Train officers and enlisted sailors in the basic knowledge and skills upon which operational submarine commands in the Atlantic and Pacific can build competence and proficiency in operating and maintaining submarines and all their systems.
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I went straight to Submarine School right out of NTC-Orlando. I was in Class 7620 /Section 204 in the late fall and winter of '75. They managed to get us through before Christmas. Our instructor was a veteran submariner and torpedoman who was on diesel boats during the immediate post World War II era and who then transited into the nuclear Navy. His name was "Red" Padgett, TMCS. I can't remember his first name, but I still have my old Sub School graduation brochore with his name in it somewhere. I will try to find it and I'll scan some old photos of the class and the old school. Of course, they were taken with an old "Kodak smoker" before the days of digital cameras, so it will take awhile to scan and upload them.
Next to going to sea aboard a submarine, Submarine School was an exciting time for this [then] 18 year old sailor. In fact, I had just turned 18 while I was at RTC-Orlando. There was only one guy younger than me in Submarine School. There were also a couple of experienced surface sailors who decided to come over to the dark side, and a former Marine named Cohen, and a former Army trooper named Hobson. Both were PO2s. I also remember a SN1 named Schaffer who was probably the brightest guy in the class. He was so bright, Senior Chief Padgett kept telling him to put his hand down and let somebody else answer his questions for a change. I also remember a TMSA Gonzolas who sat next to me. I don't remember any other names now, just faces. Of course they will be listed in the graduation brochure.
Naturally, Submarine School wouldn't be complete with weekend early morning visits to the lower base to see the moored cold black submarines. I remember the armed and bearded topside sentries with .45 pistols strapped around their green deck jackets watching us wide eyed youths on the piers with great amusement. It didn't take long before we were waved aboard and given quick tours of their "homes" with names like Andrew Jackson, Tullibee, Narwal, Gerald Lipscomb, and Richard B. Russell (SSN-687), newest of the 637-class moored beside Los Angeles, first of the 688-class. One night, I saw the NR-1 tied not far from the old out of service diesel fleet boat, [former] USS Croaker which was riding high out of the water with whitecapped waves smacking against her. For whatever reason, those two submarines from different eras always stayed with me.
Didn't mean to ramble. I will try to get up some more pictures from my Navy days. There are a few from my Defense Department time with the Marines in western Iraq "30 years later" on my home page. By the way, I saw a lot of Dolphins--and other "blue water" devices--pinned or sewn on digital cammies and DCUs down range in places like Ramadi and Fallujah. Goes to show how much things have changed.
"www.ussvi.org"
It has many interesting features, one of which is the ability to access photos of your Sub School graduation class.
Try it out.
Bill Karr
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