It takes your own web site... and a lot of conceit to think that anybody is interested in your thoughts and ideas.   Those of you who know me, know that I have both.   So I have created this eclectic page to explore, entertain, editorialize, enlighten, embellish, expose, educate, enchant, expound, encourage, endorse, examine, enliven, exasperate, enrage, exhilarate, enrich, entangle, explain, enthuse, extol, eulogize, evoke, exalt, excite, exhort, express, and embarrass anyone foolish enough to read it. Who could ask for anything more?

Social Security Provides Extra Earnings for Military Service

STS3(SS)   Mike Rainwater, a shipmate and friend of mine from another submarine, sent me this information.   It seems to apply to all of us, and it may put some extra jingle in your pockets, so read on.   Mike said, "I called the local SS folks, and they said all that I had to do was bring down my DD 214 when I officially retire and present it to them so that they may recalculate but there were imposing restrictions.   It had to do with timing, as I recall.   I don’t think they’ll permit registration after the fact and I suspect that it must be taken care of when you file for your official bid to receive SS payments." You can read more about this in a Social Security publication on line at http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/1007.pdf.   A small part of that text is quoted below.

Military Service and Social Security Extra earnings Your Social Security benefit depends on your earnings, averaged over your working lifetime.   Generally, the higher your earnings, the higher your Social Security benefit.   Under certain circumstances, special earnings can be credited to your military pay record for Social Security purposes.   The extra earnings are for periods of active duty or active duty for training.   These extra earnings may help you qualify for Social Security or increase the amount of your Social Security benefit.   Social Security will add these extra earnings to your earnings record when you file for benefits. If you served in the military from 1940 through 1956, including attendance at a service academy, you did not pay Social Security taxes.   However, we will credit you with $160 a month in earnings for military service from September 16, 1940, through December 31, 1956, if: You were honorably discharged after 90 or more days of service, or you were released because of a disability or injury received in the line of duty; or You are applying for survivors benefits based on a veteran’s work and the veteran died while on active duty. You cannot receive these special credits if you are receiving a federal benefit based on the same years of service, unless you were on active duty after 1956.   If you were on active duty after 1956, you can get the special credit for 1951 through 1956, even if you are receiving a military retirement based on service during that period. If you served in the military from 1957 through 1977, you are credited with $300 in additional earnings for each calendar quarter in which you received active duty basic pay. If you served in the military from 1978 through 2001, you are credited with an additional $100 in earnings, up to a maximum of $1,200 a year, for every $300 in active duty basic pay.   After 2001, additional earnings are no longer credited. If you began your service after September 7, 1980, and did not complete at least 24 months of active duty or your full tour, you may not be able to receive the additional earnings.   Check with us for more information. NOTE:   In all cases, the additional earnings are credited to the earnings that we average over your working lifetime, not directly to your monthly benefit amount. When you apply for Social Security benefits, you will be asked for proof of your military service (DD Form 214) or information about your reserve or National Guard service.

Many thanks to Mike Rainwater for this valuable information.

Stan (September 2007)

Saluting our Flag

Several SENNET shipmates sent me this Washington DC press release:

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) today praised the passage by unanimous consent of his bill (S.1877) clarifying U.S. law to allow veterans and servicemen not in uniform to salute the flag.   Current law (US Code Title 4, Chapter 1) states that veterans and servicemen not in uniform should place their hand over their heart without clarifying whether they can or should salute the flag.

"The salute is a form of honor and respect, representing pride in one's military service, " Senator Inhofe said.   "Veterans and service members continue representing the military services even when not in uniform.   Unfortunately, current U.S. law leaves confusion as to whether veterans and service members out of uniform can or should salute the flag.   My legislation will clarify this regulation, allowing veterans and servicemen alike to salute the flag, whether they are in uniform or not."

"I look forward to seeing those who have served saluting proudly at baseball games, parades, and formal events.   I believe this is an appropriate way to honor and recognize the 25 million veterans in the United States who have served in the military and remain as role models to other citizens.   Those who are currently serving or have served in the military have earned this right, and their recognition will be an inspiration to others."

Stan (August 2007)

There Ain't No Free Lunch!
I am talking about those wonderful invitations that we, as seniors, frequently get to a free lunch and investiment seminar.   For the first time this year, "Investiment Seminars" made the annual list of "Top 10 Traps" compiled by state securities regulators. (The list, in alphabetical order, is available at the web site of the North American Securities Administrators Association, http://www.nasaa.org.

"The issues related to these "lunch programs" have been around for a while," NASAA president Joseph Borg said, referring to the sale of unsuitable investiments to seniors.   "But these seminars have taken on a life of their own."   Regulators in seven states have been examining sales practices by seminar presenters, sometimes attending the lunches unannounced to see what goes on.   What goes on is a well-orchestrated effort to prey on seniors' fears and pressure them into high commission products that, while appropriate for some, may be unnecessary and at worst totally unsuitable for most.   The speakers at these seminars keep scaring and pressuring the mostly elderly audience with half-truths and distortions.   With their audience sufficently scared, they push on with "procrastinator warnings - Information is only good if you use it, and what's the best day for your appointment to sign up."   When that doesn't work, they get out the hammer and try to browbeat you into their product.   The bottom line is, too many seniors are ending up buying something they don't understand, need or want.

So, shipmates, think twice before you accept that invitation to a "free lunch" and investiment seminar.   It could be very expensive.

For my part, No Thanks - I'll just skip the lunch and save my money.

Stan(July 07)

Computer Security - Protect Yourself From Spy Ware
Here's an excellent article from the military Retired Affairs Office (RAO) about protecting your computer from Spy Ware.   In addition to Norton Anti-Virus, I have used SpyBot for years on my computer and swear by it.   It's good!

COMPUTER SECURITY:   Spyware, which is a software program that installs itself (without your knowledge) on your computer.   After it’s installed, the software collects information about you, and when you’re online it sends the information to the spyware program’s owner.   Most spyware fits into one of two categories: Surveillance or Advertising.   Surveillance spyware scans documents on your computer and can capture your keystrokes as you type.   It can spy on forms you’re filling out on a Web site (such as your login password or your credit card number) and the text you enter in a chat window.   Government and detective agencies have been known to use this type of software, as have jealous spouses.   Advertising spyware is software that is installed when you’re installing other software (usually software you download from the Internet) or that is installed in the background while you’re visiting a Web site.   It’s common for advertising spyware to be included (without your being told) when you install software that’s advertised as "No charge, if you don’t mind seeing advertisements when you use it."

One of the most pervasive distributors of spyware is software you download to take advantage of "peer to peer" file exchanges (for music and video).   Advertising spyware logs information about your computer and about you.   The information includes passwords, your Web browsing habits, your online buying habits, and so on.   Both types of spyware can also install viruses and worms on your computer.   Many of them change your browser settings (such as your home page), and your efforts to correct the changes are temporary; the spyware changes them again.   One of the annoying features of spyware is its connection to pop-up ads.   Using the information it has collected about you, the spyware initiates pop-up ads whenever you connect to a Web site.   The spyware software producer receives income whenever you respond to one of these pop-up ads, so the theory is "the more the better."   After a while, using the Internet becomes almost impossible because of the barrage of pop-ups.   Regardless of your Internet Explorer controls for your children, the pop-ups often contain pornography.

Obviously, the best way to avoid spywar intrusion is not to install software from the internet or use peer to peer file exchanges.   If it should be inadvertently installed in your computer the only way to remove it is to use software designed for that purpose.   The following programs are well regarded by computer professionals to accomplish this:

• Spybot S&D (for Search & Destroy) http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/.   (No charge but donations requested).
• Ad-Aware from Lavasoft http://www.lavasoftusa.com.   (No charge to $40 dependent on program desired).
• Spysweeper http://www.spam-blockers.com/spy-sweeper.html.   ($30 to $40 dependent on program desired).
• Windows Defender http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=435BFCE7-DA2B-4A6A-AFA4-F7F14E605A0D&displaylang=en   (will not support WIN2000).   No charge.

(Source: MRGRG Don Harribine msg 20 Jun 07 ++)

Stan(July 07)

The Submariner

EM2(SS) Eugene Kennedy (57-61) forwarded this article by the noted psychologist, Dr. Joyce Brothers.   I first read this article about 20 years ago.   It was true then and is still true.

The Submariner The tragic loss of the submarine Thresher and 129 men had a special kind of impact on the nation....a special kind of sadness, mixed with universal admiration for the men who choose this type of work.   One could not mention the Thresher without observing, in the same breath how utterly final and alone the end is when a ship dies at the bottom of the sea......and what a remarkable specimen of man it must be who accepts such a risk.   Most of us might be moved to conclude, too, that a tragedy of this kind would have a damaging effect on the morale of the other men in the submarine service and tend to discourage future enlistment.   Actually, there is not evidence that this is so.   What is it then, that lures men to careers in which they spend so much of their time in cramped quarters, under great psychological stress, with danger lurking all about them? Bond Among Them Togetherness is an overworked term, but in no other branch of our military service is it given such full meaning as in the so called "silent service. "   In an undersea craft, each man is totally dependent upon the skill of every other man in the crew, not only for top performance but for actual survival. Each knows that his life depends on the others and because this is so, there is a bond among them that both challenges and comforts them.   All of this gives the submariner a special feeling of pride, because he is indeed a member of an elite corps.   The risks, then, are an inspiration rather than a deterrent.   The challenge of masculinity is another factor which attracts men to serve on submarines.   It certainly is a test of a man's prowess and power to know he can qualify for this highly selective service.   However, it should be emphasized that this desire to prove masculinity is not pathological, as it might be in certain daredevil pursuits, such as driving a motorcycle through a flaming hoop. Emotionally Healthy There is nothing daredevil's about motivations of the man who decides to dedicate his life to the submarine service.   He does, indeed, take pride in demonstrating that he is quite a man, but he does not do so to practice a form of foolhardy brinkmanship, to see how close he can get to failure and still snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.   On the contrary, the aim in the submarine service is to battle danger, to minimize the risk, to take every measure to make certain that safety rather danger, is maintained at all times. Are the men in the submarine service braver than those in other pursuits where the possibility of sudden tragedy is constant?   The glib answer would be to say they are.   It is more accurate, from a psychological point of view, to say they are not necessarily braver, but that they are men who have a little more insight into themselves and their capabilities. They know themselves a little better than the next man.   This has to be so with men who have a healthy reason to volunteer for a risk.   They are generally a cut healthier emotionally than others of the similar age and background because of their willingness to push themselves a little bit farther and not settle for an easier kind of existence. We all have tremendous capabilities but are rarely straining at the upper level of what we can do, these men are. The country can be proud and grateful that so many of its sound, young, eager men care enough about their own stature in life and the welfare of their country to pool their skills and match them collectively against the power of the sea. by Dr. Joyce Brothers

(May 07)

SENNET Crew Members in the Charleston Area

SENNET crew members living in and around the Charleston area get together on the third Friday of each month at the Charleston Club on the Air Force Base for a luncheon and bull session.   They start about 1100 and finish up about 12:30.   All former SENNET crew members are invited to attend.   For more information, contact Ralph Luther by email: rluther (at) bellsouth.net or phone: (843) 851-7064.

The Shrinking U.S. Submarine Fleet

A good friend, and fellow submariner, sent in the following article.   During the last few years of my career in the submarine force, the early nineties, we were struggling with this same issue.   Then the problem was being driven by the end of the Cold War and the major down-sizing of all military forces.   There is a dangerous domino effect to down-sizing.   As we order fewer submarines, shipyards and suppliers must also down-size.   Workers are let go, and valuable talent is lost.   Equipments and facilities, that are almost impossible to replace, are sold.   And finally, one of the last major roles of diesel boats like CHIVO was to train and supply the essential crews to man our nuclear submarines.   We no longer have these manpower reserves.   What few people realize is that it will take decades to recover from these major force reductions.   As submariners, we know that you can't simply hand a young man a set of dolphins and expect him to be a submariner.   This is a time to be very concerned.

Outside View: Shrinking U.S. sub fleet By LOREN B. THOMPSON UPI Outside View Commentator WASHINGTON, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy is planning to launch a major outreach effort this year to reacquaint the nation with its maritime needs.   Navy leaders correctly perceive that the political system has become so absorbed by Iraq and the global war on terror that it has largely ceased paying attention to other challenges. Furthermore, because coverage of current conflicts is so focused on the activities of ground forces, the public has very little awareness of the contributions air power and sea power make (or could make) to defeating unconventional adversaries.   So the Navy is sending admirals to communities across the nation to explain its missions and describe how emerging threats are driving changes in maritime strategy. As this conversation unfolds, part of the discussion ought to focus on the future of the Navy's neglected undersea warfare community.   Among the Navy Department's four war-fighting communities -- aviation, surface warfare, undersea warfare and marines -- submariners have been the big losers in recent years.   The disappearance of submarine admirals from the ranks of senior leaders is so pronounced that some undersea warriors say their community is the victim of "ethnic cleansing."   That's an exaggeration, but there's little doubt that undersea warfare is at a low ebb in terms of influence and funding. For example, the Bush administration has repeatedly delayed raising the rate of submarine production above one per year for the Virginia class, the nation's last remaining sub construction program.   With ramp-up to two per year now deferred until 2012, the United States faces the prospect of a continuous decline in submarine numbers beginning in the next decade, because existing attack subs will begin wearing out at the rate of three or four per year. The current shipbuilding plan envisions that the number of attack submarines -- conventionally-armed boats not reserved for nuclear deterrence missions -- will fall from 55 in 2013 to 50 in 2017, 45 in 2024, and 40 in 2028.   The downdraft is inexorable because subs that have reached the maximum service lives of their nuclear reactors must be retired. If the Navy continues building only one sub per year in the next decade, the size of the attack-sub fleet could shrink to less than 30 boats.   But why should anyone care when the Red Navy is a fading memory?   Here are three reasons to care.   First, submarines are often the only intelligence-gathering assets with sufficient stealth and persistence to get within range of enemies such as al-Qaida and North Korea.   In fact, most submarine mission days in the Central Command area of responsibility are dedicated to intelligence collection such as eavesdropping on shore communications (Centcom has recently signaled increased demand for intelligence generated by undersea systems). Second, submarines are one of the few reconnaissance assets that can act on the information they collect.   Their cruise missiles can reach a thousand miles with pinpoint accuracy, their torpedoes can sink ships transporting weapons of mass destruction, and the special operators they put ashore are able to conduct a diverse array of missions. But the third and most important reason why policymakers should care about declining submarine numbers is that someday soon, they may be the only U.S. warships that can survive hostile action in places like the Arabian Gulf or the Yellow Sea.   Not only are those places becoming more dangerous for surface vessels, but without an adequate fleet of subs the United States will lack its most effective tool for countering the submarines that countries such as China and Iran are buying.   Under current plans, the U.S. sub fleet shrinks to its smallest size just as those threats become most pressing. Loren B. Thompson is chief executive officer of the Lexington Institute an Arlington, Va. based think tank that supports democracy and the free market.

My thanks to END3(SS) Alfred "Budd" Neff (USS CHIVO 55-58) for this thought provoking contribution   (January 07)

National Do Not Call Registry for Cell Phones
If you've received an email telling you that your cell phone number is going to be released to telemarketing companies or that you must call a National Do Not Call list for cell phones to register your cell phone number, rest assured this is not the case.
Federal Communications Commission regulations prohibit telemarketers from using automated dialers to call cell phone numbers.   Even though the federal government does not maintain a national cell phone registery, cell phone users have always been able to add their numbers to the National Do Not Call Registry.   This is the same registry you use to register your land lines.   You may add your telephone numbers to the registry either online at www.donotcall. gov or by calling toll-free 1-888-382-1222 from the telephone number you wish to register.   Registrations become effective within 31 days of signing up and are active for five years.   There is no cut-off date or deadline for registrations.
To learn more about the National Do Not Call Registry and the rules that enforce it, visit the FTC at www.ftc.gov or the FCC at www.fcc.gov

(November 06)

How to Properly Forward Emails and Reduce Junk Mail
ETR3(SS) Dick Gorman (62-65) sent in these important notes about forwarding emails.

A friend who is a computer expert received the following directly from a system administrator for a corporate system.   It is an excellent message that ABSOLUTELY applies to ALL of us who send e-mails.   Please read the short letter below, even if you're sure you already follow proper procedures.

Do you really know how to forward e-mails?   50% of us do; 50% DO NOT.   Do you wonder why you get viruses or junk mail?   Do you hate it?   Every time you forward an e-mail there is information left over from the people who got the message before you, namely their e-mail addresses and names.   As the messages get forwarded along, the list of addresses builds, and builds, and builds, and all it takes is for some poor sap to get a virus, and his or her computer can send that virus to every E-mail address that has come across his computer.   Or, someone can take all of those addresses and sell them or send junk mail to them.   How do you stop it?   Well, there are several easy steps:

1. When you forward an e-mail, DELETE all of the other addresses that appear in the body of the message (at the top).   That's right, DELETE them.   Highlight them and delete them, backspace them, cut them, whatever it is you know how to do.   It only takes a second.   You MUST click the "Forward" button first and then you will have full editing capabilities against the body and headers of the message.   If you don't click on "Forward" first, you won't be able to edit the message at all.
2. Whenever you send an e-mail to more than one person, do NOT use the To: or Cc: fields for adding e-mail addresses.   Always use the BCC:(blind carbon copy) field for listing the e-mail addresses.   This way the people you send to will only see their own e-mail address.   If you don't see your BCC: option click on where it says To: and your address list will appear.   Highlight the address and choose BCC: and that's it, it's that easy.   When you send to BCC: your message will automatically say Undisclosed Recipients in the "TO:" field of the people who receive it.
3. Remove any "FWD" in the subject line.   You can re-name the subject if you wish or even fix spelling.
4. ALWAYS hit your Forward button from the actual e-mail you are reading.   Ever get those e-mails that you have to open 10 pages to read the one page with the information on it?   By Forwarding from the actual page you wish someone to view, you stop them from having to open many e-mails just to see what you sent.
5. Have you ever gotten an email that is a petition?   It states a position and asks you to add your name and address and to forward it to 10 or 15 people or your entire address book.   The email can be forwarded on and on and can collect thousands of names and email addresses.   A FACT: The completed petition is actually worth a couple of bucks to a professional spammer because of the wealth of valid names and email addresses contained therein.   If you want to support the petition, send it as your own personal letter to the intended recipient.   Your position may carry more weight as a personal letter than a laundry list of names and email address on a petition.   Actually, if you think about it, who is supposed to send the petition in to whatever cause it supports?   And don't believe the ones that say that the email is being traced, it just aint so!   One of the main ones I hate is the ones that say that something like, Send this email to 10 people and you'll see something great run across your screen Or sometimes they'll just tease you by saying something really cute will happen.   IT AINT GONNA HAPPEN!!!!!   (Trust me, Im still seeing some of the same ones that I waited on 10 years ago!)   I don't let the bad luck ones scare me either, they get trashed.   (Could be why I haven't won the lottery??)
6. Before you forward an Amber Alert, or a Virus Alert, or some of the other ones floating around nowadays, check them out before you forward them.   Most of them are junk mail that's been circling the net for YEARS!   Just about everything you receive in an email that is in question can be checked out a Snopes.   Just go to www.snopes.com.   It's really easy to find out if it's real or not.   If its not, please dont pass it on.

So please, in the future, let's stop the junk mail and the viruses.
(August 06)

DD-214's for Veterans
EM1(SS) Robert Machen (67-68) sent in this valuable information:

Its official, DD-214's are NOW Online.
The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) has provided the following website for veterans to gain access to their DD-214s online: http://www.vetrecs.archives.gov/   This may be particularly helpful when a veteran needs a copy of his DD-214 for employment purposes.   NPRC is working to make it easier for veterans with computers and Internet access to obtain copies of documents from their military files.   Military veterans and the next of kin of deceased former military members may now use a new online military personnel records system to request documents.   Other individuals with a need for documents must still complete the Standard Form 180, which can be downloaded from the online web site.   Because the requester will be asked to supply all information essential for NPRC to process the request, delays tha normally occur when NPRC has to ask veterans for additional information will be minimized.   The new web-based application was designed to provide better service on these requests by eliminating the records center's mailroom processing time.
(July 06)

Is this real?
I am constantly receiving emails alerting me to the next serious computer virus, identity threat warning, car theft scam, hotel security card dangers, and almost anything else that can be imagined.   This list also includes numerous emails about chain stores with unfair practices and derogatory statements by famous personalities.   A few are real, but most of them are not true!

The real game here is to start a rumor and watch it spread.   David Grey and I understood that.   All we needed to do was let someone see us pulling out a few charts on Cuba or Puerto Rico, and suddenly the boat was alive with rumors.   It was great fun on quiet afternoons in port to sit in the conning tower and listen to those rumors surge back and forth throughout the boat.

Unfortunately, the Internet has changed this innocent fun to an exremely negative distraction that wastes everybody's time, and is in itself, a threat to your privacy.   If an email is simply forwarded, all the previous email addresses are forwarded too.   Each time the email is forwarded, all the addresses are sent along.   In other words, your email address is being forwarded to hundreds, even thousands, of other Internet subscribers.

Bogus threats and warnings seriously overload the Internet.   It is not unusual for me to receive the same false warning three or four times.   Multiple that by the millions of Internet subscribers, and the number of bogus messages becomes staggering.   There have already been problems with systems "crashing" from this type of over-loading, and it is not getting any better.

When you receive an email warning, check it out.   This is very easy.   Just go to any reliable Internet search engine like www.yahoo.com or www.google.com and do a simple search for the key words in the subject line of the message.   You'll get numerous instant responses with the "real" story about your warning message.   Obviously, if it's a hoax, don't forward it.   You can also search anti-virus sites like Norton and McAfee or software sites like Microsoft for more information.

If the message is legitimate and you want to forward it, then take these simple steps first.   After you click the forward button, put you cursor in the text box, high light all the internal addresses, and delete them.   This eliminates all the extra addresses and greatly shortens the message. Stan (Mar 06)

Identity Theft...
Identity theft has risen faster than any other white-collar crime in America.   Over 50 million cases of identity theft have been documented, and some law enforcement experts predict that more than 25 percent of the population will fall victim to the crime.   That's the bad news, however there is some good news for us.   People aged 60 and over represent the smallest group of identity theft victims, only about 9 percent.   None-the-less, the crime can befall anyone, so here are some steps you can take to protect yourself:

• Only carry credit cards if they are going to be used that day.
• Do not let strangers (waitresses, clerks, etc.) walk away with your credit card.
• Pay for items with cash at mall kiosks and booths.
• Cancel all unused credit card accounts.
• Consistently examine every credit and banking statement you receive, making sure to look over each transaction for inaccuracies and discrepancies.
• Keep a list of all your credit cards, account numbers, expiration dates and telephone numbers of the customer service and fraud departments in a secure place.   Do the same with bank accounts.
• Check your credit report at least once a year from each of the three credit reporting agencies. You are entitled to a free report annually from each agency. This is easily ordered at www.annualcreditreport.com. You can also order direct from Equifax at (800) 685-1111 or www.equifax.com; Experion at (888) 397-3742 or www.experion.com; and TransUnion at (800) 916-8800 or www.transunion.com.
• Shred or destroy banking and credit statements, pre-approved credit offers, and any receipts instead of throwing intact pages away.
• Use random names and numbers, rather than a birth date or mother's maiden name, as pass codes for credit and banking cards.
• Drop bills and other financial correspondence in post office mailboxes rather than in your own mailbox for the mail carrier to pick up.
• Do not give personal information to anyone over the telephone.
• Do not respond to e-mail spam or "phishing" asking for any personal information or donations.   If in doubt, contact the financial institutions or organizations by other means first to see if the e-mail is legitimate.   Do not use e-mail links to do this, since these may also lead you to a phony site.
• Secure items that contain personal information, like purses and wallets, in a safe while at home.
• Remove your name from the marketing lists of the three credit-reporting agencies by calling the free Credit Reporting Industry opt-out phone number at (888) 567-8688.
• Take steps to reduce the amount of national nonprofit or commercial mail you receive at home by contacting Mail Preference Service, Attention: Dept. 9301235, Direct Marketing Association, P.O. Box 643, Camel, N.Y. 10512
• To reduce the amount of unsolicited e-mail you receive, contact Direct Marketing Association, E-mail preference Service, www.e-mps.org

If you are, or become a victim of identity theft, your initial steps should be: contacting creditors of accounts that have been tampered with; filing a police report and sending copies of it to bank, credit card companies and the insurance company; canceling credit cards and bank accounts and re-activating them with new passwords and numbers; and reporting lost or stolen cards to the three national credit-reporting agencies in writing (Experion, Trans Union, and Equifax).(Jan 06)

These are some web sites that I find interesting and you might enjoy.   They are in no particular order.

• www.submarinesailor.com - In my estimation this is probably the best submarine site on the Internet.   It contains lists of boats and crews, links to their home pages, reunion information, stories, humor, links to hundreds of submarine related items, and much, much more.   Be sure to put your name on SENNET's crew list.
• www.maritime.org/fleetsub/ - If you want to get qualified on fleet boats, this is the place to go.   This site contains copies of all the diesel boat qualification manuals and drawings.
• www.historychannel.com - This site has almost everything from listings of upcoming programs on the history channel to the news that happened on your birthday.   I check out their "Global Listings" often just to see what submarine and war documentaries are coming up.
• www.submarinestore.com - Although this site primarily sells submarine related items like shirts, caps, rings, souveniers, etc., they also have some good information and links on reunions and submarine events.
• www.subshipstore.com - All types of submarine items for sale.
• www.usschivo.org - The webmaster of this site must be very intelligent and good looking.

Green Board

Stan