Gertrude Check

USSVI Blueback Base HC member Lcdr L. Stuart Taylor passed away on Friday 18 April. Stu first qualified as an enlisted man in 1948 and later as an officer. His daughter, Jody, passed this message:

"This is Jody, Stu's daughter. Bad news....for those of you who do not know, dad passed away last Friday. He died peacefully with his entire family at his side. Graveside services will be held on Friday, May 2 at 3:00 at the Post Barracks Cemetery. A reception in his honor will be held immediately after at Pearson Air Museum. All are welcome. This wonderful dad, husband, grandpa, step-dad and step grandpa and friend will be missed by all. His obit will be in The Columbian on Sunday."
Jody, Mark, Jeanne and family Jody's e-mail address is 5campbells@comcast.net

A Historic Joint Meeting
Submitted by: Pat Householder on 4/23/2008
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April 18 - 20, 2008: The two premier U.S. Submarine Veteran organization Boards of Directors met in a historic joint session in San Diego to discuss matters relating to the orderly closure of the SVWWII national organization. Facts driving the discussion related to the advancing age of the SVWWII members and the steadily increasing rate of those departing on Eternal Patrol.

While by its very nature SVWWII is a 'last man standing' organization, USSVI is designed to continue on so long as the US has a submarine force and there are submarine veterans who care about our glorious heritage of which our SVWWII brothers had such a prominent part.

For several years the two organizations have been in discussion on how USSVI can best help our elder brothers in SVWWII to smoothly close out their affairs, while continuing to assist in supporting the operations and interests of members in the various state chapters. Some transfers are well underway, such as arrangements for the care of memorials. Many USSVI Chapters have already assumed responsibility for their local memorials, and currently over 35% of SVWWII members also hold membership in USSVI.

Led by President Clarence 'Scotty' Scott, the SVWWII board discussed their decision to discontinue the POLARIS magazine no later than December 2009, and that the 2009 SVWWII Calendar will be the last produced.

Accordingly, the Board of USSVI has extended several offers to the board of SVWWII, including printing the SVWWII Eternal Patrol reports in AMERICAN SUBMARINER for our SVWWII brothers and mailing out their "Last Patrol" certificates to their next of kin. The Editor of AMERICAN SUBMARINER magazine currently includes and will continue to include SVWWII specific information in this quarterly publication, and has a total
circulation of over 20,000 per issue.

The USSVI is also extending to all regular Life members of SVWWII an opportunity for a LIFETIME subscription to the full color AMERICAN SUBMARINER magazine, including membership in USSVI, for a onetime payment of $20.00 ea.

This offer is extended to all regular life members of SVWWII who are not already members of USSVI, and will remain open through December 31, 2008.

These SVWWII members are invited (but not required) to join any of our 150+ local Bases throughout the U.S., or they may elect to remain "at large".

All others, including associates, sons and daughters, 'annual' and former members are also invited to join USSVI at our regular rates. Contact our office at the address below for specifics. All wives, widows and female next of kin are also invited to join the SUBVETTES, the Ladies Auxiliary of USSVI.

Benefits to the SVWWII Life member include a lifetime subscription to AMERICAN SUBMARINER, an opportunity to participate in USSVI events and conventions, access to USSVI scholarships awards for their eligible grandchildren (awarded through a competitive process - special note: the USSVI Sub Vet Scholarship program is NOT the Dolphin Scholarship program), Holland Club membership for submarine qualified members, and the knowledge that when they do depart on their Final Patrol, a record of their service will remain in our organizational records and available through our online website system.

To take advantage of this offer, the SVWWII regular life member should enroll through your base, or send the $ 20.00 check made to USSVI, PO Box 3870, Silverdale WA 98383, along with his SVWWII member number, Name, Address, Phone #, Birth date, E-mail Address, year qualified and the boat he originally 'qualified in subs' on.

For the historical record, we want to know ALL the boats he served on and in which year(s), total number of war patrols plus total number designated successful. If he served aboard a ship or sub either pre or post WWII, please provide that information too. Tell us what awards he achieved (campaigns and medals) and what his highest rate/rank was. The more complete the info you provide, the better the record of his service will be.

If he is a SVWWII Regular Life member but DID NOT qualify in Submarines, please provide the name of the submarine(s) he served in and his year(s) aboard. If he served in a Relief Crew, please provide the name of the Sub Tender(s), plus year(s) aboard. Any special events or memorable occasions we'd like to have for his record as well.

Finally, for when you must depart on that Last Patrol, we need the name of your next of kin, their address and telephone number so that we may provide them with your Last Patrol Certificate.

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SPECIAL NOTE: Please note that this special discounted offer is available ONLY to the SVWWII LIFE regular members.

While they all are welcome to join USSVI, the special pricing is not available to WWII non or former members of SVWWII, or to their annual or associate members.

A Regular member is defined in the SVWWII C&B as a person who served in submarines, or on a sub tender.

San Diego Board Mid Term Brief Meeting Info
Submitted by: Pat Householder on 4/22/2008
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The members of the USSVI Board met with the SVWWII Board members in a historic joint session at the Town and Country Hotel in San Diego April 18-20. (Site of our 2009 Convention)

In brief, accomplishments included re-districting in the Eastern and Central Region, and after the 2008 Convention the East Region will split to become two Regions.

The purpose for these splits is to reduce costly local and overnight travel expenses for District Commanders and Region Directors, to allow the District Commanders to more effectively focus on smaller areas, and take geography into consideration as well as artifical state boundaries.

SVWWII-USSVI Relations: The two boards agreed on a plan for USSVI to gradually assume some of the administrative duties of SVWWII, to continue to transfer maintenance responsibility for memorials to adjacent bases, to publish SVWWII Last Patrol notices in the American Submariner, to provide Last Patrol certificates to the next of kin of SVWWII on their behalf, and to offer a very generous opportunity for the SVWWII Regular Life members only who ARE NOT already members of USSVI to join as USSVI Life members for a one time payment of $ 20.00 ea. This is a limited time offer and more specifics on this program will follow shortly.

Click on the link for pictures...

http://www.costcophotocenter.com/share/p=140221208881096404/l=18608296/g=3115228/cobrandOid=1008/ots

Scholarship update

Many thanks for this year’s response to the Lt. William ‘Willie” Spoon Memorial Scholarship fund drive through the generosity of your raffle ticket donations. Many have given over and above the book value of the raffle tickets, mailed to you in January, and some have also given generously to the scholarship fund with direct donations. I would also like to acknowledge the individuals, to date, who have sold extra ticket booklets:

· Bud Berg – 19 booklets

· Ed Foskett - 1 booklet

· Bill Hipp – 3 booklets

· Lynne Ryan – 2 booklets

· John Gardner – 3 booklets

The following status report, to date, for the 2008 Scholarship fund drive:

· Total donations from all sources…………$5634.00

· Total of 22 gift certificates valued at…..$~900.00

· Total of 7 scholarship applications received to date

Jim Thompson (Navy Federal Credit Union) has also pledged $1,000.00 to the scholarship fund this year, and with other donations coming in, the total should top $7,000.00.

It is anticipated that there will be 22+ applications received by the May 15^th deadline.

The scholarship selection committee is in place and will meet at the FRA on May 20, 2008 @12:00 Noon to select the eleven (11) applicant winners. The scholarship winners will be notified well in advance of the June 17^th awards ceremony at the FRA, starting at 7:00 P.M. Refreshments and snacks will be served after the awards ceremony.

Also the raffle ticket drawing will take place on June 17^th and the winners will be notified by mail or telephone soon after.

As a reminder to those of you who have a Son, Grandson or Daughter, Granddaughter applying for a scholarship, the deadline for receiving applications is May 15, 2008.

The scholarship winners will be published in the July/August issue of the Puget Soundings along with the gift certificate donors for raffle prizes.

V/R

Bob Webster – 2008 Scholarship Chairman, USSVI Bremerton Base

Call or e-mail Chairman Robert G "Bob" Webster for applications and any questions. Tel # 307-9012.

Please pass the word along.

Don Mac Sends:

http://www.navytv.org/
the above web page, there is a 14 minute video of USS Nautilus - Operation Sunshine. A film report on 571 trip to 90 north.

Longevity Awards. Today, the Bremerton Base E-board approved a policy of awarding longevity award lapel pins to members who pass 10 year increments in continuous base membership, which will include dual & associate members. That is 10, 20 & 30 year awards. That is, starting in 2008, those members passing the 10, 20 and 30 year mark in continuous USSVI Bremerton Base Membership will receive their awards at the annual Christmas Dinner/Holland Club Induction event. A quick look at the data base indicates that about 20 members joined in 1998 so they would receive the 10 year lapel pin this year. No continuous base members joined in 1988, so no 20 years pins will be awarded. Of course the base was not in existence in 1978. This policy has been instituted to encourage continuous USSVI Bremerton Base membership.

For those members that steadfastly continued membership and fall in between the milestones noted above can purchase, as I have, a USSVI pin, or pins in 5 year increments through 40 years from the base SK, Tommy Robinson.

Please review the 2008 Convention Web site at this site: http://ussvi2008.com/. It will be held in the Dallas/Ft Worth area of Texas.

UPDATE_-The Submarine Association of Canada (SAOC West) is putting on an International Gathering of Submariners in Victoria BC from 2-5 May 2008. They are celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the commissioning of the HMC submarines Okanagan and Rainbow . We are invited. Please look at this web page for details and a registration form. (141 registered, expect total of 160-170) http://members.shaw.ca/saocwest/2008.htm: Look at attendee list:

.http://members.shaw.ca/saocwest/2008attendees.htm

The registration fee covers a Friday meet and greet event, the Saturday evening Banquet and Dance and the Sunday brunch plus a tour or two. ( Saturday mens day is a go with a visit to the base museum, a tour of one of the new destroyers and dockyard. (Sub is drydock) and a light lunch with beers at the Submarine complex)

Some of our members have registered, including myself. I suggest others consider this opportunity reunite or meet with our Canadian hosts. Several supported us on our cruise convention and you will find them very delightful and friendly.

UPDATE 4-22-08

Ahoy All,
A reminder that April 23rd is the cut-off for our 2008 Submariners Gathering Registrations ... currently we are at 180+ attendees !! On-line information & downloadable Registration Form is available @ www.saocwest.com or telephone Gathering Chair Paul Hansen @ 250-812-1840, or Registrar Jim Scott @ 250-370-2359.

The Lone Sailor Statue Project Bremerton Base has forwarded a check to the Lone Sailor Statue Project for $1000 and received a thank you note. According to Co-chairman, Tim Thomson, the base will get permanent recognition. Hopefully you will consider contributing to this project's success. See Donor list here and recently updated.

NEW SKED You can still make your submarine experience count! Trident Training Center (TTF) Command Master Chief Scott Fusco and USSVI Bremerton Base Past Commander John Gardner have a program that lets you share your submarine experience and lessons learned with young sailors graduating from the TTF ET course. Each one of the classes has been named after one of the "Forty One for Freedom". On graduation day Master Chief Fusco invites a team of two Bremerton Base members (preferably that has served on that class's name sake boat) in, to give a short talk on their experiences, etc. We have been involved in two or three of these graduations to date.

Coming up on the following dates are graduating classes with the boat names with members names that served on those boats. TEAM UP! Then/or e-mail John (jgardner@donobi.net) or call him at

360-692-8994.

NAVET Radioman

USS John Marshall - 17 JUN 08 @ 1100                  USS Thomas Jefferson - 02 SEP 08 @ 1100
USS Alexander Hamilton - 19 AUG 08 @1100         USS Lafayette - 10 DEC 08 @ 1100
USS Andrew Jackson - 15 OCT 08 @ 1100

USSVI SubVet News : #2008-012 http://www.ussvi.us:80/POCNotices.asp

Bremerton Base nominations for 2008/2009 elected officers is open. A base member (if he agrees) in good standing may be nominated by another base member in good standing. All 5 base offices, Cdr, Vcdr, Secretary, Treasurer and Chief of the Boat are open for nominees.

Duties of officers are sighted in the Base bylaws.

Today, I announced I would be a candidate for Base Cdr for the 2008/2009 session.

You make take action on this note by calling nomination chairman Fred Borgmann at 360-377-2978 or e-mailing him at ussvi@telebyte.net Nominations shall be made prior to May 1, 2008. Additonal nominations from the floor may be made at the election night, normally at the June meeting.

Paper ballots will be made available after May 1.

Western District Commander 4 nominations are open:

U.S. SUBMARINE VETERANS INC.
WESTERN REGIONAL DIRECTOR
Dave Harnish
6509 West Devonshire Ave.
Phoenix, AZ 85033-3350
Home: 623-846-0367
Cell 602-526-6100
daveharnish@cox.net

April 1, 2008

Shipmates;

Effective immediately nominations are open for USSVI District Commander for USSVI WD’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Nominations will remain open until the close of business May 31, 2007. Base Commanders are encouraged to contact me at any time via email or cell phone, to discuss the nomination process. Those nominated must accept and agree to serve if elected. Election procedures will be discussed under a separate cover.

Any member desiring to nominate a member in good standing may do so via their Base Commander or via email, phone, or US Postal service to the Western Regional Director. The member making the nomination should ensure that the member being nominated is willing to serve as a district commander.

Duties of USSVI District Commanders as defined in Section 7 of the USSVI By-Laws: (B3/02)
The District Commander is directly responsible to the Region Director for the conduct of organizational business within his district.

The duties of the District Commanders shall include but not be limited to:
A. Assist the Base Commanders within their respective districts in the performance of their duties, to include providing assistance as required to insure the proper operation of base meetings and events, recruiting and retention.
B. Appoint all District committees, committee chairman and appointed officers as required to conduct District business.
C. Represent his respective District at official functions.
D. Assist the Regional Director with the oversight of the performance of all Base Commanders within his district; the performance guidelines having been established by the Region Director.
E. Approve Base bylaws, insuring compliance with National and State laws regulating the operation of the organization within his district (i.e. charting, maintaining non-profit status, etc.)
F. Actively promote the establishment of new bases with the assistance of the Base Development Committee.
G. Perform as liaison with other veteran organizations including SVWWII in their respective areas.
H. Annually prepare a written report on the ‘state of his district’ to be given to his Regional Director with copies for publication in each of the District’s Base Newsletters.
I. Serve as a member of the Board of Directors in an advisory capacity but without voting privileges.
J. Serve as a member of the Base Development Committee.
K. Serve as a member of the Awards Committee, as outlined in Article VI Section 15 (B4-02)
L. Prepare a “Turn Over” folder for his relief, containing all information and correspondence relative to his office.

Current Western District Commanders:

WD1, Jim Dunn, Perch Base
WD2, Dave Linker, Rocky Mountain Base
WD3, Charles Riley, Farragut Base
WD4, Bud Berg, Bremerton Base
WD5, Rocky Rockers, Dolphin Base
WD6, T. Michael Bircumshaw, Scamp Base

It is requested that all addressees acknowledge receipt of this communication via email, phone or US Postal service and ensure that it is made available to all voting members of your bases via base newsletters or as the Base Commander desires.

Fraternally,

Dave Harnish
USSVI Western Region Director

Don "Red" Bassler

Commander

USSVI Bremerton Base

360-479-1642

down-scope@comcast.net

More News of Interest to Submariners

Navy To Begin Testing Periscope Camera That Provides 360-Degree ViewBy Geoff Fein, Defense Daily, April 15, 2008

This summer, the Navy will begin testing a prototype advanced camera for Los Angeles-class submarine periscopes that will provide a 360-degree scan of the surrounding waters.

Developed by Massachusetts-based RemoteReality, the prototype will also provide nighttime views using an infrared sensor, Dennis McGinn, chairman and chief executive officer, told Defense Daily in a recent interview.

One idea behind the company's prototype is to enable submarines to get a quick 360-degree view, thus avoiding prolonged exposure by the boat's periscope.

McGinn, a retired vice admiral, said that his experience in anti-submarine warfare (ASW) exercises demonstrated that a large percentage of submarines were detected either by visual sighting or radar detection of a periscope or the wake of a periscope.

"Submariners, from a self-protection standpoint ...defensive standpoint...try to maintain their stealth profile to minimize the time they have something sticking up above the waves," he said.

But the primary driver for RemoteReality's system is to help boats avoid incidents such as the 2001 collision between the USS Greeneville (SSN-772) and the Japanese fishing vessel Ehime Maru near Oahu, Hawaii.

"Part of the board of inquiry that was done afterward determined [the Greeneville] had gone up to periscope depth, but because of a combination of the water conditions and the limitations of the field of view, the scan rate around the horizon by the periscope, they had missed the presence of the ship and they assumed that nothing was there," said McGinn, who was the deputy chief of naval operations for warfare requirements and programs before retiring.

"With a system like ours they would have been able to get that quick look...as they were positioning for the maneuver they were going to do and then they would have detected [the Ehime Maru]," he added.

Right now submarines have various sensors on the periscope, but they all have the common characteristics of a limited field of view, McGinn noted. "With our day/night periscope system on there, you put the periscope up and have an instantaneous picture all the way around the horizon...360-degrees, without having to turn the periscope or the camera to compensate for the limited field of view."

The image can then be displayed in a panoramic view on a flat screen monitor--divided into two 180-degree, undistorted, views, McGinn said.

RemoteReality is working with the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) in Newport, R.I., on installation and testing of the prototype.

"It's in the process [of being installed]," McGinn said. "The key milestone we are pleased to see, they are going to take it out to sea in the Pacific in June."

The day/night 360-degree camera consists of two optic systems, lenses, that provide the 360-degree panoramic view. One sensor is for daytime, visual light while the other is for infrared. The signal is then fed down to existing display systems in the submarine's command center, he added.

"We have worked with NUWC as far as the best way to integrate the product of these sensors into the existing displays," McGinn said.

RemoteReality has been using common off-the-shelf modules to avoid a situation where the submarine has this wonderful sensor, but there is a horrible integration problem, McGinn said.

"We eliminate the integration problem right up front by the approach we have for using existing software modules," he added.

"One of the things we are really proud about, as a small high tech company, we were able to meet very, very stringent standards. The real estate on a submarine periscope is precious, and the challenge is to get the right size package that is compatible with other sensors and electronics, and the mechanical gear in that very, very limited space," McGinn said. "We were able to do that very smoothly, right on time, and the relationship with the Navy engineers at NUWC and the program office has just been superb."

The company has also been exploring surface and land uses for this technology too, McGinn added.

They have been working with the Coastal Area Protection System program office at Panama City, Fla. McGinn said the technology is deployed down there.

"It has a lot of great capability [that] it brings to the mission area of coastal area protection, harbor protection--from both a security standpoint and safety and monitoring standpoint," he said.

The technology has also been deployed on Humvees, and McGinn sees the potential for the camera's use on Bradley Fighting Vehicles and Abrams Tanks to improve situational awareness and driver vision enhancement.

VETERANS; ACTIVE DUTY, RETIRED, all Era’s…SPOUSES, WIDOWS, DEPENDENT CHILDREN, Reservists, National Guard…

SEMINAR ON VA BENEFITS

HOW TO HELP YOURSELF and OTHERS….REGARDING VETERANS BENEFITS!

SATURDAY 10 MAY 2008 10:00AM til 4:00PM

Breakfast or Lunch available 7AM-2PM

LOCATION:

FLEET RESERVE ASSOCIATION BRANCH 29

521 National Ave. South

Bremerton, Washington

Questions: How to reopen your claim for increase?

What does “aggravation” mean relating to a service related problem.

What documents are necessary when filing a claim?

Are you aware you are entitled to dependent allowance when you receive 30% service connected disability?

Has your service connected condition changed?

When did you last update your claim?

Learn how to help each other.

Where to get help?

For more information Contact:

Lena Swanson (360)-377-7011

2008 Soup Down Sked

11:45 Start Time

1-4	Sunset Grill, 4926 Point Fosdick Dr NW, Gig Harbor
11	Keeper's Cove Restaurant,7989 Salish Lane NE, Kingston
18	Pats Restaurant, East Bremerton
25	Aztecca, Silverdale
2-1	Harbor Rock Cafe, 6565 Kimball Dr , Gig Harbor
8	Boat Shed, Bremerton, under the Manette Bridge
15	Azteca, 19045 Highway 305, Poulsbo
22	Tony's, 4908 Kitsap Way, Bremerton
29	Clear Water Casino, Suquamish
3-7	Silver City Brewery, 2799 NW Myhre Rd, Silverdale
14	JJ's Fish House, 18881 Front St NE, Poulsbo
21	Red Robin, 10455 Silverdale Way Nw, Silverdale, WA 98383
28	Cloverleaf Sports Bar and Grill, 1240 Hollis St, Bremerton
4-4	FRA #29, 521 National Ave, Bremerton
11	Brother Don's, 4200 Kitsap Way, Bremerton
18	Whiskey Creek, 1918 Washington Street, Keyport
25	Sunset Grill, 4926 Point Fosdick Dr NW, Gig Harbor
5-2	Sizzler, 3558 Wheaton Way Bremerton, WA
9	Mandarin, 2928 Nw Bucklin Hill Rd, Silverdale, Next to Azteca
16	Ceasar's Restaurant, 3621 Wheaton Way, East Bremerton
23	Airport Diner, Bremerton Airport
30	Aztecca, Silverdale
6-6	2 Margaritas, 10600 Silverdale Way, Silverdale
13	Pats Restaurant, East Bremerton
20	Whiskey Creek, 1918 Washington Street, Keyport
27	Brother Don's, 4200 Kitsap Way, Bremerton

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