March, 2007 - New Web shipmates added in March. Biscoe, Jerry 67 - 70; Benjamin, Dave Allen - Plank Owner 65 - 66; Snodgrass, Gary A-Weps 84 - 87; Flowers, Troy 81 - 81; Yeiser, John 73 - 75; Weeks, Bob 70 -

March 15, 2007 - We received 17 pictures from John Yeiser of the Gold Crew in 1974. John can't remember the names in the pictures. Give us a hand. Click on WHO?

March 6, 2007 - Torpedomen get Torpedoed! Harry Baker, a former Key TM sent in this news article regarding the Torpedoman rating.

"Another sign of the times. The U.S. Navy is merging two job categories, Gunners Mate (sailors who operate and maintain guns and missiles) and Torpedoman (who operate and maintain torpedoes). Those currently holding a Torpedoman mate job will do the same work, but now be known as Gunners Mates. However, those holding Torpedoman rates can wear their distinctive Torpedoman rate badge for another two years. This merger is no surprise. For many years, Gunners Mates and Torpedomen went to many of the same technical schools. Both rates operated and maintained missiles, for the most part. Torpedoes, which appeared in the late 19th century, were the first guided missiles. Very high tech for their time, they were in service for about three decades before one was actually fired in anger and did some damage. But during the first half of the 20th century, torpedoes were a heavily used, and very effective, weapons. The most expensive missiles are still the high end torpedoes. But missiles that fly through the air have become more capable over the decades, and have replaced torpedoes, and guns, for most anti-ship work. Missiles supply most of the anti-aircraft weaponry for ships as well. It's ironic that sailors called Gunners Mates are now mostly people who operate missiles, rather than guns."

March 4, 2007 - A blast from the past. Here are some sounds from the boat that should get your blood pumping again. Can you identify them? The answers are at the bottom of the page.

March 3, 2007 - Gary Walters, 65 - 67 Gold, sent in this Key fact from a book called "Dolphin Tales with a dash of salt..."

"In November 1968, the USS Francis Scott Key returned to port in Charleston South Carolina, and thus marked the successful completion of the 600th deterrent patrol of the F.B.M.'s It also marked the equivalent completion of 100 patrol years or one Polaris submarine patrolling completely submerged for 100 years. Since the first initial patrol in 1960 to Nov 1968, over 38,000 days of patrol vigilance have been successfully completed."

March 2, 2007 - Well, the Key web site has hit a minor milestone. We just had our 3,000th visitor since the addition of a counter on Sept 14, 2006. I am very pleased to see that former crewmates are visiting the site at a rate of over 500 visits a month. I want to thank all of you that have contributed pictures, sea stories, papers and suggestions. Without these contributions it would be a pretty boring site. I encourage all of you to take an hour and dig through your stuff to find more material. E-mail, fax, phone or snail mail it to me and I'll get it online for all to view. We are the history of the Key so we are the only people that can document it.

Did you identify all the sounds? Sound 1 - Missile Emergency; Sound 2 - Power Plant Emergency; Sound 3 - General Quarters; Sound 4 - Missile Jettison; Sound 5 - Surface; Sound 6 - Dive; Sound 7 - Collision; Sound 8 - Navy Band; Sound 9 - Any Chief on watch. If you got them all right, you are re-qualified. If you got any wrong, I'll see you on the mess decks. (P.S. I'm trying to figure out how to make Sound 1 the ring tone for my cell phone. I doubt I would ever miss another call because I ignored the ring.)