APSS Perch, page 103
Gerald R. Stott served on the Perch from 1954 to Feb. 1957. He was an ET1 (SS). Prior to that time he served on the Catfish and Remora. This is his poem about submariners, sent to the Perch website on July 30, 2013.
Have you every heard the rumble and the groans?
When charges fall around you as you float far down below.
Have you ever heard the whales as they utter their eerie sounds?
Have you ever sensed the silence and felt it all around?
Have you ever lost the tension when the rumbles fade away,
Knowing now you will have a very happy day?
And when you are finally moving, to a quieter place at sea,
To find the quiet serenity that only a few can ever feel.
Do you still remember those on everlasting patrol,
Sailing and sailing, never to come home.
Than you are one of those, my friend, who has sailed below the sea,
A Submariner, like me.
By Gerald R. Stott
To email Mr. Stott, please use this link: grstott@nc.rr.com
*****
A Submariner
