Fleet Plan of the Day
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The Cold War Boats website has posted three logroom archive articles from the spring of 1968, courtesy of Carl Seitz, a shipmate from the USS HALIBUT (SSGN 587). These bi-monthly newsletters, titled "Periscope," were published by SUBMARINE FLOTILLA ONE at SUBASE POINT LOMA and offer a fascinating glimpse into life aboard submarines during the late sixties.
The first of our Periscopes, from April 19, 1968, highlights the return of the USS SEGUNDO (SS 398) and the USS CAIMAN (AGSS 323) from WestPac, the USS FLORIKAN (ASR 9) on her twenty-fifth anniversary, the 68th anniversary celebration of the Submarine Service, along with advancements and recognition of the contributions of shipmates of all local commands.
The second Periscope, from May 03, 1968, includes successful advancements of USS NEREUS (AS 17), the largest group in the ship’s history. Noted is the Ballast Point visit by the HMS TABARD (S 42) and recent adventures of the USS MEDREGAL (AGSS 480) after changing her homeport to San Diego and logging another WestPac. A visit to San Fransisco by the USS NEREUS (AS 17), and the decommissioning the USS ARCHERFISH (AGSS 311) fill the newsletter with a great deal of interesting news.
Finally, the third Periscope, dated May 29, 1968, offers a timely tribute to the boats and men lost during WWII and a moving memoriam to those that have gone before us. The return of the USS BUGARA (SS 331), a new skipper for the USS VOLADOR (SS 490) (and a new baby for the skipper and his bride!) and the issue wraps up with local news, sporting activity, and other highlights.
These Periscopes offer a brief glimpse into daily life in the Navy of the late Sixties, whether at a shore command, a tender, or aboard a submarine. They include news about sports teams, social events, wives clubs, and, revealing how much the world has changed in fifty-five years, a bikini-clad pin-up in almost every issue!
These newsletters are an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the history of submarines and the Cold War era. They showcase the technological advancements and strategic maneuvers that were crucial to the United States' efforts to maintain its military dominance during this period. We are grateful to Carl Seitz for sharing these articles with us and are pleased to make them available to registered users of coldwarboats.org.
I hope that they provide a deeper 
understanding of this critical period in our history and the sacrifices made by those who served aboard submarines during this time.
They can be found in the Carl Seitz Collection:
HOMEPORT >> HISTORY & HERITAGE >> COLLECTIONS >> HALIBUT HISTORY BY CARL SEITZ or,
in SUBASE POINT LOMA’s Logroom Archive at:
Click on either of the above links to find the Periscopes, and remember you must be registered and logged in to view them.
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It's been a minute since I've been able to post. An aging mother with dementia and a firefight with cancer have taken the wind out of my sails, but much of my 'behind the scenes' activity with Cold War Boats has continued.
Finally, I can officially announce that the Cold War Boats website has been moved to our own dedicated virtual server and is up and running better than ever. There are still a few bugs to swat, and our mail servers have not yet been transferred over, but after a long nine months of trying to find spare time, its back in the game.
The site is faster and there is a great deal more storage space for all those photos, documents, and sailing lists we are collecting from NARA, and we aren't being irritated with spammers getting our IP address blacklisted!
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(Originally posted on www.ssn-680.org for Veterans day 2018. and revised for www.coldwarboats.org)
Veterans Day…
You called. You called for aid, for someone to stand in the gap. You called in war, because the enemy was at the gates. You called in peace, because the price of peace is eternal vigilance. You called because there was no alternative…
We answered. We all had our reasons, but we answered the call. We put on the uniform. We kissed our wives and sweethearts goodbye, and walked across the brow to take up life on a 5500 ton, 300 foot long, nuclear-powered submarine. Most of those days we had no idea when, or even if we would return. Often we didn’t know where we were going until the hatches were closed and sealed, the boat was submerged, and we were well underway into our next mission. But we answered.
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Are you wondering why your registration for Cold War Boats has never been approved?
Do you want to make sure you don't miss any Familygrams?
Are you hoping to reconnect with old shipmates, but you haven't been contacted?
Here are three tips to help you stay connected:
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It is the fourth of July, and it seems both fitting and proper to remind you of what we do at Cold War Boats to honor the memory of those who gave so much to preserve the freedoms on which this country was founded and that have so long endured.
The Cold War Boats Association exists in service to the men who served on the submarines of the United States Navy Submarine Service during the forty-six years of the Cold War, those sailors that supported them, their families, friends, and associates.
The three-fold mission of the Association is:
- Assisting shipmates from years ago in reconnecting, simply, easily, and without compromising their privacy,
- Preserving the unclassified history of Cold War submarine crews and their boats in the form of photographs, stories, artifacts, and audio or video recordings, and
- Honoring the sailors and families who sacrificed so much to help bring an end to the Cold War.
Everything we do is aligned to these three precepts,
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- Date: 04JUL22
- From: Brad Williamson, Lead Administrator
- RE: Current activity on the coldwarboats.org website.
- •Eleven fully functional sites, including the USS WILLIAM H. BATES (SSN 680). (Located by menu items shaded light orange):
- USS GRENADIER (SS 525)
- USS NAUTILUS (SSN 571)
- USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (SSBN 600)
- USS LAFAYETTE (SSBN 616)
- USS STURGEON (SSN 637)
- USS ASPRO (SSN 648)
- USS FLYING FISH (SSN 673)
- USS RICHARD B. RUSSELL (SSN 687)
- USS BIRMINGHAM (SSN 695)
- USSVI - USS HADDO Base (Cleveland, TN)
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Date: 14APR22
From: Brad Williamson, Lead Administrator
RE: Current activity on the coldwarboats.org website.
- Seven fully functional sites, including the USS WILLIAM H. BATES (SSN 680). (Located by menu items shaded light orange):
- USS GRENADIER (SS 525)
- USS NAUTILUS (SSN 571)
- USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (SSBN 600)
- USS STURGEON (SSN 637)
- USS ASPRO (SSN 648)
- USSVI - USS HADDO Base (Cleveland, TN)
