The Questionable Inquiry On U.S. Navy Disclosure

 

Earlier this week June 18, 2023, my cousin Ron asked me about the fate of the deep submergence submarine Titan. My 5-word reply – ...they are dead or lost. Turns out the US Navy strongly suspected the Titan was lost early Sunday, June 18th – and reported this finding in classified messages to top brass and the on-scene Titan search commander. One of CNN's ace gray-haired reporters was seen yesterday seriously asking why it took so long for the US Navy to publicly release their opinion that Titan likely imploded just a couple hours into its descent on the wreck of Titanic.

As background, do a valuable read of the Wikipedia Internet post describing SOSUS. From what I've heard and read from non-military sources, this Wikipedia article seems fairly accurate.

Click HERE to check out the article. 

Thanks to the discovery a few decades past that a cowardly retired US Navy Officer John Walker (died 2014) and his family of spies, the secrets of SOSUS were accurately disclosed and confirmed over time to the USSR. So the valuable classified SOSUS system as then configured in the 1960s+ was considered less useful following the Walker spy-network treason. And with the end of the Cold War (OBTW Washington and the world, the Cold War has never ended), SOSUS information was thought less valuable to military strategic planners... perhaps even unnecessary to some of these star-laden wiz-kids. But who among us believes there is not now an operational SOSUS replacement system (some form of SOSUS upgrade) that provides USA defense managers with accurate data on the position of adversarial submarines. And to that self-important gray-haired CNN reporter – NOW HEAR THIS -- whatever it is that now provides the USA with submarine intelligence is now likely highly classified. Bottom line – it is obvious to a most casual observer that it is this system or sound analysis method(s) that heard the Titan implode. Whatever hardware and software, or physical/virtual assets are employed to discover and evaluate submarine activity at sea is none of the general population's business -- and the ethically deprived inquiry by a CNN "alleged reporter" is dangerously inappropriate.  It seems equally obvious that an average 4th-grade science class will easily understand why the secrecy of such a SONAR system is important in securing the safety and security of the US people.

The decision to release the US Navy's classified position regarding a likely Titan "catastrophic implosion" rose to the level of the Executive Office of the POTUS -- (or hopefully, this better be true!). 

Note: The Titan image inserted at the top of this post is sourced from multiple Google Internet news publications and is likely the public-domain property of the OceanGate firm.

Fair and Balanced…Give Us A Break

Less than 350 miles North-Northeast from Tripoli, Libya, lays the home of the United States Naval Air Station Sigonella, Catania, Sicily, Italy. This U.S. Navy installation bills itself "The Hub of the Med." The activity occupies space with NATO Base Sigonella, an Italian Air Force Base in Sicily, Italy. A tenant of the Italian Air Force, U.S. Naval Air Station Sigonella acts as landlord to many U.S. commands and activities. The base is located about ten miles west and seven miles south of the Sicilian east coast city of Catania, and about twenty-five miles south of Mount Etna. Much of this data was taken direct from the official Naval Air Station web site and all this information and more are available by simple Google search.

Present incomplete news reports are at best... half-truth. A significant number of the current news media are hand-wringing about a possible necessity of declaring a no-fly zone over Tripoli, Libya. A real probability for action may become necessary to protect those important Libyan oil fields. Developed countries worldwide cannot at any time tolerate oil field destruction by Libya’s somewhat unbalanced "strongman" Colonel Qaddafi. For goodness sake, take a look at what Iraq’s Saddam Hussein did to those Southwest Asia oil fields just twenty years ago. And just look at what is now happening to the price of gasoline, a meteoric rise caused in no small part by oil uncertainty and unethical oil market speculation. Historically, the American economy entered a recession following the First Gulf War, a recession significantly rooted in worldwide oil market production uncertainty.

So here is today’s question and suggestion to all U.S. News Media. Why doesn’t the “Fourth Estate” get off their collective butts, do some actual research, and report the truth? Please don’t give us the vague comments of a long retired U.S. General or rollout some retired Army Lt Colonel. Find yourself an informed and recently retired U.S. Navy Admiral or Vice Admiral to verify and report on this truth. A U.S. Navy aircraft carrier is simply unnecessay in central Mediterranean Waters to implement and/or support a Lybian no-fly zone. The United States of America, coupled with very significant contributions by friendly NATO countries have more than enough land-based military air assets already deployed to implement a near immediate no-fly zone over Libya. And please don’t conclude there is no way to refuel military aircraft. With trivial effort a novice researcher will discover a significant aircraft refueling facility just 500 miles east of Sicily at U.S. Naval Support Activity Souda Bay, Crete, Greece---click HERE to check this out. This too is all available without much effort via Internet search.

Rant On Military Political Correctness

I've got to stop reading that military.com stuff...since these articles are very bad for the blood pressure. Just deleted their latest email without reading and will soon unsubscribe. Fully expect to shortly see an announcement for a third-track U.S. Navy advancement system under a “Homosexual Awareness & Support Program.” Hell –– I say advance ‘em all on a promotional fast-track. You’ve got to get the homosexuals in khakis anyway, since its said they refuse wear white after Labor Day. Just read yesterday that the first contingent of female submariners has been selected, prospective boat supply officers in the first group I think. Probably safe –– can’t remember a single noteworthy event from any supply officer I ever sailed with –– except that patrol where we went to sea stocked with only steak in the meat locker (still don’t eat steak even to this day).

This female submarine sailor experiment, while so politically correct, is going to fun to watch. Green zone, yellow zone, red zone touching lectures will of course be held on a mandatory frequent basis. Standby for heavy rolls takes on a whole new defination. How do naval crews presently handle celebratory events where significant lines of latitude & longitude are crossed? I know the new-age CPO initiations have been cleaned-up to the point of being an essential non-event. These are, of course, trivial examples of the more evident issues relating to disciplined close-contact sailing. Ever wonder how truthful the Navy will be on disclosing personnel problems related to mixed-gender submariners –– you know –– sex, sexual harassment, pregnancy, boy-girl natural tensions, those predictable love-triangles, etc., and those POed spouses calling the XO or base chaplain when the very foreseeable boy-girl connections occur in isolated duty (can't even think about that boy-boy & girl-girl cluster thing). Been through this kind of thing in the late 70’s & early 80’s as a unit XO & CO -- and that's a hell-of-a-price for being stylish. Was the negative “Love Boat” press waffling from the USS Acadia (AD-42), USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69), et al –– just figments of the imagination? My gosh –– put relatively young men and women together in close quarters –– and in isolated duty on ships or stations –– and what should be obvious to naval leadership WILL happen. Sweep it under those green carpets –– don’t capture the data –– this morale damaging conduct shall be held secret –– military leadership can’t be held responsibe for an anomaly where they claim no statistical data is captured. Those three monkeys, hear no evil, see no evil & speak no evil come to mind. What can this present crop of politically correct U.S. Navy four-star admirals be thinking? Can they really think these “progressive changes” will make our American military more ready and more capable in a future fight? There has always been an honored place for Pride & Tradition in the U. S. Navy ... a point that today seems lost with current top naval leadership. Can that fourth star really be worth what you have predictably sired?

No question I’m a dinosaur submariner without new age gender-neutral social skills. And an unabashed advocate from the “Dirty Harry” school of hard knocks -- "If she wants to play lumberjack, she's gonna have to learn to handle her end of the log." But those 4-star Pentagon men might have unintentionally discovered the real truth for submarine manpower billeting. Perhaps there are too many men in those all male crews. Some serious number crunchers a whole lot smarter than our senior flag officers might better propose a reduced manpower plan aboard all our boats. Now such plans make better financial sense… and might actually increase skill, productivity, and safety coupled with reduced crew risk. P.S. An old article worth re-reading: Click here to view it.

P.P.S. Or the sadly humorous article & comments at: click here for an informed smile.

World War II U.S. Navy Machinist Mate Anthony “Tony” Rella

Tears welled-up in his eyes the first time we talked about his ship. And it was with obvious pride the day when Tony Rella presented me with several documents to read. On Sunday morning December 7, 1941, Tony was a member of the ship's crew aboard USS NEOSHO (AO-23) moored on “Battleship’s Row,” Ford’s Island, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. NEOSHO (pronounced "nee-OH-sho") arrived in Pearl Harbor from the West Coast the day before, fully laden with fuels. Most of her cargo fuel was off-loaded throughout Saturday evening. During the Japanese surprise attack that Sunday morning, Captain Phillips and NEOSHO’s gallant crew navigated her to safer waters through the intense shelling and exploding bombs -- past the burning ships and the human slaughter that forever marks that awful day. Tony’s ship was totally undamaged; avoiding great peril as her crew expertly sailed the explosive fume laden NEOSHO past those many heavily traumatized and sinking ships of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Countless acts of unrecognized heroism certainly occurred that day, and just as certain Tony was heavily involved with his responsibility to bring his ship through the devastation. Tony was immensely proud of his service to his Country and his Navy. His active membership and strong participation with the Central New York Pearl Harbor Survivors Association was a source of particular personal pride.

USS NEOSHO was a Fleet Oiler (a tanker) tasked to deliver lifeblood oil and gas to the Pacific Fleet. Tony and the crew affectionately called her “Fat Girl.” Without the support of crews and ships like NEOSHO, the fleet and it’s aircraft simply could not operate. Work aboard Fleet Oilers proved hazardous for all and deadly to some. Loading of airplane and diesel fuel, a high tempo of operations, and a heavy demand of maximizing their cargo deliveries placed each ship’s crew in life and death situations. Tony was a U.S. Navy Machinist Mate, the kind of sailor who maintains much of the ship’s support equipment…the small engines, the pumps, the compressors, the hydraulic systems, and the ventilation, air & water systems. Tony did his job with high professionalism, whatever had to be done to keep and maintain this equipment in top operational condition. Any ship would be dead-in-the-water in relatively short order without the productivity of guys like Tony. But surviving the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor is only part of Tony’s NEOSHO record.

In early May 1942, USS NEOSHO sailed into the Coral Sea north of Australia, in direct service to the American Pacific Fleet. The NEOSHO and her escort ship had been left behind in a “safe area” while the vital American Aircraft Carriers USS YORKTOWN and USS LEXINGTON sought out the Japanese Fleet. On May 7th, just as the major fighting began at the Battle of the Coral Sea, Japanese dive-bombers and torpedo airplanes found and hit NEOSHO and her escort ship, sinking her single escort USS SIMS (DD-409) with multiple bomb hits around midday. Burning and immobilized, the NEOSHO began listing sharply in the rough seas. The horror that followed over the next several days was still on Tony’s face as he talked about these events. Many of Tony’s shipmates lay dead or dying. On confused orders to abandon ship, a large group of shipmates boarded lifeboats and were swept away by the heavy seas, never to be seen again. NEOSHO was sinking as her able crew hung on and battled to save her. They expected rescue soon, but that rescue did not come for over four days. The crew had all but lost faith that rescue would ever come…but then finally a rescue ship appeared on May 11th. There were 293 men aboard NEOSHO just before the attack at the Battle of the Coral Sea. Of these, 184 men died while 109 survived. Just fifteen SIMS crew-members survived her tragic combat sinking, but two of these surviving sailors died from wounds within a few days of their rescue.

Tony Rella was honorably discharged from active duty following WWII as a Chief Petty Officer. He was enormously proud of his Pearl Harbor Survivor Medal, an award that took our government over fifty years to authorize. I’ve always been bothered by the military “awards and commendation” process. So many acts of heroism go unrecognized by the military. Tony, and many guys like him, volunteered to serve before America entered WWII. It was not politically correct in some sectors of American society to volunteer for military service in 1938 thru 1940, with the currents of war increasing as Tony’s naval service began. Then, as now, a vocal minority of misguided Americans were posturing an increasing isolationist view. Several of these appeasers are now marked by history as misguided cowards. Unlike Tony, some Americans had turned a blind-eye to the terrible world events unfolding in Europe and the Far East. But Tony’s heroism stands as a matter of fact and official record. His military service was then -- and is still -- worthy of several significant combat awards that somehow went unwritten, never to be awarded and presented during his lifetime.

The words of General Dwight D. Eisenhower may sum it up best -- “History does not entrust the care of freedom to the weak or timid.” Anthony “Tony” Rella passed away October 25, 2007, we each lost an unsung hero on Tony’s passing that day.  Tony…you Sir are fondly remembered and sadly missed. By honorable naval tradition…

“Fair Winds and Following Seas.”

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Many background facts presented in this posting were taken from Mr. Del Leu’s web site (www.delsjourney.com). This significant research was published to honor the memory of his late Uncle Bill Leu, and to honor the heroic crew of USS Neosho. Del’s work assisted in the preparation of Tony Rella’s obituary. Shipmate Bill Leu, who passed away in 2003, was also a Pearl Harbor and Neosho survivor...and served with Tony Rella aboard Neosho. Significant background information also came from an article "Fat Girl" published 2/6/1943 in the “Saturday Evening Post” magazine -- and other related papers -- that Tony supplied to me.