Captain McNish thanks very much for the response. Virginia and I are very glad to hear you are happily retired you certainly deserve it. Do you still have the Crows Nest tooth pick holder I gave you just before you left Halibut? I hear you on the skiing we live in Northern Idaho, Oldtown where I was raised; we have several ski slopes in the area. My son was in the Air Force in 1984, he checked out some skis from MWR at Fairchild and took me to the Swietzer, Mount Spokane, and 49 Degrees north slopes and tried to teach me how to ski. I did OK and really enjoyed it but was much too cautious to ever do very well and only worked on it for a couple years. My Aunt Dora Donaldson was the 1950 Amateur California Golfing Champion; her and husband Frank were very good golfers. They took me out either while I was in Boot Camp (November 55) or shortly there after, I enjoyed it very much but never have put the time aside to get back into it in later years. About all I remember is to keep your head down during the swing. Good luck to you I expect you will enjoy Golfing very much.

I have read the books Spy Sub and Blind Mans Bluff. I do not recall ever hearing you referred to as "Smiling Jack" perhaps I was never considered as close enough to the crew to hear the nicknames. I also do not remember hearing of the carrying on at the Horse and Cow or what ever bar that was in Vallejo. As I had been on the wagon since 1964 the night Virginia and I were married I suppose many in the crew felt that I would not tolerate or go along with many of these going on. I through Chief Engineer Etka sent out a notice on grooming and conduct to the Nukes shortly after coming aboard. It did not take me long to piss most of the Engineers off, oh well such is life I would probably do it all over the same way again. I fell off the wagon in Guam in 1975 after my last run; not a pretty sight.

Captain I want you to know how much I respect and hold you in high esteem due to your leadership and honesty with the crew. Bringing the duty sections together in the crew's mess and laying it in the line about what we were doing was very new to me and very much appreciated.

After reading the two books I have second thoughts about the NR exams, I used to tell the Nukes that NR just wanted to make sure we could operate the plants and were not out for any Halibut ASS. Apparently I was wrong it seems that Admiral Rickover really was pissed off due to being cut out of the loop "Need To Know" about at least the 68 mission, and probably really was out to shut Halibut down. As I told you before you left, we were going to our Ranch in Idaho and eke out a living as best we could raising Beef Cattle. I went to Spokane Community College four years studying crop and animal production. The more education I got the more I realized that a cow calf operation in northern Idaho was only good for making a small fortune out of a large one neither of which we had. We sold the cattle in 1981 and started raising Volkswagens and other imports, did OK retired in 1987 and shut the shop down. This last summer I sold the parts inventory, we have 80 acres of the Ranch and house for sale. We would like to get a larger motorhome and spend more time on the road. Hope to see you again, we may not make the Halibut reunion as the Cusk, Rayburn, and Yorktown are having reunions around the same time in the Charleston and Kings Bay area. Your Shipmate Gary Tucker

Subj: Re: Hello Captain

Date: 2/9/00 3:07:33 PM Pacific Standard Time

From: mcnishjejr@ceva.net (Jack McNish)

To: VMTuck@aol.com

Master Chief, Nice hearing from you. I am happily retired and living in a

great place in central Virginia,nowhere near the ocean. We are on a golf

course and Ski slopes neither of which do I do yet.I had one ski lesson

which may also be the last and two golf lessons,there is some hope for golf.

Best wishes.Jack McNish

From: VMTuck@aol.com <VMTuck@aol.com

To: undisclosed-recipients:; <undisclosed-recipients:;

Date: Saturday, February 05, 2000 11:38 PM

Subject: Hello Captain

Captain Mcnish I am very pleased to see your name in the recent Halibut

News letter. I also recognize Ron Simmons name and will drop him a line. I have

heard from Chief Lindsay, COB Jerry Wright and Admiral Larson. I have my

photograph of you pinning on my E-9 collar devices, and fond memories of

conversations with you during your visits to the engineering spaces in the

middle of the night. I also have the picture of Halibut under the Golden

Gate You signed. Your Shipmate MMCM(SS)USNRET Gary Tucker