Last Boat on Sea Duty

USS Sea Cat SS 399 
Chuck was transferred from the USS Grenadier SS 525 on October 21,1963 to the USS Sea Cat SS 399 and served on her till May 4, 1964.

I was just out of the hospital and in the full metal body brace and could only be up for 15 minutes twice a day, the rest of the time I was flat of my back.

USS Sea Cat Insignia Patch

The Boat was getting ready for a trip, I’m pretty sure it was another Mediterranean trip, but it could have been the North Atlantic. Chuck put in a request for a hardship leave.

The Captain (Skipper) said, "I'm sorry Chief Haven, but I really need to have you aboard on this trip." 

Chuck said, "Sir, you have enough spare parts aboard to rebuild those engines from the floor up, and every Engineman in this department is fully trained and competent to handle the job, if it's needed."

Skipper still said, "No,  I'm sorry Chief Haven I absolutely have to have you on this trip I just can’t leave you behind. 

Chuck explained the situation again and said, "Sir I will not leave my wife and children in this condition, and I can’t afford to pay to have someone take care of them for me while we're gone, and I will not make this trip." 

Silver Dolphins
Worn by Enlisted Men

He unpinned his Dolphins from his chest and threw them in the garbage can and said, "I have been riding these Boats for seventeen and a half years, and I have never asked for anything. 

Riding Boats is volunteer service and I disqualify myself as of now, I am no longer a submarine sailor."

The Skipper said, "No, no you can’t do this; you are too good a submarine sailor to just throw it away." He reached in and picked up Chuck’s Dolphins and tried to give them back to him, but Chuck refused.

The Skipper called Commodore McGuiness up in the Squadron and explained the situation to him and he said, "Bring him up here to see me, if he will come."

They went up to see the Commodore and he asked Chuck to tell him his side of the story, and Chuck did. When he finished the Commodore said to him, "I have a little project in mind that I’ve been thinking about for awhile now." He told Chuck what he had on his mind and asked him if he thought he could handle the job and Chuck said, "Yes Sir."

So the School for the Boats was created in the Squadron and Chuck was placed in charge of getting it up and going. The Commodore handed him his Dolphins and said "Put these back on Chief, we'll transfer you to another Boat, and  you can ride her four hours a month in order to still draw your hazardous duty pay."

The school worked out well, guys could qualify to ride submarines a lot quicker if they went through the School for the Boats. In order to qualify they have to cross train and learn at least the basics of every job on the Boat. As soon as they qualify they are awarded their Dolphins.

The Inspection Hat

Another Engineman on the USS Grenadier SS 525 that we were close with was Gene Courmier.  We always called him Little John because he was huge.  I still keep in touch with him and his present wife Martha.

At the time we were stationed with him he was married to Shirley. One of the stories I remember about them, they had a party at their house one night at Big Coppitt Key. I know that Hoffman and Barron were there, they were also Enginemen.

Another guy who was there, and I don’t recall his name, but he had a prize winning handlebar mustache. He kept it trimmed and waxed and in great shape, and he was of course quite proud of it.

He got pretty drunk and passed out, and while he was passed out the other guys decided to shave half of his mustache off. Submarine sailors do this sort of things to each other and to them it was great fun.

USS Grenadier SS 525 in Toulon, France
photo by Alan Shapiro

In April of 1962 the Boat made a trip to the Mediterranean Sea. One of the ports they stopped in was Toulon, France. I am not quite sure if the photo above was the April 1962 trip or a later one.  A bunch of the guys from the engine rooms went over on the beach together. 

Dixie Cup Hat

Little John couldn't find a hat to wear so he borrowed one from Hoffman, and it just happened to be Hoffman’s inspection hat. 

They partied hardy and were sitting on the deck of a bar they were at the time, with their feet dangling over the railing on the side of a hill.

Hoffman having had too much wine; got sick and had to barf  He didn't want to barf over the side because people were walking down below. So he laughed and snatched the hat off Little Johns head and barffed in it.

He laughed a deep belly laugh and said, “Hey old buddy, I just puked in your hat.” Little John said, “That’s okay Hoffman it was your inspection hat.” Then Little John laughed and laughed. Crazy guys!

And then there was Ding Dong Bell, who missed the Boat one morning. They were having quarters on deck, looked up, and behold, here comes Ding Dong behind a boat on water skies. He is dressed in his uniform.

1940 Cadillac Limousine

Ding Dong also had a really nice old car I don’t remember what kind it was, but the guys always teased him about his Al Capone car. I am not quite sure if his car was a Cadillac or not but this car looks  a lot like the one he had.