Fleet Plan of the Day
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- Brad Williamson
- POD - SSN 680
Today is the 11th of April. We have reason to celebrate - it’s the 116th birthday of the United States Submarine Service! Today, as throughout history, the U.S. Submarine Service remains the premier submarine force on the planet. The quality of the submarines we sailed and that those who followed us continue to sail is, without question, unequaled.
As good as the iron we drove beneath the sea was and is, the true reason for 116 years of success lies in the men that sailed, and the men and women that continue to sail those silent prowlers of the depths.
There is no character equal to one forged on the anvil of submarine hull metal under the hammer of crisis and conflict, tempered by the depth and breadth of the unforgiving and endless sea..
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- Brad Williamson
- POD - SSN 680
Take a look at the USS HARTFORD (SSN 768) as she breaks through the Arctic Ice.
Thanks to Jamie Hogan for this gem!
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- Brad Williamson
- POD - SSN 680
Mark Gray and Terry Fessner’s efforts to document and locate every submariner that ever served on the USS WILLIAM H. BATES (SSN 680) continue to be a genuine encouragement to me. I’ve worked beside these dedicated Missing Shipmate Coordinators, and know what a daunting task it can be.
Every lead has to be pursued, validated, tested, and rarely do you have the satisfaction of picking up the phone and hearing someone say “Yes!” when you ask the question, “Are you the guy that served on the Bates, back in the 70’s?” Usually, it’s “Sorry, wrong number!” or worse, and every day that goes by, the odds of finding a former shipmate diminish as time and our intrinsic mortality take their toll.
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- Brad Williamson
- POD - SSN 680
The Ship's Store on the USS WILLIAM H. BATES (SSN 680) was a small metal locker with a plexiglass front that hung on the forward bulkhead of the Crew's Mess. In stark contrast to the Ship's Store on a capital surface ship, which offered everything from personal hygiene supplies to gee-dunk, our Ship's Store only had room for a few lighters, a couple of Bates patches, maybe a ball-cap or two, and the occasional T-shirt. Despite it's diminutive size, all the profits from the store went into the Rec Fund, enabling the occasional party on the beach or bar-b-cue on the pier.
In the finest tradition of the Bate's Ship's Store, the SSN-680.org Ship's Store carries on the practice by being small, hard-to-notice, and a decidedly limited selection. I routinely add items of interest to the store and it currently includes books, movies, and miscellanea related to the Bates or to the submarine community in general.
Because the Ship's Store is an Amazon affiliate, it generates revenue from all Amazon sales that start their search here, even if you don't purchase an item from the Bates Store!
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- Brad Williamson
- POD - SSN 680
On your end, the most important thing to know is that all the content is still there - we aren't dropping anything. All the photographs, all the sea stories, the Crew Gallery, the forum we call the Scuttlebutt all remain intact just as they where when you last saw them.
The most important new feature is that the two databases we were using, one for the Registered Site Users, and one for the Master Sailing list have been combined into one.
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- Brad Williamson
- POD - SSN 680
Memorial Day.
For many years, I didn't give much thought to the differences between Memorial Day and Veteran's Day. Based on the media coverage of the holiday and the celebrations in Washington last night, it seems I'm not alone. I suppose that it is easier to confuse the two than one might imagine.
Both days are a day to pay tribute to those that have gone before us, especially our shipmates, and that's a good thing. Both days we recognize that service to our country, and the attendant sacrifice of our lives, if necessary, is among the highest callings, and worthy of honor. These similarities, and the compulsion of our hearts caring as they do, drives us to remember, to honor, and to commemorate the service of those, like ourselves, who have given so much.
Honor, courage, devotion to country, and the ultimate sacrifice are all things worthy of praise...
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- Brad Williamson
- POD - SSN 680
Some of you are on the dink list, and you know what that means. No libs tonight!
If you fall dink in maintaining your email address current, I find out when I run a periodic newsletter, and guess what, it's that time again.
I'm reminding you, in the sweetest tone of voice possible, to keep your user profile up-to-date, you jack-wagons!. It is especially important to update your email when you change service providers or jobs. Your email address lets us keep you informed with the Familygram newsletter, and without a current email, you can't access the site if you forget your password, so it has to be accurate. But you are the only one that can keep it current.
When you change your email, log in and update your profile. You can also add a biography, military history, and a photo of you then and now, so you can make it worth your time...
