It's National Submarine Day
It's National Submarine Day
© Warren Weinstein/Getty Images
It is now just before 7 a.m. April 12 where I am, but in America it is 7 p.m. April 11, which is called National Submarine Day. Every morning when I wake up I first check my emails, and then open Bing, the search site I usually use. It opens with a different interesting background picture every day. Today this was the photo, and the description read as follows:
Think deep thoughts
Some of you Navy vets—and fans of '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,' 'The Hunt for Red October,' or 'Das Boot'—might get a familiar wave of claustrophobia from today's picture. For National Submarine Day, we're in the forward engine room of the USS Drum, a historic US Navy submarine displayed at Battleship Memorial Park in Mobile, Alabama. The Drum was the first deployed of the Gato-class subs—the line of boats that, with variations, made up most of the US submarine force during World War II. Decommissioned shortly after the war, the submarine is now in dry dock and open for public tours.
Submersibles and the US military have a long past together: American revolutionaries deployed the Turtle, an experimental combat sub, in 1776, and the USS Alligator was launched in 1862 as the Navy's first official underwater vessel. But it was on April 11, 1900, that the Navy acquired its first modern submarine, the USS Holland—ushering in the submarine fleet that today consists of more than 60 nuclear-powered boats.
There were also photos of The Drum, this being one of them:
I was once inside an American sub. Many years ago I took my family on a driving trip along the California coast, and when we were in San Francisco we went to Pier 45, where the USS Pampanito was docked, and we toured it.
The USS Pampanito
When I first opened Bing, and saw the interior photo of the Drum, the first thing I thought of was the submarine movies I've watched not long ago, such as The Hunt For Red October and Crimson Tide, but I've seen so many other submarine movies over the years, such as On the Beach, Operation Petticoat, Destination Tokyo, 20,000 League Under the Sea, etc etc etc.
I'll bet there are vets on this site who have served on submarines, and if so, I hope they will add a comment about their experiences.
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If you open Bing or Global Bing today you will see that picture.
Interesting. I toured the Pampanito with two of my children "many years ago" also.
What are the chances, lol...that we may have met each other?
Although I can't zero in on the date, I think it was about 27 years ago.
That's pretty amazing. That's about when I lived there.
Where's Bruce ?
He is probably celebrating submarine day the way submariners celebrate things
How would they celibrate it? By diving into a river, lake or ocean, or getting underwater in a bathtub?
Getting under a bottle, smile.
A realistic assumption. LOL
i celebrate it by submerging my liver
in ALCOHOL !
The same way i tri and celebrate every damn day !
What? No more other mind-altering substances?
last time i checked, alcohol was,
don't worry , i'll chck AGAIN !
Of all the places one can serve in the military, the silent service is without a doubt, the most frightening.
I would think so as well.
Does anyone remember the TV series "Voyage to the bottom of the sea?"
Although I cannot remember any individual episodes, as it was so long ago (1964 - 1968) I'm sure I must have watched it - it was the kind of series that I was drawn to the most. Perhaps if I saw an episode today it would trigger my memory.
If you recall Richard Basehart played the role of Captain of a futuristic submarine. As you might expect much of it was filmed in a studio otherwise there would have been a little problem since Basehart suffered from Claustrophobia. The show itself suffered from weak writing. One too many episodes of "what is it and how did it get aboard?"
I vaguely remember it
LOL.....Ya, we were just kids then!
That sub was like a hanger inside or so we were led to believe!
The modern subs, believe it or not, do offer a bit more room for the crew, as opposed to the earlier versions which were very cramped. The sailors aboard the old U-Boats were subjected to conditions which included dark, smelly, cramped compartments, yet the sailors of the Kriegsmarine were proud to serve.
the carrier in the news comes to mind. Such close quarters to exist in, makes the quarters feel like nickels and dimes for a change, but i digress.
For everyone who is going a little stir crazy lately, think about being in these close quarters for a few months at a time...
one could lose their mind.
My uncle was stationed on one, but i don't know anyone else.
Had to be different, that's for sure. Engineering marvels, but man, had to get boring as hell, and not that hell is boring, well, at least it's not when i visit...
April 11 is also National Pet Day?
I guess 365 days a year aren't enough to declare every cause and every item and every belief a national day. Even February 29 is Sadie Hawkins Day.
Sheesh!
I served aboard the USS Bluefish, SSN 675, from '72 to '76. Trained for 2 years in the Navy Nuclear training program before being allowed to operate a real shipboard nuclear powered steam plant. I've made 2 Med runs, been to the North Pole. England, Scotland, Italy, Sicily, Greenland, Nova Scotia, lots of places I would never have gotten to visit otherwise. It takes a certain type of person to serve on a sub. Have to be really smart and able to endure a boring environment day after. Sub sailors are know to get wild during shore leave. Submarines crews have been compared to a Mensa meeting crossed with a motorcycle gang.
Amen to that, lol.
and Thank You for your service, Wheel.
I sure as hell don't have and never had your courage and dedication.
April 11th is also Blackbeard's wedding anniversary.
At least it was when I was in the Sahara desert while in the army. In the desert, we looked to Blackbeard's many weddings as a reason to celebrate. lol
You will observe serving in a desert is about as far away from serving in a submarine as one can get. There is a reason for that.
No water is an obvious reason, anything else?
This is a photo of the Bowfin and memorials to each of the 52 submarines lost in the Pacific in WWII.
There is also a submarine museum there which is quite impressive.
I've visited the memorial a number of times. It is well worth visiting.
If you are ever in Hawaii visit Arizona, Missouri, the Bowfin and the Punchbowl. You'll come away with a greater appreciation of the men and women that fought in the Pacific in WWII.
On one visit there I had the honor to meet four of the survivors of Pearl Harbor and spent over an hour with them and listening to their stories.
The men were
SKC Alfred Benjamin Kame'eiamoku Rodrigues. USN (Retired)
SGM Sterling R. Cale USA (Retired)
SSGT Herb Weatherwax USA (Retired)
Captain Robert G. Kinzler USA (Retired)
The book entitled ''From Fishponds to Warships, Pearl Harbor by Allan Seiden is well worth reading or purchasing
I would assume the names of the crews are engraved on each individual memorial.
Yes, the names of each crewmember are engraved on the individual memorials.