I spent 21 years in the Navy. For the vast majority of that time I served in the submarine force. You would think that this
would mean that I got to spend lots of time in various ports of call and saw much of the world. This was only partially true. My first two submarines were what are known a Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarines or FBM’s and in Navy vernacular, “Boomers.” These submarines were part of the Nuclear Triad. This triad consisted of land based Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs), Air Force B52 (then B-1) bombers, and sea based ICBMs. These sea based missiles were carried by mobile platforms hidden deep beneath the sea. Hidden is the key word here. The job of a Boomer was to go to sea and hide. Once on patrol there were no port calls, no mail, and no fresh food. So, for about 72 of 105 days of each patrol cycle, Boomers were on patrol, cruising silently beneath the waves. The other 32 days were spent in home port refitting and preparing for the upcoming patrol. Boomers were two crew submarines - a Blue Crew and a Gold Crew.
On my first submarine, the USS Daniel Webster (SSBN 632), I was on the Gold crew. Our home port was in Holy Loch, Scotland. I mean that literally. When we were in port, we were tied alongside a submarine tender in the middle of the Loch. To get to shore, we had to board a “mike boat” which took us to a pier in the Scottish village of Sand Bank. The nearest town of any size was Dunoon which was locate seaward down the loch. I did six patrols on the Daniel Webster and 5 refits out of Scotland (we did one refit in Charleston, SC for a missile conversion). Now, during that time on the DW, I did get to see Edinburgh (they have a camera obscura located on the King’s Way on the way up to the castle), Glasgow, and a great deal of Dunoon. I have a good many photos from that time, but they haven’t yet been scanned. I will find a couple of them for this entry (the two I have in mind are of the Edinburgh Commons and the tender anchored in the loch).
The Daniel Webster in Holy Loch, Scotland
Sailboats in Holy Loch
The Commons in Ediburgh with the Castle
Dunoon at Low Tide
My second submarine was the USS Von Steuben, (SSBN632). On that boat, I was on the Blue Crew. I did 11 patrols on the Von Steuben, and it was by far my best tour of duty. That submarine was home-ported out of Kingsbay, Georgia (although when we were off-crew we lived in Charleston, SC). On the Von S, I got to visit the Bahamas and were got to spend quite a lot of time in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. That was about it. Still, she was a good boat with a fine Captain. But the ports were anything but exotic.
Church in Bermuda
Chopping Onions
My last ship was the USS Springfield, SSN 761. This submarine is what as known as a Fast Attack. I spent a little over two years on this ship before I finally retired. It was also the worst vessel. The captain and the XO were terrible. The ship was not well run, and the engineer was an idiot. But, I did see more ports of call on that ship than on any other. On that vessel I visited Bermuda, the Bahamas, Nova Scotia, Macedonia, Italy (several times), France,Sardinia, and Crete,
The Springfield in Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico
The Springfield in Naples Harbor
Mount Vesuvius as seen from Naple Harbor
Public Building in Sardinia
Macedonian Tower
Castle in Naples
Ironically, I’ve done more and better photography since leaving the Navy than I ever did when I was in the Navy. I wish I had had half the skills that I have now when I was in the Navy. But, I have more time (and energy) for photography than I did when I was in the Navy, as well as access to online forums like Photography-on-the-Net and Photo Net that didn’t exist when I was still in the Navy.
Mediterranean Village
So, there is a little more of my photographic history. Don’t hold it against me.
would mean that I got to spend lots of time in various ports of call and saw much of the world. This was only partially true. My first two submarines were what are known a Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarines or FBM’s and in Navy vernacular, “Boomers.” These submarines were part of the Nuclear Triad. This triad consisted of land based Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs), Air Force B52 (then B-1) bombers, and sea based ICBMs. These sea based missiles were carried by mobile platforms hidden deep beneath the sea. Hidden is the key word here. The job of a Boomer was to go to sea and hide. Once on patrol there were no port calls, no mail, and no fresh food. So, for about 72 of 105 days of each patrol cycle, Boomers were on patrol, cruising silently beneath the waves. The other 32 days were spent in home port refitting and preparing for the upcoming patrol. Boomers were two crew submarines - a Blue Crew and a Gold Crew.
On my first submarine, the USS Daniel Webster (SSBN 632), I was on the Gold crew. Our home port was in Holy Loch, Scotland. I mean that literally. When we were in port, we were tied alongside a submarine tender in the middle of the Loch. To get to shore, we had to board a “mike boat” which took us to a pier in the Scottish village of Sand Bank. The nearest town of any size was Dunoon which was locate seaward down the loch. I did six patrols on the Daniel Webster and 5 refits out of Scotland (we did one refit in Charleston, SC for a missile conversion). Now, during that time on the DW, I did get to see Edinburgh (they have a camera obscura located on the King’s Way on the way up to the castle), Glasgow, and a great deal of Dunoon. I have a good many photos from that time, but they haven’t yet been scanned. I will find a couple of them for this entry (the two I have in mind are of the Edinburgh Commons and the tender anchored in the loch).
The Daniel Webster in Holy Loch, Scotland
Sailboats in Holy Loch
The Commons in Ediburgh with the Castle
Dunoon at Low Tide
My second submarine was the USS Von Steuben, (SSBN632). On that boat, I was on the Blue Crew. I did 11 patrols on the Von Steuben, and it was by far my best tour of duty. That submarine was home-ported out of Kingsbay, Georgia (although when we were off-crew we lived in Charleston, SC). On the Von S, I got to visit the Bahamas and were got to spend quite a lot of time in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. That was about it. Still, she was a good boat with a fine Captain. But the ports were anything but exotic.
Church in Bermuda
Chopping Onions
My last ship was the USS Springfield, SSN 761. This submarine is what as known as a Fast Attack. I spent a little over two years on this ship before I finally retired. It was also the worst vessel. The captain and the XO were terrible. The ship was not well run, and the engineer was an idiot. But, I did see more ports of call on that ship than on any other. On that vessel I visited Bermuda, the Bahamas, Nova Scotia, Macedonia, Italy (several times), France,Sardinia, and Crete,
The Springfield in Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico
The Springfield in Naples Harbor
Mount Vesuvius as seen from Naple Harbor
Public Building in Sardinia
Macedonian Tower
Castle in Naples
Ironically, I’ve done more and better photography since leaving the Navy than I ever did when I was in the Navy. I wish I had had half the skills that I have now when I was in the Navy. But, I have more time (and energy) for photography than I did when I was in the Navy, as well as access to online forums like Photography-on-the-Net and Photo Net that didn’t exist when I was still in the Navy.
Mediterranean Village
So, there is a little more of my photographic history. Don’t hold it against me.
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