Date:
To: Distribution List
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NEWS-01: USSVI Election comments 'heard on the street'
Submitted by: Pat Householder 425 392-0440 on
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Since our USSVI elections have kicked off, various comments have come 'over the
transom' to me about the process and the candidates.
With a couple of exceptions, the online voting seems to be working well.
For our members with problems voting online, the paper ballot system to found
in your American Submariner issue soon to grace your door is your best
alternative.
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I've also heard from some members that they see no point in voting because
there is only one candidate in some positions, so there is no choice.
With respect, those who complain about this only have to look in the mirror to
see the person responsible.
Many calls have gone out inviting members like yourself
to make a difference in USSVI by standing for a position, and the response has
mostly been nervous coughing from the back and a shuffling of feet, but almost
no one has stepped up.
Being busy is no excuse.
Everybody, including those good men who have stood up for these positions, are
busy men with full lives. They all have many other
ways to spend their time, but they made a decision to dedicate a part of their
lives to help benefit all the members of USSVI and to work to improve our
organization.
So, if you are sitting in the bleachers and complaining that you don't have
enough choices to want to vote, or if you don't like they way the boat is being
navigated, get off your duff and get in the game yourself.
It is a choice, shipmate. If you can't or won't run
for a officer position, at least support those who
spend their time and treasure on your behalf with the courtesy of a vote.
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There is another email going around from a east coast
member urging his shipmates to vote against the revised Constitution and Bylaws
because the SubVettes President is a non-voting member of the USSVI board.
Apparently he didn't take the time to read the current C&B,
which says the same thing, so voting for or against the revised C&B on this basis makes no sense at all.
The revised C&B on the ballot is as good as eight
experienced members could make it. Is it perfect? No, but it is far better than what we presently have. In future elections, proposed amendments can and will be
put on the ballot to make further improvements and course corrections, as
situations develop.
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And so it goes...
Your comments back are always welcome by email or phone.
householderp@comcast.net
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NEWS-02: Where is the Submarine Capitol of the World?
Submitted by: Ronald L Martini on
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Historically it has always been
Groton Holding On Tight To Its ‘Submarine Capital' Designation
Capt. Reid Tanaka ruffled some New England feathers recently when the departing
Naval Base Kitsap commander jabbed in his change-of-command speech that
"the new submarine capital of the Navy is Kitsap."
The quip appeared in the Kitsap Sun and sailed through cyberspace, arriving as
a Google alert in a
"Even if he agrees to pay for shipping, it's not
going anywhere," Capt. Mark Ginda was quoted as saying
in a news story.
Ginda added that "there were no emergency meetings to figure out how we
were going to counter this blasphemy" because Tanaka has a "tough
road ahead of him" if he wants to call Kitsap the new capital.
"We have the natural synergy of the base and
Electric Boat right down the river where the latest class of subs are
built," he said. "We have sub school, where
officers and enlisted cut their teeth on a submarine profession that started
here, as the first submarine base, and continues on as the submarine capital of
the world."Tanaka
surely wasn't challenging
During Tanaka's three-year tenure, Kitsap added five submarines. Two Tridents moved from
Kitsap boasts three types of submarines, and 13 are homeported
here. Its 10 Tridents each have two crews of more than
150 men while the fast-attack subs are operated by one crew of 134.
"There are more submarine crews in Kitsap than in
any other place," Tanaka said in his speech.
That would give Kitsap 23 sub crews totaling 3,500 men, and
leave
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NEWS-03:
MUST HAVE PROGRAMS FOR EVERYONE IN YOUR BASE!
Submitted by: Ronald L Martini on 7/10/2008
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Everything Website:
http://www.allmyfaves.com/
**********
Best HUGE Reference site:
http://www.refdesk.com/toc.html
**********
http://downloads.zdnet.com/abstract.aspx?&compid=38041&docid=357818&tag=nl.e550
(WITH NO SPACES) is the location of:
Ad-Aware
With the ability to scan your RAM, Registry, hard drives, and external storage
devices for known data-mining, advertising, and tracking components, Ad-Aware
2008 can clean your system easily, allowing you to maintain a higher degree of
privacy while you surf the Web.Ad-Aware 2008 includes
an improved threat detection, enhanced rootkit
removal system, faster updates, and is now compatible with 32-bit and 64-bit
Windows Vista. AND IT'S FREE! and has been downloaded 16+million times!
**********
http://downloads.zdnet.com/abstract.aspx?&compid=2826&docid=355931&tag=nl.e550
(NO SPACES)
This is location of SERVICE PACK 3 for XP users
**********
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/downloads/ha010449811033.aspx
This is the location of FREE Microsoft Viewers for all Word/Access/Excel files
from all eras
**********
http://www.irfanview.com/
is the location of one of the best and FREE graphic views. You can resize,
convert to other formats, sharpen, etc. It is simple
for beginners but powerful for pros as well
**********
Don't have a cell phone? Here's a way to beat the cost
of long distance.
MagicJack. www.magicjack.com
$40 for first year and $20/year thereafter! NO monthly
bills.
FREE LOCAL AND LONG DISTANCE
FREE PHONE NUMBER (sometimes you don't get the area code you desire but who
cares (mine is a
It's a device that plugs into your computer's
You MUST have BROADBAND INTERNET SERVICE. CANNOT BE DIAL-UP.
Quality of audio is excellent.
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NEWS-04: New NAVY Enlisted Uniforms to hit July 31!
Submitted by: Ronald L Martini on
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From Chief of Naval Personnel Public Affairs
The new E1-E6 Service Uniform (SU) will be available
for purchase in
The SU is for year-round wear and replaces the summer white and winter blue
uniforms. It is authorized to be worn for office work,
watchstanding, liberty or business ashore when
prescribed as the uniform of the day.
Existing E1-E6 summer white and winter blue uniforms will continue to be
authorized for wear until the July 2010 mandatory wear date.
Click on the link for the rest of the story...
http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=38376
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NEWS-05: Topeka-Jefferson City Base float wins award
Submitted by: Ronald L Martini on
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I received the following notification from EMBARQ
(parade sponsor)today.
George,
Your group was selected as the 'Best Interpretation of the Grand 'ol Flag Theme' for the Embarq,
Salute to America Parade.
We are mailing the trophy! Please be on look out for
it, and we hope to have you join us again next year!
Thanks so much for being an American!
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NEWS-06: USS Nautilus Handstamp
Submitted by: Pat Householder on
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Commissioned by the U.S. Navy in January 1955, the USS Nautilus was the world’s first nuclear submarine. On
Crew members Frank Holland and John Krawczyk decided
to commemorate the historic trip with a special cancellation stamp and envelope
cachet stamp.
Click on the link for the rest of the story.
http://www.postalmuseum.si.edu/museum/1d_Nautilus_Handstamp.html
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NEWS-07: Navy Briefs and new subs named
Submitted by: Ronald L Martini on 7/15/2008
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Sub USS Hawaii Conducts Sea Trials
The submarine USS Hawaii made its first sea trial yesterday in the waters off
Groton, Conn.
Three of the first four of the new Virginia-class subs — the
The $2.4-billion
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The U.S Navy is planning to name two new subs: the
USS Minnesota will be SSN 783 and the USS North Dakota will be the SSN 784.
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NEWS-08: Military Record Requests
Submitted by: Pat Householder on
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The nation is replete with World War II memorials, in small towns and big cities,
including the newest one in our nation's capital.
But there is just one place that contains personal military information about
nearly every American who served in that conflict, as well as those who served
at other times during the 20th century: the National Archives and Records
Administration's National Personnel Records Center (NPRC)
in
Do you need a copy of your military record or that of a deceased relative?
Visit the National Archives website for information on how to Obtain the Standard Form 180 (SF-180) Request Pertaining to
Military Records.
Click on the link below.
http://www.archives.gov/st-louis/military-personnel/standard-form-180.html
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NEWS-09: Looking for long lost shipmates?
Submitted by: Pat Householder on 7/15/2008
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You may already know about the BOATS AND CREWS feature at www.ussvi.org where you can
search out registered members of your 'ustafish'
Sadly, many have departed on eternal patrol so if they do not show up under
Boats and Crews, try the ETERNAL PATROL button and see if you locate them
there.
There are nearly 3,000 shipmates listed in this Eternal Patrol section at www.ussvi.org
Also give www.submarinesailor.com
a try.
Good hunting and good luck!
www.ussvi.org
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NEWS-10: Austin Capitol Base takes a new name.
Submitted by: Pat Householder on
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The Austin Capitol Base has been approved to change it's
name to Central Texas Base, effective immediately.
There are no other changes.
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NEWS-11: Unique Navy Sub Calls It A Career
NR-1 Returns To Groton Base For Last Time
Submitted by: Ronald L Martini on 7/24/2008
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The NR-1, scheduled to be inactivated by the end of this year after almost 40
years in service, is the Navy's only nuclear-powered, deep-diving ocean
engineering and research submarine, and there currently are no plans to build
another. The reactor core would last until 2012, but
the Navy has not budgeted for the normal maintenance to run the ship until the
end of its life.
The boat recently helped a local foundation search for the wreck of John Paul
Jones' Revolutionary War ship the Bonhomme Richard.
What they found, however, still is classified. That's
because both the researchers at the Ocean Technology Foundation in
“Maybe,” McGrath (current CO) said, when asked whether the search was
successful. “We investigated 26 wrecks, and we
have one candidate that is very intriguing and probably warrants further
investigation.”
McGrath said he “couldn't think of a more fitting way to write the final
page in this ship's history than by searching for the Bonhomme
Richard.”
The crew will now remove the submarine's equipment from its support ship, the
Carolyn Chouest, prepare for the inactivation process
at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, and plan an inactivation ceremony in
McGrath said it will take at least six months to dismantle the submarine at the
U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, hopes the NR-1 will then return to
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NEWS-12: USSVI 2009 Calendars!
Submitted by: Ronald L Martini on
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I just wanted all of you to know that the 2009 United States Submarine
Veterans, Inc. (USSVI) submarine calendar is available for ordering now. This year the calendar features the submarine museum
boats!
As you can see from the attached graphic, they are $11.95 plus $2.00 shipping
(that's $13.95) with your check being made out to "USSVI" and mailed
to:
Huey Hahn
USSVI National Storekeeper
Husser, LA 70442-0122
VOLUME DISCOUNTS: CONTACT HUEY FIRST at:
subhuey@aol.com
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NEWS-13: Oberon Submarines? Whut
are those critters?
Submitted by: Pat Householder on 7/25/2008
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In addition to several US Submarines (Argonaut and Burrfish)
the Canadian Navy operated a number of British Class "Oberon"
submarines.
They have all been 'paid off' now and several are in the process of being used
for Submarine Museums
Click on the link to see some VEEERRRY Interresting pictures topside and belowdecks
of these boats...
http://www.bpsa-qc.ca/Submarine.htm
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NEWS-14: 2008_Scholarship_Selections Announced
Submitted by: Pat Householder on 7/25/2008
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2008_Scholarship_Selections: The USSVI Sub Vet
Scholarship Committee announces the 2008 selection for both the high school
seniors and college students.
There was a total of 23 scholarships between both groups with 13 for high
school and 10 for college. This year we have added two
$1,000.00 scholarships, one in each group in honor of two shipmates and added
$50.00 dollars to the previous $900.00 groups.
The total amount this year is $24,550. This is an
increase over last year. We understand the economy is
not the best right now and as chairman of the committee we want to thank all of
the shipmates, bases, associations who have donated to our program.
These students has some of the greatest financial needs that I have seen in a
few years. In the fall issue of the American
Submariner will be a story on one of the new awards and a generous person
'giving back' to the scholarship fund because she received help from the USSV WW II scholarship program as a young student.
The selection was very hard for us to make and some decisions and took longer
than I expected. Inevitably there will be disappointed
students and sponsors, but that comes with the territory in making scholarship
awards.
We feel picked "the Best of the Best" from this year group. All will be invited to try again next year. I will be sending out letters to all who applied next week
and some will have their checks.
There will be a few awardees presented their checks by the sponsor Base
Commanders or Regional Directors.
http://www.ussvi.us/Documents/Scholarship_Winners_2008_Scholarship_Selections.rtf
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NEWS-15: From the Russian Front
Submitted by: Ronald L Martini on 7/28/2008
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PROVIDENCE, R.I. - U.S. Navy and Army divers have raised a Russian sub that had
sunk in the Providence River during a powerful storm last year.
The submarine was first launched in 1965 and more recently used as a floating
museum in an industrial area of
Military divers used the raising of the sub known as Juliet 484 as a training
opportunity. They have been working on site since late
May.
The
The sub was used as a set for the Harrison Ford movie "K-19: The Widowmaker." It was then
acquired by the USS Saratoga Foundation, a private, nonprofit group.
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The construction of new-generation nuclear-powered ballistic missile and attack
submarines is a top priority for the Russian Navy's development, the Navy
commander said on Friday.
According to a new doctrine for the development of the armed forces,
"At present, we are providing sufficient financing for the creation of a
fleet of a new-generation nuclear-powered strategic submarines," Adm.
Vladimir Vysotsky said.
Fourth-generation Borey-class nuclear-powered
submarines armed with Bulava missiles would form the
core of
**********
"We call this a sea-borne aircraft carrier system which will be based on
the Northern and Pacific fleets," Vysotsky said. "The creation of such systems will begin after 2012."