Ahoy Diodon Shipmates (always wanted to say that),
First off, I have a new e-mail address - we changed to cable modem so had
to go to a new ISP also. The CoB said the old one was tooooo slow. It is
ss349@mchsi.com - updated 03-27-06
Jan (the CoB) & I just returned from a 2 month trip to Texas - avoided
several weeks of real cold weather so mission accomplished.
Enroute I talked with Doyle Guinn in Fort Worth. He is doing well and I
told him about the pending reunion in North Little Rock. It's about 285 miles
from Ft Worth to Little Rock so I hope he can make it when a date is set.
(Note: This morning I heard on the Ham Radio Sub Vets Network that papers are
being signed and the Razorback (SS-394) is being moved to the Turk's shipyard
for 30 days of prep, then the tow across the Atlantic with ETA North Little
Rock the first week in June). Doyle was able to fill me in on some first
names of the 56-57 Wespac crew we couldn't remember last year. Perski's is
Earl, Swede Jensen's is Nels and Hagen's is Mike - all were cooks.
Somewhere I found an address for Earl Crowley TM. He lives in Cincinnati,
OH. I need to write him and check out the address and bring him up to date on
the Diodon doings.
Also enroute, I talked with Pivo Kotrla. He lives close to Austin, TX. He's
doing fine and has a ranch with buffalo among other types of animals and
birds. He will try to make the Little Rock reunion if he can find some
responsible person to take care of the ranch while he is gone.
Had the opportunity to go aboard the USS Lexington (CVA-16) in
Corpus Christi. The personal tour guide was a Ham (as I am) who I had
previously talked with on the Ham bands. He is a Navy vet and served on the
carrier Intrepid. He is in the process of restoring the radio shack of the Lex
and broadcasts from there several times a week on the Amateur Bands. I rode up
to Corpus with another Navy vet and Ham whose was on Sub Tenders, the Proteus
and the Fulton. Neat to have those type of contacts.
Also had an opportunity to visit the USS Batfish (SS-310) in Muskogee, OK.
A subvet from Dallas, who is also a Ham radio operator, is on the Board of
Directors of the Batfish Museum. He met Jan and I there and we got another
personal tour. The Batfish, if you remember your WWII history, sunk 3 Japenese
subs in a 3 day period - a Navy Sub Hat Trick. The Batfish is nicely restored,
but not quite finished. I got a chance to go up into the conning tower - first
time since 1957. Going up and down the ladder wasn't as easy as I remember
it, but the SS radar was almost in tact and it brought back a flood of
memories. Same with the Loran, QHB Sonar, etc.
Well enough for now. Will keep in touch and hope to see you all at the
reunion in North Little Rock this fall.
Keep a Zero Bubble and Pressure in the Boat.
Don Messner
