Thanksgiving Tributes: 2012 Edition

Thanksgiving tributes have always been special at Molten Eagle, because some of the biggest sacrifices are often hidden from or remain unfamiliar to most of us. 

Many thanks to all of our active duty men and women, and especially to those who serve today beyond sight and communication of their families and loved ones, including our submariners. Our favorites:

 2007 -
"On submarines, when the shit hits the fan, there's only one way to run... Right into it. Nobody with a living brain cell can ever, ever call a submarine sailor a coward just because he's not dodging bullets somewhere." - SonarMan


 2008 -  "We never had to go off station because we couldn't fix or adapt to a broken piece of equipment. We never had to go off station because someone got hurt or because of family problems back home... You, the men of the Augusta, fixed it when it got broken and you, the families of Augusta, handled problems as they arose and made sure the ship could continue to perform, ‘Any Mission, Any Time,' ” Haumer said. “I thank you.” - Cmdr. Mike A. Haumer, CO, USS Augusta (SSN-710)


2009 - Extreme creatures by Juan Caruso Davenport 

Who suffer no attrition upon news their kind are sunk,
Who endure sunless weeks on end in want of their own bunk.
Disturbed from precious sleep by those dreaded, alarming sounds,
When the latest hazard has sprung out of its nearby bounds.
Sacrifices are certain for these devoted volunteers,
Qualifications demanded by a jury of their peers.
In clear illustration of “24-7’s” meaning,
There is no phoning home during silent submarining.

2011 - "Though serving beyond sight of others, submariners remain on very influential minds." - Juan Caruso Davenport
  
Submarines are always silent and strange.