Underwater Propeller Change,
USS Enterprise, CVN-65

The "Big Leak...."

Everything you have read in this section of my website was classified TOP SECRET whie the work was underway. We were briefed repeatedly about the need for secrecy, not being allowed to tell even wives or girlfriends what we were doing at the time. This project had never even been thought about before, say nothing about actually even trying to do it. The bottom line was, if word got out that one of our Primary Nuclear Aircraft Carriers was out of commission, and the Russians found out about it, then A) there would be hell to pay for the individual involved, and B) the event would give the Russkies the opportunity to change their own deployments causing us even more Cold-War Headaches. Right. Sure enough, the day this photo showed up, the Chief of Naval Operations showed up on the Diving Barge, and all of the senior members involved in the project, from the Admiral to the Shipyard Master, got their asses chewed out in front of everyone for letting this broken propellor out of the shipyard without a tarp covering it up. Finally, there WAS some justice in the world- the Top Dogs getting their tails whipped publically, while us Black Shoe Divers were blameless and watching <G>

WebMaster Bruce