In March of 1975, a Sailor who served aboard USS HADDO (SS-255) during World War II sent out his second-to-last “ ‘Happy Haddo’ Reunion Newsletter.” In it he included a section called REMEMBER? What follows is a list of just some of things this particular crewmember found to be memorable
“When Les Hinzmann opened the can of raw sauerkraut after we’d been submerged over 12 hours & how all hands were nearly asphyxiated from the STENCH? …The Buchannan Arms Hotel near Glasgow and the good times there? …The old ‘Hoover-Owens-Rentschler’ (Hoar) diesels, and the tough time our Motor Macs had keeping them running? …Our Aussie Dog mascot ‘Torpex,’ and how he ‘jumped ship’ at Hunter’s Point Shipyard? …The good times we had at Perth, Kalgoorlie and Bunbury, Australia? …The cases of Aussie beer that ‘Capt.’ Nimitz took on board for Christmas dinner on patrol and [how] good it tasted? …How ‘Capt.’ Nimitz flooded down with decks awash and allowed us to swim (paddle and wade) in the forward superstructure? …How Harry (The Horse) Heaussler walked through the boat playing his accordion on Christmas Eve on patrol and how we sang carols? …How ‘Capt.’ Nimitz had Mr. Hardtdegan steer in hand power while wearing a heavy sweater for some heat/steam reducing therapy? …When Porter was left topside on a dive in the warzone, the tough time we had finding him, and how ‘Doc’ (Lilly? or Wortham?) took care of him? …The ‘down the throat’ shot from the after tubes at a charging destroyer with the firing range of only 500 yards? …The ‘sexy’ voice of ‘Tokyo Rose’ and the absurd propaganda she put out, but how we liked the popular music she would play? …The night a couple of ‘Fish’ were transferred from the after to the forward [torpedo] room while on patrol, and having the deck and loading hatches open to accomplish it? …The beach party we had in Biak while alongside the tender Orion for fuel, food, and fish? …How ‘Pappy’ Harmon would look over his glasses, tap a depth gauge, and ‘Tap us down to a hundred feet’? …The rest camp (Camp Dealey) at Guam and how good the cold beer tasted there? …The PRIDE in having been chosen to help represent that US Submarine Service in the Tokyo Bay Occupation Force?”
