Friday, January 28, 2005

Navy Submarine Accident Near Guam

Question: How is a US Navy nuclear submarine like a bulldozer?
Answer: It's not!

On January 8, 2005, a US Navy nuclear submarine, the USS San Francisco, hit an uncharted undersea "cliff," for lack of a better word. The vessel was traveling near its top speed. Over 60 of the 137 member crew were injured and one sailor died of his injuries.

I doubt that many who read this blog would have taken notice when this story first hit the major media outlets. It came and went fairly quickly. Some who read the story may have worried for the safety of these brave men because they too know someone serving in the military. I am sure that some, conspiracy theorists mostly, added this to their file of "facts" they keep on US military action.

I wanted to add my own personal twist. You see, your humble host, the ignited drake himself, served on a US ballistic missile submarine. I can only imagine the chaos that ensued when the boat slammed into that mountain. Men were thrown as far as twenty feet, and that's only because there aren't many places on a submarine where you can move twenty feet in a straight line! A submarine is a decidedly industrial environment filled with pumps, valves, steel walls, and equipment that is weighed in tons, not pounds.

Then, after you scrapped yourself off the bulkhead, (or removed the steel valve from your back!), you had to contend with a ship that was sinking! It was only the heroic efforts of a well trained and dedicated crew that prevented the sinking of this boat and the loss all hands on board. To my submarine corp. brothers, I salute you!

Now, I have heard it said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Tell me how many "quacks" these are worth:


This is a picture of the damage taken from ground level.

Here is one taken from above.

Go ahead. Say it! I know, "Wow!"

posted by VARepublicMan @ 3:43 PM