Site Master

Site Master

"The older I get,

the foggier my memories of the bad times,

and the fonder my memories of the good times,

and the good guys, I served with." Stache

This site was launched and is maintained by Stache
a.k.a.

CTM2(NQP) Paul W. Hartnägel

While I might not have "gotten my guppies"

I consider myself luckier than most other

Spook Riders in that during my time of service
I was fortunate enough to ride at least one of every
major class of Nuclear Powered Fast Attack

Submarines built during the Cold War.

From the Skate Class USS Sargo SSN-583

(Two Screws, Stern Tubes, and Bow Planes)

to the LA Class USS Groton SSN-694

(one of the then new "Hotel Boats").

Sadly, all the ships I ever served on are

now "Razor Blades" Man, am I getting old.

THEN circa 1980

NOW

Two NUCs, a MUC, Good Conduct, and Three NEMs
Notice, NO 'Gedunk' National Defense Ribbon.
All awards, including three NEMs, were earned during "Peacetime".

I just recently found out that I earned the MUC as part of:
SECGRUACT GROTON CT 01-JUN-1980 30-MAY-1983
Look Here to see if any of your
TAD or PCS Commands earned awards.

You may get a Site Security Certificate warning

but I have been clicking through with no problems anyway.

My six years of Active Duty were 15-OCT-1975 to 14-OCT-1981.

I served six more years of Reserve Duty from 1981 to 1987.

The ironic thing is that with those dates of "peacetime service"

I do not qualify for membership in the American Legion .

YET any one of my three Navy Expeditionary Medals

qualify me for membership in the Veterans of Foreign Wars

AND also for the full 25% New York State property tax exemption

for Veterans who served in a combat zone during a Period of War.

Go Figure.

As compared to at least one other
"War Hero" (who has three Purple Hearts)
I have accumulated much more than