these Los
Angeles Attack boats and the Diesel boats that most of us rode.
Our Diesel boats were longer, not as wide and had only one deck.
These boats have three decks, a torpedo room that is amidships and
crammed full of ADCAP torpedoes and Tomahawk Missiles . The Miami
has a crew of 120 Enlisted and 12 Officers and not enough bunks.
The enlisted crew must "hot bunk"
I believe that we ate much better in the Diesel Boat Navy. On Fridays,
onboard my boat, the USS Sea Poacher (SS 406) we would have Lobster
served for the noon meal, whether we were in port or underway.
These guys on the Nukes have hamburgers or franks and beans. If our
Chief cook ever served us that he would have been thrown overboard
along with his cooks and the wieners.
But times change, although the food is not the same, I am certain that
it must be better than what the Surface Pukes get served.
The pay is better and living conditions underway, although cramped,
seem to be much better. I saw showers for the crews on both
levels where the berthing compartments were.
These boats are loaded with equipment, much more than on our Diesel
Boats , and it must make the job of qualifying that much harder. These
crews can handle it, they represent the top 3% of the Navy and they
look and act it and are a fine bunch of young men. They made me very
proud that I wore the same dolphins that these young warriors are
wearing today.
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