Sub Tales

Book excerpt: Charles Hood and Frank Hood, the co-authors of the popular book Poopie Suits & Cowboy Boots, are pleased to announce the release of their follow-up volume, entitled Sub Tales: Stories That Seldom Surface. The new book presents a fascinating compendium of stand-alone stories drawn from the rich annals of American submarine history. Painstakingly researched and vetted, many of these stories are not widely known by even veteran submariners. Broken into sections based on content, Sub Tales explores a variety of topics ranging from the tragic sinking of the USS F-4 in 1915 to the inspiring survival story of George Rocek during World War II. Individuals highlighted in separate chapters include Admiral Chester Nimitz, Captain John Wesley Harvey, and four U.S. presidents, whose visits aboard submarines are described with proper historical context. Additional topics discussed include ordeals at sea, such as the improbable rescue of a Filipino sailor from the North Atlantic Ocean by the USS Scamp in 1987 and the daring landing of a stricken Navy helicopter aboard the USS Corporal in 1956. Lighter fare includes a discussion of the filming of the 1959 movie Operation Petticoat aboard a submarine painted pink, an explanation of submarine pay over the years, and the first baseball game played at the North Pole in 1960. Essays discussing the heavy-handed plot to steal the USS Trepang in the late 1970s, the novel delivery of U.S. mail using a submarine-launched missile in 1959, and the genesis of Dick O'Kane's lucky cribbage board are among the 35 original stories presented in Sub Tales. All stories have been thoroughly reviewed and edited by more than twenty submarine veterans from all boats, disciplines, and eras. The addition of these men to the editorial process helped immeasurably to assure both technical and historical accuracy as well as the proper use of naval terminology. In several stories, the gripping narratives are further enhanced by the inclusion of first-hand perspectives, provided by the very men who participated in these important slices of history. Capping off the book is an intriguing set of submarine "lists" gleaned from the vast readership of the authors' Facebook page ("Poopie Suits and Cowboy Boots"). These lists are compilations of responses to such weighty questions as "What one trait learned aboard the boats served you well after the service?" and "What is the one aspect of submarine duty that you struggle the most to explain to a civilian?"More than 130 photographs are included, fully captioned, to amplify the written material for each chapter. By popular demand, the essay "How to Spot a Brother of the 'Phin" is reprinted from the Hoods' first book, along with expanded versions of stories recounting the USS Squalus rescue of 1939, the experimental nature of the USS Albacore in the 1950s, and the refuge sought by the USS Narwhal at the bottom of the Cooper River during a hurricane in 1989. The Hoods have organized this book for opening randomly at any chapter and becoming absorbed by a new story. The stories are grouped by general topic but do not follow any sequence, making Sub Tales that perfect bedtime companion for a short story or two before sleeping. A great gift for the veteran submariner, Sub Tales is also engrossing reading for anyone who with an interest in the U.S. Submarine Force. As with the first book, all profits from the sale of Sub Tales are earmarked for the Scholarship Fund of the USSVI. This fund awards stipends to deserving family members of veteran submariners to help defray college tuition expenses. The response to Poopie Suits & Cowboy Boots has been overwhelmingly positive, and proceeds from book sales have resulted in the cumulative donation of more than $26,000 to this fund as of December 2019. Not only will you thoroughly enjoy reading Sub Tales but also you will be helping out a very worthy and appropriate philanthropic effort. Thank you for your support!