NEWS-10: AIMM/USSVCF Library comes through!Submitted by: Pat Householder on 2/9/2009---------------------------------------------------------When the Navy Needs Something Historical, Who do they Call?No, They Don't Call Ghostbusters! They Call AIMM! (Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum: USS Razorback)Recently, the PAO of a West Coast Submarine Group contacted AIMM with a request.They needed a copy of an article published over 15 years ago in the Submarine Review, which is published by the Naval Submarine League in Washington, DC.Thanks to the efforts of Ron Martini of the USSVI and the work of the AIMM staff, the AIMM / USSVI Library is one of the few places in the world with a complete set of back issues of Submarine Review, and the AIMM website is the only place on the Internet with a complete index of the articles in all the issues.They were able to locate the article, scan it as a PDF file, and sent it off via e-mail the same morning that the request came in.Click the link for more info...http://aimm.museum/library.asp

... AETN'S is still accepting applications from World War II Veterans who wish to tell their stories and have them preserved for posterity. If you're interested (and I hope you will ALL consider it!), you can read more about it here: http://www.intheirwords.org/the_project/how_to_get_involved.A list of sample questions and an interview application form are attached (Adobe Reader required). You can also apply online, at http://www.intheirwords.org/the_project/how_to_get_involved/interview_application. Submitted by Suzan Kaye

The ice nightmare of January 2009: My husband a WWII Submarine Veteran said the sounds reminded him of another time. I will try to recount last week's storm from a World War II Submarine as the crew heard signs of an enemy approaching. They dove 350 feet where they hunkered down. We sat silently waiting for the next popping sounds of a near hit. First we could hear the groans and crackling of the torpedoes (ice coated tree limbs or trees breaking) approaching us. We sat silent, holding our breath waiting for the deadly thump. A little to the left, a little to the right, would it hit us straight on or it drop with a loud crush to the ground below. I watched the ceiling waiting for some of the louder cracking and swooshing sounds to hit its target. Several appeared to hit and bounce off, except for two. One pierced a small hole in the After Torpedo Room (our bedroom) and another came through the Officers Quarters, (a glass window on the front porch). A couple of days later when the world outside went silent we surfaced to check on the damage. Damage surrounded us. The sun came out and so did another enemy loaded down with bullets (large pieces of ice) coming from all directions where we had to duck and run for shelter. That remained for two days before it passed. We again examining the damage. We have reached a safe harbor where we are now busy on work detail to restore our world, and hope to sail again in peaceful and safe times.

January 27th USSVI Twin Lakes Base, Mountain Home, Arkansas will hold their meeting and lunch at 11 am-1pm at the Elks Lodge on Highway 52 East. All 80 newsletters (10 pages) that I just finished will be in the mail Monday for the Arkansas Submarine Veterans of World War II - Diamond Chapter.

This Day in Naval History January 17, 1955First Nuclear-Powered Submarine Gets Underway“Underway on Nuclear Power!” – On this day in 1955, the first nuclear-powered submarine, USS Nautilus (SSN-571), got underway for the first time. With these words, Nautilus cast off her lines, steamed out of New London and into history! See the classic newsreel that showed off her new capabilities to the U.S. public in cinemas nationwide. See the birth of nuclear submarines, here on NavyTV.

Here is another place to get patches, and at a good price. The museum email address is: submus@tds.net This is a great offer from John at the St.Mary's Museum and John wanted me to share it with you. George Scheer CS1(SS) was a curator there for many years (went on EP last year) -- Any support you can give them would be appreciated by the Museum. Ski

U-Boat History – Sharkhunters International, Inc http://www.sharkhunters.com publishes the monthly KTB Magazine that is filled with history and stories of WWII veterans of the US Navy, USSR, Royal Navy, IJN and other nations using submarines. There is no propaganda. To learn more check out their website, the Official Worldwide publication of U-Boat History. Information provided by Harry Cooper at sharkhunters@earthlink.net Melvin Tolbert Smith, STC (SS) USN-RET has been reading non-fiction U-Boat History books. His most interesting one was The Admiral’s Wolf Pack by Jean Noll. He has been very fortunate to find several non-fiction submarine history books at the county library book sales. He found the U-Boats’ interesting as he was the top Sonarman 1st Class during World II. He was assigned aboard the U-505 (displayed at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago), U-2513 and the U-3008 to check out their Sonar after WWII. His story while serving aboard the USS Snapper (SS-185) is in Submarine Stories of World War II by Mary Nida Smith. During his Navy career he was also was a member of the historical HS-7 Anti-Submarine Squadron for about five years earning his “WINGS.”