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RATUZYUW RHHMMCC0961 0020100-UUUU-RHHMDBA.
ZNR UUUUU ZUI RHHMHAA0039 0020059
R 020059Z JAN 00 ZYB PSN 406961H26
FM COMSUBPAC PEARL HARBOR HI
TO RHHIPSS/USS TOPEKA
INFO SUBRON SEVEN
RHHMDBA/COMSUBPAC PEARL HARBOR HI
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UNCLAS file://N05720//
MSGID/GENADMIN/COMSUBPAC//
SUBJ/PERSONAL FOR CDR MARK PATTON,
USS TOPEKA//
RMKS/
MARK,
1. I WANTED TO CONGRATULATE YOU AND
YOUR CREW ON THOROUGHLY EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ON JUST HOW FANTASTIC SERVICE
IN SUBMARINES CAN BE FOR THOSE WILLING TO WORK HARD AND MAKE SACRIFICES.
YOUR SUBMARINE HAS ASSURED OUR COUNTRY, ALLIES AND POTENTIAL ADVERSARIES
THAT WE'RE READY WHERE EVER AND WHEN EVER WE'RE NEEDED. MOST IMPORTANTLY,
YOUR CREW OF 130 HARD-WORKING MEN ARE THE ENVY OF NOT JUST THE REST OF
THE NAVY BUT PROBABLY EVERYONE WHO HEARD ABOUT IT AROUND THE WORLD. IT'LL
BE HARD TO PUT A VALUE ON JUST WHAT TYPE OF INFLUENCE YOUR OBSERVANCE HAS
CREATED, BUT IN MY BOOK IT'S IMMEASURABLE.
2. YOUR STORY IS REVERBERATING IN THE
HALLS OF THE PENTAGON AS THE KEY MESSAGE TO REASSURE TAXPAYERS THAT THE
NAVY S Y2K PREPAREDNESS LEAD THE WAY. CALLS ARE POURING IN FROM SUBMARINERS
AND FAMILY MEMBERS ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY EXPRESSING HOW EXCITED THEY WERE
FOR THE CREW AND FOR NAVY. QUOTED BELOW IS THE AP STORY THAT IS RUNNING
IN PAPERS AROUND THE COUNTRY.
3. QUOTE:
U.S. SUBMARINE STRADDLES DATE LINE.
BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND (AP)
-- ITS BOW IN ONE YEAR, ITS STERN IN
ANOTHER, THE USS TOPEKA MARKED THE NEW MILLENNIUM 400 FEET BENEATH THE
INTERNATIONAL DATELINE IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN. THE PEARL HARBOR-BASED NAVY
SUBMARINE STRADDLED THE LINE, MEANING THAT AT MIDNIGHT, ONE END WAS IN
2000 WHILE THE OTHER WAS STILL IN 1999. "I CAN ASSURE YOU WE WERE
THE ONLY ONES AT 400 FEET BELOW THE SURFACE TO EXPERIENCE IT," SAID
THE COMMANDING OFFICER, CMDR. MARK PATTON OF CHEYENNE, WYO. THE 360-FOOT-LONG
SUB, WHICH WAS 2,100 MILES FROM HONOLULU, HAWAII, STRADDLED THE EQUATOR
AT THE SAME TIME, MEANING IT WAS IN BOTH THE NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN HEMISPHERES.
SOME OF THE 130 CREWMEMBERS WERE IN WINTER IN THE NORTH, WHILE OTHERS WERE
IN SUMMER IN THE SOUTH. MANY TOOK SMALL WATER SAMPLES TO KEEP AS MEMENTOS,
THE NAVY SAID. "WORDS CAN'T DESCRIBE THE FEELING," SAID LT. MICHAEL
BRATTON OF LITTLE ROCK, ARK., "IT'S BETTER THAN TIMES SQUARE."
THE NUCLEAR-POWERED ATTACK SUB CAN CARRY MK-48 ADVANCED CAPABILITY TORPEDOES
AND TOMAHAWK CRUISE MISSILES. THE SUB HAD PLENTY OF COMPANY ON THE SURFACE.
TRAFFIC AROUND THE DATE LINE WAS HEAVY WITH BOATERS RUSHING TO GREET THE
MILLENNIUM OR WITNESS ITS FIRST DAWN. PATTON SAID THE TOPEKA'S POSITION
WAS NOT JUST A PUBLICITY STUNT. HE SAYS THAT POSITIONING THE SUB ALONG
THE DATE-LINE SUBMERGED DEMONSTRATED THE NAVY'S CONFIDENCE THAT IT'S READY
TO HANDLE THE Y2K COMPUTER BUG. SOME FEAR THAT THE NEW YEAR WILL CONFUSE
COMPUTERS THAT MIGHT MISTAKE 2000 FOR 1900, CAUSING SYSTEMS TO CRASH. BUT
PATTON SAID THERE WERE NO WORRIES ABOARD THE SUB. "TOPEKA WAS PROBABLY
ONE OF THE SAFEST PLACES TO BE FOR Y2K," HE SAID.
END QUOTE.
3. IT WAS MORE OF THE SAME IN THE OTHER
CLIPS WE' VE SEEN. I THINK YOU HIT EVERY MARKET THROUGH EVERY MEDIUM AND
YOU' VE ASSUREDLY GENERATED MORE GENUINE INTEREST IN JOINING AND SERVING
IN THE SUBMARINE FORCE THAN ANY COMMERCIAL COULD EVER DO. WE'RE WORKING
TO COLLECT ALL CLIPS, AND WE'LL BE SURE TO GET YOU AND ELLEN COPIES. PLEASE
PASS TO EVERY MEMBER OF YOUR CREW A HEARTFELT CONGRATULATION ON MY BEHALF
AND TELL THEM I WISH I WAS THERE WITH THEM - STRADDLING HISTORY.
4. KEEP CHARGING.
AL KONETZNI SENDS.////
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