SSN698 – BremertonReunion

Monument Project – Getting Underway

June 24, 2024June 29, 2024 challenyeeLeave a comment

Just this last week, 698 veterans Rich Crombie and I were privately invited to get an inside look at the progress on the Bremerton Monument Project (The “Project”).

The meeting was hosted by 698 commanding officers. Alan Beam together with the Chairman Jerry Logan and Navy League President Tom Zwolfer provided us the update.

REALITY

The discussion involved the extensive work they have accomplished including difficulties and surprises they have navigated. Importantly, they shared the good news about their achievements collaborating with Bremerton’s Mayor Greg Wheeler and former Mayor Patty Lent, along with essential problem solving with the City’s Public Works and Legal Departments. They addressed many fundamental issues, that only detailed, aggressive, and time consuming efforts could achieve.

No longer wishful thinking or mere imagination, the Project has reached the critical threshold in terms of being able to move forward to completion. There are mainly two major factors to be addressed and those will be highlighted later in this article.

One of the many points we discussed was the former location that was considered back in 2021 that was along the waterfront at Evergreen Park. The former design concept seemed attractive with the image of the sail positioned as though Bremerton was homeward bound in the Port Washington Narrows.

It turns out there are several reasons why that location had to be abandoned, not the least of which was the limited construction area and the discovery it was a capped environmental cleanup site that had previously been contaminated with fuel, creating a risk that could derail the Project with delays of unknown length.

In a long time Navy city like Bremerton, one may consider that finding an area that already hasn’t been occupied by a navy monument could be quite a task. Moreover, finding one that would garner support from the City and State, and be in a high traffic area along a major thoroughfare, and near the main entrance to the shipyard would be a coup.

This is the absolutely amazing location that was worked out by the Navy League and the Bremerton supporters.

This could be one of the most seen submarine monuments in a the city of monuments.

They were able to secure about an acre of land that will be reserved as a Bremerton city park space, in fact the memorial park will be called Bremerton Monument at Navy League Park, a place that when after the construction is completed the City of Bremerton has agreed to that they will be responsible to maintain.

This arrangement and the provision of real estate to be secured for a public monument park represents the long time synergy held between the Bremerton community, the Navy and the Bremertons (SSN-698 and CA-130).

**Bird’s eye view of Bremerton Monument Location (near red flag)** – source google maps

DESIGN

The board has engaged with celebrated local architect David Fergus, formerly of Rice, Fergus, Miller Architecture, who has developed a preliminary design that highlights both Bremerton, the submarine, and Bremerton, the cruiser. The majority of the components will be from the submarine, namely the sail, upper and lower rudder, stern planes, anchor, and fixed cleats.

Able to meet city ordinances and have the ability to be maintained by the City’s public works, the design is still subject to detailed development, but the initial design incorporates beautifully flowing walkways to capture the essence of ocean waters flowing, artistic color divided patterns, information and historical interest panels, a large landscaped park area with designated parking, not to mention the several components of the submarine that will adorn the monument grounds with the big Badfish sail as the focal piece.

**Preliminary Design of Bremerton Monument by Architect David Fergus**
source: Bremerton Monument Brief – Bremerton Navy League

OBJECTIVES

The official requests for the various components of the Bremerton have been made and, in response, the shipyard reports that they are scheduling the final cut up process to begin near the end of the year. With the way things have gone over the last many years with submarines in the shipyard pipeline, we need to take a deep breath, sit back, and relax. This leaves us with the one critical area we can all take part in to make this Project a reality.

FUNDING TARGET: $1,000,000 (1M)

The focus is now on securing funding the 1 million ready to go by the time construction begins. These costs are what you would imagine for a non-profit leading the way: transportation (albeit a short distance) the materials and the cost of qualified professional contractors and craftsman to drive the Project to completion.

With funding in place and once the Bremerton components are available, the project can be done within a few month period with the necessary contractors at the ready,

Donations will be made through Bremerton Navy League which is a 501(c)3. (Also for your reference, the BremertonNavyLeague website and the Bremerton Navy League Facebook.)

Any and all contributions are welcomed! $20,000 has been contributed to date.

Plans are being made to encourage donations from the public as well as other payment options and plans.

DONATION INSTRUCTIONS

Currently, donations designated for the Bremerton Monument at Navy League Park can be made by check to the Bremerton Navy League. Make notation on your check that it is for the Monument. Send your donations to:

Bremerton Monument

c/o Bremerton Navy League

PO Box 5719,

Bremerton, WA 98312

Check your company for matching donations!

LOOKING FORWARD

For many years now the focus of the alumni, at large, has been on the Bremerton’s retirement from her long service as a first-flight Los Angeles Class nuclear fast attack submarine. A well loved submarine many have called home away from home, have endured months at a time at sea, and have served years of sea time in pursuit of the nation’s defense interest. Many generations of submarine officers and men have battled with her against all odds in the shipyards from Commissioning to Decommissioning, and have become part of her storied history.

Adding to the Project Board: Rich Crombie and I have teamed up together before to help organize three alumni reunions, in 2016, 2018 and 2021. Rich has extensive experience in public speaking, working with the public and marketing, and I have kept tabs on the pulse of many of the Bremerton’s alumni and efforts to SaveThe698. We gladly accepted the invitation to join the Project’s board and to dedicate ourselves to help in the team effort to bring the Monument to completion.

There are various on-line events planned for the future that will allow the 698 Alumni and the public to hear directly from the board regarding the progress on the Project. I will post instructions and information as they become available.

While the trail that leads to the end of one life draws to a close, now we have an opportunity to begin anew in this effort to create life that surrounds the formation of the Bremerton Monument. This is an important juncture to transition from an ending of the boat’s life of service at sea, to a new course and a new life of prominence in her namesake city, a lasting rallying point for all of us who served as a Bremerton sailor and who support the cause to SaveThe698.

You can help make this happen.

Featured Image: The new shining star of the US Navy’s submarine fleet, USS Bremerton arriving in Bremerton, Washington, Fall 1982. Image courtesy of Donald Jones, Plankowner, USS Bremerton.

Tommy Cox

February 21, 2023 challenyee2 Comments

Written by: USS Bremerton SSN-698 Plankowner Russ Woods

My memory of a hero and my friend,

may he rest in peace.

From mid-June 1978 thru early 1979, Naval Submarine School, New London, spit out a group of swaggering, cocky, freshly minted Submariners, AKA “Boat Sailors”. One by one we reported to the Electric Boat shipyard in Groton, CT. to become crewman in the Pre-Commissioning Unit Bremerton SSN 698 which would become USS Bremerton.

We reported aboard standing tall and proud. We just knew the world revolved around us. As we checked in and learned of what was expected from each of us we discovered we were now part of Admiral Rickover’s Nuclear Navy.

There was serious work being done, requiring the full attention of serious men. Every Monday, we would arrive bright and early, 6’2”, shoulders straight and chest swollen with pride. Each successive day the responsibility and accountability of our duties weighed us down. As we exited the building ways on Friday afternoon we were now more like 5’ 8” and a bit bent over from the load.

Fortunately for us, just down the road at Norm’s “Tug Boat Annie’s Lounge” there was the Submarine Troubadour, Tommy Cox and his band. Tommy Cox, “TC”, “Tango Charlie”, whatever you called him, he was one of us. He was a recently retired Senior Chief, whose specialty in the Navy was as a Crypto Tech, a Spook, in plain English, he was a spy. He was part of the Special Ops group, that would report aboard a boat just prior to deployment on some Top Secret mission with specialized equipment, the Skipper would get him somewhere on the globe he needed to be and he would set about obtaining secrets our adversaries would rather stay unknown. His specialty was what the Submarine mission was most about during the “Cold War” years. And here on stage was this American Hero, regaling us FNG’s…. you know, “Fun New Guys”, with a song list of all the current Country and Western songs, interspersed with those of his own creation of the daring do of Submarines and Submariners whose shoulders we were standing upon.

His band was as they say in the music industry, “Tight”. Tommy’s voice boomed clear and crisp thru the mic and out the speakers of the Amps. For the “Bremerton Boys”, when we would hear, “Torpedo in the Water”, “Gitmo Blues”, “Seawolf” or any of the Submarine Ballads he would belt out our backs stiffened, our shoulders straightened and our chest swelled with pride. We were playing the game of “Blind Man’s Bluff” of which he sang.

This infusion of pride gave us the energy and will to head back down to the boat for the better part of two years as we oversaw the construction of what would become during our time the fastest submarine in the world. And 40 years later she would be de-commissioned as America’s longest serving submarine.

Uncle Sugar, certainly got his money’s worth with Bremerton. Many boats born after her went to the scrap heap years before her. Us Bremerton Boys, the “Plank Owners” choose to believe the standard of excellence that was created by that original crew, was passed down to successive crews for 4 decades, which allowed her to endure so long. That equation cannot be calculated without factoring in the contribution Tommy Cox, made to our pride and morale. So much so, moving forward, in my humble opinion, he should be recognized as an “Honorary Plank Owner” of USS Bremerton.

During this time several sailors of Bremerton, met and married the love of their life. Happily, to my knowledge they are all still together. A common theme of these weddings was Tommy and his band playing at their receptions. There was, is and always will be a special bond between the Bremerton Boys and Tommy and Sandy Cox.

Yes, Sandy, we can never leave you out either. How many weekend nights did you sit close by and support Tommy as he invigorated all of us with his music.

At this sad but inevitable time what gives us comfort is knowing Tommy’s voice is still being heard by the generations of cocky young bucks that are just now graduating from “Underwater U”, and by those who will come later. All of his songs are in my Spotify line up. When one of them comes on I sit up a bit taller in my pickup seat.

From all of the Bremerton Boy’s to Sandy and the entire Cox family we send our sincere condolences to you and we grieve with you the loss of Tommy. All I can say now is “Sailor, rest your oar. We have the watch”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybz_0JwuH58… Tommy Cox

698 Reunion Rap

February 18, 2023February 19, 2023 challenyeeLeave a comment

As of February 2023, the there is no expected “major” 698 reunion scheduled for this year.

Having said that… here’s some thoughts off the top of my head…

The wide world of creating a reunion is open to any anyone who has the time, drive and the initiative. There have been some successful reunions organized in the past by a variety of shipmates and this could be a good opportunity for others to step up with ideas for a reunion.

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Reunions by Connectability

There is no one way to organize and set the specs on an alumni gathering. A reunion can be anything from meeting with one shipmate, which requires little preparation, to a mass gathering of 100 that can be a passionate ordeal unless you are a professional event planner.

Groups and group ideas I’ve seen or have heard of in the past may be a small group that gets together just because they are a really tight circle and they gather every couple years in a place like Las Vegas, or a gathering for a camping and/or fishing trip, someone has access to a cool venue and invites their shipmates, maybe it’s a call to those who served during a particular year(s), someone mentioned an overnighter on a diesel boat, some have even called for participants on a particular WestPac, or under a certain COs. The possibilities can be quite endless.

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Veteran Activity: Inside a U.S. Army Airborne Association chapter —

There was an army association group I was involved in, the 11th Airborne Division had a national organization and then there would be all kinds of chapters which tended to be regional. My dad was involved in starting a chapter along with some of his fellow troopers who lived in the San Francisco bay area. They named their chapter after their commanding general in WWII who happened to live nearby.

In the early 1980s, about 10 veteran soldiers got together, they ranged in rank from Lt. General to private, and became the first charter members. They were presented aide-de-camp pins from Lt. General Joseph M. Swing in a ceremony at his home in San Francisco. Thus began their official Lt. General Joseph M. Swing Chapter of the 11th Airborne Division Association.

Once they went down that road, there’s a lot of meetings and record keeping for the non-profit status requirements. I do not think this format lends itself to individual submarine alumni groups but it was interesting to see how involved they were monument creation, community events, service events at the local VA hospital, parades, and giving talks at schools. Every year they would attend the Division reunion, a few I’ve been to, so it was quite organized and part of their lifestyle.

Their format would be most liken itself to the USSVI , where several 698 shipmates have taken leadership and membership roles within that organization.

There was also a renown Airborne sponsored event near Monterey, CA in Marina called Maggie’s Drop-In, named after “Colonel” Martha Raye, the patriotic entertainer who was awarded an honorary Green Beret for her support of soldiers during the Vietnam War. She would make her appearance at the annual and that was a popular gathering for all airborne soldiers and their families. It was highlighted by a massive BBQ and a parachute jump by by a special Army unit. You guys would have had a blast there, I’m sure. Being a submariner, the airborne guys I would meet would almost invariably say something to the effect of, “There’s no &%$#*@ way you’d get me on a submarine.”

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Planning Basics – Leadership and Accountability

Planning an event or setting the criteria for who is going to show up will have a lot to do with whoever is willing to call the shots and take on the mantle of organizing a team to put an event together. It really becomes the head organizer’s call and just becomes his prerogative as the lead. (Remember, we are not a monolithic national organization and like the Silent Service, we are all volunteers and often applying our limited resources to the task).

The head organizer or reunion committee, should best understand his/their limitations in regards to time, energy and the venue limitations. It’s a real commitment and more so the larger it gets.

Planning a large event requires a few more hats and budgeting the necessary time to be responsible for broader planning, communication, decisions and execution.

Major events necessarily require a more exhaustive organizing and planning just because it is in effect an open to all who ever served on 698, with considerations for family involvement, and a wide age range of people participating, working hotel accommodations, facilities, catering or working with restaurants with private rooms – sadly, it’s a bit more complex than getting together at a nice watering hole, most reminiscent of the days when all we could at the spur of the moment take off for the patio lounge of choice to watch an awesome sunset… and then six or more hours later, weave our back to the base and hit the rack and hope you didn’t have duty the next morning (Those were the days, my friends, we’d thought they never end…).

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Shipmate Psychology 101

It’s understandable that shipmates gravitate towards those they shared their personal experiences on the boat with, that’s natural and more easily organized.

Some ideas for reunion spots ideas that have popped up so far that are not 698 specific (Pearl, Bremerton, Groton, San Diego) have been

Charleston SC, Little Rock, and Indianapolis.

I bet there’s a Texan out there that would have some wild idea.

I saw two enthusiastic shipmates call for Olangapo.

Obviously, there are ongoing private gatherings of shipmates throughout the country getting together as life permits.

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FUTURE OF LARGE REUNIONS – GROTON, CT.

In discussions with previous reunion organizers involved with the INACTIVATION and DECOM reunions (held in Bremerton in 2018 and 2021 which were host to over 100 people on each occasion) our eyes are set on the boat’s “50th Anniversaries” (that’s plural) to be held in Groton, at least once, in either 2026, 2028 , and/or 2031 (those are special years for 698). Some information has been gathered already in regards organizing an event there by an industrious plankowner 698 TM/SS.

Groton, Connecticut offers attractions no matter who served on 698 or when. This includes SUB School, SUBASE, SHIPYARD, the local hangouts, all able to elicit your memories of your proud service, the camaraderie of your shipmates, and the pure essence of your introduction to the Silent Service.

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THE USSVI ALTERNATIVE

In regard to USSVI, their annual is in Arizona August 28-Sep2 (about) you can check their website. In lieu of a 698 National Organization (of which there is nothing of the sort), the USSVI can be a surrogate and arrange with your circle to meet at these events.

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USS BREMERTON CA-130

The CA 130 Bremerton group, once a regularly gathering group of the cruiser’s officers and crew and whose roster included several 698 guys , is no longer meeting, as far as I know. Sadly, Time takes its toll. Let us know if you heard anything different.

Their hopes that the submariners would help takeover the organization did not work out, but to no ones fault. If we look more closely, there are probably many demographic differences between a cruiser (larger crews) of an older generation with less distractions and a submarine crew (with less sailors) growing into the age of technology with every possible distraction known to mankind.

Nevertheless, the CA-130 sailors, hats off to them, they managed to have a viable group for a very long time.

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Getting the Word Out

There are some generic reunion websites out there, you are free to use them. As for this website, I can help make announcements. A non-social media website like this one helps to connect with those who are not members of the various social media apps.

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Volunteers

Do you have any event organizing experience and would like to be involved in future reunions?

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Your Vision of a Reunion

What are your ideas for a reunion or a good venue? What does your vision of a gathering look like?

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POST COMMENTS or CONTACT

Please comment below or send email to:

EMAIL: bremertonreunion.alumni@gmail.com

In Memory of USS Anchorage LSD-36

July 12, 2022July 17, 2022 challenyee1 Comment

Editor’s Note: This post is inspired by fellow Navy man, Michael P. McGrath, who served on the USS Anchorage LSD-36. He brought to our attention the demise of his ship at the hands of the USS Bremerton. As he puts it,

“No, I do not like it one bit …. but, if anyone was to sink my ship, I’m glad it was SSN-698. GO NAVY!” (See website at lsd36.com).

An ODE to the SHIPS we served

An excerpt from “The United States Navy” (422) by CAPT Edward L. Beach

“There always has been a mystique involving the self-contained little world of a large, well-founded ship, combating the far greater elements of wind and sky and the huge, trackless, sometimes malevolent sea. It was not lessened when the lovely square-riggers with their clouds of grey-brown canvas gave way, unwillingly, unavoidably, to steel behemoths powered by steam engines. There has always been something mysterious, and beautiful, about a ship on the bosom of the sea, something which makes men fall in love with her, even invest in her a living personality. But not only did a big ship become a living, sentient being to those who served her, she was also a community of kindred souls, of men who thought alike and worshipped at the same shrine. Never, even to the youngest sailor, has a ship been only a mechanism. To men who have devoted their lives to ships, any ship – but principally their own ship – becomes their reason for life itself…”

USS ANCHORAGE LSD-36

Commissioned: 15 March 1969

Received by the Deep/Target Ship: 17 July 2010 Sunk by a torpedo from USS Bremerton (SSN-698)

The following was excerpted from http://lsd36.com/Archives/SHIP-INFORMATION.html

“SHIP’S MISSION: To embark, deploy and land elements of a Marine Landing Force in an assault by helicopter, landing craft, amphibious vehicles or by a combination of these methods…

…USS Anchorage was equipped with machine shops and repair facilities, and along with two 50-ton Boat & Aircraft Cranes; one port, one starboard, could provide drydock services for vessels up to harbor tug in size. This is when the flight deck could be removed.

This ship could embark 302 troops and had extensive storage facilities, including 1,400 cubic feet for cargo and ammunition stowage and 8,400 square feet for vehicle storage. Her flight deck had one helicopter spot and could carry two LCAC (Landing Craft, Air Cushion) in their well decks. More landing craft could be carried if the Mezzanine Deck were removed…

USS Anchorage was the first ship to be named after Alaska’s largest city. The ship is lead ship of her class and is the fourth class of LSD to be built. Her motto is ‘Sui Generis’, meaning ‘unique; of its own kind’…

USS Anchorage saw 34 years of honorable service after being commissioned in 1969. Before decommissioning in 2003, USS Anchorage patrolled in three of the world’s oceans and countless trouble spots, deploying 19 times from her home ports of San Diego and Long Beach. USS Anchorage earned the distinction of being the most decorated dock landing ship on the West Coast with 16 awards.”

SINK-EX

During the 2010 SINK-EX, after being pounded by all sorts of weapons from the air and the surface, the noble Anchorage stayed afloat. Waiting patiently for her turn, the USS Bremerton was ordered to fire a single MK-48 ADCAP torpedo, and with a perfect shot sent the ex-USS Anchorage LSD-36 to her final resting place.

All images below are sources from the QuickTime video in the link below:

http://lsd36.com/Archives/(QuickTime video of MK48 sinking of the ex-USS Anchorage LSD-36)

USS Bremerton (SSN-698) approaches at periscope depth

A strong ship, it takes almost 22 minutes for the Anchorage to succumb to the death blow from Bremerton’s MK48, yet fate waits, and the ocean receives her.

The MK-48’s signature fatal buckling of the ship’s structure

The ocean is the Anchorage’s final resting place.

Editor’s Note: Thanks to several Badfish shipmates who chimed in to confirm this SINKEX activity in 2010, including Shane Madak, Gene Gard, Marlo DelPueblo, Matt Eliason, Jeffrey Tottingham, Randall Moore, Jared Simpson, Steven Ralph, Michael Gendron, John Scanlan, Ron Shirey and John Stolhand.