THE SUNFISH'S COOK

[Music] [Music] [Music] I'm Rear Admiral Thomas M Tyco who's retired the men of the submarine force during World War two received their fair share of decorations this chapter the silent service deals with a man who was awarded one of those decorations although the circumstances under which medals were won could never be considered commonplace in this instance the circumstances were particularly unusual 10 July 1944 the USS sunfish rode quietly 250 feet below the surface in the sea of archives she was halfway through a 7th patrol patrol that up to now had been so full of action and for a skipper command ahead Shelby this was the first complete fleet period since leaving Pearl Harbor On June 22nd but even during this time of well-earned rest preparations were being made for the next day and the continuation of the war [Music] [Music] at 1900 cap you better sleep 12 hours thanks Paul I feel like a new man I'll be right up [Music] no you don't understand dicks me I like cooking but what am I gonna tell the folks back in Tennessee man they think I'm in the middle of a shooting war Oh cookie you make me sick what are you trying to be a big hero or something oh you are not hearing a word I'm saying now look how am I gonna tell my kinfolk said I didn't even carry a gun cookie you've been spending too much time bettin over a hot stove yeah well that's all right you'll see mr. Mansell he promised why don't you quit beatin on the exec my gosh think you got trouble enough I don't care he promised me yeah yeah that's where he made his first mistake [Music] [Music] you know where we are by this time so we're patrol toward the west see what action we can pick up along the northern route yeah that's a good idea prepare a dispatch for comm sub pack tell them what we're doing the meantime will surface and start converting number for a ballast tank I'll get on it right now oh come on up cook thought you might like some hot coffee captain just made it fresh thank you I smell cinnamon rolls yes sir mr. Mansell I brought you some too hey they're hot yes sir I just finished baking mr. Mansell mmm you didn't forget did you mmm good do what oh no no I didn't forget thanks mr. Mansell I knew you wouldn't forget well forget what he wants another battle station what do you mean he's tired of cooking no I mean bet it's not that I hope not I never ate this good before he came aboard there isn't a sub in the fleet that wouldn't swap any man they've got including the skipper to get their hands on him no problem there Kevin but then what's his beef he doesn't think he's getting enough action as an ammunition passer my boys making an old man of me all doing their last patrol now this one insists he's got to have a gun Lord torpedo station a ball of fire everything why don't you give him mine well I haven't got the place for him I tell you what we can always use another man and landing a boarding party give him a B a yarn make him happy yeah might just do it I get him out of my hair anyway Thank You captain aw treat him carefully he makes a mean cinnamon roll mark the periscope depth the better service first Empire damn eye to surface cautiously sunfish poke the periscope above the surface while captain Shelby check to make certain area was clear [Music] [Music] working party on deck when a few ballast tank was emptied it was then reconverted to a ballast tank to light the boat the surface running this was never a pleasant job and here with a water temperature 30 degrees it was a cold wet Shore while it went on sharp watches were kept on sound and radar to make certain that no enemies ship would slip in undetected bounce up hacks acknowledged our message captain very well and I told the cook about his new station sbar man like I'm happy happy for a minute there I thought he was gonna kiss me tell him you're married number four palace tanks without Jameson's having trouble getting one of the bellcrank bends in cold do it yes sir he says the bearings contracted I'll have to file the pin down to make it fit well how long will it take at least another hour very well it's home to bear a hand and I like sitting out here in the open this way yes sir [Music] hey Dixon you're here I got a gun yeah I know I know so you got a gun now what do you want well let me have it wait Dixon what for Wow well I ought to clean it you know get it ready yeah well it's cleaned and it's ready well yeah but I ought to get used to it you know get to peel and nothing doing you ain't gonna run around this boat with a BA are you will get it when there's a gun action and not until [Music] frig radar contact very well placing the tracker party hi sir Jamison sir how much longer not too long now sir all right well hurry up got a contact hi sir we're pushing conning tower what do you make her the tracking party checked on the contacts course and speed as every revolution of the propellers brought it closer to the Sun fish you're doing about 9 knots zig-zag pattern of 0 7 0 1 10 0 7 0 and 100 captain Jamison good boy here the main deck great arm what's the range down is there gonna wake up that's right time for the next sig right 10 degrees rudder all ahead flank right 10 degrees rudder all ahead flank go get up ahead of her and wait for to make the next sig back Paul battle stations ready for torpedo and gun action aye aye sir [Music] sunfish race for an interception point with the so far unsuspecting target while all on board waited anxiously to see whether the enemy would get wind of them should be another thing coming up very well come left to course two eight zero come left to course two eight zero darker turn and taught us better keep our bearings coming set torpedo just ten feet set torpedo depth ten feet target bang three five nine zero zero one bang zero zero five steady on course two eight zero all stop the zero seven zero seven zero zero seven bang steady on the zero seven what's the range 1 five double Oh steady on zero zero seven target bearing zero zero seven one five demo I've got him final bearing and shoot when ready eyes are standing by range one zero five zero one [Music] by a three-time five seconds to the first one three two one second one seven seconds five well that one didn't miss what's eatin you know I never got a chance to fire one single shot [Music] crackers what happened to the bread captain when you call battlestations ology was in such a hurry to get to his new gun we dropped it Soho my fault but it could have been worse I've been carrying hand grenades [Music] [Music] [Music] hey I'm not doing nothing Dixon I was just you know yeah yeah I know you wanted to play with that gun of yours do you know what time it is hey dick I'm baking up a batch of rolls or nothing I just started a fresh pot of coffee - cinnamon rolls ha ha all right okay okay let's go for the next couple of days things were comparatively quiet on board the sunfish contacts were made six of them but each time the sunfish closed the potential target the contact turned out to be friendly [Music] the respite was welcomed with a good luck they had been having the crew knew that there'd be lots more action before they left the area [Music] cookie Oh hiya Dixon you want some coffee no no thanks Sanders maybe no no it's a funny thing one of the be a ours is missing no kidding no kidding well what do you suppose happened to it oh gee I don't know Dixon hey you don't think well look Evans me you and now look Dixon I've been meaning to talk to you about something for a long time now you know when I'm busy cooking back here and they call a gun action it's a long distance to that aft battery you wouldn't want me to be late to my stations now would you do well now look you're you're being hasty can't we talk this over look I got a stink about ye big it's right here in the freezer let's just have the gun you're a hard man dick tell me something cookie why don't you want to keep this thing in the rack where it belongs suppose somebody else took it alright suppose somebody does oh well now you know those guys dicks and they might foul it up [Music] great quiet around here lately 12 I've been thinking of trying to find a busier corner getting bored Kevin oh wait love those torpedoes all the way out here be ashamed to lug them all the way back yeah I see your point according to intelligent on that captain to pips bearing one one zero about 5,000 yards Elton bearing one one zero can you see anything about 500 yards ball tracking party my eyes are gun left 2 3 3 5 come left 2 3 3 5 right sir lieutenant Van Horn to the conning tower 3 pips now captain 5 how many now it's 4 I'm sorry get them these pits are all confused stay with it son Oh battle stations gun action battle stations contact [Music] hard to say check that all right but some of those contacts may be sad pitch all right let's go below and take another look hi sir [Music] captain we're out of the park it's as clear as a bell right full rudder all ahead flank right full rudder all ahead flank no sense in scaring him off if we can avoid it let's get back in the fog and see if we can try them from astern any change also range is opening but I still get from two to six pips all in a group let's split the difference make it four you got any ideas Paul a pips aren't too big I guess it'd be some kind of trawlers makes sense let's see if we can't put a dent in their fishing trade huh captain we're back in the park there yun course one eight zero city on course one eight zero they're only for us captain I've lost them over last range 6,000 yards come right two two seven zero come right two two seven zero to see if we can cut back across that track contact I got him captain 3 pips bearing zero nine zero come left in two three five from left to 235 or deranged 4000 yards ball back one-third one-third you take it ball I'll be on the bridge aye-aye sir [Music] radar what's the range 800 yards get by pips cap very well lookouts keep a shot hips up with their bow ships off the starboard babe ships off the port bow ships dead ahead Holy Smoke DZA million of all back one-third oh I wonder [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] two solid hours sunfish engaged in a wild surface door the odds fourteen to one waters which made it almost hand-to-hand combat time and again captain Shelby's brilliant maneuvering of his ship save them from suicidal Randy [Applause] it was the ship's cook Teddy Eugene Altman was given credit for saving the ship and crew wherever the firing was hottest of the danger greatest there was always glad his firepower where the need was greatest nobody least of all Aldrich was ever able to explain how he covered so many places in so short a time [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Music] gun crews secure [Music] Benedick [Music] hey cookie wait a minute you know I don't dig you boy ah first you make a big deal about how you love this thing like it was your wife and now you treat it like it was nothing okay you just don't understand exit if I'd have gone home and told them that I never fired a shot why they to run me right out of town well finally got my shots in those cooks have our pride [Music] I'll be back in a moment with our special guests and now it is my pleasure to introduce to you the hero of the sunfish is amazing engagement mr. Teddy Eugene Aldrich mr. Aldrich they tell me you're a one-man Navy during that fight I don't know about that Admiral all I do know is it was a pretty good fight hall that lasted captain Shelby tells me you're one of the best cooks they ever sail with do you still do any of it I sure do I enjoy cooking I learned how a board the sunfish and I guess the reason I got such a bang out of it was that the boys seem to like what I cook or a cup to win a decoration for personal combat in the submarine is highly unusual as far as we can find out you the only one who did I appreciate them giving me a medal Apple but I can tell you one thing I never thought much about it during that fight all the lead flying around we were too busy trying to stay alive that's something I can well believe mr. Aldrich it's been an honor and a privilege having you with us Thank You Admiral please be with us again when we bring you another true and exciting story from the bowels of the silent service [Music]