Radio Shock 

by Greg Cannon, former RM1(SS)

Onboard USS Nathan Hale (SSBN 623)(G), somewhere in the Atlantic going 4 knots to nowhere, my underway watch relief (RM3(SU) Jones was always late and I always had to call the mess decks to have them hold me a plate. I figured I fix my relief. I rigged up an old crank type meggar to the door of radio to "wake up" Jones.

It was watch relief time and I heard the door handle rattle and I cranked that meggar for all it was worth! Although I heared a muffled yelp on the other side of the door, it never opened. I checked and no Jones. He arrived about 15 minutes later as if nothing had happened. Two minutes into turnover, the RMC came up wanting to know what was wrong with Radio's door because the CO had just received an electrical shock from it. Nobody EVER found out what caused the skipper to get bit.

Published July 2006