'Twas the Night Before Christmas - Submarine Style!
The official Christmas video from the Submarine Force!
Whoever put this together did a pretty impressive job of coordination. BZ to them, and Merry Christmas to all Submariners and those who love them!
The Submarine Force normally does a good job of getting boats home for Christmas if at all possible. Here's a video of USS Miami (SSN 755) returning home to Groton last week after a five month deployment. That being said, there always have to be at least a few boats at sea for the holiday. What are your favorite (or most intense) submarine-related Christmas memories?
posted by Bubblehead at 7:16 AM
46 Comments:
On the louisville, we were on station for xmas, we had a blind auction on things and one of the guys in my division bought a box of chopsticks for $35. We all put chopsticks in the pen holder on our poopie suits, and after a week were told we had to stop because the command thought the chopsticks were some sort of anti-navy thing.
12/22/2011 7:51 AM
MSP, 29 December 2006, Plymouth, UK.
12/22/2011 8:33 AM
(Falls into the "Most-Intense" category, BTW)
12/22/2011 8:33 AM
HGR SSN709, Christmas 1985, Outboard the tender in beautiful La Maddalena, Italy
12/22/2011 8:39 AM
Xmas, 1990, in a strip club in Charleston, SC. getting a BJ.
12/22/2011 8:45 AM
Christmas 1965 in Yokosuka, Japan. Christmas, 1966 underway in route to Naha, Okinawa instead of Hong Kong (last minute change - we were supposed to be in Hong Kong for Christmas); Christmas 1972 in the North Atlantic (as close as I am legally allowed to mention); and my last Christmas underway in 1981 in the Irish Sea on MODALERT so another SSBN could be in port for Christmas.
12/22/2011 9:11 AM
I spent 2 Christmases out at sea in a row due to the rotation of the boomer I was on.
But that was not as bad as the intentional inturruption of the July 4th surf/turf dinner that we experienced one summer. The jerk in charge of sending the messages out intentionally timed the message so that 5 minutes after dinner time on EVERY alert boat in the Atlantic had to respond to the message and go through the half-hour exercise.
I thought my CO was going to launch a missile at the comm center he was so enraged by the childish stunt to ruin a holiday dinner for everyone out at sea.
12/22/2011 9:55 AM
STS2 @0751 - what year was that? I was on LOUISVILLE in 2002 and we were on station for Christmas - the CO and COB bought a bunch of kazoos and on Christmas Eve played Christmas carols on them on the mess decks.
12/22/2011 10:29 AM
To this day one of my most memorable Christmas's ever was onboard USS TECUMSEH SSBN 628 Gold in 1982, the whole time we were alert there had been rumors of a P to A leak, as soon as we came of alert the nucs entered the RC and lo and behold the rumors were true. So stuck somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic we thought we had two choices, head back to the barn in Charleston and be home for Christmas as planned or go to Holy Loch for a quick turnaround repairs and make it home for Christmas...SUBLANT chose Holy Loch and the quick turnaround turned into weeks and Christmas was spent in the Loch broke. The decision was made not to fly the blue crew out so they got Christmas at home and we sat around wondering if and when we would ever get underway. It was a bit depressing but there was/is something special about that crew/boat (IMHO). So we MT's made a tree from cardboard and hung it on tube three, we made our own ornaments, using colored markers we colored a bunch of 387 light bulbs (used for the indicators for launcher) and wired them up to a battery. As I stood watch at Launcher in the Missile Compartment we sang carols on the 35MC. Our cooks made an outstanding meal of prime rib, lobster, turkey with all the fixin's and it was movie marathon on the mess decks. We were family, we are brothers. As I enter my 34th year of Naval Service every Christmas I remember this special time with a special boat and crew. If I don't get time to say it, Merry Christmas Shipmates.
12/22/2011 11:00 AM
I was always touched and thankful that the single guys stepped up during Christmas and traded duty days with guys who had families.
Thanks guys! ...and a Merry Christmas to you all.
Old chief from the dark ages
Jerry
12/22/2011 2:06 PM
Having midwatch back aft and finding a picture of a decorated pump in the night orders and looking up after a few minutes of midnight entry scribbling to see an alarm panel lit up with a christmas tree design for the midnight checks.
I could only bring myself to half-heartedly chastise the other ER watchstanders for their midnight entries that all had some form of merry christmas in them...and I'll admit that I let the AEA spread cheer around for a while with an EB red santa hat and blank-log-page beard.
12/22/2011 3:57 PM
I'm always surprised how creative our sailors got with the midnight entries for Christmas. I think the best I saw was someone make the entry so it spelled "Merry Christmas" vertically on the midnight entry. Has anyone ever taken a hit for by ISIC or NR for the logs being to creative?
12/22/2011 4:05 PM
It's been my experience that instructions regarding logs and records only direct WHAT to log, not HOW it is logged. As long as all the requirements are met, knock yourself out :)
12/22/2011 4:08 PM
Christmas 1980 heading home from WestPac, due to pull into homeport on December 23rd. Fortunately for us, on our recently completed upkeep in Guam, we had traded a broken piece of our hardware for a good one that belonged to a boomer, accidentally putting them in a significantly reduced status (the two parts looked identical, but it turns out they weren't quite the same). We got to pull into homeport a day early to give them back that piece of hardware so they could go on patrol on schedule. Christmas day on the beach and I met a young lady who called me something other than "Joe." It was a Merry Christmas all the way around.
12/22/2011 9:50 PM
My Sailor is out for his very first deployment - Missing every holiday since Halloween and probably no contact for the rest of the run (whenever that ends). It's also our first married Christmas, so I know he's struggling. GREAT to hear read some of these and have peace of mind! I'm sure he'll find a way to have fun w/o us. I would love to read about any Christmas goodies the COBs or FRGs may have worked out that put a smile on your faces as well!
12/23/2011 12:07 AM
Anon...
It was Xmas 1998
12/23/2011 6:42 AM
... we made our own ornaments, using colored markers we colored a bunch of 387 light bulbs (used for the indicators for launcher) and wired them up to a battery.
387 bulbs? That bring back memories from Launcher watches. Do they still use those things.
I never had a Christmas at sea, but my thanks for your service to all that did.
12/23/2011 7:28 AM
Christmas Eve, 1988--first underway on Buffalo, coming back from places unmentionable (think NUC time.) I got caught in FCML passageway, hauled down to Torpedo Room, taped, Mobil Red in shorts and t-shirt, hickies, and whiteout on forehead. Hauled up to mess decks and sat on the deck while crew was watching Sound of Music, one guy shoved me back (found out later XO was walking by.) Hauled back to horseshoe behind Maneuvering where E-Div Chief made them untape/ty-wrap me, and they sang, "We Wish You A Merry Christmas."
But standing RT later, "Santa" gave me some geedunk on watch--a big thing when you've been out for 60 days and that sort of thing is running way short.
12/23/2011 7:45 AM
From a guy who has served his time and will never spend another holiday underway. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all our service members and especially my submarine shipmates. To all those who have ever spent a holiday punching holes in an ocean somewhere keeping the rest of us safe thank you shipmates.
12/23/2011 7:54 AM
To j.darling - Not in any particular order since the same thing happened on a number of the boats I spent the holidays aboard-1) Mysterious boxes loaded into the torpedo room in August marked 'COB Only' that in December turned out to have two artificial Christmas trees, a Santa Suit, and stockings (with names and some personal gifts) for all the crew, married and not, that were distributed by "Santa" on Christmas Day; 2) The Wardroom spouses and girlfriends took pictures of their legs in net Christmas stockings and the Wardrooom had to select their significent other's legs (CO had the key so that corrections could be made when the wrong legs were selected); 3) Making cranberry and popcorn strings for the Wardroom Christmas tree since some of the ornaments were broken during some rough seaa; and 4) at home, holding a family Christmas party for the opposite crew making sure each child got a personal present including a message from their Dad that was taped before the crew left for patrol. Another moving moment at sea was the XO reading the Christmas gospel on the 1MC (Probably frowned upon in today's PC environment).
12/23/2011 9:16 AM
Xmas 83, two boats in PACFLT at sea on Christmas (us and the boat we were relieving). Mess crank spilled water into my plate (eggs actually float). On watch in ERLL singing a somewhat warped version of I'm dreaming of a WHITE Christmas (I was pumping bilges at the time) when the CO walks thru. I'm not sure if I'd ever seen him in the ER before, much less ERLL. I don't remember him saying anything....just a glare (in other words.....situation normal).
12/23/2011 11:28 AM
USS Barbel SS-580. Christmas 1970, inport Yokosuka Japan. I was Duty Chief and "Hollywood" Art Van Saun was the Duty Officer. Art invited the duty section to join him for Christmas dinner in the Wardroom. Art showed us the most important gift he received from his wife, a knitted cock-sock with ball warmer.
USNS Kiska T-AE-35, Christmas 2004. Anchored out Koror Palau. Water temp 82 degrees, air temp low 90's. Progressive dinner ashore starting at the Jetty Bar and Grill with pupu's and the local brew, Red Rooster. Next moved to a restaurant for a full sitdown meal followed by kareoke.
USNS Kiska T-AE-35 Christmas 2006 anchored out Garapan, Saipan CNMI. A great three day run ashore!!!
Keep a zero bubble...........
DBFTMC(SS)USNRET
Bubblehead,
Just saw reference to Navy Times story about Kentucky CO fired--whats up with that??
12/23/2011 12:51 PM
We had a Christmas Tree contest on the 633B in 88 or 89. The MT's had a great tree made out of greenies, but the nukes won with a tree made out of old welding wire/rods, green sleeving, and light strings on the tree made by the ETs. We made ornaments out of light bulds of varying sizes. We mounted stockings (yellow booties) in the overhead of the Tunnel with everybody's first name on it, including the CO and XO.
12/23/2011 12:52 PM
To bad we couldn't have a couple WWII Christmas stories appear this evening
Old TMCSS DBF
12/23/2011 6:13 PM
Did a port visit in Yoko during Christmas, early 90's. Met a lonely dependent wife whose husband was in the Gulf on a carrier.
Bonus for me! Banged her for a few days, got some good meals and bought my wife a nice diamond ring (had plenty of money since I was out on the Honch drinking).
Santa works in mysterious ways!
12/23/2011 7:25 PM
From Gene Fluckey's "Thunder Below" -
At supper time on Christmas Eve, training paused. Someone had drawn a Christmas tree on the back of a chart and hung it on the bulkhead in the crew's mess. Others joined in and drew ornaments. A spirit of longing cheerfulness pervaded. Would that we could have Peace on Earth, Good Will toward Mankind.
In my cabin, I unwrapped a number of packages for the men sent to me by their sweethearts and families as a surprise, asking me to slip the Christmas present under our Christmas tree. The more I thought about our tree, the more it came alive. Its spirit grew until it became as precious as any tree in the whole world. I stopped, realizing the young child in me still wanted to believe in Santa Claus....
Buy the book and read it all - it's an important part of your submarine heritage!
12/23/2011 8:04 PM
From the willy r pig boat late 80s merry f#&%ng christmas
12/23/2011 9:59 PM
Going to Anderson AFB Exchange food court today, and seeing THAT video playing on the Air Force Command channel. Nuthin better than that!
Floriduh 1999, up for 2 days fixing the trash compactor, we'd only been on patrol for a week or two, finally we pulled a nook and had him weld the damn thing.
hagar
12/23/2011 10:04 PM
USS HOUSTON (SSN 713) Christmas 2008 - our dbag captain got us underway on Christmas Eve for sea trials from PHNSY at the end of our DSRA, we had some major equipment break but couldn't pull in Christmas day to fix it because no one was working back in Pearl, so we pulled in on the 26th having accomplished nothing except pissing off the PHNSY engineers / techs who rode with us and missing Christmas. Talk about something that didn't need to happen.
12/23/2011 10:45 PM
Underway for deployment, figured out I had remembered the candles, dreidels, and even some candy gelt, but forgotten the small menorah I take underway for Hannukah. E-div gave me a silver-colored piece of bus bar, A-gang gave me some pristine NiCu nuts, and using my own secret stash of MILSPEC (unauthorized but very useful when plastic connectors break) superglue, I hand-crafted a respectable menorah underway. One of my brother Chief's wives had made up peronalized little red stockings with names on them that the COB filled with gee dunk that were hung from the cabinets in the Quarters.. Next to all of them was a gold and blue crocheted stocking with a Star of David on it. I thought that was pretty cool and it made feel very included (first year Chief at the time). CO authorized open flame (but no smoking) in the Goatlocker and I was able to show and explain lighting the candles and playing dreidel to the Mess and later to the crew in CM.
12/24/2011 8:00 AM
La Madd
*forgive me, I did 3 Christmas stops there and I can't remember which stop this was - late 80's or early 90's*
During this particular Christmas upkeep in La Madd, on New Year's Day, one of the Italian guards on the rock decided to stroll out of the guard shack and to the flag pole and shoot his head off. The liberty launches were secured for hours. It was a real downer.
ETC(SS) Juan Valdez
12/24/2011 9:46 AM
I have been married for almost 11 years and my husband and I have been fortunate enough to be apart for just two Christmases. The first one was because I was gone and this year it is because my husband is gone.
I guess he is on one of the few subs that are gone for Christmas.
When I was gone we had a door decorating contest and for once, one of the Divisions on Reactor Department actually placed. We drew a Homer Simpson getting electrocuted in a puddle of water and made a strand of lights soldered together with some wire and connected it to a 9 volt battery. Then we played some Christmas music. We got a runner up and won a day of special liberty. On Christmas Day I bagged the turbine generator watch. Not a shining moment for me but that is the way it goes sometimes. I slept right through my alarm clock.
12/24/2011 11:42 AM
Getting counter-detected by Santa Claus: that's going to be a critique.
12/24/2011 12:22 PM
Did a port visit in Yoko during Christmas, early 90's. Met a lonely dependent wife whose husband was in the Gulf on a carrier.
Bonus for me! Banged her for a few days, got some good meals and bought my wife a nice diamond ring (had plenty of money since I was out on the Honch drinking).
Santa works in mysterious ways!
Looks like you mispelled "Satan."
12/24/2011 12:49 PM
On the Jesusfish, Naples 1988. USO got a bunch of tickets for us to see the pope's midnight Christmas mass in the Vatican. Cool thing to see even if you aren't catholic. Unfortunately, one of our A-gangers enjoyed too much wine at the dinner beforehand, and ended up puking in St. Peter's. I remember the whole bus singing "Silent Night" on the ride back to Naples, and realizing how much it sucked being away from home on Christmas.
Incidentally, that was a few days after the Pan Am 103 flight was blown up over Scotland. Turned out that one of our crewmembers was related to one of the pilots on that flight.
12/24/2011 3:33 PM
24 years and only 1 Christmas away from home. Return to SD from WestPac on the 23rd my third Navy Christmas. Had Santa and elf to greet kids. Elf still had a case of Olongapo Love Drip. Christmas Duty Day On Shore Duty. Power was out at the house so took the wife and sons and all the gifts in with me. Neighbor called late afternoon to report power back. CMC and wife brought Christmas dinner to Duty Section. 1994 the last one and it was spent climbing Gibralter. Very fortunate. To all the guys who missed Christmas with the family Thanks for covering for me and mine. To all those still covering, Extra Thanks and we still think about you and yours. Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, and the Best to you and yours. To those who Stand and Wait an extra share of Plum Pudding and a nations Thanks.
12/24/2011 10:26 PM
Somehow I was lucky to never be underway for Christmas while in the Navy. The most memorable thing was the Topside watch called away a security alert for a suspicious individual wearing a red suit and had a beard. He dreamed it up on the spur of the moment and did it. So there we are topside with billy clubs, wrenches and moments later with firearms.
That same boat five days later, I had the duty and at midnight, I cut in air to the ships whistle and gave it a long blast.
12/25/2011 9:01 AM
Nice! I never made it into the Navy (although I was being chased by the recruiters to be a nuke attendee on a sub), but it seemed like it -- I spent at least 10 years worth of Christmases on Guam. My family would have many of our Navy friends and family over to our home for Christmas (if they were able to have shore leave). My dad was a sailor on an LST (Large Slow Target) in WWII, and spent a lot of time on the beaches and reefs of the Pacific--so he had a great affinity toward offering our home as a holiday gathering place for the military on Guam.
You've got a lot of great stories here--have you considered compiling them into a book? It's fascinating information.
I'd like to mention your blog on my Squidoo website that I've created on submarines. I'm also linking to you from my blogspot blogs.
12/25/2011 7:42 PM
On Christmas day on the Pittsburgh in Bahrain somewhere about 2002. We tied up to the barge that is tied to the pier and were setting up topside when the generator on the barge caught fire. We manned hose teams in OBA's and went to fight the fire. The barge guys wouldn't let us in to fight it and we thought they were crazy! Finally they shut the door and turned on the Halon system... Fire was out in no time! Fun times.
12/25/2011 10:28 PM
Very interesting post! Thanks for it.
12/26/2011 11:30 AM
SEVEN patrols underway at Christmas. We had it down to a science - store all the packages outboard the CO's cabin. Had written my daughter illustrated letters every duty day during refit in Rota, Tender chaplain mailed them for me. (It was really touching to see her showing them to my grandaughter) Made the mistake of having fresh flowers delivered to my wife for Christmas one year - the rest of the wives found out about it and I was in deep chimkhee.
12/27/2011 8:58 PM
STSC- I remember that little service, and learning about Hannuka from this experience. Hope you are well this holiday
12/29/2011 12:44 AM
happy holidays to everyone!!!!
12/29/2011 6:54 AM
Early in our marriage, my wife would travel to Indiana to stay with her folks when I went underway since she pretty much knew the boomer schedule. One year we pulled into Kings Bay for a surprise, mid-patrol break, right at Christmas Eve for a couple days. This was in the days of family grams, so she didn't know I was home until I got home. So, on my day off I went to our empty house and slept. I'll never forget that Christmas.
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2/10/2012 4:55 AM
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