Below are stories that have been sent to me to remember the sometimes
great/sometimes challenging times we had aboard USS Ethan Allen (SSBN 608). I do not
authenticate the stories.
I just believe they are worth passing along.
Please forward all stories to ssbn608@ssbn608.org
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by: Peter Whiting Below are stories that have been sent to me to remember the sometimes
great/sometimes challenging times we had aboard USS Ethan Allen (SSBN 608). I do not
authenticate the stories. Please forward all stories to ssbn608@ssbn608.org
by: Peter Whiting I served on the Ethan Allen (Blue Crew) for 2 years in
1967-1969 as an ST......There was one very funny
incident that happened as a result of Gary Gorball
STS2 (SS) finding out that if you hooked up the output of the Scott
amplifier in the sonar shack to the output of the UQC
(underwater telephone) and turned up the power
all the way on the amplifier and spoke into the input
microphone, it would feedback to the speaker of the UQC....... While we were on patrol and
bored during a long quiet watch, Gary would pick up the mic
and say "Help, let me out of here"........well, the UQC was right
next to the Conning Officer's seat and he could
here this very faint voice over the "sea
noise" coming out of the UQC.......He was convinced that someone
was out there......he made us come out and listen and of
course, we couldn't here anything...........we
drove him crazy for several watches before I think
someone cued him in......... We had another incident where we were underway doing 20
knots or so and we tracked a Soviet "nukie" sub going the opposite
direction at about the same speed.......The crew
could here his prop noise through the hull....we later calculated
that it passed within 100 feet of us.....a close call.........another
time we were creeping along at patrol speed and there was
a very loud grinding noise that passed down the port side of the boat
several times......we never knew what it was, but later when
we surfaced there were gouges in the paint where
we had heard the noise....... Another funny incident was when we received the
Meritorious Unit Commendation for an exercise
that was extremely successful. The award was given
to all crewmembers, both Blue and Gold Crew however.......At the next
crew change one of the ST's announced to a few of the ST's
on the relief crew: "when they declassify
what the exercise was about, we'll tell you why you
get to wear that ribbon"..... ......and then there was the time that
"someone" stole the XO's stateroom door.............but
that's another story.......
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