Dave Gustafson's Interesting Places and Stuff.
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Email address: svngrace@prodigy.net
About Submarine Qualification:
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The emblem of the
Qualified Submariner is a fish on each side of a front view of a WWII
Submarine. The two fish are Dolphins from which the Badge gets its
name. The One who proudly wears them, proved his ability to man every position
on the Boat. The Submarine is called a Boat. The badge proves that the
person who is qualified to wear them has passed a proficiency test underway
and in all emergency conditions as well as every combat condition. The
qualified person has proven that he can man every station proficiently
in the event of any emergency or condition. The person who is qualified
has stood watches at every station underway and has memorized every system
aboard, demonstrating the use and control of every emergency system under
war time conditions. The person qualified has also proven, by practice,
that they are capable of operating every ordinance and weapon aboard. Not
only is he able to operate every ordnance but also can load, arm, and fire
them at every station to insure their deployment. He is also able to maneuver
the Boat by dead reckoning using radar and even the operation of the propulsion
equipment. In the event of the loss of all the officers they are able to
continue in command to complete the mission. The first qualification is
to pass the depth test. They are all subjected to a pressure test of 100
feet and must show the ability to escape from a submerged Boat at a depth
of at least 100 feet with out any equipment but a life preserver. This
is called blow and go. The final test of the qualifier in order to receive
his Dolphins, is to drink them from a milkshake glass of beer (or other
beverage) with out stopping until they are in his teeth. Then comes the
tattoo. When the badge is attached above the breast pocket, the badge is
punched with the fist plunging the needle points that attach the badge
into the chest, leaving two small marks. This is a tradition and not the
official practice of the system or the Navy. The next option is to be thrown
over board. During qualification, this is a common practice for slow learners,
called, The Overboard Drill. For a non-qualified man the watches go on
around the clock with no more than four hours off at a time to sleep. The
normal time period to qualify is about 6 weeks to 6 months. There is a
pre-qualification, that tests the ability of the recruit to cope with submarine
life and its pressures. It also tests the ability to learn quickly and
how to be consistent to the rules. It takes a special person to endure
the hardships of combat conditions aboard the Submarine. I have referred
to the old system of the WWII Diesel, pre-nuke era. The newer Boats are
much more compatible with the human system and extremely comfortable in
comparison. The old Boat was designed for the success of the mission and
the system came first the crew second. If the batteries needed water that
was the priority not the men or their hygiene. Baths were rare in the old
service while underway. Room freshener was a stop gap till the senses became
used to the smell. The fuel tanks were vented into the living space and
added to the atmosphere along with the battery acid and hydrogen. It was
not a friendly atmosphere and took a certain kind of personality to cope.
That is why the submariners were so close and would give their life for
one another, like family. I hope this explains the mystery of the honor
behind the Dolphins and Submarine life under the sea of that era of men
and their machine. The next challenge is space and the same sort of men
are there. The advances of science have made the life of the adventurer
safer, but the challenge is still there. That is why men climb mountains.
The Submarines today are completely self contained, faster, and can dive
much deeper. Because of this they are no less of a Challenge to the crew
than our old Diesels were. Prepared by Dave Gustafson, ENC ( SS ) USNR-R,
Retired. 11/3/96 Take her down!
Click on this new addition.
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Appliance Tips: Be sure
to clean the coils under your Refrigerator. The heated rooms during winter
causes the unit to run hotter and at a lower efficiency. Cleaning helps
and should be done every 6 months. If you have a SubZero it must be done
every six months or the motor may over heat and fail. The coils are located
on top behind the grill on most of these models. The grill has a safety
screw that must be removed to let the grill down for cleaning. The grill
is spring loaded for easy access on older models. Be sure to replace the
safety screw on overhead grills. The newer models have a compartment cover
that is removed by lifting the cover to un-hook the four tabs. It is also
a good time to wash off your Air-Conditioner Coils on the out side unit
so it will be ready for the summer months. Be sure to change your air filters
in the Heating and Air-Conditioning unit every month for proper air quality.
Even better, use an Allergy Free Filter that is 90% efficient. They pay
for themselves, because they can be washed every month if needed.
Our Year End Special is; any Standard Size at $70 each. E-Mail me for
more info.
Ask for this months special when you call. More later...
Dave's Hobbies:
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Dave has always
been interested in old cars. He has built and used radios of all sorts
including two way communications. He started with the old CB stuff back
in the 50's and now prefers to listen to his scanners on the emergency
channels. He still has a couple of old CB's, and uses from time to time
to talk on side band. His handle was Washing machine Man. He uses two way
radios in his business, but cell phones are the convenience of the day.
Dave has been messing with computers for the last 20 years and still has
an old Apple II and a CP/M Machine going. He is the SYSOP (system operator)
of the Birdhouse BBS (bulletin board system) that has been running for
almost 10 years now on an old 286 with an old used Seagate 251 40 meg hard
drive. (Guess What, the thing has crashed the Hard Drive and is no
longer on line. Dave's BirdHouse Web
Page is now on the Internet.) He also has a computer on line for E-Mail
and another for a FAX. Dave
used to do some Back Packing, but finds little time for it now that he
is getting older. He had a real nice Sail Boat, but doesn't have time for
that anymore either. Dave and his wife raised birds and had an air-conditioned
aviary that was also heated in the winter. They sold out the birds and use the
bird house for storage now. Dave reconditioned
appliances to sell and used the profits to support a mission work in India
that started here in Modesto. There are over 70 churches now there. Dave
likes to collect old toys and what ever. His best collections are old books
on church history and Captain Midnight Decoder Badges. He has written two
books on eschatology and is working on a revision now. He is active in
computers and has done a lot of tutoring in word processing and desktop
publishing. He likes database programs, HTML WebPage Design and accounting.
Right now the Internet and Windows98 keep him busy. His appliance repair
business keeps him busy the rest of the time, but he always finds time
for a cup of coffee and a little conversation at Conrads Coffee Shop. Give
him a call some day. Dave is enjoying his SSI, and his Navy Retirement and only
works part time four days a week.. He would like to travel more but the
business keeps him close to home. Maybe I will think of some more stuff
later.
Other interesting sites
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My Cousin's Web Site
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Landmark Baptist's
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Modesto Bee / Yosemite
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Today's Cartoons
- Monterey Bay Aquarium
- Class Mates List Your High School
- Thinker / San Francisco Art
- Dave's Home Page
- National Geographic's Link
- Dave's Mission; Grace Landmark Baptist
Mission
- Dave's Favorite Places and Restaurants
- Kelly Blue Book Prices
- Dave's Want Ads Web Page
Page created by: svngrace@prodigy.net
Changes last made on: February 2006. This page is used by permission
only, © Copyright