The earlier message by "Too Tall" got me to remembering again (This board is good for that). Do any of you guys that rode multiple boats have a favorite? Do you remember why? Maybe some of the men that rode single boats can relate to a favorite car. You know, the old 49' Ford convertible, or 55' Chevy with wide bench seat and the four on the floor that kept poking your girl friend in the back while her shoulder got wedged under the steering wheel (or maybe that's just me). Back to my point.

Of the 324, 346 & 565, my favorite was the 346. Maybe it was mostly crew, we had one of the great COB’s and for some of the time a lousy skipper, but part of it was the old girl herself. She took us to places that I'm sure are on the charts someplace, but I have no idea where. She carried just about enough food for those extended runs up North when your relief didn't show up and almost enough fuel to get us back to a safe haven. She carried us through storms in the North Atlantic and Arctic that movies could be made of. She recovered when a nuke trainee, trying to qualify on the stern planes, threatened to send us to a cold dark grave. She provided me with a bunk that after a three day run of no sleep felt better than the distant arms of a favorite sweetheart. Even when we corralled her into a harbor, her shiny brass valves and gleaming chrome levers contrasting the red naugahyde covers, (hiding just a few of her many secrets) drew OOHs and AAHHs and big round eyes from the hundreds of fortunate people that were invited to take a tour.

Night after night she would welcome her boys back to her womb, somehow making the metal deck plate under the after battery hatch a little softer for those of us that celebrated a wee bit too much. Our legs always seemed to go limp as we dropped (with a resounding thump) into her belly and landed on our pride. The echoing snores coming from Hogan’s alley, the goat locker, as well as the forward and after room meant all was well and we were home.

I saw a picture of the USS Corporal (SS-346) as she now looks, still looking beautiful, her crew, all dressed in whites, standing topside with pride, as she serves, as always, with pride. Only now she is in the Turkish Navy.

Someday I'd like to tour her, just like hundreds of other people have done. Maybe she'd remember me.