214 - April 6, 2005 8:00 pm

Name:

Ralph William MacAllester Jr

Tender:

USS Proteus AS-19

Comments:

My Grandfather Ralph William MacAllester Jr (Nov 2, 1913 - Oct 8, 1995), served on the Proteus as an electrician's mate during World War II and was on her in Tokyo Bay for Japan's surrender. After the war, he returned to Massachusetts where he started a business as a master electrician, and was also very much involved in the community. I have a scanned photo of him and some (maybe all??) of the crew . I can recognize my grandfather, the gentleman on the far left in the back row, but i have no idea who the other folks are. [Posted on Proteus' Page 2] Is there anybody out there who can ID these men? Anybody got some neat stories about my grandfather or about service on the Proteus during the war they would like to share? I regret that I didn't ask Grandpa about it before he passed, so I am hoping that someone has some Tender Tales to tell that I can add to our family legends.

215 - March 9, 2005 7:00 pm

Name:

Ron Bergstrom

Tender:

USS LY Spear

Comments:

I served on board the USS LY Spear, AS36, as a Storekeeper, 3rd Class Petty Officer from July 1971 to July 1972. I worked in Subsat, Submarine Supply and assistance team. Chief Ritchie was my boss and my job was to expedite orders for our buyers who ordered parts from Supply Depots for the subs tied up around us for repairs. I remember working with many of the Supply Officers from the subs who frequented our offices daily to find out where their parts were. There were not only nuclear fast attack subs tied up but also one diesel conventional sub as we called it back in the 70's and also one submarine rescue vessel. The only name of any sub that I can remember is the USS Skipjack. I also remember being rewarded by one of the Supply Officers from one of the subs, I think it was the USS Skipjack. I don't remember the Supply Officers name, but he was a Lieutenant I believe. He took me for a tour of the sub including a walk over the nuclear power chamber itself. I also got to see the sleeping quarters and other areas. I was then treated to lunch of Filet and Lobster and that was the best meal that I can recall in my entire life. I also remember a British Nuclear ICBM Sub that tied up along side for a brief visit and repair. That sub was twice as big as our fast attacks because it had to accommodate the ICBM's she carried. I would like to respond to anybody that was on board during this time but especially anybody from SUBSAT. One last thing. During my stay I did not go home for Christmas and one of my fellow shipmates, a 1st Class Storekeeper who was married at the time invited me over for dinner with him and his wife. I wish I could remember his name so I could thank him for his act of kindness and the wonderful Christmas dinner that he and his wife shared with me.

216 - January 8, 2005 7:00 pm

Name:

Denny Denslow

Tender:

USS Proteus AS-19

Comments:

I was a member of the precommissioning crew in Charleston and served from 1959 to June of 1962. When we arrived in Scotland, we wanted to make our shop a little different. So we carved the words "The House of SINS" in the floor tile. The attached is the best picture I have left of that shop floor..[posted on Proteus' page 2) I wonder if any of the readers of Tender Tales will remember that? Some members of that crew were Chief Sinor, Chief Nichols, ET1 Pillar, ET1 Rushlow ET2 Manning, ET2 Harbaugh...ETSN Dorvitt...and others that I do not remember exact names. I went aboard as ET1, made E7 while there. Our Division officer was LT A.J. Billings (A.J. Squared away). It was a great tour. Thanks Denny Denslow CWO 2 USN (Ret)

217 - January 5, 2005 7:00 pm

Name:

Ed Whitman

Tender:

USS Canopus AS-9

Comments:

I just received a note about my article, "Submarines to Corregidor," in the Summer 2002 issue of UNDERSEA WARFARE Magazine. The note raised some good questions about the whereabouts of the Manila-area submarine tenders in the very first days of World War II, but in reviewing my article and the underlying research notes, I find there's really only one point of disagreement. In my article, I stated that USS Canopus was tied up on the (downtown) Manila waterfront during the first Japanese air attack on 10 December 1941. The note author's recollection is that it was really at the Cavite Navy Yard. I went back over my sources to recall why I chose Manila and rediscovered a curious discrepancy: In its entry for Canopus, The Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS) says that the ship was at Cavite. However, both Clay Blair's Silent Victory (pages 134 and 153) and Samuel Eliot Morison's History of U.S. Naval Operations in World II (Vol. III, page 194) make clear that those authors, at least, thought the ship was in Manila. It's possible that both Blair and Morison use "Manila" as shorthand for "Manila Bay" - which would include Cavite - but Blair adds some corroborative detail that seems to show he really did mean downtown Manila. On the other hand, on page 198 of Morison's book, it's stated that Canopus left Cavite for Mariveles around Christmas. I don't know what to make of all this, and we'll probably open the question to our readers to see if they can offer any additional information.

218 - December 24, 2004 7:00 pm

Name:

Julie (McElroy) Hu

Tender:

USS Chewink USS Fulton AS-1

Comments:

According to my father's Continuous Service Record, he must have served aboard the USS Chewink and the USSFulton between 1914 and into the 1920's. That's all I know, except that he mentioned a couple of times that he was one of the first submariners. His name was John H. McElroy, and he entered the navy in 1913, retiring in 1952. Just wondering if anyone else has a parent, grandparent, or even great grandparent, who served on one of those ships and who might have left pictures, narrations, memories of it. I was glad to see the pictures and histories of both ships on this website, but guess I'm never satisfied! Thanks. Julie (McElroy) Hu

219 - December 17, 2004 7:00 pm

Name:

Jesse Burcell

Tender:

USS Holland AS-32

Comments:

I noticed that you had the Battenburg Cup being presented by Admiral Kidd. That is inaccurate. It was presented by Lord Louis Mountbatten only a short time before he was assassinated in Sardinia. I was there and got to take him on a field trip of the ship. OM1 Jesse Burcell USS Holland AS-32 from 1975 to 1981

220 - December 13, 2004 7:00 pm

Name:

Donna Keeler

Tender:

USS LY Spear

Comments:

i am served on the spear from 1988 to 1991 and am trying to find out when we were in the yards in portsmouth, va. is there someplace i can look to find that info? thank you, Donna Keeler

221 - November 23, 2004 10:46 pm

Name:

Webmaster

Tender:

to all hands

Comments:

(This is in regards to the previous note - and remember since these are in reverse date order - that post FOLLOWS this one... you might want to read it first then come back) While I normally do not include my responses here (though as many know - I try to answer every email personally) I feel this is one that I need to comment on here. While I agree with Paul's overall observation (IMHO there is a bit too much glee expressed by some Torsk volunteers as they rip up and plunder) I must also note that the overall group of Torsk volunteers are doing a great job of restoring their boat. In doing so - they must obtain parts - often old and long obsolete parts where they can - and as was in the original design of the FULTON class tenders - many, many parts are shared by both tender and boat. That leads to two observations by me: the Tenders are STILL proudly able to serve their boat(s) in ways no others can - and that's only right --- but I'd personally like to see a bit more respect paid to the donors - after all - one wouldn't be what it is - without the other.

222 - November 23, 2004 7:00 am

Name:

Paul Collins

Tender:

USS Orion USS Gilmore

Comments:

I recently was checking out a site on the web about the reserve fleet sitting in the James river. What I saw was somewhat disturbing. A group calling themselves the "Torsk" volunteers, was pilfering whatever they could find off of several ships.... Two of which I happen to have a special place in my heart for....The Orion and the Gilmore. I was saddened enough to see their current condition, however to see these so called veterans raping what remains of these once noble ships reminded me of the turkey vultures I see picking the carcasses of the local road kill. I guess I'm just a little sad to see the ships that had survived so much being treated like some cheap street trash. I thought you would understand.... Paul Collins

223 - November 13, 2004 7:00 pm

Name:

William(Bill) L. Bentley, Sr

Tender:

USS Proteus(AS19)

Comments:

The USS Proteus AS-19 Veterans' Association, held it first reunion, 4-7 November 2004 at the Shades of Green Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, FL A Great Time Was Had by ALL We look forward to San Diego, CA in 2006, to be hosted by LT PAUL CASTLE, USN(RET) I want to Thank You for the priviledge of hosting this Reunion and for the many people that I now call friend and Shipmate! Sincerely, COL(R) William(Bill) L. Bentley, Sr., [formerly; Seaman First Class(S1/c), USS Proteus(AS19), Feb-Sep 1946]