Updated 03/05/99
The following are email messages I receive from crewmates.
E-mail received 2/12/99
From HOWARD S. GOLDMAN
STILL KEEP IN TOUCH WITH MANY BHAM SAILORS AND CARRY THE SPIRIT THROUGHOUT MY NAVAL CAREER. I READ THE CURRENT UPDATE ON FORMER CAPTAINS WITH PRIDE. HOWEVER, HERE IS AN UPDATE ON SOME OTHER OFFICERS NOT ON YOUR LIST:
CDR BRUCE DUNCAN (RET) [PREVIOUS XO THEN CO OF USS HAWKBILL]: LIVES HERE IN ENGLAND. WIFE SHELLY WORKS AT CNE IN LONDON IN N6 SHOP. THEY HAVE 3 CHILDREN. THE OLD XO SPENDS HIS TIME READING AND HANGING OUT AT THE LOCAL PUB. I DON'T THINK HE HAS A COMPUTER YET. ADDRESS IS
7 CRANBOURNE DR
PINNER, MIDDLESEX
MIDDX HA5 1BX
UNITED KINGDOM
011-44-181-866-6382 (H)
CDR BOB GUY [PREVIOUS XO THEN CO USS GREENEVILLE]: SAW HIM IN HAWAII. NOW CO OF USS GREENEVILLE. HAVING A GREAT TIME BEING THE BOSS. THEY JUST GOT BACK FROM SUCCESSFUL WESTPAC. AFTER B-HAM HE WENT TO AUSTRALIA AS EXCHANGE OFFICER FOR 2 YEARS. TOUGH LIFE.
CAPT PAYNE KILBOURN [PREVIOUS XO THEN CO USS OMAHA]: WAS CO OF USS OMAHA. WENT ON ONE WESTPAC THEN DECOM IN NH. WENT TO DC TO 5 SIDED BLACK HOLE AS AN O-6. HAVEN'T HEARD FROM HIM SINCE NH (SUMMER 95).
CDR HASS MOYER [PREVIOUS WEAPONS OFFICER NOW CO USS HENRY M JAKSON]: NOW CO OF HENRY M JACKSON. SAW HIM IN HAWAII (MAY 98). LOST LOTS OF WEIGHT AND A LITTLE MORE HAIR. HE AND HIS FAMILY LIVE HAPPILY IN BANGOR WA.
CDR TERRY WICHERT [PREVIOUS ENGINEER AND NOW A CO SOMEWHERE]: SAW CDR WICHERT IN HAWAII (MAY 98). HE WAS MEDICALLY DISQUALLED SUBS AFTER PCO SCHOOL BUT FOUGHT UNTIL THE END AND HAD THE DECISION REVERSED BY A MEDICAL BOARD. WAS GOING TO CO SOMEWHERE BUT I DON'T KNOW WHERE.
CDR T.J. BEST [PREVIOUS NAV]: LAST HEARD HE WAS BACK IN KOREA (AS OF JAN 98) AND STILL IN THE NAVY. WHAT A SURVIVER.
CDR DAN LEADER [PREVIOUS ENG THEN XO ON USS MAINE]: WORKING NOW AT N3 CNE HERE IN ENGLAND. HAS TWO KIDS AND LIVES ABOUT 30 MINUTES OUT OF LONDON. WORK PHONE IS 011-44-171-514-4700. DON'T KNOW IF HE HAS A COMPUTER.
LCDR MIKE COCKEY [695 JO]: WAS WORKING AT NAVAL REACTORS IN THE LINE LOCKER (AUG 98) AS THE S8G REP. WENT TO XO SOMEWHERE. WHEREABOUTS UNKNOWN.
DEAN MILLER [695 JO]: SAW HIM AT B-HAM DECOMM CEREMONY. LIVES IN MAINE (207-829-6881).
LCDR TYLER SKARDA [695 JO]: WENT ON TO CSL FLAG LT AND THEN SUCCESS AS HAMPTON ENG. LAST SAW HIM AT MY WEDDING IN OCT 94. DON'T KNOW WHEREABOUTS NOW.
STEVE KALDERON [695 JO]: WAS WORKING IN ITALY POST JO WITH ME IN FEB 95. UNDERSTAND HE GOT OUT AND WENT TO BUSINESS SCHOOL BACK IN THE STATES. WHEREABOUTS UNKNOWN.
JOHN BRAUN [695 JO]: WAS WORKING AS CSG-8 FLAG LIEUTENANT IN ITALY WITH ME IN FEB 95. GOT OUT AND WORKS FOR HIS FATHER BUILDING AMBULANCES IN WASHINGTON STATE I THINK.
I AM NOW ON EXCHANGE WITH THE ROYAL NAVY (UK) WORKING IN SUB TACTICAL DEVELOPMENT. MARRIED NOW WITH NO KIDS. HAVE A BIG HOUSE IN SOUTHERN ENGLAND FOR THOSE THAT WANT TO VISIT. LOVE TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH B-HAM SAILORS. MY ADDRESSES AND NUMBERS ARE:
LCDR AND MRS HOWARD S. GOLDMAN
RAF WEST RUISLIP
PSC 821 BOX 84
FPO AE 09421
011-44-1489-579-371
HOWARDLYDIAGOLDMAN@compuserve.com
Or
23 CASPIAN CLOSE
WHITELY, FAREHAM
HANTS PO15 7BP
UNITED KINGDOM
or at work
MARITIME WARFARE CENTRE
PO BOX 325
COSHAM, PORTSMOUTH
HANTS PO6 3SX
Á ÁUNITED KINGDOM
mwc.td@gtnet.gov.uk
011-44-1705-212-191
FLAG OFFICER ANNOUNCEMENT: June 23, 1998
Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen announced today that he has approved Vice Adm. Dennis A. Jones, U.S. Navy, to be placed on the retired list in the grade of vice admiral effective Sept. 1, 1998. He is currently serving as deputy commander in chief, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb.
Jones was born Dec. 29, 1940 in Fairbury, Neb.
Paul Nitz adds that VADM Jones' retirement ceremony will be held there July 16.
Excerpt from Navy News Service 03/98 21JAN98
NNS0308. Atlantic Fleet Master Chief changes helm courtesy of CINCLANTFLT public affairs NORFOLK (NWSA) -- Thomas B. Hefty, a machinist mate submariner, relieved Aviation Ordnanceman Master Chief (AW) David Borne as the U.S. Atlantic Fleet Master Chief Jan. 16.
"I look forward to working with this great team of Force and Command Master Chiefs," said Hefty who will represent more than 113,500 enlisted Sailors. "They're doing an outstanding job. I look forward to being their team leader."
The Albuquerque, N.M., native says he will focus on all issues that affect the welfare and morale of Atlantic Fleet enlisted personnel and their families.
Enlisting in the Navy in 1975, he served aboard the submarines USS Tautog (SSN 639), USS Barbel (SS 580), USS Birmingham (SSN 695) and USS Aspro (SSN 648) where he was Chief of the Boat. His shore tours include duty as an instructor and a career counselor. He also served as the Command Master Chief for Submarine Squadron 7 in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and at the Bureau of Naval Personnel in Washington.
Hefty begins his new assignment after serving two years as the Force Master Chief for the Submarine Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet.
His predecessor, AOCM(AW) Borne, completes his three and half year tenure with a sense of accomplishment.
"I'm thankful," said Borne. "Not many people have had the opportunity to represent the men and women of the Atlantic Fleet. We've had some great challenges, but I think we've proven that when we come together on issues and problems, we can overcome anything."
Appointed as Atlantic Fleet Master Chief in late August 1994, Borne re-instituted a successful training program called "Chiefs back to Bootcamp." The annual week-long venture, which began in 1996, allowed senior enlisted representatives to train side-by-side with new recruits at the Naval Recruit Training Center in Great Lakes, Ill. The experience not only provided valuable insight on basic training initiatives to Navy leadership, but also allowed the leaders to be excellent examples for the recruits.
Borne's new assignment is at Naval Base Norfolk as the Housing Military Liaison representative for enlisted personnel in the mid Atlantic region.
From Mike Jensen
To Rick-
I've returned from some leave that was a long time coming and have checked into my new command. I'll be assigned to Naval Station Pearl Harbor for administrative purposes for the next two years while I am in the Enlisted Educational Advancement Program (EEAP). I don't know if you've heard of the program, but it will allow me to go to college full time for the next two years. At present I have a mere 37 credits towards my degree, but I plan to complete a BSBA in Finance at Hawaiian Pacific University (HPU). (One of the stipulations of the program is that you must attend a school in the same area as your previous duty station.) Some say that it is a boon-doggle, but it is a fabulous opportunity.
Enough about that. I see from the email that you've sent out that Mark Kelley has passed on the correct date of the decom ceremony. Sorry that I had that wrong, I guess I wasn't paying enough attention at LPO call. I think that I missed the correct date because it was in working uniforms and required no advance preparation on our part, just following the Plan of the Day.
The ceremony was quick and nothing seemed different afterwards, the 25 or so guys who were still attached stuck around and we had to clean up the barge in order to turn it over to its rightful owners. After that the guys who transferred on the on the 22nd got their records and left. The YNs also passed out records to the guys transferring on the 23rd and then we all went home.
The real change was on the 23rd. The remaining guys, about 15 all together, showed up at the normal time (prior to 0725, 0710 for LPOs and Officers), but there was no LPO call or Officer call. No one was concerned with a muster. No one had anything to "put out". We just stood around the trailer that the "skeleton crew" had for an office. At 0800 we turned over the Ship's Security watch to the shipyard. EM1(SS) Gary (Jed) Flowers had duty the day before, and even have had the last watch. Mark Kelley told his guys what their routine would be and we all turned in our security badges to him and left around 0815. It seemed very weird.
Did you get your "plank" yet?
I certainly hope that you have.
I also have one that I am going to send out to Gerald Buscemi. It's the last one that I have, and he had asked for one, via email, but never sent us his address. I've sent him an email asking to verify his address.
I think that leaves about 25 plankowners who didn't get anything. I sorry for the way that this worked out, it was our intention to get one to everybody.
I have 13 "flat top" planks at my house. They are like what you got but there is no submarine and no groove for it to rest in. The only problem is that they have no brass plates, so whoever got them would have to get one made up for themselves. If you are interested, I can forward them to you for distribution as you see fit. Let me know.
Also, in case you are interested, the brass for the submarines came from the rails in the Torpedo Room (Where the weapons slide side to side) and the wood came from the battery well. We had the submarines made out in town. The shipyard had done similar projects for previous boats, but their foundry is now closed. Almost all of the work (99%) on the bases was done by MM1(SS) Chuck Overfield. He got some help from SKC(SS) Black, me, the COB (ETCS(SS) Jones), EM1(SS) Edwards, and Jed.
I have heard from Jed that he updated the boat page. I will check it out after this. He doesn't know how much longer the navy.mil URL will be in place.
Mike Jensen
THIS IS FROM THE PRESENT COB.
My name is Mark Kelley MMC(SS). I am the last and final COB for the USS Birmingham. The Decommissioning ceremony for USS BIRMINGHAM was held on 22 December 1997 at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard. Officiated by CDR J.R. Burke, Commanding Officer, who gave some outstanding remarks concerning the exploits of BIRMINGHAM and her crew as well as congratulations to the shipyard team for their efforts. The CO gave 9 members of the project team a decommissioning plaque. The order was given to me to haul down the Commissioning Pennant and the Ensign at 0920. Thirty Two remaining crew members and officers came to attention as I gave the order to haul down the pennant and ensign. I received the Commissioning Pennant from ET2 Jackson and SA Morgan gave me the Ensign which I in turn presented both to CDR Burke. It was a somber ceremony to say goodbye to an outstanding ship that in her final year of operation won the Battle E, Tactical T, and two Meritorious Unit Commendations." I will try to get you the final tally of awards for your web site because I know the Battle E is in error as well as the MUC's and DC's. When I made the Ribbon Bar for the inactivation ceremony in May 1997 we had 5 Battle E, 3 DC, and 5 MUC. I'll check the rest and get back with you. Myself and 4 others will remain with BIRMINGHAM until mid-January to finish up some valve lineups and testing in the engine room. The 5 of us will transfer to the INDIANAPOLIS to start the decom process all over again. One last thing, I have no more decom plaques or insignia goods, please remove the paragraph from the web site. I will be returning checks as they come in. I do know that the USS Bowfin Memorial museum has some BIRMINGHAM memorabilia (they bought the stuff from us and put a heavy mark-up on the items)
Update Puget Sound:
I got an email from a buddy in Washington state that says Birmingham is moored at mooring-A at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton. She is scheduled to be cut up in 2005. Until then, nothing will happen.
IF! you can get up that way, you can take the Harbor Tour and get a distant view of her. If you plan to go better make sure the tours are still running, I have heard they may be discontinued. There is absolutely not way you can ever get near though. Even before security got tight, the yard has never let anyone near the boats being cut up. Too bad, my boat is in the dock right now getting the torch. I'd looked to get a look and perhaps a piece, but no way..
don shelton
Page maintained by Charlie Kutterer. Ex-Torpedoman's Mate 2nd Class. (Plankowner)