Fallen MSP Sailors Identified
According to the BBC, the Navy has released the names of the two Submariners who were tragically lost off the
USS Minneapolis-St. Paul on Friday:
The dead men were named as Senior Chief Thomas Higgins, 45, of Paducah, Kentucky, and Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Holtz, 30, of Lakewood, Ohio.
The US Navy said in a statement on Sunday that the cause of the accident remained under investigation.
Sailors, Rest Your Oars...
According to the
CSG-2 web page, ETCS(SS) Thomas Higgins was the MSP's Chief of the Boat. This makes the incident even more tragic -- now the crew will have to cope with the sense of loss they feel without a man who I'm sure was a mentor to all.
Video Compilation of 2006 photos of the United States Submarine Force. Presented by
TheSubReport.com All Photos courtesy of Naval Media and Navy.mil.
Click Here for the Google Video Link if the above does not work.
If you are interested in an original copy of this presentation, please contact eric@thesubreport.com
Happy New Year!
Eric -TheSubReport.com
Submarine Blogger In The News
Eric from
The Sub Report got written up (in a good way)
in the Florida Today for his outstanding web site. Excerpts:
A knack for news and Internet research, as well as a background in the Navy, prompted a local man to design a Web site for anyone interested in submarine news from around the world.
A former missile technician and missile-test launch supervisor, Eric Ryle was in the Navy until 1998...
...“The submarine community is small so there’s a real brotherhood,” Ryle said. “I saw there were a lot of military bloggers, but not a lot of submarine bloggers, so I started a Drudge-like web site where I have links to submarine news. The news comes mainly from the United States, but I’m also able to find links from foreign sites.”
Ryle adds between five and 30 posts a day, depending on what he can find. While a large majority of the news are from home, he often finds news from Russia, Japan, England, Australia, Germany and Spain.
It's a pretty good article, notwithstanding the omission of the websites name or URL. Congratulations, Eric!
Submarine Christmas Photoshop Contest
Just a reminder -- entries for The Sub Report's
Submarine Christmas Photoshop Contest are due by 2359 tonight (Thursday the 14th).
Here's the page with the entries that have come in so far. It's a great chance to have some fun and maybe win
a prize.
You don't need any fancy software to do a good photoshop; I just use the Microsoft Picture It! that came with my computer, and if you don't have that, Eric has a link to some freeware.
And while I'm posting -- if you get a chance, please consider voting for my own submarine-themed blog,
The Stupid Shall Be Punished, in the
2006 Weblog Awards. Voting continues until midnight Friday night, and you can vote every 24 hours. Thanks!
thought i'd share a couple with the community
for those of you that don't visit eric's sub report blog, you're missing something pretty cool
check out his
submarine Christmas gizmo he made. it even has our erstwhile famous milblogger
Joel in there! (he's in the running for fame and blog fortune.)
and i'd like to direct your attention to a new blog that a bubblehead has started that recounts his navy days from boot to boat. it's an anon. blog, but i know who it is, and yes, he's a real bubblehead.
check out
A Western Reach. i'm sure he'll rekindle some of those long forgotten memories. drop by and tell him bo sent you. oh, and don't cut him any slack either.
A date which will live in infamy...
I had the opportunity to have breakfast with two survivors of the USS Arizona (BB-39), which was sunk in the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
It's no wonder these men are referred to as memebers of the "Greatest Generation".
I have always been amazed and impressed by how those men handled the largest war in human history. Their dedication, selflessness, committment, and sense of duty set the bar for all who followed them in service to our nation. They endured a life in the military that makes the worst days we have in modern times pale in comparison...submariners of that time were depth charged, pilots flew into combat with absolutely none of the technology we take for granted, surface sailors lived, worked, and fought in conditions that few of us in modern times could even imagine. And yet when you talk to these veterans what comes through is an overwhelming sense of duty and dedication. They only saw a job that had to be done, and they simply did that job. They saw nothing remarkable about it...it is an ingrained trait, it seems. Their remembrances were of the comraderie and dedication to their shipmates, with barely a mention of hardship.
The stories they tell are amazing. What we only know from history books and poor Hollywood attempts to depict they
lived. And sadly (yet inevitably) time is taking it's toll. Most Pearl Harbor surviviors are in or nearing 80 years old. There are fewer than 20 Arizona surviviors, and the youngest is 82. It will not be long before their first-hand experience is lost to us.
Yet it seems sometimes that our more recent generations are not interested. It's sad, sometimes, that there are not more people interested in hearing their stories and learning from their experiences.
Today, December 7th, 2006, is the 65th anniversary of the infamous attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Take a moment to remember the sacrifice of the Greatest Generation, and if you ever get the chance to talk to one of these vets, do so. It's a unique experience.
Technorati Tags: Pearl Harbor, December 7th 1941, Veterans, WWII, History(Crossposted to
The Online Magazine Formerly Known As Rob's Blog)
Just in case anyone cares...
Update on South Korean Sub on USPS Commemorative.....
Along with Jack Sandy ( who originally discovered the flaw), we contacted the good folks at ASC, who were commissioned to produce this US Navy Commemorative that somehow contained a South Korean Submarine where a United States "boat" should be. Jack contacted them first, and I followed several days later as follow-up.
Unlike the management folks we contacted at our illustrious United States Postal Service, who gave us nothing but a bureaucratic run-around, ASC immediately got back to us with these prompt and courteous responses. Here's the E-mail I received yesterday....
Gene,
Thank you for letting us know about the Submarine. It actually was brought to our attention just last week. This piece was approved by the Navy and we obtained our images from them. We obviously never intended to insult the Navy and are currently destroying over 2000 prints and replacing the image. Please accept our apology and know that we are rectifying the situation immediately.
Sincerely,Lisa Koryga
...based on this communique, some doofus somewhere in the Navy authorized the entry of this picture into this commemorative. I personally think that his or her next duty station should be either somewhere in Antartica, Adak Alaska or Gitmo, Cuba.
Fer any of y'all out there that might wanna get sumthin nice frum these here good folks, go to
American Stamp Collectibles and take a look at their products, they've got some other really nice stuff fer gifts.....
.....Cookie.....
Cross-posted from
The Stupid Shall Be Punished:
Breaking news from Australia:
THE Australian navy is standing by to help rescue two people aboard a civilian submarine rescue craft stranded on the ocean floor off the West Australian coast.
An Australian Submarine Rescue Vehicle (ASRV) ran into difficulty about midnight when the winching system failed as it was being recovered during certification trials.
The Australian Defence Force says the two personnel aboard the vessel, called the Remora, were in no danger.
The Remora, operated by the civilian diving contractor Caldive, was lowered, in accordance with safety procedures, to the sea bed and was currently sitting in 130 metres of water.
The two people aboard remain connected to the mother ship, Motor Vessel Seahorse Standard, by a secondary cable which gives them power and allows them to communicate with the vessel.
It may be able to be used for lifting the Remora in an emergency.
The Australian Defence Force (ADF) says the frigate HMAS ANZAC, navy clearance divers and medical personnel were standing by to help Caldive if needed.
"The current weather conditions preclude a controlled recovery of the ASRV at this time, but an emergency option remains available if required," ADF said in a statement.
Caldive is currently developing a rescue plan with help from the Royal Australian Navy...
...But it was taking part in a navy submarine escape exercise in the Western Australian exercise areas at the time of the incident.
Here's a picture of the
Remora:
Caldive appears to be a subsidiary of Helix. For now, it looks like the situation is well in hand.
Staying at PD...
Update 2210 04 Dec: It looks like the Remora and M/V Seahorse Standard are frequently used for sea trials and submarine rescue exercises. There are many pictures of the Remora here and here, one of which shows her on her support ship.
The last coastal warning for the Seahorse Standard was from 21 Nov, which said:
FM RCC AUSTRALIA 212120Z NOV 06
AUSCOAST WARNING 309/06 SW.COAST
SUBMARINE SEARCH AND RESCUE EXERCISE BY ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY IN AREA BOUNDED BY 3140S TO 3200S AND 11450E TO 11530E. MV SEAHORSE STANDARD
IN ATTENDANCE AND ENGAGED IN UNDERWATER OPERATIONS. 2.0 NM CLEARANCE REQUESTED.
The Sunday Times has this article discussing the capabilities of the Remora.
Here's the ISMERLO (International Submarine Escape and Rescue Liaison Office) homepage, which might have some updates if any international forces are needed.
Update 2235 04 Dec: They've been rescued.
Snug Harbor USSVI Base MeetingSatellite Beach Florida02 Dec. 2006Snug Harbor opened up its meeting for regular business recognizing outgoing officers for their efforts and the welcoming of new officers. Tim Veard, departing Base Commander, officiated the meeting acknowledging the New Base Commander William E. Irvine and Vice Commander Shawn D. Brown. The Base Chaplin Robert L. Chasse gave a prayer for the base meeting and a blessing for that days football game with Go Navy! Beat Army.
Cross Posted from TheSubreport.com (Click here for the rest of the Story with Photo's)
