I've been following developments on Martini's board, too. I'm proud to be in a brotherhood with men like the brave sailors onboard San Francisco.
Gentlemen, I'm convinced we have witnessed a miracle in the last few days. That was a terrible, terrible casualty, and it could have been a lot worse if it wasnt for the courage and dedication of these men. I dont think there is a submarine casualty on record that compares to this one.
The Skipper is a hero, no doubt about it. Anyone claiming he messed up or did wrong is way off base. CDR Mooney acted in the finest tradition of submarine skippers and brougt a very badly damaged boat back against the odds. The legal actions aside, he kept that ship from sinking, even though it very well could have done so. He earned the respect of every man on the crew by doing so.
The COW hit the chicken switches and put them on the surface, even though he was injured with a broken arm. if he had not done so, they could have had much more damage. He's a hero.
The Diving officer kept the ship stable on the surface, in open ocean, even though the trim calculations must have been worse than Chinese Arithmetic, and keeping it there was a full time job. If he had failed, they would have sunk even though they made it to the surface. He's a hero.
The crew kept the ship floating, even though the San Fran was obviously in very bad shape. They hardly slept a wink from the time of the accident until the ship tied up. Every guy on that ship is a hero. No doubt about that.
The Corpsman and his helpers are also hero's in every sense of the word. Unless you have been there, you cannot imagine the situation they had to endure to treat the wounded. It wasn't a sterile hospital. It was damaged submarine in the fight of her life.
The crew member that died is also a hero. He was one man in a one hundred year tradition of past submariners who willingly gave his life so we could live free. He drew hazardous duty pay for most of his career, and lived an entire lifetime in only 24 years. God bless him, and keep him.
So when the anti-military media starts their feeding frenzy on these guys, remember the actions of this submarine crew in the face of danger. The media isnt even fit to shine their shoes, much less walk a mile in them.
I'm an old submariner. I stand behind their actions every step of the way. I'll stand beside them if necesary. They did the best they could with what they had in a bad situation, and they did a fantastic job in all respects.
J/M
Submariner
1978-1987
Atlantic and Pacific fleets
BTDT