NAVY TRADITIONS

There are certain naval traditions that seem to stick in sailors' minds, one of the premier being the first time one crosses the equator. And so it was for my dad, as can be attested by the fact he kept his cards given to him on the completion of these tasks and brotherhoods for more than fifty years. Here are copies of three: the first celebrating his becoming a shellback, the second his passage through the Panama Canal, and the third his circumnavigation of South America, all aboard the submarine Sennet (SS 408).

USS SENNET (SS 408) II

The last submarine I remember my Dad serving aboard was the USS SENNET (SS 408). He enjoyed taking pictures, though seldom inside the vessel. Herewith a few shots taken underway and in various ports, and a few of individuals. I will use the identifications as noted. First, here is a nice shot of the boat underway in 1967. It was a Balao-class named for a kind of barracuda, and had been launched on 6 June 1944, which made it a fairly old boat. It managed to squeeze in four patrols in the Pacific at the end of WWII. The crew sank around ten ships during its run. When my Dad was aboard the Sennett was stationed at Charleston, S.C. and operated with the Atlantic Fleet. She was struck from service on 2 December 1968, and my Dad was part of the last crew. I remember him bringing mementos off of the ship, some of which he later donated to the Navy museum in Groton. I know we slept many times on the heavy bunk mattresses.

Two shots of the boat arriving at a pier at the Guantanamo Bay Navy Base, Cuba.

Here we have the boat sailing out of Guantanamo, June 1967.

CO Art Thompson presenting a Sennet plaque to Chaplain Jerry D. Moritz (TF 86 Staff) while in port at Punta Arenas, Chile, probably 1967. The shorter officer standing between and behind then is probably Bob Burnett. You can just see my father's face, touching his lid, right behind Thompson.

Here it looks like Rear Admiral Frederick J. Harlfinger (then operational commander for UNITAS VIII), also at Punta Arenas, October 1967, as he comes aboard. I do not know who the sailors were.

The crew assembled on deck for the visit. None of these men are identified.

Basically the same shot as the Gitmo one, but this time the Sennet is in the Straits of Magellan October 1967.

While in the Straits, we have a picture of Tom Luckman.

The CO, turned away from camera, escorts the vice president of Uruguay and the U.S. Ambassador to Uruguay on a visit to the boat. The officer identified facing the camera is Lt-jg Peter Kurtz.

The CO chats with the VP.

Here the Sennet enters Rio de Janiero, Brazil, November 1967.

While in Rio Dad visited Sugar Loaf aboard the cable car. Are these men also from Sennet? I don't know.

Much later, in 1968, not long before she is to end her service, she is anchored in the lagoon at Port Antonio, Jamaica. Her paint job seems much brighter here.

This officer is identified as Paul Thorn.

See also

http://sylvannovelust.blogspot.com/2014/08/uss-sennett-ss-408.html

http://sylvannovelust.blogspot.com/2009/08/dad-on-sennett.html

USS SENNETT (SS 408)

The ship I most associate my Dad with while he served in the Navy during his regular tour was the submarine USS SENNETT (SS 408), which he was about in the late 1960s. Perhaps 1966-1970. During that time I think he served an navigation, engineering, and executive officer. Herewith a few pictures at the end of her operational life, most likely shots off South America and the Antarctic. These are all likely official U. S. Navy photographs (though not marked), so I will give them credit.

Dad on Sennett

My old man served aboard the USS SENNET from around 1966 to 1968. I just found these pictures on a website devoted to the submarine (I think provided by him in most cases). Thought I would share them here as well. This is the boat:

My mom must have come aboard to visit Dad, sometime around 1968.

I think this pic was taken during a cruise around South America, most likely in port in Montevideo, Uruquay. My Dad is standing far right. The other officers (l to r) are identified as Larry Brownley, Victor (Gene) Clemons, Bob Burnett, Art Thompson (C.O.), Tom Luckman, and Jim Abbey.

Dad is in front of the trio of officer standing behing the speaker, his cap jauntily tilted forward!