Barry Lebens Memories of the Travails of Diodon in 1967

From: Barry Lebens blebens@netzero.net 
Sent: Thursday, May 11, 2000 5:13 PM

Barry Lebens, of the SS-349 then, remembers some details during that time.

There are parts of the '67 [WestPac] trip that I remember well and other parts are, as you said, partly blurred.  From your pictures on the web pages, I remember Grimes, but never did run into him after the Diodon.  Don't remember his first name either.

I spent just under 10 in the Navy.  Most of it on 2 other boats, USS Cutlass SS478, and they the USS Tunny, SSN682.  I did have one shore tour @ Treasure Island in San Francisco.............

Man, what a trip it is reliving the times we spent over in [WestPac].  I remember the barnacles on the superstructure and sail after that long trip.  I have always told people that it was a 43 day run, but if you have it as a 55 day run,  then I am corrected. 

I remember that I was in the rack, sleeping, when we "ran aground" just before getting into Okinawa, and that I was the first one to the watertight door between the after battery compartment and the Control room, and dogging it closed to the beat of the collision alarm. 

Then cruising the surface, after the R&R of Hong Kong, and the fire in maneuvering, and the rolls we were taking.  I had forgotten about the engines getting flooded.  I happened to be on [port lookout] watch when we were taking those side to side rolls, but I thought they were more severe, like maybe 75 port and 75 starboard. 

Do you  remember the Ships party in Yoko?  3 day affair as my gray matter says, but what the hell, that was only 34 years ago.

Did you visit my web site yet?  Look for "Our Real Page"  I have a really brief story there about me and my life here in NH.