WE HAVE HAD A BIG TURNOVER OF PERSONNEL, BUT THE OLD HANDS HAVE INDOCTRINATED THE NEW WELL, AND OUR READINESS HAS NEVER BEEN REDUCED. MANY OF YOU HAVE ELECTED TO REMAIN ON BOARD RATHER THAN TAKE DESERVED SHORE DUTY. THE THOUGHTS I'D LIKE TO LEAVE WITH YOU ARE THESE: FIRST, DON'T EVER LOSE THIS FINE THING WE CALL THE GROWLER SPIRIT; DON'T JEOPARDIZE IT BY LOSING FAITH IN YOURSELF OR IN YOUR JOB OR IN YOUR BOAT, BUT CONTINUE TO DO YOUR BEST. SECOND, DON'T ENDANGER YOURSELF OR YOUR SHIPMATES OR YOUR COUNTRY BY LOOSE TALK OR OTHER VIOLATIONS OF SECURITY. NOT ONLY CAN YOU YOURSELF, BE PUNISHED SEVERELY, BUT YOU MAY COST LIVES OR ACTUALLY WEAKEN OUR NATIONAL SECURITY. THIRD, DON'T FORGET FOR A MINUTE THAT THE LEADER- SHIP YOU GIVE, AT WHATEVER LEVEL, WILL BE PART AND PARCEL OF THE OVERALL ABILITY AND REPUTATION OF THE GROWLER. FURTHER, GOOD HABITS OF DISCIPLINE AND CONDUCT WILL ENABLE YOU (AND THROUGH YOU, INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY YOUR COUNTRY) TO MEET THE CHALLENGE OF SOFT AND EASY LIVING, DETERIORATING MORAL VALUES, AND RISING CRIME AND DIVORCE RATED, WITH ALL OUR ABILITIES WE MUST COMBAT THE MENACE OF BECOMING VICTIM OF DEFEATISM AND THE SIREN SONG, WHICH IS SO FALSE BUT NEVERTHELESS HAS A CERTAIN APPEAL, OF THE ILLUSIONS OF SINO-SOVIET COMMUNISM. THIS LAST I CANNOT EMPHASIZE ENOUGH IN ITS EVIL PORTENT FOR THE FREE WORLD AND FREE, INDIVIDUALISTIC MEN EVERYWHERE. KHRUSHCHEV HAS SAID (NOW HE CLAIMS HE WAS MISQUOTED, BUT HE ONLY SLIPPED UP), "WE WILL BURY YOU!" IT IS UP TO US BY WHATEVER STRENGTH OF WILL OR SPIRIT OR LOGIC WE CAN MUSTER TO FIGHT THIS MONSTER OF COMMUNISM AT EVERY POSSIBLE LEVEL. THEIR LEADERS ARE WILLING TO FIGHT DAY AND NIGHT, YEAR AFTER YEAR, SINGLE-MINDEDLY (ALTHOUGH THEIR TACTICS MAY CHANGE TO SUIT THE CIRCUMSTANCES AT TIMES) TO ENSLAVE THE FREE WORLD AND TO CAPTURE THE MINDS AND SOULS OF THE EMERGENT NEW COUNTRIES. tHE LEAST WE CAN DO IS RECOGNIZE THIS MENACE AND FIGHT IT AT EVERY TURN JUST AS STRONGLY. FREEDOM HAS ALWAYS BEEN WORTH FIGHTING FOR, AND THE DAY WE FORGET THAT IS THE DAY WE'LL WAKE UP ENSLAVED, DEFEATED, AND BROKEN. FINALLY, AFTER GETTING THAT OFF MY CHEST, I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT I HOPE THAT MAYBE SOMETIME AGAIN I'LL BE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO SERVE WITH SOME OF YOU. IF THERE IS EVER ANYTHING I CAN DO TO HELP YOU IN MY LIMITED WAY, I SHALL CERTAINLY DO MY BEST. IN THE MEANTIME, KEEP GROWLER THE BEST BOAT IN EITHER SUBLANT OR SUBPAC. NO MATTER WHERE I GO OR WHAT I DO, I SHALL FOLLOW HER ACTIVITIES WITH GREAT AFFECTION AND INTEREST.