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| HADDOCK TOUR 3/83-12/86 |
| I ENLISTED IN THE U.S. NAVY IN MINOT, NORTH DAKOTA IN SEP 1981 UNDER THE DELAYED ENTRY PROGRAM (DEP). I REPORTED TO BOOT CAMP AT GREAT LAKES RECRUIT COMMAND 4 JAN 1982. I WAS IN COMPANY 001 UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF EMC J.F. SPIVEY. I ENJOYED THE CHALLENGES BOOT CAMP PRESENTED AND WAS HONORED TO BE THE ARPOC OF THE COMPANY. I ALSO WAS SELECTED TO RECIEVE THE NAVY LEAGUE AWARD FOR GRADUATING COMPANIES ON 26 FEB 1982. AFTER BOOT CAMP, I WENT TO A NUMBER OF SCHOOLS IN PREPARATION FOR MY RATING OF TM (TORPEDOMANS MATE). I FIRST WENT TO SUBMARINE SCHOOL AND GRADUATED 18 NOV 1982. I THEN WENT TO TM "A" SCHOOL, GRADUATING 4 FEB 1983. IT WAS THERE THAT I LEARNED I WOULD BE REPORTING TO MY SEA COMMAND, THE USS HADDOCK (SSN-621), THE LAST SUBMARINE BUILT OF THE PERMIT-CLASS FAST ATTACK BOATS. I REPORTED ABOARD HADDOCK 3/83 AS A TMSN(SU). AT THE TIME, SHE WAS COMMANDED BY CDR G. DAVIS. THE EXECUTIVE OFFICER WAS LCDR WILLIAM STOCKHO AND THE CHIEF OF THE BOAT WAS MMCM(SS) EDWARD STANK. IN APRIL 83, HADDOCK WENT INTO FLOATING DRYDOCK USS SAN ONOFRE (ARD-30) FOR REFIT AND COMPLETED MAY 83. I WAS ASSIGNED TO MS DIVISION AS A CRANK, A THANKLESS DUTY PERFORMED BY ALL JUNIOR ENLISTED PERSONNEL UPON REPORTING. I QUALIFIED FOR TOPSIDE WATCH AND BEGAN STUDYING FOR SEVERAL UNDERWAY WATCHSTATIONS AS WELL AS SHIPS QUALS IN ORDER TO EARN MY DOLPHINS, WHICH EVERY SUBMARINER MUST COMPLETE OR BE SHIPPED OFF TO THE SKIMMER FLEET! I QUALIFIED AS HELM/PLANESMAN AND LOOKOUT AND TORPEDOMAN OF THE WATCH UNDERWAY (TMOW). THE BOAT SAILED PAST HAWAII AND EVENTUALLY MADE IT TO YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, JAPAN. HADDOCK THEN DEPARTED FOR SPECIAL OPERATIONS (SPECOP) IN THE SEA OF JAPAN, COMPLETING 9/83. HADDOCK THEN SAILED FOR THE P.I. (PHILLIPINE ISLANDS) WHERE SHE WENT INTO REFIT FOR A MONTH AT SUBIC BAY NAVAL BASE. AT THIS TIME (10/83) I WAS INFORMED THAT I WOULD BE FLOWN BACK TO SUB BASE SAN DIEGO FOR SCHOOLS TO ENHANCE MY KNOWLEDGE WITHIN MY RATING. I ARRIVED AT BALLAST POINT SUBMARINE BASE AND ATTENDED THE SCHOOLS WITH LOTS OF OFF-TIME. THE BOAT ARRIVED BACK FROM WESPAC SHORTLY BEFORE XMAS AND ONCE AGAIN I BEGAN QUALS FOR THE DOLPHINS. FROM JAN-SEP 84, THE BOAT WAS INVOLVED IN VARIOUS OPS, MOST NOTABLY BELFRY EXPRESS. THIS OPERATION INVOLVED THE SPEEDY RESPONSE TIME OF HADDOCK FOR TORPEDO-LOADING OPS AS A TEST FOR EMERGENCY SITUATIONS. HADDOCK PERFORMED IN AN OUTSTANDING MANNER. AFTER WESPAC 83, CDR DAVIS WAS RELIEVED BY CDR MICHAEL MCHUGH AND LCDR STOCKHO WAS RELIEVED BY LCDR JAMES BRYANT. ALSO MASTER CHIEF STANK WAS RELIEVED AS COB BY QMCM(SS) JOSEPH ADA, ONE OF THE FINEST MEN I HAVE EVER HAD THE PLEASURE TO SERVE WITH. FINALLY, I RECIEVED MY DOLPHINS ON 9 JULY 1984 AND WAS SHORTLY THEREAFTER PROMOTED TO TM THIRD CLASS. I WAS NOW A FULL MEMBER OF THE TORPEDO GANG UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF TMC(SS) MICHAEL BROWN AND TM1(SS) RICHARD WEBSTER. FELLOW TM MEMBERS I HAD THE PLEASURE TO SERVE WITH: TM2(SS) GARY LEIDY, TM2(SS) GREG HILDEBRANT, TM2(SS) TIMOTHY STOKES, TM3(SS) MARK CARMICHAEL, TMSN FOWLER AND, LAST BUT NOT LEAST, TM3(SS) LARRY DOLAN. IN SEP 84, HADDOCK SAILED TO MARE ISLAND NAVAL SHIPYARD, VALLEJO, CALIFORNIA FOR HER THIRD MAJOR OVERHAUL. ALL OF THE SHIPS SYSTEMS AND EQUIPMENT WERE COMPLETELY REPLACED/UPDATED. IN MAY 85, I WAS SENT TO FORD ISLAND IN PEARL HARBOR TO ATTEND MORE SCHOOLS FOR THE TM RATING. THIS WAS A TRIP I SHALL NEVER FORGET. UPON ARRIVING BACK TO THE BOAT, I WAS INFORMED THAT I WOULD BE TAKING OVER DECK DIVISION AS LPO (LEADING PETTY OFFICER). TMC(SS) BROWN WAS MY SUPERVISOR AND TMC(SS) WEBSTER REMAINED LPO FOR TM DIVISION. FOR MY EFFORTS AS DECK DIV LPO, I WAS SELECTED THE SAILOR OF THE QUARTER FOR 2ND QUARTER 1986. I ALSO WAS PROMOTED TO TM SECOND CLASS. I LEFT HADDOCK TO JOIN THE ACTIVE RESERVES IN DEC 86 WHILE I ATTAINED AN ASSOCIATES DEGREE FROM PINEHURST COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN MAY 1988. I WAS ATTACHED TO THE RESERVE UNIT EMORY S. LAND IN GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA, WHERE I WAS SELECTED AS RESERVE CENTER SAILOR OF THE YEAR 1988 AND SERVED UNTIL 1990. I HAVE BEEN A CIVILIAN SINCE. I ENJOYED MY TOUR OF DUTY ON THE 621 AND SHALL NEVER FORGET HER. SHE WAS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF THE SILENT SERVICE. RONALD BROKER TM2(SS) |
| SUBMARINE DOLPHINS |
| TM RATING BADGE |
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| GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL |
| EXPEDITIONARY MEDAL |
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| SEA SERVICE RIBBON |
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