A personal story given by Robert Page of Diodon

Jim, just got up on the Diodon website, and you evidently have the problem with us Web TV users fixed, I was able to pull up all the information you had on the website.... I was very impressed with the data you have compiled about the Diodon.

I thought by now most of us would be dead by now, I was a virgin MM2 right out of Sub School when I reported on board in August of 1956. I had to qualify in Subs in order to move on to Nuclear Power school. I remember the ship yard time getting new batteries, and making the WestPac cruise, and all the fun we had during that cruise.

When we pulled into Brisbane Australia the majority of the crew had the shits, something we all got in Hong Kong, most of the crew was assigned a gallon can to carry around, the heads were always occupied, and you had to use the can as an emergency backup till you could get a stall, or else you would poop in your pants.

Some of the crew members I remember right off hand were Bill Catron, Leroy Brown, Bob Huff, Tony Valenti and Stella by starlight, QM, who got transferred from the boat at Hunters Point during the battery change.  

Pat Hannifin, CO, and Capt Smith were two of the best officers I ever came in contact with in my Naval career.

There were many happy memories on the Diodon, ten cent drinks at the EM club in Yokusuka, and drinking too many Screwdrivers, staggering back to the boat, missing the first step on the ladder going down to the mess deck, and ending up on my back at the bottom of the hatch.  

I guess the only reason I didn't kill my self from the fall was the numbness from the many screwdrivers we all drank

Ask any of the crew from 56 to 58, and they should be able to come up with many fine, happy, memories of their time on the DIODON...

I can't forget to mention the time we pulled into Pearl Harbor to be defumigated, we were loaded with roaches (not the smoking kind), when we loaded up on stores to make the trip for the Westpac cruise, we left Hunter's Point in Frisco in a hurry, loaded up parts, and food with not having to fill out any chits from the Tender.

We had parts and food stored all over the place, what a mess, the roaches had a field day multiplying from San Diego to Pearl. If you wanted bread from the bread locker, all you had to do was knock three times, and they would pass you out a piece of bread.

There were areas on that patrol that we had to keep sillent about, I know where we were, but I still don't like to talk about it.  For those interested, read, BLIND MANS BLUFF, a book written about submarines and submariners, and its all true. The Diodon was part of it . 

If any of my former shipmates, from 56, to 58, read this, give them my e-mail address, I would like to hear from them.

Bob Page, MM1, auxillary man, later,

MMCM-SS. retired after 20......

TA----HAVE A NICE DAY!!!!!!!!

GOD BE WITH YOU!!!!!

B------P------sr.