Keeping the blogosphere posted on the goings on of the world of submarines since late 2004... and mocking and belittling general foolishness wherever it may be found. Idaho's first and foremost submarine blog. (If you don't like something on this blog, please E-mail me; don't call me at home.)
(Intel Source: Chapomatic) Having never been to Holy Loch, I was not aware that there was an official "Polaris Tartan", but it turns out there is one. Not only that, a SUBVETS chapter is proposing that this be designated as the "Official Organizational Tartan" for USSVI.
posted by Bubblehead at 8:43 AM
I'm Joel Kennedy -- a married, 50-something year old retired submarine officer and esophageal cancer survivor with three kids who has finally made the transition to civilian life. Politically, I'm a Radical Moderate. (If you don't like something on this blog, please E-mail me. Don't call me at home.)
14 Comments:
While in Holy Loch in the early eighties I purchased a tie and a shirt in the Polaris tartan at Strone House. They come out on occasion.
2/01/2010 8:57 AM
Ah, Dunoon, what a great little town. Pubs and fish and chips, and shops and pubs, and wool sweaters and pewter hip flasks, and warm beer and scotch, and rain that came down in sideways sheets, and overcast skies, and that long pier, and the boat ride to the tender. Those were the days my friends. A guy from the other crew threw a tenderpuke over the side of the pier at low tide. Jacked that boy up. Squadron secured both crews' liberty until the boat left on patrol. We left for the states in two days, the other crew had a whole refit to do... Sucked to be them. Remember unshipping warshots in-between vomiting spells over the side... God, what a hangover.
2/01/2010 12:38 PM
ret.cob,
You forgot the smell of malt vinegar on the Mike boats, the horizontal sleet and snow, and that that really long surface transit to the dive point which was soooo much fun in those winter storms.
2/01/2010 1:55 PM
And sweeping snow from the eject chamber to load a missile.
And my chief FT coming back from the beach laughing his ass off: "Have you ever met a girl who wore corduroy knickers?"
2/01/2010 2:37 PM
Just want to be the first to say it - a kilt in the official tartan or other design would perhaps be appreciated by a certain former base CO...easy access.
2/01/2010 4:50 PM
"Does this mean there's going to be an upswell in the number of Submarine veterans wearing kilts?"
Would this question more appropriate on the DADT thread?
2/01/2010 5:02 PM
the Naval Academy Pipes and Drums bagpipe group wears the Polaris Tartan for parades. They look SOOOOOOOOO cool. Second the thought on the Weapons Station CO. It might make the arrest at 9 in the morning easier though.
2/01/2010 7:40 PM
"Paid for a BJ? No officer, I hired this fine young woman to inspect the hem on my kilt."
2/02/2010 6:06 AM
When I was in active duty mostly thought about getting out . When I was in refit in Holy Loch I mostly thought about going to sea and 6 on/12 off. When I was on watch I mostly thought about getting off watch. When I was on patrol I mostly thought about off crew and R & R. When it was feild day I mostly thought about hitting the rack. When I was on off crew I mostly thought about not wanting to go on patrol.
But when I was on liberty in Holy Loch during summertime refits, when the sun was still up at 10:00pm, I was mostly thinking about how much fun it was to be a young "straight" guy in Scotland, setting on the steps of the chruch across the street from the fish & chips place, eating the F & C and totally enjoying the moment.
Youth is wasted on the young? For the most part it is. We were young, we were being paid to go visit foreign shores. No one was shooting at us. We were bumping heads with Soviet trawlers, we were having the adventures of a lifetime. And although I was aware of all of this, I was still devoting most of my brain power to what I didn't have at that moment.
Mulligan
2/02/2010 11:48 AM
Happy commissioning day, Joel!
captcha: porman - what I was upon leaving OCS 21 years ago
2/03/2010 1:06 PM
@ ret cob, lou, and Mulligan: I was there in the early/mid 80's myself (626). What memories you guys stir up - I can see and smell and taste it all like it was yesterday... ahh, those were great days. I'm allergic to fish, but I had the scotch eggs or the chicken from Ferry's. "Salt&vinegarluv?" Absolutely! Aeaven!
After talking with my dad about his days there in the early-mid-late 60's (599), it hadn't changed at all. It was a place frozen in time.
2/04/2010 12:05 PM
When I was in active duty mostly thought about getting out . When I was in refit in Holy Loch I mostly thought about going to sea and 6 on/12 off. When I was on watch I mostly thought about getting off watch. When I was on patrol I mostly thought about off crew and R & R. When it was feild day I mostly thought about hitting the rack. When I was on off crew I mostly thought about not wanting to go on patrol.
But when I was on liberty in Holy Loch during summertime refits, when the sun was still up at 10:00pm, I was mostly thinking about how much fun it was to be a young "straight" guy in Scotland, setting on the steps of the chruch across the street from the fish & chips place, eating the F & C and totally enjoying the moment.
Youth is wasted on the young? For the most part it is. We were young, we were being paid to go visit foreign shores. No one was shooting at us. We were bumping heads with Soviet trawlers, we were having the adventures of a lifetime. And although I was aware of all of this, I was still devoting most of my brain power to what I didn't have at that moment.
Outstanding post. I spent too much time in overseas ports doing the same, instead of living in the moment. So many things I would have done if I only had the gift of time travel.
2/04/2010 2:11 PM
@ 630-738:
I did go see some cool stuff and went to some cool places in the few port calls I had... and I got drunk there, too! LOL!
2/05/2010 6:38 AM
I personally hope that the Polaris Military Tartan is adopted by the USSVI. The Academy Pipers look great at their performances and it is a nice way to honor Boat Sailors and the tie to the Great People of Scotland.
I too wasted a lot of time not living in the moment. That time machine would make a lot of money from us all.
3/18/2013 11:59 AM
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