DOLPHINS, SUBMARINES & SUBMARINERS
TOPEKA MIDNIGHT MILLENIUM DECK LOG ENTRY
1 January 2000
 
Contributed by Ron Martini
//RMKS/1
 
HERE'S TO REMEMBERANCE ON THIS NEW YEAR'S DAY
AND HERE'S TO THE SAILORS THAT SHOWED US THE WAY
HERE'S TO OLD TIMERS ON DECKS MADE OF WOOD
THEY FORGED OUR TRADITIONS THE BEST THAT THEY COULD
 
HERE'S TO THE DIESEL BOATS THAT SNORKELED AT NIGHT
THEY PROVED THAT AMERICA WAS READY TO FIGHT
HERE'S TO PAST SHIPMATES WHEREVER THEY ARE
MAY WE NEVER FORGET THEM REGARDLESS HOW FAR
 
WE STILL SOUND A KLAXON AS LOUD AS CAN BE
EACH TIME THAT WE DIVE DEEP INTO THE SEA
WE'RE HERE ALL WEARING DOLPHINS
EXCEPT FOR A FEW
 
A NEW CENTURY IS HERE, GOODBYE TO THE PAST
WE'RE THE FIRST TO HAVE SEEN IT, AND WE'LL BE THE LAST
SUCH IS LIFE ON OUR SHIP THAT WE CALL A BOAT
WE'RE NOT LIKE THE OTHERS, WE DON'T ALWAYS FLOAT
 
IF YOU'VE NEVER WORN DOLPHINS, YOU PROBABLY MISSED OUT
MY SHIPMATES ARE BROTHERS, I HAVEN'T A DOUBT
SO STAY ON THE SHORE WHERE IT'S SAFER YOU SEE
AND LEAVE THIS HARD LIFE FOR MY BROTHERS AND ME
 
WHEREVER THERE'S TROUBLE IN SOME DISTANT LAND
YOU CAN BET THAT TOPEKA WILL BE CLOSE AT HAND
THE REACTOR IS CRITICAL, OUR TORPEDOS ARE READY
THE HELMSMAN'S ON COURSE AND KEEPING IT STEADY
 
TODAY WE CAN CELEBRATE ON THIS NEW YEAR'S DAY
BUT TOMORROW MAY FIND US TURNING INTO HARMS WAY
SO HERE'S TO THE CREW BOTH PRESENT AND PAST
THAT KEEP THESE SUBS GOING AND GETTING THERE FAST
 
HERE'S TO THE GOOD TIMES, THERE'S ALWAYS TOO FEW
HERE'S TO US ALL THAT WEAR NAVY BLUE.
 
HAPPY NEW YEAR'S!!!
 
ET1 KEIGHTLEY SENDS.//
 

Posted by Ramon Samson on January 05, 2000
CSP "attaboy" to USS TOPEKA
 
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ZNR UUUUU ZUI RHHMHAA0039 0020059
R 020059Z JAN 00 ZYB PSN 406961H26
FM COMSUBPAC PEARL HARBOR HI
TO RHHIPSS/USS TOPEKA
INFO SUBRON SEVEN
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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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LINK TO CSP TOPEKA PAGE: http://www.csp.navy.mil/topeka/story.htm
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