I was on board the Seawolf SSN575 operating somewhere off of Bermuda. Went up for communications when we got the message. The Captain passed the word "The Thresher was doing sea trials off of the NH coast and contact has been lost" A cold and ominous silence fell over the boat. The Capt. announced we would head north for a flank speed transit to the NH coast to join in efforts to locate Thresher. 

We pushed the 575 hard, felt like we would shake the shafts right out of her. It has been many years and I am a little vague about the exact times. Seems we arrived in the search area thursday late afternoon or early evening. By that time Thresher was "Missing" with no communication for about 36 plus hours.

We joined the search efforts making deep dives (pushing test depth to the limit) - both running silent and listenting and active sonar searching. No Sign!

It is hard to describe the empathy and closeness you feel when searching for one of your own who is in peril. There was very little sleep. The crew was peaked in their efforts but there was a solumn aire about the boat that was extremely personal as each of us searched and shared in our effort to acknowledge what had apparently happened. "There but for the grace of God go I" took on a whole new meaning.

In the following days we alternated between deep diving and running surface searches looking for any sign of debris, oil, jackets, or whatever might give sign of what happened.

Surface running was tough, very heavy seas and cold water. We were running with the conning tower hatch shut and the deck officer and lookouts waist deep in sea water when we would nose under (the Seawolf had a low bridge). I was standing forward Aux watch in the control room. We were rolling 35 and 40 degree, I remember bracing with my back on the plotter and my feet on the manifolds and it seemed sometimes I was standing on the manifolds at the extreme of the rolls.

Even with these conditions everybody who wasn't on watch was waiting for a chance to get to the bridge to relieve the lookouts from the bone chilling pounding they were taking. We just wanted to see or find or hear sometheing, "anything". Our brothers were missing and we wanted to bring them home.

Being in close like that left it's mark on each one of us. It was a very personal and private experience which each of us owned no matter how hard we tried to share it.

It has been a long time since I have talked about this and I am glad to have a chance to share it with my brothers, for only submariners I believe can truly understand this experience and these feelings.

I am going up to Portsmouth NH on Saturday April 11, 1998 with BR Barbee to the Thresher Memorial Service. I am sad that this service must take place but I also feel that it is important to go and to join with those who come to remember and share for a moment with those who sail the oceans forever.

One day we will all sail togeather again and the losses will be no more. Till then -- safe passage!

Harry:

What a moving bit of writing! My story can't hold a candle to yours, but here it is. You were THERE, I was an ocean away. But our thoughts were the same! 
Having been commissioned in 1962, I was "banished" from the boats because Admiral Rickover, for whatever reason, did not allow ex-enlisted types into the officers' nuclear power pipeline. Lord knows I tried ... and tried.

So I was on a destroyer operating out of Long Beach when the word was passed on the 1MC. The DD was also the Squadron flagship, and we had staff embarked, including another mustang ex-submariner who was Squadron Engineer. Tony somebody, damm memory is getting shorter by the day.

I gotta say, the wardroom on a DD in those days typically had 20 or 21 officers, many of whom were USNR types. Talk about double culture shock, not only moving into officer's country, but also getting surfaced. Lousy morale, NO dedication on most of these fuzzy-faced playboys' part. The conversation at most meals went something like "Well, I've only got 127 days left in this C**S** outfit.." A real reflection on THEIR judgement, or so I thought. Some even swiped the chains from XJA jackbox covers and made "short timer's chains," cutting a bead a day off until they were down to a wakeup call.

Obviously, I wasn't prepared for the RADICAL difference between Diesel Boat and skimmer crews and O-Gangs. And I sure as hell resented what I saw.

Anyway, with that as a backdrop, Tony and I both went up to Radio Central and kept our ears glued to the R-390s for any piece of news we could get.

We were in another ocean on a damm skimmer, but our hearts and most fervent prayers were focused on that search area off New Hampshire. We both had buddies on board THRESHER.

The news dribbled in bit by bit, God! so frustratingly slow. And fragmentary. And sometimes contradictory. Being in Engineering, I was standing Main Control watches, but 30 seconds after being relieved, I was back in Radio until 30 seconds before I went back on watch again.

I won't tar skimmers or USNRs with the brush I'm about to swing a little, but to this day I remember the CO coming into Radio and telling Tony and me that our "emotional behavior was disrupting the ship's routine." And the officers in general displayed the attitude that "if you like sub-marines so much, why are you here?" 4Q, pal, if I had a choice...

One of those puke-faced USNR punks actually said to me "so what if the Navy lost a submarine, we got lots more where that one came from." To this day I'll never forget that bastard's name and I still see his arrogant sneer as he voiced those words. A Chief boatswain's mate who just smashed his thumb with a hammer couldn't have said anything more vile.

You are right, it is hard to talk about this even with the passage of so many years. And maybe this helps explain why I get so hot under the collar about such things as silver dolphins for midshipmen.

WHY? Because outsiders who have never served in the boats (and I don't care, DBF and NBF both count - equally) will N E V E R understand the bond that exists among submariners. All any of us need to see is a pair of dolphins, we don't need to know the man's name in order to recognize him as a brother-in-arms.

Those unenlightened and unprofessional officers on the USS OZBOURNE DD-846 sure as hell didn't have a clue. Luckily for me, I got orders shortly thereafter for Sub School and I got back to the "Real Navy" where we ARE our brothers' keeper.

Thanks Harry.

I was in high school and planning on enlisting so I could ride the boats, so it did catch my attention. My mom wasen't as happy at my choice after that but, at least I didn't plan on being a Marine in '65 (I never was one for half measures).

On the more serious side, my Uncle Donald was working for Raytheon on the foward array and was scheduled for the shakedown cruise that day, as were twenty other Naval and civilian "observers". His boss bumped him for the ride and sent him back to New London to pick up his car and return to pick him up upon the Thresher's return. It took the humor out of him for some time but, he continued working on boats and going on shakedown cruises.

In '69 I rode the Andrew Jackson on it's shakedown out of Portsmouth after her overhaul which included "semi subsafe" and I can still trace all the 1" seawater pipes in my sleep. While calling them hostages to their face, our hats were off to those who were not in the Trade and rode with us to show confidence in their work and in us.

I'll be thinking of all of them April 10.

Test depth, aye sir.

Thanks for the story Harry! Sirago was just out of the Porstmouth Va. yards after a major FRAM job & we were in New London giving sub students daily rides for about a month or so. While there the Thresher went down & we went to sea. Being an engineman I had no idea as to where we were, but was told, off the coast of New Foundland....diving, listening etc. of course to no avail. We were stunned to hear of the loss of the Thresher and its' crew. We all felt a profound sense of loss, I still do wondering how this could have happened to this magnificent vessel. My wife later told me that she heard about it at Sunday mass, she knew we Sirago was at sea and thought it was us that went down. The original message she got was a submarine went down. Now after reading posts further own the board I find out she went down on a Wednesday....I wonder about that delay! April 10 1963, God that seems like another lifetime ago. 

May our shipmates rest in peace.