Submarine Life #
- What did a typical day look like when the submarine was underway?
- How did the 18-hour day with 6-hour shifts affect everyone’s sense of time?
- How did you and the crew keep busy or entertained during long patrols?
- Can you describe the living quarters? What was the hardest part about the limited space?
- What meals do you remember best?
The Job #
- What systems were you directly responsible for as a machinist?
- How did your team monitor and maintain the reactor? Any emergency drills that stick out?
- What’s the most challenging mechanical problem you dealt with on the sub?
- What kind of training did you receive before serving underwater? How did reality differ?
- What did it take to “earn your dolphins”?
Technology #
- What pieces of technology or engineering challenges stand out from working with the reactor?
- How were water, air, and electricity produced and maintained?
- Did you work with any systems that have since been declassified?
- What mechanical or safety upgrades have been made since your time that you wish you’d had?
The Experience #
- What kind of camaraderie did you develop with the crew?
- Did your team face any emergencies or close calls with the reactor?
- How did you cope with being underwater for long periods?
- Were there any traditions or unwritten rules among the machinists?
- What was the relationship like between machinists, electricians, and other crew?
- If you could go back, what advice would you give to someone starting as a machinist on a nuclear sub today?