The following is a view of our first reunion as seen by the Engineering Dept LPO of many years ago. The cost may reflect its worth.

Thanks for the hard work and dedication by those that made this most wonderful reunion possible. Harlan Brown, Larry Oiler, Stan Fienberg, Frank Houghton, LCDR Tom Pauls for the History, and any others that I have missed.

What an ego buster to be remembered as Chief Buski says Tucker? Tucker? I remember! You were the "BIG SNORE". The COB Jack Dowel said the big uproar in the wardroom had nothing to do with my fish "Pike" that had died but rather the playing of the snore tape over the ships entertainment system. Apparently a whiz Sonarman, Ponciroli had apparently taped me while I was in rare form after working like a dog, probably for 30 or 40 hours, trying to catch a little sleep; I was "Buzzing" up some very big logs with a supercharged saw gasping for oxygen. Captain Williams did not see the humor in this presentation, as I certainly would not have either had I a clue as to what was going on. I understand there was a meeting in the wardroom and that the tape was not heard from again. Captain Williams, you may have been too hasty in dismissing this tape, perhaps it could have been incorporated into the "Masking System" and perhaps shortened the "Cold War".

Should I have taken the Mike the night of the banquet I would have said something along the following lines, it is with great humility that I stand before you. It was an honor and privilege to have you as shipmates. I think Commissioning Crews are very special and there is a trust and bond that may not be present with other crews and other ships. I think that technically I was much more comfortable on Rayburn than the other Nuke I was aboard. When you are involved with turning over of the systems from the shipyard to the new command you learn the systems very well. After so many years a little conversation makes the years just disappear and you just seem to start up where you left off. After Mary Bradley sang Lee happy birthday, I could have sang happy birthday to myself and made a tribute to my mother for her good planning 60 years and nine months ago. Virginia also woke up Saturday morning 28 August with a 60-year young man by her side. Carol McNelly must have also experienced the same trauma as Virginia and Mary, but as Jack said "Jay was older than dirt". It was a very momentous occasion to have both Commissioning Commanding officers Captain Perry and Captain Williams at the reunion, the Blue XO R B Connelly, Blue Engineer LT. Bob Fox. And Gold DCA LT. W.G. Clautice (I expect that other divisions had Department Heads and Division Officers attending also, I hope you will also submit a Critique.") I had hoped to find more time to reminisce with LT. Bill Clautice, perhaps next time. This is a man that "Got the Barn Painted," he had an unpleasant meeting with Admiral Rickover but we all knew who was right and it was not the Admiral. Captain Jack Orzalli also attended, he had command of both crews, perhaps next time I will ask him if he remembers the grease zirt cover business. I was very pleased to see Bill Schaible. again I had to relieve him periodically while he was standing O2 generator watches. When I met his new wife I stated that he must be younger than the rest of us because it was quite obvious to the most casual observer that she is a young beauty. He told me that he was 63, three years older than I was that very day. Serious consternation!! Whenever I mention younger women, Virginia reminds me of the possibility of more children, can you imagine trying to raise children today when they are taught in school that if disciplined to dial 911? Sounds a little like the Hitler Youth Corps doesn't it?

This may be a good area to ask how many remember when our Nuke Commander in Chief said that he had lusted in his heart? This was of course before Mr. Bobbit's wife severed him from his "male appendage". Virginia and I would imagine many other wives have undoubtedly got a lot of mileage from Lorena's act. When one gets that look in his eye while looking at another women Bobbit! Bobbit! Certainly gets your attention and would deflate any amorous thoughts one might have with anyone but Mrs. Right. Like Bill Slick Schiable we have our own beauties, they are just a little more "seasoned".

Rudy Wagner, I looked for you Sunday morning at breakfast, I had a tape for you. I gave it to Lloyd Higgins and asked if he would mail it on to you after he has watched it. The tape was from a ships picnic at Short Stay in 1965 or 1966. Lee Bradley, the same with you. I gave the copy I was going to give you to Bill Minnehan and asked him to forward it, after he had seen it.

As I was making my last Camcorder pass around the Brunch Sunday, two young men (anyone less than 60 is now young) stopped me and said that I had restricted them from going aft of frame 150; this action was supposedly to prevent them from hard-assing my Nukes. I never had any Nukes, they were God's and Hyman Rickover's (you determine seniority). I was privileged and honored to have been in their chain of command. Should these young men or any others that see this critique and remember the details please let me know. Could this have had anything to do with my being awarded the coveted Fickle Finger of Fate Award? Could Dick Wills have been involved? It seems that Liberty had been restricted for the department due to some problem I thought Wills was involved in. Later I was told that the perpetrator was an A ganger, anyone remember this incident? Let me know.

Many took pictures during the reunion. Roy Meadows e-mailed and said he was sending me some, I will scan them and send to Stan and Larry for inclusion on the web page. (We just got home 1030, this morning Saturday 9-5-98 the first day 200, miles all others about 500, today 300. It has been a long week, we will have motor home lag for a few days.) I have been writing this on the road. Bud and Lynn Snyder were also taking pictures. Lynn was a very big help to Virginia and our children after Virginia's disastrous encounter with the Charleston Naval Hospital in May of 1968. Lynn took her and the kids to the Commissary and exchange and wherever they needed to go while we were at sea after Virginia's operation. While on this subject thanks to the Chiefs Locker for the beautiful bouquet of Roses they sent (it seems Chief Mulky delivered them) while she was in the hospital early May to late July 1968. I must also thank Bud for his leadership by example on how to paint a car with small spray cans of blue paint donated by Servmart. Bud is a much better Storekeeper than auto painter. Thanks also to Tom Pauls he had his Qual card with many signatures that we recognized passing it around the table. Tom also had some very good photos of the Rayburn. I hope he can have them scanned and placed on the web page. Tom had a very interesting career indicated as follows in a letter he wrote me.

Gary,

When did you actually transfer off the boat? I think I made my first patrol

during your last one. I think we went on patrol in August of 68 or maybe the

1st part of September. I was a non-qual MM2 then and had to spend 4 weeks

standing planes watches and cleaning the goat locker afterwards where as I

recall you used to sit all the time with headphones on watching the movie!

Great incentive to hurry up & qualify. I still have my qual card and it

appears that a R.G. Tucker signed off the second sig for RADIATION PROTECTION

on 8/23/68. I left the boat in overhaul and went to Hammerhead (SSN663) where

things worked out real well for me. I went from E7 - 10/74 to W1 - 6/75 (

interviewed by Rickover who told me how stupid I was) to O2E - 5/79 and

retired O4 in 1988.

Hope to see you at the convention -by the way were you on board when I spilled

a can of machinery grey paint into the condensate bay just after it had been

painted a nice shade of red?

Tom

Now to get on to the very serious stuff.

I have been very concerned the way the military has been treated since the new administration took over in 1992. I have written many letters to President Clinton, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee Senator Nunn, (prior to 1996) Secretary of Defense, Navy Times, Admiral Charles Larson (Skipper of my last Boat Halibut). I have not written directly to the President for several years due to the FBI contacting many of my friends causing me to think that they consider me a threat. I was always courteous and polite. I told the President on the Homosexual issue that he might have the power but not the moral authority to authorize homosexuals to serve overtly. Much of his support came from these folks, which was vital to him taking office. Women serving in the military on combatants is another issue I think where the President is playing out his not so latent loathing of our military. I have written several letters on this subject, some to Admiral Larson. I will attach one to this critique. I was hoping Admiral Trost would have come to the reunion. I would liked to have talked to him about the CMR (Center for Military Readiness) whose President is Elaine Donnelly. http://www.cmrlink.org/ is her web page. This group has done an in-depth investigation into the Death of LT. Kara Hultgreen, killed while landing her F-14 Tomcat aboard the Abraham Lincoln. During training she had received 7 downs which would have disqualified any male pilots. Despite shaky performance she was allowed to continue flying. The politics of this matter in trying to get Navy Women pilots in the air and at sea first most certainly caused the premature death of this fine young women. I think that Admiral Kelso in an attempt to save his job after "Tail Hook" was the first of the Joint Chiefs to reverse policy and allow women on combatants. I think this was a serious blow to all the Military. Somehow our leaders seem to have been sucked in (no pun intended but the double-entendre is impossible to avoid) by the most corrupt administration in history and seem to have forgot that the military is about killing the enemy and breaking his furniture. What we seem to have now is the biggest "Wheel on Meals Program" in the history of human civilization. I understand that those like Dennis Mortensen who are still on active duty are pretty much restricted as to how politically active they can get. I hope you others will contact your Representatives and Senators and friends still in the military and get these issues resolved and hopefully this most corrupt administration could be put out of office soon. Should Judge Starr's report be as serious as it sounds this present group should all go, and soon. As far as the President is concerned this sex issue is only the tip of the iceberg Campaign violations, FBI files in the White House, Testimony before the Burton and Thompson committees when many have left the country and many pleaded the fifth, Rose law firm papers found in the white house, travel office, gutting of the second amendment by this administration, Executive orders like 13083 that usurps state and local control, Check out Scott Ridders testimony concerning weapon inspections, ect,ect,ect.

We did win the cold war didn't we? Our government claims we did but if that is so than why does our congress continue down the road of socialism and most certainly communism. Please review the 10 planks of the communist manifesto and tell me with honesty that is not what our people in Washington are implementing. Cradle to grave control is antithetical to what our founders prescribed for this Republic. Private property rights are the cornerstone of freedom, these rights are being eroded daily by governmental controls from planning and zoning to the EPA and Endangered species acts. Our earliest settlers practiced communism and found that it did not work. At Jamestown in 1610 after many failures of the settlement due to starvation Sir Lord Dale gave each family some acreage to raise what they wanted and needed, then barter any extra. The incentive to survive and get ahead caused the settlement to thrive, capitalism works. Governor Bradford at Plymouth in 1627 had the same results. It seems though that we are slow to learn. Self reliance and individual responsibility are absolutely necessary if any civilization is to survive. Plato had some insights in this matter something about the evolution of democracy. Other reading on this subject, Slouching towards Gomorrah, Judge Bork, From Freedom to Slavery, Gerry Spence. Siege at Ruby Ridge, Sarah and Randy Weaver.

In closing I want to tell the Minnehans, Higgins, and Curleys I am sorry I couldn't do a little better with the good bye's but when the voice chokes and the eyes mist one must turn on his heel and exit smartly. Good bye's have never been easy for me but were exceptionally difficult last Sunday. I have made a video of the reunion in much more detail than I had expected prior to receiving word that Dick wills would not be able to attend. Several have asked for a copy I am sure I have forgot some. Ernie Crowl, Roy Meadows, Larry Oiler, Tom Pauls, Ted Curley, Steve Buski, Wes Brown, Dick will get the first copy, feel free to make copies and disseminate as widely as possible much of this is raw footage and will probably need editing to your own satisfaction.

May life be kind to all of you, my Shipmates.

Gary Tucker

Gary has given me the privilege to check out the critique of the reunion. I also really enjoyed the reunion, met many of our long ago but not forgotten friends, and so thoroughly enjoyed meeting them all over again. Thanks again to Lynn for all the help she gave me in 1968, and also to all our other friends that helped me through that difficult time when Gary was out at sea. Without all our friends I would have had a very tough time making it through those months. We are looking forward to our next reunion. Virginia

The following is a copy of a letter I sent to Admiral Charles Larson referenced earlier.

Superintendent Admiral Charles Larson

US Naval Academy Annapolis MD. 2104-5000

Admiral Larson

Dear Sir:

I heard about Admiral Boordas suicide on Thursday as I was leaving the Deaconess Cardiology Center in Spokane after having a close encounter of the most fatal kind. Admiral Boorda must have enlisted in the Navy about the same time I did (Nov. 55) My most sincere condolences to you as part of the Navy family and to his wife and children.

Admiral, I have written to you before about the direction the Navy has been going the last few years, most dramatically since the Clintons have taken over l600 Pennsylvania Avenue. I am well aware I am an enlisted man and perhaps should not speak up on this matter but feel I must, (if I were still active duty I would most certainly not be able to). The socialist agenda of the current administration will most certainly destroy our fine Navy if it is not stopped. I think it imperative many of the Clinton programs be rescinded if our Navy is to survive. The three top Priorities must be reversing his orders of allowing overt homosexuals to serve in the military, women on combatants and allowing HIV infected to remain on active duty. I know it will be argued that women can do the job, that is not the issue as I see it, women are a major distraction that our military can ill afford under day to day operations, much less in the heat of battle. The young men in our society now, even more so then when I enlisted in l955, need a strong male figure to live up to, all young men have a Mother many do not have a Father. Somehow the feminists in Congress must be convinced of their folly in promoting the women’s movement, using the military, because they could not get the equal rights amendment ratified in the 70’s.

Would you please consider now, after Admiral Boordas tragic death that it is the time to gather all the senior officers in all branches of the military together, to force (of course diplomatically) the secretaries of the respective branches to insist the Secretary of Defense and Commander in Chief reverse these most onerous programs they have implemented. As sad a day as it is due to Admiral Boordas suicide it may be the last opportunity to save the Navy, Military and our Country from the continuing ravages of socialism.

Good luck Sir, I have the greatest faith and respect in you.

With great Affection and Respect,

Shipmate MMCM(SS) USN RET.

Richard Gary Tucker