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-Getting Down To The Business
At Hand-
The day finally arrived and we took the Sand Lance out for Sea Trials along
with many shipyard contract technicians and Hyman Rickover - Admiral, USN.
“The Father of the Nuclear Sub.” I was very honored to be aboard this
submarine during sea trials with this individual. The man expected the
highest level of personal performance and he obtained it from this submarine
crew. The Crew and Sand Lance completed all test with excellent results. The
hardest part of our preparations was making sure the submarine met a list of
some thirty-five personal requirements which were received in hand written
form prior to the Admiral’s arrival, enough said, the Crew Members know what
that entailed and we were ready!
USS Sand Lance
(SSN 660)
First time heading out for sea trials - 1970.
Photo by: Debbie L. (Jent) O’Neill
Congratulations were due to the Entire Crew of the Sand Lance as we completed
our sea trials with notable success. Now it was back to the shipyard and make
ready for redeployment to our first assigned homeport that was to be
Charleston Naval Base, South Carolina. Our in-transit time took about two
weeks as we operated off the east coast for a short while. The Sand Lance was
an impressive vessel the Officers and Enlisted Crew gave her a hard workout
on the way down from Portsmouth, New Hampshire to the Charleston Naval Base,
she performed well and we were all proud of her.
Hyman Rickover,
Admiral-U.S.N
Qualified the USS Sand Lance (SSN 660) for Active Duty.
- My Submarines are SAFE! -
Portsmouth New Hampshire 1970 Local Newspaper photo.
(Source)
From the Crew of
the USS Sand Lance (SSN 660) We Say Thanks!
To the Women and Men of Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, we’re safely home!
Source: Portsmouth Naval Base 170-year celebration book.
Source: Portsmouth
Naval Base 170-year celebration book.
Charleston became my port of departure from active naval service, as luck
would have it, my tour of duty was about to expire - release from active date
(RAD) and the next deployment of the Sand Lance would take six months and
that would place me beyond my enlistment contract. So it was with mixed
emotions I prepared for departure. To John McGuire, IC3/SS my shipmate and
fellow IC Technician, I say to this day I felt poorly about having to be the
one between the two of us who was to go ashore rather then remaining with the
Sand Lance during the upcoming southern deployment.
Magazine from
Charleston Naval Base welcome kit for the crew.
First
Unqualified Enlisted Crew Member “Submarine Qualified”
Aboard
the Sand Lance SSN 660 -
During my tenure aboard the Sand Lance I consistently worked at
obtaining my “Qualified Submariner” status. It was an even greater honor
to become the first enlisted sailor to receive my coveted “Silver
Dolphins” as a Plank Owner of the Commissioning Crew, an accomplishment
that would be again recognized by the Decommissioning Crew some 20 years
later at the Sand Lance inactivation ceremony, which I attended along with
Captain William A. Kennington, USN the first Commanding Officer of the
Sand Lance and a few other members of the commissioning crew Harvey Cybul,
The Navigation Officer, Michael Hess, Engineering Training Officer, Nathan “Ike": Isenhour IC1/SS my
senior enlisted supervisor and former Lt. Michael Hewitt, Sand Lance
Engineering Officer, Mike was the guest speaker for the inactivation
ceremony in New London, CT. and a he made a great delivery of the
speech.
Sample page of the
Navy Submariner’s Qualification Program.
Source: Personal Memorabilia
Bernard F.
O’Neill, IC3/SS
First
Unqualified Enlisted Crew Member to earn Dolphins aboard Sand Lance (SSN
660)
Source: Personal Memorabilia
Interior
Communications Rate – Today No Longer Existing.
Now Incorporated In The Electronics Technician Rate.
Responsible for: All Shipboard Interior Communications, Dial-X
Telephone System, Intercommunications Systems, Air Quality Control, Steering
and Diving Electro-mechanical Servers and Systems Controls, Electrical Power
Distribution, Combat Information Center Power Controllers, Sound Powered
Communications System.
The USS Sand Lance (SSN 660)
First Interior Communications Electrician Team
Lieutenant William Culp
-USN
Walter A. Job MCMM/SS
Nathan Isenhour IC1/SS
Frederick
Frommelt, Jr. IC1/SS
John McGuire IC3/SS
Peter Smith IC3/SS
Bernard
O’Neill IC3/SS
Source: Personal
Memorabilia
-Contributing More In Different Ways-
I returned to the Naval Reserve Center at Fort McHenry, Maryland and finished
my tour of duty with the U.S. Naval Security Group Division 5-1 Communications
Technicians, where I received the “Sailor of the Quarter Award” after my active
duty for training in the summer of 1973, I constructed the first active naval
communications monitoring station at Fort McHenry. This Naval Reserve
Communication Technician (CT) Unit subsequently received numerous awards and
commendations for their contributions to protecting radio communications
security from serious breaches by Active Duty Naval Vessels.
Source: Personal
Memorabilia
- Ironies of Life -
To
say that I enjoyed my Navy tour is an understatement, I have always had a
great respect for the military service and I would suggest all young
Americans spend at least two years in service to our great country in one
of our time honored armed services. It would be some twenty years after my
tour of duty in the Navy that I would find out that at the same time I was
stationed at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, there was another SSN Submarine
christened the USS Jack (SSN 605) in the shipyard at the same time as the
USS Sand Lance which had one of my second cousin’s on board Michael G.
O’Neill and neither one of us knew the other existed at that time.
Michael’s Father is Captain Martin George O’Neill, USN Retired Commander
of two US Aircraft Carriers, the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CV 42) and the
USS Ticonderoga (CVA/CVS 14) he (Martin) was honored with numerous Naval
heroic service medals, more then one dozen.
- Facts Not Known To Me For 20 Years Hence -
USS Jack (SSN 605)
In Portsmouth Naval Yard at same time as the Sand Lance, however we never met
each other at that time.
Michael G. O’Neill, MM/SS Son of Captain Martin G.
O’Neill (below)
http://www.uss-jack.org/ssnindex.html
(Source)
USS Franklin D. Roosevelt
(CV 42)
Captain Martin G. O’Neill, USN (My Grandfathers Brother’s Son) 1967-1968
http://www.multied.com/Navy/CVB42FDR.html
(Source)
USS Ticonderoga (CVA/CVS
14)
Captain Martin G. O’Neill, USN (My Grandfathers Brother’s Son) 1965-1966
http://home.pacbell.net/lchevato/photos.htm
(Source)
It
is with great respect and admiration of the joint Military Armed Services
that I present this website honoring the Commissioning Crew of the USS
Sand Lance (SSN 660). This particular crew of talented and dedicated
warriors is a great testimony to the meaning of “National Patriots”. These
individuals gave up much in terms of their private lives to serve and
protect our country. They exemplify the best of the best:
The United States Naval Submarine - Silent Service.
Too Early, Gone But Not
Forgotten! (05 Jan 1975)
Source: Personal Memorabilia
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