BANGOR, Wash. — Here’s something every USS Nebraska crewman, from rookie submariner to the boat’s captain, quickly learns: Nebraskans are proud of their corn, their football team — and their ballistic missile submarine.
“I’ve never talked with civilians before who refer to a ship as ‘their’ sub,’’ said Navy Cmdr. Michael Fisher, who commands one of the submarine’s two crews. “That sort of pride and ownership is quite amazing.’’
Mission accomplished, says the Big Red Sub Club.
The Big Red Sub Club is a Nebraska-based, all-volunteer organization created in 1993 to continue the strong relationship created between the people of the state and the submarine’s crew during the vessel’s christening and commissioning. The club of more than 400 people raises money to underwrite the $6,000 to $8,000 cost of sponsoring visits by several submariners to the state twice a year.
The club also organizes visits to Nebraska’s namesake submarine. Invited guests pay their own expenses. They bring gifts. They thank the crewmen for their military service. And they get a rare look inside one of the world’s most powerful warships.
It happened again nine days ago, when the Nebraska arrived at Kitsap Naval Base on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. A delegation of 24 people on a Big Red Sub Club trip rendezvoused with the submarine in the Strait of Juan de Fuca for the final six hours of its journey home from patrol.
Among the group was Curt Tomasevicz of Shelby, Neb., a member of the gold medal-winning 2010 U.S. Olympic bobsled team. Tomasevicz pulled his medal from his khaki pants pocket and posed for dozens of photographs with submariners.
Senior Chief Petty Officer David Turley, the Gold crew’s chief of the boat, said the Big Red Sub Club’s support of the Nebraska is the talk of the submarine fleet. There are 41 submarines in the U.S. Pacific fleet.
“The crew just loves it,’’ he said. “They love that Nebraska sends people out to see what they do. They’re very proud of themselves, their job and especially their submarine.”
Kris Fisher, the wife of the crew commander, said the importance of the support of rank-and-file Nebraskans can’t be measured.
“When you live in this community, what you do is not that special because everybody does it,’’ she said. “To have people from the state of Nebraska come out and recognize the job that these guys are doing ... really makes a big difference.’’
The Big Red Sub Club brought seven USS Nebraska officers and crewmen to Nebraska in June, the 39th submarine group hosted in the state. They ate Valentino’s pizza in Lincoln, toured the arch in Kearney, spent three days in North Platte for Nebraskaland Days and got rained out of a College World Series game in Omaha.
Among the guests were the Fishers, who lived in Papillion until last year while Cmdr. Fisher was based at the Strategic Command.
“They were just overwhelmed by the fact that there were people (in North Platte) willing to cross the street to shake their hands,’’ Kris Fisher said.
Cmdr. Fisher said visits by Nebraskans to the submarine help boost morale.
“They learn how to do things like chip paint and serve food ... or they’ll spend their patrol working in the engine room around hot, steamy pipes ... and it’s cramped and it’s painful — and they get the job done.’’
Fisher said ballistic missile submarine crews achieve amazing things daily, “the stuff that movies are made of,’’ and Nebraskans’ reminders of appreciation are priceless.
“I can only tell them so many times and, after a while, they don’t believe me anymore.’’
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