- Member since
March 2007
- From: Portsmouth, RI
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Posted by searat12
on Sunday, December 2, 2007 8:38 AM
Well, all I can say is the Navy seems to hand out awards on a much looser basis than formerly! Not because the 'new' Navy is any less brave or capable than the 'old' Navy, but simply through lack of opportunity, for lack of a better term. Other than a few Somali pirates in speedboats, I can't think of the last time the US Navy engaged anyone that fired back since WW2! I guess this is simply because there has been no country since then with a navy powerful enough to even consider taking on the US Navy, and with good reason. The old Parche earned five BATTLE stars in six WAR patrols, 2 Presidential Unit Citations, AND her CO won the Medal of Honor for a night battle in the middle of a Japanese convoy on the surface, sinking several of the ships and engaging escorts right, left and center to such effect that the Japanese started to fire on each other in the confusion! So famous was this exploit, that the old Parche's conning tower is on display at Pearl Harbor. Yes, The 'New' Parche surely had its moments of tension snoopin' and poopin' along the bottom looking for communications cables, but somehow, that just isn't the same as engaging in a melee against 'targets' that shoot back! Yup, SSN 683 and her crews did some yeoman 'peacetime' service, and as a spook, I can certainly appreciate her efforts and the information that was obtained and how it was subsequently used (I had a few 'stimulating' adventures of my own in that line!). In any case, I think a 1/350 model of SSN 683 Parche WOULD be a good subject, as it is an unusual design with an ususual record too!
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