SSBN 657 Pictures - 1960's

First piece of Key being laid.

Down the ways. 

Day 1.

Launching

At the Cape

Breaking the champagne bottle on the Key's bow.

Launching brochure showing FS Keys relatives and first COs. Submitted by Charlie Burrow

Bob Sprecher sent in this picture of the crew assembling for the commissioning ceremony

Commissioning ceremony

Ron Chim

Liberty call

Topside - Ron Chim

Swim Call

View from AMR1 hatch

Off crew office

Ron Chim blue nose

On the beach - literally

Swim call
Bill Satchell & Bill Stovall
near Cape Canaveral, Florida
April 1967

Underway after swim call
near Cape Canaveral, Florida
April 1967

First sea trials -Liberty call!
Jerry Barry
Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico
February 1967

Shoeshines & Suds
Dick Neal, Charlie Burrow & G.W. Rose
Catano, Puerto Rico
February 1967

Topside liberty - during sonar trials
off St. Croix, Virgin Islands
February 1967

Cruisin' off  St. Croix, Virgin Islands
February 1967

Deep sleep fishing
John Glenn, civilian technician, with pole
off St. Croix, Virgin Islands
February 1967

Don't spit into the wind
Charlie Burrow
off St. Croix, Virgin Islands
February 1967

Thanks Charlie for all these great pictures!

Returning from daily trials
Tom Doran, line handler, at the ready
Frederickstad, St. Croix, Virgin Islands
February 1967

SSBN 657
returning from daily trials
Frederickstad, St. Croix, Virgin Islands
February 1967

Tied up for the night
Joe Dooley & R.L. Abernathy
Frederickstad, St. Croix, Virgin Islands
February 1967

Sightseers
Fred “Mo” Vavra, J.P. Smith & Tom Cowart
Christianstad, St. Croix, Virgin Islands
February 1967

Loading liquor
1 gallon (5 “fifths”) per box
Frederickstad, St. Croix, Virgin Islands
February 1967

Loading liquor
Watch for that “moisture in tube” alarm!
Frederickstad, St. Croix, Virgin Islands
February 1967.  Supply Officer Geo. Singer arranged for the liquor.  Everyone over 21 got to take back 5 bottles into the USA fror about $25.

Manning the capstan controls
Captain Graham supervising (on left, without hat)
Frederickstad, St. Croix, Virgin Islands
February 1967

Departing on 1^st patrol
Captain Frank Graham, on the bridge & under the bridge
Cooper River, Charleston, South Carolina
June 1967

Departing on 1^st patrol
with destroyer escort
Cooper River, Charleston, South Carolina
June 1967  Pictures taken by Clyde R Lewis MT2 - Lookout.

Departing on 1^st patrol
with dolphin escort
Cooper River, Charleston, South Carolina
June 1967

Departing on 1^st patrol
ready to dive off Charleston, South Carolina
June 1967

First of many, many patrols. Dive! Dive!

Submitted by Gary Walters MM2. Key Gold's first patrol Aug 22, 1967 - Rota.

L to R: Edward Vatentine, Harry Salvato, Gary Walters, William Lightcap

John Linville in UL Engine Room in the late 1960s

Crew's Mess on the Key.  From the commissioning Booklet.  Harold Wilber SK1 rear left.

From the Commissioning Brochure - Torpedo Room.  Left to Right: Eugene Kretowitz - TM1; James Mustin TMC; WR Carter TM2; FJ Haigh TM3; Thomas Cowart TM2.

Haigh and Joe Heflin in 1967 - First patrol

Jerry Berry (coat) and Joe Heflin Before first patrol at EB

MT's LaChapelle and Lafferty - 1966

Davenport on the right

Scanlon in front at Launcher

Hamil, Ivan Meixell, Jeff Trexler 1968ish Holy Lock

First Blue Crew change of command 1968 submitted by Jim Keach

Jim Keach getting his dolphins from CDR Yarger, February 1969

TM1 David Lyons with Jerry Berry sitting in rear.

Steve Rosen and Bob "Fonebone" Reese in Holy Lock

Steve Rosen and Bob Reese in UL missile - late 60's.

Steve Rosen in the torpedo room

Steve Rosen on watch - late 60s

Steve Rosen working during Weapon's Night in the crew's mess

Nav Center Chief Richard Rudolph and Charlie Parkins

MT 1 Joe Milazzo

Back to camera is LT Murphy - A-Weps

2nd from left is LT Murphy Weps officer, CDR Bo Bohannor XO is to his right.

Jerry Berry in the middle

lt to rt: LTJG Tom Turner, Lee Williams (in back), RM Tom Miner and  Lee Williams in Radio.  From commissioning brochure.

Crew's mess decked out for a "Weapons Party" in 68/69 time period.  Submitted by Bil Hole.

Looks like Wally Greene snuggling up to Marion "Stokes" Carmichael.

LCDR Chuck Harner (Francis Scott
Key Jr. as "Daddy Wags" Wagner named him).  Catfish Tom Cowart in the yellow and Jesse Sims in the red stripes.

CO Yarger always seemed to have a lovely lass nearby.

Party Time!  and our families thought we were defending freedom...

Christmas 1969 sent in by Bil Hole.  CO Yarger opens his gift.

XO Chuck Harner stirring the pot (again) of dehydrated egg nog.  CS3 Burgess Washington standing.YN3 Griswald sitting facing forward.

CS3 Burgess Washington pouring the egg
nog into the 5 gallon stainless steel milk container as YN3 Griswald holds the container.  XO Harner looks on while the work is done.  Bill Wise is the blond guy on the right

Bil Hole adding salt to some recipe in the Hobart ca 68 or early 69.  Notice no sheetpan/pie rack above Hobart machine

CS1 Charlie Sabbath mixing up some fine meatloaf ca 68 or early 69

CSC Nordahl and CSSN Bathalow ca 1971.  Notice sheetpan/pie rack now above the Hobart machine

John Drahos (The only guy we knew who spend 1/2 an hour combing his hair before watch while on patrol)  threatening CSSN Hole with a cleaver ca 68-69.  Must not have liked the way his eggs came out that morning

Bil Hole in front of family shrine to him

Casino night late 1968 or early 69 LTJG Mercer. Submitted by Bil Hole

Casino night Greg Snell on left

Chief Tiny Kirkwood

Casino night Kermit Sparks dealing.

68-69 CS1 Charlie Sabbath with his
loot, cigarettes (Salems of course) and his ever-present coffee cup in the Chief's Locker.  MM2 Richard Macko on left.

Casino night Carmichael and Sam Lewis

Carmichael try his luck with the slot machine in middle level missile

Bob Sprecher and wife leaving home for the submarine ball 1968

At Submarine Ball 1968

Bob Sprecher mess decks 1967.

Bob Sprecher home after patrol 5.

Christmas 1968

Christmas 1968

Buster Davis at his retirement in 2003 as an E-9 in the Air Force.  Buster was also in the Army and served a total of 34 years.

Bill Wise and John McAdam in NAV Center in 1968

Stanley "Jesse" Sims ship's diver and that might be Billy Morey sitting topside in the background

P J Melher and Stanley "Jesse" Sims on Weapons Night....Mexican food.

Launcher mascots during patrols 1 & 2 submitted by Joe Heflin