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Mike:
Hi! I am Brian Spaulding and I really appreciate
what you're doing with the USS Power website. I'm doing one of my own!
And it ain't easy!! But...I digress! :-)
I must confess I have been remiss in keeping up with things related to USS
Power, my first ship which I dearly love and loved! Had I been a tad less
busily and a bit more curious I would have updated my bookmarks long ago
as a result of finding your website.... So, I apologize for that. I
haven't investigated your site as thoroughly as I would like to...and I
will later...today, I hope...but it appears the shipmates have organized
more since (or before and since) the reunion which I regret I missed.
Sadly, I submit an "On Eternal Report" of a fine shipmate who was very
close to me, William (Bill) S. Hutton: I apologize. Had
I been more aware of the site and been more on the ball I would have sent
out the info much earlier. Bill was an FTG2 when he left the Power
(two weeks before me) having volunteered for submarines. I volunteered
for sub duty two weeks after he left! He and I were aboard Power during
almost the same time span. I think he had reported aboard maybe a month
before I did. So he was aboard maybe from around August '58 to July/Aug of
'61). Bill was formerly from Hazelton, PA and was the beloved husband of
Helen.
Bill passed away in early 2004, I think
January. Helen sent me a card and I have it somewhere to come up with the
exact date if desired... Bill and Helen lived in Fredericksburg, VA for
many years. After serving in the USS Nathan Hale SSBN-623 as FTB1(SS) and
leading FT, he was discharged and went to work for Electric Boat (EB),
Groton, CT where he was a Tech Writer. After retiring from EB he moved to
VA and at some point, maybe 3-4 years ago, was asked by EGG, Inc. to come
to work for them working on the Seawolf Class of submarines. The stuff he
was doing was so highly classified he couldn't even hint to me what it
was, but most probably, of course, in the fire control area.
Bill came down with Lou Gehrig's disease in mid-2003 and lived maybe 6
months after he was diagnosed. I regret that when I had an opportunity to
stop by his house when on a rush auto trip to FL, I didn't. Bill was one
heck of a nice guy and is sorely missed. Bill's workplace was the Main
Deck, Starboard side, MK 63 Radar Room, while I manned the Port Side Radar
room inboard off the passageway fore and aft. I have attached a photo of
him, probably taken by shipmate FTG3 Ray Babineau, and I believe it was
taken while we were on the Med cruise of '58-'59. Bill is standing in the
rear to the observer's right. Also pictured are shipmates: FTG3 Tim
Cronin; and me in front, then also FTG3; and, to Bill's right in the rear,
FTG1 Jim Crocker. Bill has "passed over the sill" and I have no idea if
any of these fellows, other than me of course, are still alive. (Sailors
rest your oars)
Thanks for letting me pass along a few
remarks about Bill and his time aboard the USS Power. Fortunately I have
lots more memories of Bill and our time together in Power which I will
gladly share with any interested shipmates.
You can check out my website
at:
http://www.bg-enterprises.biz (all my products...especially the new
GPS Tracking System!!! And, too, wife, Ginnie's, real estate
"stuff"...Can't leave her out here!)
Your shipmate,
Brian Spaulding, MTC(SS), USN (Ret)
32 Pitts Road
Harrison, ME 04040-4139
Tel: 207-583-4139
Email:
w1zak@adelphia.net
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