Date: 7/10/2008
To: Distribution List

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NEWS-01: Submarine Lucky Bag
Submitted by: Ronald L Martini on 7/9/2008
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Where Nukes Go To Die

The U.S. has decommissioned over a hundred nuclear subs. These "nukes" are eventually dismantled at the Puget Sound Naval Base in Bremerton, Washington. The nuclear fuel is removed. The radioactive portions of the reactor compartment are shipped, by barge, some 500 kilometers down the coast, and moved inland 40 kilometers by truck to storage trenches in the Hanford nuclear storage facility. Hanford is in a desert area, and it will take about 600 years for the buried metal components to completely degrade.
The non-radioactive portions of the sub (over 95 percent of the metal) is sold for scrap. Even with that, it costs the U.S. Navy about $30 million to dismantle each nuclear sub.
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WWII Vets To Dedicate Torpedo As Monument Wednesday. Emil Schoonejans and his fellow submariners are parting with one of the last of their wartime bunkmates.
The U.S. Submarine Veterans of World War II will dedicate a genuine WWII Mark XIV torpedo today as a permanent monument in Eisenhower Park's Veterans Plaza at East Meadow, LI, NY.
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German Submarine Expedition By NOAA Divers
Continued from last POC Bulletin.
NOAA will lead a research expedition July 7-26 to study the wrecks of three German submarines sunk by U.S. forces in 1942 off the coast of North Carolina during the Battle of the Atlantic. Two of the U-boats, U-352 and U-85, have been severely impacted by illegal salvage operators and illegal souvenir hunters since their discovery more than three decades ago. U-701 is relatively intact but also has begun to show signs of damage from illegal salvage attempts. The sub was discovered by recreational divers in 1989 before being covered by sand and rediscovered in 2004.
(note from Ron: About 6-7 years ago, a diving group in NC proudly displayed one of these boat's smaller deck guns. That site was shut down promptly by the government)


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NEWS-02: ATTENTION ON DECK!
Need your photos of Museum Boats!
Submitted by: Ronald L Martini on 7/9/2008
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Although this effort is for a specific use, I plan to try to get it installed on USSVI Web site.
(Ron)

Everyone,

I would like to put together a computerized revolving pictorial presentation to be part of Lockwood Internet Base's "Memorial Submarine Display Table" at the 2008 USSVI Convention in September. I'm hoping this will bring attention to the table and get people to stop for a while to check out what all the table will have to offer. I am asking anyone and everyone to email me recent (in the last few years) photographs from any of the submarine museum boats, including:

USS Cod (SS-224)
USS Drum (SS-228)
USS Silversides (SS-236)
USS Cavalla (SS-244)
USS Cobia (SS-245)
USS Croaker (SS-246)
USS Bowfin (SS-287)
USS Ling (SS-297)
USS Lionfish (SS-298)
USS Batfish (SS-310)
USS Becuna (SS-319)
USS Clamagore (SS-343)
USS Pampanito (SS-383)
USS Razorback (SS-394)
USS Torsk (SS-423)
USS Requin (SS-481)
USS Marlin (SST-2)
USS Albacore (AGSS-569)
USS Nautilus (SSN-571)
USS Growler (SSG-577)
USS Blueback (SS-581)
USS Dolphin (AGSS-555)
U-505 (German)
K-77 (Russian)
B-39 (Russian)
B-427 (Russian)

Please send any photos to SUBMARINEMUSEUMS@Gmail.com and if possible, include the following:
1) Submarine name?
2) What is happening in the photo, or what is the event taking place in the photo, or who is in the photo? (whichever is/are applicable)
2) Who took the photograph? (if you know)
3) When was the photograph taken? (approximately is fine)

Before and after pictures of any restoration effort (painting, cleaning, repairing, etc) will greatly be appreciated. Special events are a plus too. Good indoor and outdoor shots are welcomed as well. Yes, I want any photographs!

I'll accept any and all photographs, but please DO NOT SEND copyrighted photographs unless it has been approved to do so. Don't worry about size, the bigger the better and I'll resize to what is needed. The maximum attachment size limit for Gmail is 20 megabytes, so please keep single email attachments to something smaller than that and send multiple emails with attachments if you need to.

If I can keep the filesize small on the end resulting presentation, I hope to make it downloadable to the public. With your permission I would also like to use any of your photographs on the SUBMARINEMUSEUMS.ORG website. If you have any questions please ask.

I'll only be able to work with what I'm given, so please send me anything you have. Once again, the email address is:

SUBMARINEMUSEUMS@Gmail.com
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Lance Dean

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NEWS-03: SubVet Computer School:
Taking Charge of Windows Media Player!
Submitted by: Ronald L Martini on 7/9/2008
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In Windows Media Player, you can use the combination of different keyboard keys to accomplish routine task. By using these keys, you can increase the working speed in media player, otherwise require a conventional mouse to select menus and buttons options. Basically keyboard shortcuts keys help you to save time and you can perform any tasks without leaving the keyboard keys. Once open try the following options:


Shortcut keys Action

ALT+1 Adjust zoom to 50 percent

ALT+2 Adjust zoom to 100 percent

ALT+3 Adjust zoom to 200 percent

ALT+ENTER Display the video in full mode

ALT+F Go to media player File Menu

ALT+T Go to media player Tools Menu

ALT+V Go to media player View Menu

ALT+P Go to media player Play Menu

ALT+F4 Use to close media player

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NEWS-04: A Shipmate to All passes
Submitted by: Ronald L Martini on 7/10/2008
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Shipmates,

It is with a heavy heart that I report to you that our Shipmate John E. Brazil of Warwick, RI has received his final orders. John passed away yesterday after a long illness. John was one of our pass National Commanders (1987-1988), a Life Member and member of the Holland Club. John Qual in 1943 aboard the USS Searaven (SS-196) and served on board USS Plunger SS-179, USS Irex SS482, USS Redfish SS-395 and the USS Plunger SSN-595. He retired from the Navy in 69 with rate/rank of ENC(SS).

Arrangements a currently being planned by his family and will pass them on to all when I receive them.


Sailor, Rest Your Oars......
John Carcioppolo

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VET-01: How the new GI Bill Impacts You
Payments to Disabled Vets
Uncle Sam is hiring
Submitted by: Ronald L Martini on 7/8/2008
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With the Post-9/11 Veterans Education Assistance Act of 2008 signed into law June 30, military members and veterans crave information on whether, when and how they will gain access to the more robust education package, also known as the Webb GI Bill or the Webb-Hagel GI Bill.

Though the Post-9/11 GI Bill is a year away, the first thing active members, reservists and veterans should know is that, to qualify for the new GI Bill, they should have served at least 90 consecutive days on active duty since Sept. 11, 2001.
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The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is reminding disabled veterans that they have until Oct. 15, 2008 to file claims for economic stimulus payments. Those eligible include people receiving benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs for disability, pension or survivors' benefits. As many as one in four disabled veterans and retirees have not yet filed a claim for economic stimulus payments. For more information, find your local Taxpayer Assistance Center on the IRS Website under "Contact My Local Office," visit the IRS' Economic Stimulus Payments Information Center, or or contact your nearest Disabled American Veterans (DAV) National Service Office.
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Despite the grim job forecast, the nation's largest employer -- Uncle Sam, is on a hiring spree, looking to bring on hundreds of thousands of the nation's best and brightest, according to the Partnership for Public Service.

Two key factors are driving the federal government's hiring projections, according to the organization's research:

-- The brain drain. Nearly one-third of the federal workforce, 530,000 employees, is expected to retire or leave in the next 5 years.

-- The need to keep American's safe. 193,000 mission-critical jobs must be filled by September 2009, including scientists, medical personnel, lawyers, accountants, IT experts and a variety of security positions, including: border patrol agents, customs officers, immigration agents, food inspectors, criminal investigators and airport screeners.

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VET-02: Court Rules in Favor of Military Widows DIC & SBP paid at the same time.
Submitted by: John P. Dudas on 7/9/2008
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Court Rules in Favor of Military Widows July 02, 2008 PR Newswire WASHINGTON -- A recent federal court ruling voted in favor of restoring an estimated $30 million in death benefits that were wrongly withheld from the surviving spouses of disabled military retirees. The decision in Sharp, et al v. United States, handed down by the U.S. Court of Federal Claims ordered the Department of Defense to refund military retiree Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuities that were withheld from three widowed spouses who also received veterans' dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) from the Department of Veterans Affairs. The court found that the DoD's dollar-for-dollar deduction of DIC payments from SBP benefits was based on a faulty interpretation of federal law. "It is deplorable that this had to be brought to court, but after years of fighting, the right decision was made," said DAV Washington Headquarters Executive Director David W. Gorman. "But this case is much bigger than restoring the benefits just to the three courageous widows who served as plaintiffs in this case." The road to victory in this important case began when one of the plaintiffs, Pamela J. Sharp, the widow of a retired brigadier general, sought DAV's assistance with her survivor's benefits. She explained the Defense Finance and Accounting Service had reduced her SBP payments by the amount of her VA DIC benefits, money she was entitled to and badly needed. The DAV looked closely into the matter and determined that she and other widows were being shortchanged as well. The DAV referred the widows to the law firm of Weil, Gotshal & Manges, which agreed to handle the case on a pro bono basis. The court agreed with the plaintiff's argument that the widows' SBP benefits were wrongly withheld by the Department of Defense based on a misinterpretation of federal law. Because the court's ruling turned on the interpretation of federal law, it also established a precedent that should result in the reinstatement of benefits to an entire class of survivors of disabled veterans. When a military retiree dies, his or her retirement pay stops, potentially leaving the surviving spouse without a substantial income source. The SBP is insurance military retirees can purchase from the government so their surviving spouses receive a monthly annuity to help make up for the loss of the retirement income. The DIC is a monthly benefit paid to eligible survivors of military personnel those who died while on active duty or veterans who die as the result of a service-connected cause. But until the court's ruling, to accept DIC, the Department of Defense required an equal cut in SBP, saving the Pentagon millions of dollars in unpaid benefits. An estimated 59,000 military survivors were impacted by the SBP-DIC offset last year. The government has projected that the reinstated benefits will exceed $30 million. "Veterans' survivors benefits are limited, so this is really going to help a lot of financially distressed widows," said DAV National Service Director Edward R. Reese Jr. "It is going to be a challenge to inform all those eligible that this injustice has been righted so they can apply for the benefit, but our National Service Officers will start right away." The Defense Department is expected to appeal the ruling.