Since we are TOTALLY off topic, maybe with some interest in old submarine Sea Stories.. I'll relate this:
It was 1987 and I was working for a Defense Contractor (Navy) in Newport. Our company was an engineering company and was tasked with updating a (NUSC) submarine laboratory.
Anyhow, we had a couple of Bubbleheads who were either Retired or recently separated from the Submarine Service. At the same time, the Clancy book "Hunt For Red October" had just come out. I seemed to be the first to find a copy. Before long everyone in the office had a copy and was reading the book during lunch.
One of our ex Bubbleheads was a "Plank Owner" (Ret) in Nautilus (SSN-571, THE First Nuke Boat) As they were reading the book, people in the office started asking him questions about such things as "Sosus".. and other little tidbits in the book. His Response: Just a smile and a shrug. Sub Sailors are "Debriefed" when leaving the service. They are sworn to NEVER talk about what they saw or did during their service. I know a few of them. They will NOT respond. One of them has been a friend for over 40 years. NO Comment on Sub OPS. This friend was on a boat that was Cable Tapping the Soviets in Russia during the cold war. All he will admit was he was on a particular boat. "Blind Mans Bluff" told me what his boat had been doing. As we used to say back then: "Negative Further". THEY are patriots. NB
DEFINITION: Plank Owner: A sailor who was part of the Original Commissioning crew on any Navy Ship.. or in this case a "Boat".
BOTTOM LINE: Those who served must remain Silent. Civilians (authors) who run across stuff can publish whatever they want.
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