Podcasts by Submarine Sea Stories | Ever wonder what its like to spend the cold war under water with 100 other guys?

Ep58, Commanding a Legend, Captain Bob Schuetz from 2022-05-06T02:47:11

Bob Schuetz grew up in New Jersey and chose the ROTC when his parents couldn't afford college for all 4 kids. He joined the Navy and fell in love with submarines during his summer cruise and swi...

EP57, Flying through the air on a sub, Bob Bailey Sonar Tech First Class from 2022-01-17T16:31:26

Bob Bailey had to get out of New Mexico. He was running with the wrong crowd and "ran away from home into the Navy." He started out slow and was not the most squared away sailor, but built his c...

EP56, Surfer turned polar explorer and circumnavigator, Joe Miller from 2021-09-01T00:54:30

Joe Miller grew up in Virginia Beach surfing and staying away from Navy. It wasn't until he was married and laid off, that Joe reconsidered his decision and joined Uncle Sam's navy as an officer...

EP55, From Community College Professor to Sub Captain, David Rifkin from 2021-06-20T14:34:32

David Rifkin never planned on joining the Navy. He found the salary for a community college professors not quite enough. He consented to an interview with Adm Rickover and was accepted to the Na...

EP54 Smoke Shack Standout, Daniel Newcomer from 2021-05-29T16:53:45

Daniel Newcomer started his submarine career aspirations in 8th grade. His dad was a traveling Baptist preacher and when he was onboard the USS City of Corpus Christi was exposed to a family tou...

EP53, Playing with the radio, Kevin Loewe, Radioman from 2020-12-11T23:32:39

Kevin Loewe couldn't find a job in his native St. Louis, so he proposed joining the navy out of necessity. That began an over 22 years stint of active duty service as a radioman aboard both boom...

EP52, From a steel town to a submarine, Jim Glunt from 2020-04-30T00:09:14

Jim Glunt grew up tough suburb of Pittsburgh, Pa where the smoke from the steel mills blocked his view of the night sky. He had to grow up quick also and began working at the age of 9. He had to...

EP51, From a Supply Officer’s Son to Trident Missile Tech, Wood Frampton from 2020-03-26T01:04:06

Wood Frampton grew up around the enlisted club on base where his Dad was a supply officer. He’d have french fries and watch the sailors get into fights. But that didn’t deter him from signing up...

EP50, Stew Burner (Mess Cook) Greg West from 2020-03-13T17:08:08

Greg started his military career in the 8th grade (crazy story) and continued over several decades until he retired as a Chief Culinary Specialist. Now he teaches High School kids how to cook! Listen

EP49, Submariner through and through, PJ Clarke from 2018-11-10T23:19:04

PJ Clarke made a rash decision to join the submarine service. He was promised that the galley was open 24/7.

That was enough to get him to volunteer. Serving on the Snook and the Billfish...

EP49, From Subs to the Internet of Things, Rob Tiffany, CTO of Hitachi from 2018-05-30T00:55:22

Rob Tiffany grew up in West Texas and set off to become a Navy pilot after seeing Top Gun. Of course, that didn’t work out, but he found the submarine service and had some great mentors.

...

EP47, Royal Navy Artificer and Officer, David Cunningham from 2017-09-18T00:02:53

David grew up on the West Coast of Scotland and was surrounded by water. His Mom said he always talked about joining the Navy, but he doesn’t remember why. He joined as an Artificer Apprentice i...

EP46, Field Vets CEO and farm boy, Dan Eddinger from 2017-09-14T00:17:23

Dan Eddinger grew up on a farm in eastern Ohio. He played in the woods a lot and really didn’t have a plan after high school. He did fall in love with his high school sweetheart and decided to j...

EP45, Duck down, there’s a sub overhead! from 2017-08-31T01:08:21

Neil Midkiff got a tour of the USS Iowa when he lived in Rio de Janeiro as a child from the Naval Attache, Captain Andrews. At that point his mind was set, get in the Naval Academy and become a ...

EP44, West Virginia golfer and submariner, Matt Tate from 2017-02-27T02:38:04

Matt Tate grew up in the mountains of West Virginia and landed a job at the Greenbrier as a caddy by the age of 12 (he lied about his age). After doing that for a while and trying col...

EP43, 9/11 Recruit and A Ganger, Hector Rodriguez from 2016-12-30T01:36:24

Hector Rodriguez thinks everything happens for a reason. He grew up in East Oakland, California in a rough neighborhood. He loved sports so he played basketball and dreamed of playing...

EP42: Vietnam War Hero and friend, Lee Ellis from 2016-12-29T06:12:59

*FOR MATURE AUDIENCES*

Lee Ellis grew up on a farm in rural Georgia, but when he saw an airplane, everything changed. Even as a child, he longed to have control of t...

EP 41: Sonarman, enlisted, officer, skimmer and marine from 2016-06-17T00:02:20

Stu Hubbard is the son of a Navy Mustang and became one himself. At the age of 17, he approached his Mom and Dad about enlisting which started his 20-year adventure in the Navy. Starting as a de...

EP40: Linguist, Lawyer and Bubblehead, Michael Goldstein from 2015-12-01T00:56:09

Michael Goldstein grew up in Cleveland Heights, OH and was fascinated by submarines.  He won a science fair contest at the age of 14 and was invited to New London to a special tour (s...

EP39: Listen up Bubblehead! Shannon Cason, award winning storyteller, shares his wisdom from 2015-11-15T22:35:58

Listen up bubbleheads!  Shannon Cason is an award winning storyteller and he tells his backstory and explains his motivation to share his life on stage.

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EP38: 2nd grade detention to striker, Tim Sullivan from 2015-08-27T23:50:10

Tim Sullivan was an outlier.  He went against his parent’s wishes and joined the Navy on a whim.  He became a striker, which means he started painting the boat.  In fact he painted his name on t...

EP37: Jersey boy submariner and Sub Vets National Commander, Tom Conlon from 2015-01-11T21:41:14

Tom Conlon was born and raised in the garden state of New Jersey. As a boy, submarine TV shows excited him so he joined the sub service when he was old enough.

While never good in school,...

EP36: Sonar dog fighter and listening to the ice from 2014-12-18T11:21:43

Andrew Fletcher went three years in college and freaked out when he had $5,000 in debt.  He ended up joining the Navy and trained as a Sonarman, one of the most important jobs on the boat (read ...

EP35: Women in a snake ranch and smoke boat sister, Nancy Yockey Bonar from 2014-12-05T03:33:57

Nancy Yockey Bonar became fascinated with submarines thanks to her brother, Captain Harry Yockey.  You’ll love Nancy’s explanation of submarine living is like when compared to a 3 bedroom house ...

EP35: Message from Bill and some great old episodes from 2014-11-21T03:10:49

Bill provides some information on upcoming episodes and new initiative to help vets! Transitioning Vets Checkout some funny previous episodes: Clayton Wetzel, Surviving on Popcorn Jody Durham, Bill...

EP34: Boston native, submariner, tank guy and detective from 2014-11-13T23:25:03

Ken Westhaver grew up in the tough streets of South Boston.  He wanted to be on a submarine so bad he could feel it.  Thrown aboard the Minneapolis / St. Paul was the beginning of a career that ...

EP33: Submariner, A-Gang Chief, and Former Knucklehead Cage Fighter from 2014-11-07T01:22:14

Darryl Jackson grew up on the tough streets of Newark, New Jersey.  He was a standout athlete in school, but ended up in trouble with the Navy being a great choice to avoid possible jail time.  ...

EP32: Active duty chief, submariner and submarine rescuer from 2014-10-31T00:12:47

Raul Robles is a chief on a mission.  He has 15 years serving aboard fast attack submarines and deep submergence rescue vehicles.  Raul balances his work and home life with his wife, Amy Robles ...

EP31: Adapt, improvise and overcome: an ET story from 2014-10-24T02:32:11

Mike Fieser is a winner.  Besides being and Nuc ET and now a photographer, he won a radio contest to guess his profession.  He came up with the ET version of another day at the office.  Mike rea...

EP30: RADM Chuck Beers, Captain my Captain, where did the butter go? from 2014-10-17T02:00:49

Radm Chuck Beers (retired) was a submariner as his dad before him.  He eventually became the commanding officer of the USS Minneapolis / St. Paul, SSN 708.  He discusses Starve X 1985, the Butte...

EP29: The lean submariner and coach, Bob MacPherson from 2014-10-10T00:00:24

Bob MacPherson is the Lean Submariner, he know efficiency!.  He started out as a submariner by chance and did not put in ...

EP28: We’ve dated for 3 weeks, let’s get married and have 4 kids! from 2014-10-02T22:55:09

Kurt Jarrio, a 20 year submariner was a hard partying, somewhat crazy plankowner aboard the USS Minneapolis / St. Paul.  He was tied up by robbers, robbed again outside a pizza place.  He landed...

EP27: Scamp Smells, Saturn Bologna and Barking Squids from 2014-09-26T01:12:05

Rich Hust grew up scared he was going to end up in Vietnam doing something he might not like.  Instead, after leaving jail, he walked into the Navy recruiter’s office and signed up.  That night,...

EP26: First Naval Academy grad and Sub Captain from 2014-09-18T23:47:49

Dave Butler grew up in a small town in Louisiana.  By a twist of fate, he was handed a Naval Academy appointment.  As a midshipman, he was first assigned to a surface ship and thought better of ...

EP25: Boomer sailor sleeping between the missile tubes from 2014-09-12T02:31:10

Rich Damm was born and raised on Long Island and decided to join the Navy.  He spent several years working as a ballistic missile tech and transitioned to become a successful entrepreneur and ow...

EP24: Tank commander, wine taster and entrepreneur from 2014-09-05T02:19:58

John Colley is a boarding school and Cambridge University graduate who became a tank commander. He went into finance and eventually became a entrepreneur and the Six Minute Strategist.

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EP23: Kicked out after 30 years! Fred the Nuc (FTN) talks about his storied career from 2014-08-28T23:49:13

Fred T. Needham (FTN) joined the nuclear Navy way back and saw a lot of changes over the years.  He met his wife and got engaged in a week.  After 30 years of service he was forced to retire.  F...

EP22: Wooden wheels and iron men, Bear Claw and Jaws, eating shark and crash dives from 2014-08-22T00:50:55

David Helms grew up in a large family in Nebraska.  Being a ballistic missile submarine sailor was his dream since he was in the 6th grade.  He got his chance after almost failing out — twice.  ...

EP21: Fish battering, horse racing and playing golf on a British sub from 2014-08-08T00:55:30

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EP 20: Yeoman, author and actor from 2014-08-01T02:02:13

Gannon McHale grew up in New England.  He attended great schools but decided to enlist in the Navy to avoid the Vietnam draft.  He served aboard USS and lived to tell many tales and captured the...

EP19: Russian submariner on the show! from 2014-07-25T00:22:09

Nikolay Teplyakov went on his first submariner at the age of three.  He eventually became a chief engineer.  Nikolay discusses daily life aboard a Russian ballistic missile submarine and a subma...

EP18:Ho, Ho, Ho, I’m escaping a submarine from 2014-07-18T02:00:55

Dave Bowman grew up in Oklahoma but was hooked to joined the Navy when he was taught to sail as a youngster.  Eventually he found his first love, the USS Michigan and as you know, you never forg...

EP17: Bubbleheaded Lawyer from 2014-07-11T02:09:47

Tom Weiss grew up in Michigan and was of age during the Vietnam War.  He joined the Navy like his Dad before him.  After joining, he missed Woodstock (too tired, his buddies went), failed his el...

EP16: An Airdale with the heart of a submariner from 2014-07-04T01:50:01

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EP15: An officer and a gentleman (part 2) from 2014-06-27T01:39:24

Dana McIntosh continues his interview and discusses a water in the people tank problem and what it is like being an ex submariner.

EP14: An officer and a gentleman (part 1) from 2014-06-20T02:35:12

Dana McIntosh grew up with a Navy chief, World War II submariner.  Dana went the officer root and ended up in an interesting interview with Adm Rickover.

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EP13: Bill’s parachute packing Mom from 2014-06-13T01:19:18

Bill’s 88 year old Mom discusses family, meeting her husband, packing parachutes in WW2 and her impressions of a sub.  She also tells Bill her favorite podcast episode.

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EP12: Hugging a missile tube while it hocks a loogie from 2014-06-06T02:10:56

Ed Andre started out in a divorced family spread out between two states.  He joined the Navy and became a Fire Control Technician Ballistic (FTB) and the re...

EP11: Saving the boat with a mattress and cutting the captain’s hair from 2014-05-30T01:44:12

Kevin Stewart cut one too many lawns and joined the Navy just before September 11th.  He learned to navigate the ship and cut the captain’s hair in rough seas.

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EP10: A Shipyard Nest and the Bone Band from 2014-05-23T02:57:14

Jeff O’Donnell has his PhD now, but he was once a lowly reactor operator on a boat without a reactor.  He served along with Bill Nowicki, Rory Buchanan, Bob Burchfield and the rest of the crew o...

EP9: A submarine is safer than anywhere from 2014-05-16T03:00:50

Harry and Dennis Ostrum grew up in a chaotic family.  Harry and Dennis ended up escaping the chaos by joining the Navy and volunteering for submarines.  It is only then that they felt safe.

EP8: KGB stalker and drunk on grapes from 2014-05-09T04:05:09

Steve Hallquist loves everything submarines. He shares some of his many stories from his time aboard submarines during the height of the Cold War including his encounter with a KGB agent.

EP7: Boomers, noisy shrimp and cleaning torpedo tubes from 2014-05-02T04:08:09

Gordon Allen told his parents at 23 he was joining the Navy after reading Hunt for Red October.  This decision was met with “restrained disappointment”, but Gordon never looked back.

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EP6: Shipyard Pizza Thrower and Hawaiian License Plates from 2014-04-25T04:05:15

Bob Burchfield grew up in rust belt and decided to go into the Navy and volunteered for submarines to be unique.  His first days in the shipyard and his time on the sub were a whirlwind of crazi...

EP 5: Permission to bang and dragging string from 2014-04-18T02:12:33

Mike Reed is British and was on a diesel and nuclear sub and enjoyed the diesel more.

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EP4: Fighting about cutting a grapefruit from 2014-04-12T02:08:50

Rory Buchanan grew up in California, lost his Dad and was set adrift. He found the navy and the nuclear program and he credits it with saving his life.

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EP3: Swimming With Sharks and Hating Fresh Air from 2014-04-06T17:50:53

Bill Nowicki grew up in a large family listening to his Dad talk about the Navy.  After a year working at Friendly’s, Bill decided it was time to join the Navy.

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EP2: Billion Dollar Boat Driver from 2014-04-03T02:10:42

Jody Durham grew up in a small town in East Texas. He listened to his Dad and Grandfather talk about their time in the  Navy and the action they witnessed.  He was fascinated by it, and decided ...

EP1: Family Grams and Popcorn from 2014-03-31T23:16:19

Clayton Wetzel talks about his reasons for joining the Navy and volunteering for submarines.    He relives what he went through and some stories like: becoming a Blue Nose (crossing the arctic c...