Letters

USS San Fransisco and another submarine grounding

April 07, 2009

I just read your article on the USS San Fransisco.

I just wanted to comment on such a thing happening to a US Fleet Balistic Missle Submarine that I was on. We were at a very slow speed in a well charted area that had been surveyed several years before. Our Fathometer was working correctly. We hit bottom doing exactly what we should have been doing. Thank God we hit a sloping bottom of very thick mud and the OD blew our after ballist tanks and kept our screw up. We had very minor damage and got no rebukes from the Navy. We were complimented on the way it was handled.

I was awake in my rack at the time. I will never forget the sound,sudden blow and up angle of the stern.

We were told that it was clasified, as operations and operating areas were highly clasified. The FBM program was new 1962-66 when I was in the US Navy and on Submarines. I have never been told different.

As we have all seen, volcanoes and sea mounts have very quickly appeared at times. We hit one of these.

They tell me that I am now disabled, handicapped and terminally ill. I do not have the common decentcy to lay down and die. I cain't spell for crap either! I am pretty much housebound now. Things such as you are doing makes a much better world for me and others like me. I now get out in the world and live through your works and others like you.

Thanks,
Alfred  Price-Williams, Ex MM-2 SS,USN.


Hello  Alfred,

Nice of you to write, if I have been able to shine a little light into your day that gives me a lot of satisfaction, hang in there.

Best wishes and regards from Australia.

Mackenzie.


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