ATTENTION U-BOOTFAHRER

We are trying very hard to keep the history of the U-Bootwaffe - YOUR story - honest and accurate. We have written the histories of U-1 up to U-135 so far, and each month we will write the history of three more U-Boats.

Please tell us your memories of your time in the war so this history can be kept honest for all times. Please talk into a tape recorder or write it out - but please do not let your history die.

ATTENTION AMERICAN SUBMARINE VETERANS

We are trying very hard to keep the history of the American SILENT SERVICE alive, accurately and honestly. This is YOUR history, and we need your help.

During the war, secrecy was maintained and it was necessary, but that was more than 50 years ago - please do not let your history and the glory of the SILENT SERVICE fade out of history.

It was the American submarines that did the most damage to the Imperial Japanese Navy and to their merchant fleet - please give us your story about your time in the SILENT SERVICE. Talk into an audio tape recorder; type it out; make a computer disc - chisel it in stone if you must, but please do not let your history die.

So far, we have given what we could on the history of SS 1 through USS S-34 (SS 139). If YOU served aboard any of those boats, please give us your story. Each month, we will give the history of one or two more American submarines - please send your own story here to keep it alive forever. Thanks in advance.

PATROL IN GERMANY

You have already received the brochure that tells about our super time this September in Germany. If you did not receive one, please look at pages 19 through 22 in this issue - it pulls out if you wish.

Do we have a great time in Germany when we go? CHUCK PITYK (1999-1991) was with us in Germany in 1995 and here is what CHAZ recently wrote to us about our 1995 Germany trip.

“I wanted to go to Germany with the SHARKHUNTERS for several years, and in 1995 I was fortunate enough to be able to go. What I saw and whom I met still staggers my mind today. These ‘people of history’ were the most nice, polite, kind and unfaltering folks that I have ever met. Among the people I met were Frau Schulz (wife of Wilhelm Schulz of U-124), Captain Hardegen, Otto Kretschmer, Dr. Hans-Georg Hess, Gerd Thäter and many, many other wonderful people.

SHARKHUNTERS did a wonderful job orchestrating this trip. I thoroughly enjoyed this trip without a single complaint. Where else could anyone go and experience what we did? The answer is simply nowhere.”

Many thanks to CHAZ for these fine comments. Will YOU be with us in Germany this September? We hope so.

SHARKHUNTERS in Another Country!

ANNA BAGDONAS (4843-1996) is President of a Military history club in Eastern Europe, and so when she came on board as a new Member, the country of LITHUANIA joined the ranks of countries in which there are SHARKHUNTERS Members. So we say WELCOME to ANNA and to LITHUANIA as part of the international family of SHARKHUNTERS.

There are SHARKHUNTERS Members in MORE THAN 1/3 of the countries of the world! What about the other 2/3? We are working on that. We welcome new Members in ANY country.

COMRADESHIP

This is something that I will never know - nor will a great many Members of SHARKHUNTERS. I am speaking of the kind of comradeship that can only be shared by veterans who saw combat. There is a bond between them that cannot be measured, cannot be felt by anyone but a combat veteran - it cannot even be described. It must be seen to be understood by we veterans who did not see war, or by those who did not serve. I saw it and almost felt it at the International Submarine Conventions over several years, but I think it was best seen a few years ago when this Convention was in Willingen, Germany.

The Convention was planned and carried out by KK LUTZ BIEBER (682-1988) and in the opening ceremony, the famous Sailor’s Chanty Choir was to perform. As more than 700 of us from many countries watched, the singers marched in as the band was playing the music to ANCHORS AWEIGH, the US Navy song. No one stirred for long minutes as the music played and played on, while the singers took their place. Once they were in place, they began to sing the words to this song - and every US Navy submarine veteran in the hall went wild - standing, cheering and singing the words. They were 19 year old kids again, re-living days of combat and the friendships that were forged so intensely in the heat of battle that those of us who did not see combat can never understand or feel.

There was an Italian submarine veteran sitting directly across the table from me, and when the Italian Navy song was performed, he sat silently as tears streamed down his cheeks. His memories of comradeship were very different, but every bit as strong.

I feel very sorry that I can never know this close friendship born of combat, of sharing the same intense victories or sadness at the loss of friendships forged in the heat of battle. So many can never know this feeling, but it shows brightly on the faces of those who were there. There are less and less of these great warriors as the years march onward, taking more and more of the WW II veterans to their ‘Eternal Patrol’. In a few years, those with the memories of the war years, with this special comradeship, will all be gone.

Those who tasted the special fruit of victory; who felt the sharpest pain at the loss of friends are a special breed. They will never again be seen on the earth, as battles are now fought by computers and by faceless people staring into computer screens, pushing a button when their battle screen tells them to. There will be no more battles where men actually fight against one another with the respect for the opponent that only comes with the kind of combat seen in World War II. War is a terrible and wasteful thing, costing people, lands and money - but WW II did leave veterans who can remember these special feelings. They will soon be gone; they will fade into the mists of time and only their memories will remain. Their special kind of comradeship can never be felt again.

It is the intent of SHARKHUNTERS to keep these memories alive forever, no matter what flag flew over these veterans.

SHARKHUNTERS in 58 COUNTRIES!

MARK MORGAN (1473-1990) has been a Member for some time, as you can see by his Membership Number. However, he has just moved to QATAR, thus becoming our first SHARKHUNTERS Member in that country.

Film Mogul

FRED KENNAMER (746-1988) has formed a film corporation, raised money and directed a feature film entitled ‘NOT AGAIN’. FRED also wrote the screenplay. the movie stars Susie Cusack, Bo Eason, Marissa Ribissi and Bill Brochtrup.

FRED, let us know when the film is released to the public and we will put a notice in our KTB so our Members can see it.

We’ve Been Screwed - Again

Sorry for the crude language, but I just don’t know what other words to use. This applies only to our Members who live in the United States, or receive their KTB Magazine through the APO or FPO mail. We’ve gotten the shaft again. Let me explain.

Your KTB Magazine is sent by bulk mail, like so many other publications. Sometime in late May, we received an invitation to attend a Postal Seminar in which the ‘New Regulations’ would be spelled out for bulk mailers nationwide, and they would show us how to save big bucks under these new regulations which, by the way, go into effect on 1 July, 1996 - the 25th Anniversary of the US Postal Service. That’s right, the 25th Anniversary. That is when the US Post Office, a branch of the Federal Government, ceased to exist. In its place we got the United States Postal Service, which is a private corporation, with some government oversight.

We, along with hundreds of other bulk mailers, sat in silence for more than 90 minutes, listening to Postal gobbledygook; words and slang that meant nothing to anyone outside the Post Office. We finally got our announcement about the ‘BIG SAVINGS’ which I thought would help us keep dues stable for a few years.

Beginning 1 July, 1996 we will see a rate INCREASE of about 8 %! I am still trying to understand this kind of ‘SAVINGS’. One of the employees we work with all the time at the Post Office told me later that she was absolutely ashamed to be wearing the uniform of the Postal Service in that sham of a meeting.

So what does that mean to you, our Member. I am afraid I am not as good at lying as the Postal Service - I’m going to tell you that we are facing an increase in our dues, not a savings. This is not the first ‘quiet’ increase in the postal rates that we have swallowed. The normal consumer never sees these ‘quiet’ increases because it does not affect First Class, but it is a raise nonetheless.

We will swallow this increase for one more year, but in July of 1997, we have no choice but to raise our Membership dues thanks entirely to these ‘quiet’ postal rate increases. Let me suggest that the next time your dues are up, you pay for several years at once, thus avoiding the July 1997 increase. I’m sorry, but we have no choice but to pass on all these ‘quiet’ increases.

SHARKHUNTERS Members Now in 59 Countries

When MIKE GODDING (3189-1993) moved to MACEDONIA, that country became the 59th country in which we have SHARKHUNTERS Members.

Actually, I myself learned something - I thought Macedonia went out of existence back in biblical times, but now I find that we actually have a Member there.

An Angel

What makes a SHARKHUNTERS ANGEL? These are very special Members, because they have something they want to go to our SHARKHUNTERS & EAGLEHUNTERS Research Center after they begin their ‘ETERNAL PATROL’. These may include artifacts of the War at Sea, the Air War, books to help our library grow - even cash is welcome. In fact, one Member who is currently serving in the US military has named SHARKHUNTERS as partial beneficiary on her military insurance. Members who want to help our group keep and tell the honest history of these major combats in World War II will become ANGELS upon their passing.

I thought it would be a good idea to profile each of the Members whose names appear on the ‘HONORS’ page of our KTB Magazine, which is usually the final page of the issue.

CAPTAIN BOB THEW (333-+-1987) was a graduate of the United States Naval Academy. He was the son of the Skipper of USS NAUTILUS (SS 168). During and after the war, he was an influential Naval Intelligence Officer and finally, a high-ranking NSA Officer. It was BOB who first confirmed that DON ANGEL ALCAZAR de VELASCO (158-+-1985) was indeed the agent he claimed to be. BOB also confirmed other facts that will appear in the letter of DON ANGEL that will really shock some historians.

When BOB began his ‘ETERNAL PATROL’ on 28 December, 1988 it was his wish that the books from his library be given to SHARKHUNTERS as well as many of his research notes on the submarine war during World War II. That is how he became one of our SHARKHUNTERS ANGELS.

When we finally open our Museum, the library will be named in honor of BOB THEW, or ‘AGENT 333’ as he called himself. Their will be a special memorial plaque at the entrance with the names of all our SHARKHUNTERS & EAGLEHUNTERS ANGELS on it, so all who use these facilities will know who helped make our RESEARCH CENTER a reality.

Membership CONTEST

A few more Members have thrown their hat in the ring for this contest, but so far - no one has wrapped up the GRAND PRIZE of the BAHAMAS CRUISE. Good luck to all.

GUDMUNDUR HELGASSON (3566-1994) : 10 He has already received two FREE years of Membership for the 10 new Members he recruited in 1995, and already has two more FREE years from the ten new Members this year. HORRIDO!

JACK GOODIER (127-1900) and JOE BURGES (605-A/LIFE-1988) : 3 each JACK needs only 2 more new Members for an additional FREE year of Membership. JOE is already a LIFE Member, but if he is the overall winner, then he’ll go on the BAHAMAS CRUISE.

Still in the race with 1 new Member each are: FRANK WEINGART (842-1988), RITA CLARE (1571-A-1990), GREGG SCOTT (2012-A-1991), RADM EUGENE FLUCKEY (2169-C-1992), WALTER KRAUS (3426-1994), SIEGFRIED FEUERSANGER (4074-1994)

Remember - EVERYONE CAN WIN. For every five new Members you recruit, you will receive one more year of SHARKHUNTERS Membership - FREE! There is no limit to the years of FREE Membership you may win.

Remember the GRAND PRIZE. The Member who recruits the most new Members in 1996 (minimum of 30) will receive all those extra years of FREE Membership - AND they win that BAHAMAS CRUISE! Will it be you? Everyone has a chance. Good luck.