By Gene Hunsucker, RMC(SS) USN (Ret.)

I am going on 82 years old - and to the best of my memory - I am the ONLY topside watch - when on USS Tullibee (SSN 597), to ever unholster and pull a .45 on the Admiral and his aide in September of 1962 pierside, lower base Groton.

As I assumed the 0800-1200 watch topside, my third day onboard Tullibee - down the pier and to our brow - came a grey haired gentleman in a brown double breasted ill fitting suit, that looked as if it had never seen a dry cleaners - and, an aide who looked slightly just arrived or close to puberty, obviously a newly minted Ensign wunderkind, who appeared engrossed with all around him, but didn't look where he was putting his feet - because he tripped over the brow mounting it - both individuals refused to show ID to come aboard.

As a RMSN(SS) three days onboard Tullibee out of RM "A" school - I was DBF (Diesel Boats Forever) fleet boat qualified on USS Burrfish (SS-312) and USS Atule (SS-403). I'd never been around Nukes other than a short ride out, up on the bridge making a full power Williamson turn surfaced - clear the bridge, dive, high speed turn submerged, surface and return to port for the next group, onboard Nautilus 571 - and a quick tour pierside of Snook 592 boat, making a port visit to Sub Base Key West, looking for bodies to attend Nuke School. I almost reenlisted for Nuke prep school - but the Radio Room fascination - won over - and I shipped for six and RM "A" school.

In my keepsake box I still have my "Order Of The Nuclear Navy USS Nautilus SSN 571 honorary ships company card - proclaiming me a diehard diesel boat sailor an "Atomic Submariner Extraordinary" dated 11 July 1961 signed by Captain L.W. Zech, who after my being transferred from Tullibee to Thresher 593 FFT to PRECOMUNIT SSBN 620, on short notice - Captain L.W. Zech was my CO.

I'd never seen the Admiral in person, but I recognized him from photographs from the mid 1950-s Popular Mechanics Magazine article on the new Nautilus, which the article set my sights on Submarines when it came time to join up or be drafted.

Neither he nor his aide, would present identification - his aide said "we are coming aboard now - out came the .45 barrel down - I got on the topside watchbox on the 1MC and called below, "Unauthorized Visitors Topside" - up came Captain Jortberg and X.O. Ken Loposer as if "rocket assisted” - seems they knew the Admiral was coming - but - no one had told me.

I encountered the Admiral again on SSBN-620 and SSN-595 - a couple of encounters on a brief tour at COMSUBPAC staff. I rode sea trials as an observer on a few 688's when EB, was turning them out one after the other - and with a slight smile on 699, Admiral Rickover once asked “where's your .45 Chief" - the man had a remarkable, uncanny memory - my last boat before retirement was SSN-703, on Admiral Rickover’s last sea trials aboard Boston - as in port Duty Chief on arrival - I escorted Admiral Rickover to the brow as he departed the boat.

Twenty years I crossed paths with the Admiral, on the first encounter on SSN-597 the Captain apologized to the Admiral for my actions with the .45 - the Admirals reply was "let's hope the rest know their job like he does" - on the Admiral's last ride, the Duty Officer and I, escorted him to the brow in EB shipyard - the Admiral was frail and in obvious discomfort or outright pain - but - still very much - a strong willed individual - using a speech amplifier - he said nothing, except that smirk of a smile.

Admiral Rickover was my introduction to serving aboard a Nuke on Tullibee, and I was the last in port Duty Chief to escort him to the brow going ashore off USS Boston (SSN-703), as I was told, I do not believe the Admiral ever went to sea again - I don't know for certain. He was very frail and wobbly departing Boston, he soon retired and passed a few years later.

My encounters with Admiral Rickover as stringent as he was with many - are fond memories for me - the joke between us "where's your .45?"

As for the Admiral's aide that morning on Tullibee - there was a standard Navy wire brush lying on the topside box as I was "spiffing up the corroded hinge on the box”. waiting for the escort from below decks - the aide asked "what's the stick with all the nails in it' - Admiral Rickover looked at him with somewhat a cross between dismay and disgust - and said to the young Ensign - "research it, give me a report on it". I always heard and believed the Admiral surrounded himself with "the best and brightest" - maybe not? Maybe some of those eventual best and brightest - didn't start out that way? Hyman G. made them that way?

A very, very remarkable man, it was a sincere honor, to be in the presence of such a remarkable intellect and - "dry wit humor" - I've seen the Admiral skin people alive, and get a little smirk smile on his face after he turned and walked away or, he curtly dismissed them - as if - "that one will do just fine, just needs a little polishing, my way". If one had anything of merit inside of them, Rickover knew how to get it out of them and, working.

The Admiral’s blistering reprimands and sarcastic remarks - were I believe - a very innovative and affectual training mindset - Hyman G. Rickover - molded and equipped not only the Nuclear Navy and its leaders - but - some of the finest leaders - in and later out of uniform - our America has ever known. Rickover was contentious with many politicians and Navy higher ups, but Rickover molded one American President former Nuke Officer - James Earl (Jimmy) Carter. Rickover’s management style - appeared unique to Rickover?

Hyman G. Rickover had an indomitable task ahead of him - to bring a dream of his, to fruition in the form of a real Jules Vern Nautilus of the novel "20,000 Leagues Beneath The Sea." A nuclear powered Submarine - and - his superiors and peers - thought him nuts.

No matter how he did it, who he ran over to do it - “he done it."

The father of the Nuclear Navy - Hyman G. Rickover - will be a legend - for an inestimable time. Given the normal progression of things - it will be a long time before his name disappears from the history books and, in the annals of U.S. Navy history.

Perhaps my memories of him, are more humorous and pleasant than for some - but - I seem to recall a feeling in his presence - "this man has a tall order to perform" ... H.G. Rickover is the forever poster child for "git'r dun." .... "lead, follow or get out of the way" I heard him tell one of our Nuke Division officers on our boat, that young Lt. retired an Admiral and I'm sure there were many others.

It would seem whatever or however Rickover did something - it worked! ... people were not always happy with it - but - look around - a second boat is being named in his honor - that's a rare honor - two ships named after the same person.

P.S. don't let them forget the White African Grapes - the Admiral in the early days, would not board a boat without a case of White Grapes, a new foul weather jacket - I often wonder - where all the Navy Issue foul weather jackets with the ships patch sewn on went - Admiral Rickover wore them or had them carried off when he debarked. Somewhere there must be a pile of Navy foul weather jackets from the boats he rode - I know I stenciled one for him on USS John Adams (SSBN 620) original builders trials. Where did all the jackets go? We usually ate the grapes after he debarked.