Long before the advent of the hippie
and the yuppie
There was a class of warship that was
fondly called the Guppy.
Now the Guppy was a submarine, in case
you didn't know,
Long and black and sleek she was, and
always on the go.
In World War Two, the submarines were
our first line of attack,
Many of them went out to sea and some
did not come back,
Now the submariners knew this but still
they went to war,
To defend their nation's freedom was
what they were fighting for.
After World War Two had ended, when
the Japs and Germans quit,
Someone thought the old subs should
be streamlined just a bit,
So they re-designed the old boats and
named them GUPPY Class
With snorkels, better batt'ries and
a hull to make 'em fast.
They went to sea both north and south
from the East to setting sun,
They never knew when night was o'er
and daytime had begun.
Theirs was a life of silence and the
darkness of the deep,
Sometimes their only pleasure were
a few hours of blessed sleep.
They ploughed the seas from Pole to
Pole in defense of freedom's goals,
From Pearl Harbor, and Yokosuka to
the faroff Iceland shoals,
To spy on Soviet submarines and other
ships of war
Was the job of these brave lads who
roamed the ocean floor.
They ran patrols from Greenland to the
shores of Timbuktu
The GIUK
GAP and MED RUN were just nothing for a crew
of Guppy sailors who thought the NORTHERN
RUN okay,
Then take shore leave in Norfolk for
another night of play.
How many Guppies were there? Far
more than I could name.
And each has earned an honored place
in the Guppy Hall of Fame.
They fought the war with Soviets in
secrecy and guile
Until the foe gave up the fight, which
made it all worth while.
Now they're gone, as all ships go when
their tour of duty's o'er,
Brave Guppies, stalwart warriors, they
roam the seas no more,
They've gone to graves far out at sea
and this should be their lot,
Gone from the sight of those they served
but not to be forgot. |
