Another Story concerning Lube Oil Smith

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From: J.D.K. Chipps jdkc@woptura.com
Sent: Thursday, December 27, 2001 8:03 AM
To: James R. Santos, M.Sc.
Subject: Re: Your 1957 photos

I don't know if you are aware of this or not, but Lube Oil had to step into some pretty big shoes, left by Patrick J. Hannifin.

P.J. was the greatest skipper there ever was, and he was loved by all......

Here is a story you can include on your page somewhere, if you like.

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After yard overhaul, at Hunters Point [San Francisco Naval Shipyard], the Diodon went to Bremerton, Washington for weapons alignment. Can't remember the place, but it was a range set up with all kinds of gear to make sure the Fire Control system was properly aligned.

It was a long, tedious task, and could take days.

On one of our runs, the alignment team at the facility there told Lube Oil, who was OOD, to reposition the boat, because it had drifted off of
the starting point for the run, to which Lube Oil sent back to the team that the boat couldn't have drifted, because he had thrown an empty cigarette pack overboard, and it was still in the same place he had thrown it.

I swear, this is a true story, perhaps Ed Graf, or one of the FT's can verify it.