"Dive! Dive! Dive!" A Tribute To The Submariners
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THE CACHE IS NOT AT THE POSTED COORDINATES!!! SEE BOTTOM FOR MORE....
Nano size. Bring your own pen. May need tweezers for the log.
******CONGRATULATIONS TO B4alltime FOR FIRST TO FIND******
With this cache I would like to honor my father and his memory. Dad was a submariner and a plank owner of the USS George Washington SSBN-598 and served in the US Navy in the late 50s and early 60s. I was going to hide and publish this one on his birthday, June 11th, but alas, I will be at sea on his birthday this year. Oh, the life of a mariner. I know that he would understand. Happy Birthday Dad.
I would also like to bring attention to the history of nearby Mare Island Naval Shipyard. Many of the submarines that were instrumental in winning the war in the Pacific Theater during World War II were built right across the way from where you are standing.
The USS George Washington's keel was laid down at Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics, Groton, Connecticut on 1 November 1957. The first of her class, she was launched on 9 June 1959 sponsored by Mrs. Robert B. Anderson, and commissioned on 30 December 1959 as SSBN-598[3] with Commander James B. Osborn in command of the Blue crew and Commander John L. From, Jr. in command of the Gold crew. George Washington left Groton 28 June 1960 for Cape Canaveral, Florida, where she loaded two Polaris missiles. Standing out into the Atlantic Missile Test Range with Rear Admiral William Raborn, head of the Polaris Submarine development program, on board as an observer, she successfully conducted the first Polaris missile launch from a submerged submarine on 20 July 1960. At 12:39 hours George Washington's commanding officer sent President Dwight Eisenhower the message: POLARIS - FROM OUT OF THE DEEP TO TARGET. PERFECT. Less than two hours later a second missile from the submarine also struck the impact area 1,100 nautical miles (2,037 kilometers) downrange.
George Washington then embarked her Gold crew, and on 30 July 1960 she launched two more missiles while submerged. Shakedown for the Gold crew ended at Groton on 30 August and the boat got underway from that port 28 October for Naval Weapons Station Charleston, to load her full complement of 16 Polaris missiles. There she was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation, after which her Blue crew took over and embarked on her first deterrent patrol. The submarine completed her first patrol after 66 days of submerged running on 21 January 1961, and put in at Naval Submarine Base New London at New London, Connecticut. The Gold crew took over and departed on her next patrol on 14 February 1961. After the patrol, she entered Holy Loch, Scotland, on 25 April 1961.
My father was there for the building and launching of the USS George Washington and was on board for the first Polaris Missile tests and was a member of the Blue Crew on the submarine's first voyage. I remember hearing stories of his time in both Connecticut and Florida and his tales not only of the submarine and life aboard, but of his frequent road trips in his '57 Corvette up and down the east coast between Cape Canaveral and Connecticut.
Looking across the water at Mare Island you see a ghost of what used to be a hustling, bustling Naval Yard that was the first Naval Shipyard on the west coast.
The U.S. Navy submarine force went to war against the Japanese Empire in December 1941 with orders to conduct unrestricted submarine warfare. By the end of World War II in September 1945, it had sunk a significant portion of the Japanese Navy and virtually wiped out their merchant fleet, effectively strangling the island nation. Success, however, came at a heavy price. Fifty-two of the 325 U.S. submarines that departed on war patrols during World War II were declared overdue, presumed lost. Their 3,500 crewmen today remain on what surviving shipmates reverently term eternal patrol, their final resting places in most cases known only to God.
Seven of the twenty-three submarines built at Mare Island between 1939 and 1943 that took part in World War II combat operations were among the fifty-two that never came home: USS Pompano (SS-181), USS Swordfish (SS-193), USS Gudgeon (SS-211), USS Trigger (SS-237), USS Wahoo (SS238), USS Tullibee (SS-284), and USS Tang (SS-306)
All in all, twenty-two Mare Island built or refurbished submarines got into the shooting war, and they alone accounted for the sinking of 252 enemy ships for a total of 988,357 tons of shipping. Mare Island built ships that served our Navy well. Submarine U.S.S. Wahoo which claimed record sinkings during WW II, was a Mare Island boat. Mare Island played a singularly significant role in bringing Japan to its knees in WW II through the submarines that were built there.
In the 1960's the decision was made to build nuclear submarines at Mare Island. The U.S.S. Sargo was the first, with 16 more following, ending with the launch of the U.S.S. Drum in 1970.
My Dad and all submariners were and are a special group of brave individuals and this cache honors my memories of my father and all the rest of the submariner fraternity.
Also, a special thanks to all those individuals involved in the designing and building of these awesome vessels, especially to those that worked across the way at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard. Mare Island was under US Naval command from 1853 to its closure in 1996.
ABOUT THE CACHE:
ABOVE COORDINATES ARE FOR GOOD NEARBY PARKING. IT IS ABOUT .5 MILE EASY WALK TO AND FROM THE CACHE FROM HERE.
CACHE COORDINATES:
This shouldn't be too difficult...
N 38 05.(A) (+6)
W 122 15.(B) (+6)
A= (USS S-17 + USS S-41 + USS R-23 + USS SS Thresher + USS SS Flier) - USS F-1
B= (USS SSN Nautilus + USS S-45 + USS K-6) - USS SS Nautilus
******READ EVERYTHING BELOW BEFORE ATTEMPTING******
The cache container is a nano. Please bring your own pen.
*** This area is frequented by muggles and extreme stealth is required..
*** The original container- see photos, proved to be too much of a temptation and went missing. I have replaced the container with something, that while less unique and fun, is more practical.
If you like, please note in your find logs any mariners, Naval or Merchant, subsurface, surface or air, that you would like to pay homage to. Any related Naval stories or pictures that you may have are welcome as well.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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