From the Desert…

A couple of little videos on the P-3, the first is about dragging em out of Davis-Monthan  and what goes into refurbishing a bird.


The second is a P-3 down playing with an LA Class boat… And you can see from the video how rough riding the P-3 is (and they are down at 200 feet).


And speaking of Submarines, and history…

I was talking to a former Submarine Commander and Sub Squadron Commander today at Pearl, and we got on the subject of the disbanding of the WWII submariner’s organization.  He told me, and actually took me in and showed me the Submarine Commander’s Wardroom in Lockwood Hall at Pearl Harbor.  

Lockwood Hall was built starting in 1934, it’s an Art Deco masterpiece/monstrosity depending on your perspective, but it’s been the BOQ for the Sub Base since it’s construction.  It played a significant part in WWII, with war gaming taking place in the Lanai under Marine Guards, and there was a special room set aside sometime around 1938-39 for only COs to have a place to relax away from the officers of their subs, and to talk freely with other COs.  During the war, apparently many a war patrol debrief took place in this space.  It is still today restricted to COs only, and the decor is still the decor in use during WWII, with those submarines emblems, mugs, and other artifacts…

Sadly, no pictures are allowed, but I’m thankful I got the chance to at least see it, and to be honest, a chill went down my spine to just be able to walk through that door… That is truly a room, that if the walls could talk, could surely tell stories of good men, great heroism and the stress of leading men in combat.

Comments

From the Desert… — 17 Comments

  1. There is a heartbeat to these things and a genuine American spirit that we who have served under the flag feel for what goes into defending the country.

    It’s sad that so many people never have the opportunity to participate in national service. There is a context that you gain from the service that you can’t get any other way.

  2. I suspect there is more than one soul still in that room – planning, plotting, fighting. Our parents were a generation that were truly tested and met every challenge. I suspect the old COs were glad to have you in their company.

  3. That’s cool.

    Had no idea they were pulling P-3’s out of the boneyard.

    They need to pull out the C-141’s too.

  4. LL- True!!!

    eia- Yep, there was definitely a ‘sense’ of history…

    Andy- It’s STILL the best airframe to do real ASW!

    MSgt- Yep, Alfas that end up as new birds! They have a lot of 141’s there too!

    WSF- Germany.

  5. A buddy of mine was a crew member in a P3.
    Man, does he have Cold War stories to tell!

  6. Yeah, there’s something about the smell of gram paper and expended CADs when you’re bouncin’ around down low…

  7. Madman-Madman-Madman, mark on top. Spit DICASS know,know,know. Damn I miss those days.

    If I was every to win the REDNECK RETIREMENT FUND, also know as the Lottery, I would by a refurbished P-3 before any Jet plane. Those birds are awesome. I compare them with the B-52’s in service life.

  8. I’m still kinda bummed that they don’t use the water tower at Pearl for escape training anymore… Not that I didn’t almost strangle from the flat escape in Groton.

    And that old war-room did have a story to tell, at least to those who can hear the whispers!

  9. drjim- LOL, yeah we do…

    Agirl- You HAVE served, just in a different fashion…

    Rick- Oh yeah, burning Jez grams, cads, hot… 🙂 Throw me back in that briar patch!

    Senior- LOL, yep, we ARE old… Actually it was MAD, MAD, MAD, Weapon Away, Pointer Away… 🙂

    Scott- Thankfully I only had to do the 35 foot jump and the dunker… 🙂