Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Jason Swink | Retired Master Chief Electrician’s Mate Howard G. Wagner, of the Bowfin Base...... read more read more
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JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR HICKAM, Hawaii – The breeze is light, the sun is bright and warm as it shines through a sparsely clouded sky. Sitting calmly in the water is the Los Angeles Class fast attack submarine, USS City of Corpus Christi (SSN 705), which is only hours away from getting underway on its final deployment to the western Pacific before it begins the decommissioning process.
The pier, however, is bustling with activity as families gather to bid their sailors farewell on this voyage and the smell of smoldering charcoal and grilled hamburgers permeates the air.
Supporting their submarine brothers, the veterans from the Bowfin Base Chapter of the U.S. Submarine Veterans Inc. (USSVI) are cooking one last barbecue for the sailors and their families to enjoy. All of these veterans are proudly wearing navy blue vests emblazoned with patches of the submarines they served on and commands they have been assigned to in their younger years.
“This is the final barbecue for the boat before deployment. We do this to show appreciation for the job they do and to tell the crew on board ‘good work.’ We are trying to build a legend on a legend,” said Paul Jurcsak, who has been leading the Bowfin Base for the past three years. Jurcsak has coordinated and participated in nearly 20 of these events during his tenure as head of the local USSVI chapter.
“We really appreciate their support on our last deployment. It’s great to see fellow vets send us on our way,” said Lt. Franklin Roberson, of Newport News, Virginia, USS City of Corpus Christi’s supply officer.
“We’re humbled to do this and pleased to give a good send off,” said John Dugan, vice commander of the Bowfin Base Chapter. “We’re amazed they thank us. It’s tearful for us seeing these kids go, but the only better event is seeing them come home.”
The USSVI was founded in 1965 by a group of U.S. submarine veterans of World War II. They shared a belief in the need for an organization open to all submariners, from the very beginning of the submarine service through to the present and into the future – and not limited to just those who served so ably on submarines in World War II.
“If you wear dolphins, you can join us,” says Jurcsak.
Submarine Force Pacific provides anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface ship warfare, precision land strike, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and early warning and special warfare capabilities to U.S. Pacific Command, and strategic deterrence capabilities to U.S. Strategic Command.
For more news from Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, visit www.csp.navy.mil.
| Date Taken: | 11.05.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 11.05.2015 22:17 |
| Story ID: | 181113 |
| Location: | PEARL HARBOR, HI, US |
| Web Views: | 821 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Submarine Veterans give back to shipmates going underway, by LT Brett Zimmerman, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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