The gift for which our departed shipmates laid their lives on the line is our freedom today. We express our gratitude for their service by our remembrance of them. Take a moment now . . . and in silence, breathe a prayer for our absent USSVI Groton Base shipmates who went on their eternal patrol in 2014. RM3(SS) Robert Gordon Becher, age 55, passed away 7 January 2014. Rob qualified in submarines onboard USS Trepang SSN 674 in 1977. He left the Navy as an RM3(SS) in 1979. He joined the USSVI Groton Base in 2012. TM1(SS) William C. Lehr, age 93, passed away 7 February 2014. Bill qualified in submarines on the USS Sawfish SS276 in 1943 and completed 6 war patrols while onboard. He also served aboard USS Roncador SS301 and left the Navy as TM1(SS). Bill joined the USSVI Groton Base in 2001 and was a Life and Holland Club member. MMCS(SS) Charles Sullivan, age 69, passed away 15 February 2014. Charles qualified in submarines onboard USS Trout SS566 in 1964. He also served aboard USS Becuna SS319, USS Tigrone SS419, USS Stonewall Jackson SSBN634 and served as COB onboard USS Gato SSN615. Charles retired from the Navy in 1983 as MMCS(SS). He joined the USSVI Groton Base in 1992 and was a Life member. Sally Kennedy, age 72, wife of Shipmate John Kennedy, passed away on 1 March 2014. Sally was the consummate Navy wife, moving in support of her husband to home ports East and West Coast as well as Spain. Donna “Kay” Russell, age 70, wife of Shipmate Edward R. Russell, passed away 3 March 2014. Kay worked for 30 years as a supervisor in the Navy Exchange here in Groton and was well known by many of our shipmates. STSCS(SS) Eugene Edward Parkos, age 70, passed away 16 March 2014. Eugene qualified in submarines onboard USS Ulysses S. Grant SSBN631 in 1965. He retired from the Navy in 1983 as STSCS(SS). Eugene joined the USSVI Groton Base in 1999 and was a Life member. CWO2(SS) Thomas M. Roan, age 76, passed away 31 March 2014. Thomas qualified on submarines onboard USS Odax SS484 in 1956. He also served aboard SS310, SS479, SS339, SSBN633, SSBN598, and SSBN608. Thomas joined the USSVI Groton Base in 1999. EM2(SS) John Douglas Manning, age 89, passed away 25 March 2014. John qualified in submarines onboard USS S-12 SS117 in 1943. He also served aboard USS Tench SS417 and left the Navy in 1959. John joined the USSVI Groton Base in 1999 and was a Life and Holland Club member. He was also a member of U.S. Submarine Veterans of WWII. FTCS(SS) William Haines, was born 23 April 1935 and passed away 27 March 2014. He Qualified in submarines on the USS Pickerel (SS-524) in 1960 and was a FTCS(SS) when he left the Navy. He served on: SSBN-617, SSBN-645, SSBN-655, SSBN-634, SSBN-616, SS-524, SSBN-642. Susan Lynne Wolf, age 68, wife of Shipmate David Rosenbluh, passed away 28 March 2014. She was very active in the newspaper world, had won many awards, and earned more than 35 Press Assn awards over the years. She was a member of the Bethel American Legion Auxiliary and the USSVI Hudson Valley Base Subvettes. HTCM(SS) Anthony Salafia, age 81, passed away 14 April 2014. Tony served honorably in the U.S. Navy for 26 years and retired as HTCM(SW). He joined the USSVI Groton Base in 1999 and was an Associate Life member. ENC(SS) George Oliver Jones, age 94, passed away 25 April 2014. George qualified in submarines onboard USS S-45 SS156 in 1940. He also served aboard USS S-38 SS143, USS Pogy SS266, and USS Sea Robin SS407. George retired from the Navy as ENC(SS) in 1956. He joined the USSVI Groton Base in 1997 and was a Life and Holland club member. He also was a Life member of U.S. Submarine Veterans of WWII. ENC(SS) Milton W. Weymouth, Jr., age 94, passed away 14 April 2014. He qualified in submarines onboard USS Pickerel SS177 in 1940. He also served aboard USS Growler SS215, USS Sennet SS408, USS Diablo SS479, USS Torsk SS423, and USS Atule SS403. Milton retired from the Navy as ENC(SS) in June of 1957 while serving on staff of COMSUBLANT. He joined 23, USSVI Groton Base in 2008 and was a Life and Holland Club member. MMC(SS) Charles L. Gates, He was born November 7, 1948 and passed away 4 May 2014 Qualified in submarines on the USS Dace (SSN-607) in 1974 and was a MMC(SS) when he left the Navy. John P. Kennedy, age 74, passed away 21 May 2014. John qualified in submarines onboard USS Bream SS243 in 1959. He also served aboard USS Bluegill SS242, USS Sea Dig SS401, USS Tench SS417, USS Hunley AS31, USS Canopus AS34, and USS Frank Cable AS40. John joined the USSVI Groton Base in 1984 and was a Life and Holland Club member. TM3(SS) Richard Pfanenstiel, 89, was born Oct. 2, 1924 and died on June 7, 2014. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy. Richard qualified in submarines on the USS Finback (SS-230) in 1945 and was a TM3(SS). He was aboard the Finback in 1944, when it rescued future president George H. W. Bush from the waters of the Pacific after his plane had crashed. QMC(SS) Dale Pete A. Peterson, 84, was born May 23, 1930 and died June 12, 2014He also retired from the U.S. Postal Service in Groton. He was a member of the Sub Vets Club and was also a member of the Holland Club. EMC(SS) Bernerd J. Flanagan, was born October 13, 1928 and passed away 1 July, 2014; he served on SSN-578, SSN-592, SS-408, SS-302. CSCS(SS) T. William “Bill” Vormbrock was born Sept. 7, 1926 and answered the call of the Eternal Muster on June 25, 2014. Bill was a retired Navy CSCS(SS) and qualified in submarines on the USS Croaker (SS-246) in 1960 and was one of the commissioning crew of the U.S.S. Thresher (SSN 596). LCDR Clare B Billing, 86, was born March 25, 1928 and passed peacefully July 2, 2014. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in June 1945, and qualified in submarines aboard the USS Blower in 1946. After serving on five submarines and receiving extensive training, he was assigned to the USS Nautilus. He was very proud and honored to be a Nautilus plank owner, standing topside during its launch into the Thames River on Jan. 21, 1954, as the first yeoman of the first nuclear powered submarine. He remained on the crew through April 1955, witnessing both her commissioning and her milestone as the first submarine underway on nuclear power. TMSN(SS) Robert “DEX” Armstrong, cast off the lines of life on July 8, 2014 and sailed off on his final patrol. Dex qualified in submarines on the USS Requin (SS-481) in 1960 and was a TMSN(SS) when he left the Navy in 1965. A larger than life character with a remarkable talent for writing thoughts and actions that all diesel boat sailors could relate to and say with a smile, That was me when I was just young squid too! Terry Dettman, Associate Member, went on Eternal Patrol, on 13, July, 2014. Terry worked on the C3I subsystems – specifically the AN/UYQ-70 workstations - of the Virginia Class Nuclear Attack Submarines at Electric Boat, Groton, CT and Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News, Virginia. He was also a valued member of USS Texas (SSN-775) Virginia Class Submarine Fleet Upgrade in Pearl Harbor, HI. LCDR Walter D Bennett, 81, passed away on, July 10, 2014. Dick proudly served for more than 20 years in the U. S. Navy during the Korean and Vietnam War years before his retirement in 1973. He joined the Navy in 1952 and qualified in submarines in 1955 on the USS Trout (SS 566), he also served on the USS Robert E. Lee (SSBN 601). He was commissioned as an Ensign in the nuclear submarine program in 1963, and was subsequently asked by Admiral Rickover to join his nuclear program as a Naval Reactors Representative. MMCS(SS) Advah Reynolds Jr., 80, was born on December 28, 1933 and died July 13, 2014. Advah served in the U.S. Navy for 20 years retiring as a MMCS(SS). He qualified submarines onboard the USS Spikefish (SS 404) in 1956, he also served onboard the USS Pollack (SSN 603), USS Jack (SSN 605), USS James Madison (SSBN 627), USS Sam Houston (SSBN 609), and USS George Washington (SSBN 598). Advah joined the USSVI Groton Base in 2000 and he was a Life and Holland Club member. Robert Hamilton, Associate Member, 57, passed away peacefully on July 18, 2014. Bob joined USSVI Groton Base in 2002 as an Associate member. STS1(SS) Richard Allen Dennis, 67, was born July 10, 1947 and died Sunday, July 20, 2014. Denny qualified in submarines on the USS Sturgeon (SSN-637) in 1968 and was a STS1(SS) when he left the Navy. Denny joined the USSVI Groton Base in 2003. TM2(SS) Brendan McGuirk, 63, was born Sept. 24, 1950 and died, Aug. 3, 2014. Brendan was very proud to have served in the U.S. Navy during the early 1970s, primarily aboard the diesel electric submarine USS Trumpetfish (SS425) where he qualified submarines in 1971. He was deployed once around South America, four times to the Caribbean, and to multiple European ports. He received a letter of commendation from Vice Admiral Long for his outstanding performance while serving as topside petty officer during the Unitas XII Deployment. He was honorably discharged as a TM2(SS). Brendan joined the USSVI Groton Base in 1995 and was a Life Member. CWO3 Fred J. Pando, 92, was born on March 18, 1922 and passed away on August 7, 2014. Fred joined the Navy in 1940 and qualified submarines in 1942 onboard the USS Bass (SS 164), he also served aboard USS O-2 (SS 63), USS Baya (SS 318), USS Catfish (SS 339), and USS Nereus (AS 17). Fred was an ENC(SS) when he accepted his commission and was a CWO3 when he retired in 1960. Fred joined the USSVI Groton Base in 2010 and was a Life and Holland Club member. ENC(SS) David Barton Pinkham, 89, was born on March 19, 1925 and peacefully passed away on Sept. 7, 2014. In his senior year of High School, he left to join the U.S. Navy. David served his entire career in the Submarine Service and during World War II, he served in the South Pacific Fleet. He qualified submarines onboard the USS Bashaw (SS-241) in 1944. He was a commissioning crewmember of the USS Albacore (AGSS 569). He retired from the Navy in 1962 as an ENC(SS). David joined the USSVI Groton Base in 2001 and he was a Life and Holland Club member. CS2(SS) Richard W. Collins, age 79, passed away on 6 August 2014. Richard qualified in submarines on the USS Piper (SS 409) in 1955.and was a CS2(SS) when he left the Navy. He was a member of the Holland Club and a USSVI Life Member; he was a Dual member of USSVI Groton Base and New Jersey South Base since 1995. GM2(SS) Earle M. Falvey, Jr., age 91, passed away on 11 October 2014. Earle was a proud U.S. Navy veteran of World War II; he was in the submarine service having served in the Asiatic and Pacific. He qualified submarines in 1945 onboard the USS Flasher (SS 249). Earle also served aboard the USS Bashaw (SS 241) and USS Besugo (SS 321). He left Naval service in 1947. Earle joined the USSVI Groton Base in 2000 and he was a Life and Holland Club member. He was also a member of the Eastern USA Chapter of the Sub Vets WW II. MM1(SS) Phillip L. Marshall, age 79, was born on July 1, 1935 and passed away on 4 December 2014. Phi joined the U.S. Navy at the age of 17 in 1952 and qualified submarines onboard the USS Sterlet (SS 392) in 1955. He also served aboard USS Barbero (SS 317), USS Halibut (SS 587), USS Gato (SSN 615), USS Pollack (SSN 603), USS Besugo (SS 321), and USS Redfin (SS 272). Phil was proud of having served his country as a “Submariner,” as they dared to do what others feared and went where others dared not. Phil joined the USSVI Groton Base in 2000 and he was a Life and Holland Club member. He served as the Holland Club Chairman and his efforts made this ceremony very special for all his Shipmates. IC1(SS) Alfred J. Murphy, age 78 was born February 23, 1936 and passed away on 4 November 2014. After high school, he joined the Navy. Alfred qualified submarines on the USS Amberjack (SS 522) in 1954. He also served onboard the USS Jack (SS 259) and USS Sennet (SS 408). Alfred was an IC1(SS) when he retired from the Navy in 1974. Alfred joined the USSVI Groton in 2004 and he was a Life and Holland Club member. CWO3 Rollie Sonny D. Stephens, was born June 27, 1937 and was called home to heaven on December 18, 2014. Rollie served his country faithfully in the U.S. Navy, Air Force, and Army. He joined the Navy in 1954 and qualified submarines on the USS Angler (SS 240) in 1956. He also served onboard the USS Dogfish (SS 350). Rollie then joined the Air Force and finished his service in the Army where he served two tours in Vietnam, and then retired as a CWO3 in 1974. Rollie was awarded the Bronze Star. Rollie joined the USSVI Groton Base in 1999 and he was a Life and Holland Club member. Hand Salute “There is a port of no return, where ships may ride at anchor for a little space. And then some starless night the cable slips, leaving only an eddy at the mooring place. Gulls veer no longer, Sailor rest your oar. No tangled wreckage will be washed ashore.” Shipmates – Rest your oar. Ready ... Two. Navy Hymn for Submariners https://youtube/watch?v=ZKMEl4HU0fA
Posted on: Wed, 24 Dec 2014 07:36:48 +0000