Fleet Timeline
Following Christmas in Subic Bay, we were scheduled to make a short transit to Hong Kong for our first real liberty stop. Several wives including Mary were coming to meet us in Hong Kong. With the wives in the air and Bates underway to Hong Kong, we were looking over for a wonderful reunion and memorable, New Year’s celebration when a message was received to return to Subic Bay. We were to load out and await further tasking. What a bummer! But, not out of character for a submarine deployment. Although this was particularly disappointing since the wives were already in the air when the change was received. When we got to Subic Bay, it was explained that due to the impending fall of the Shah of Iran, it was desired to get a carrier and submarine escort into the Indian Ocean.