Casper Society- From the website:
The CASPER SOCIETY is an informal fraternal organization of Naval Security Group Electronic Counter-measures Operators or as they are now known, Electronic Support Measures Technicians who find comfort in the company of their own breed. We have friends in other ranks and rates, even in other services [I even have a friend who is a civilian] but we birds flock together because we have all "been there and done that." We are the "watchers of the green worm."
This site is dedicated to the strange breed who rode submarines only when there was something interesting to do. We missed the refueling, loading stores, loading candles, loading fish, Yard periods, ad infinitum but, when it was fun, we were there. We ate the crews food, drank their water, breathed their air, filled their sanitary tanks and took up their rack space but, when the time came......they were glad we were there. But, we were always the "Spooks", the little men who were never there.
Many of us waited for years to ride the boats, and equal number got picked to ride right after their first tour but, to a man we all got more than we bargained for in the boats.
Many qualified and wear the treasured Silver Dophins of the enlisted submariner, U.S. Navy and even one O-ganger earned his "fish" on the boats. Many more did not qualify, they were too busy doing their jobs. Our hats are off to them also. Many wear their fish for two people....I do, for themselves for doing the work to qualify and for their partner who worked 18 hours a day so you could qualify. A special thanks to guys who had that special brand of camaraderie to do that for another guy.
Lots of us came back to ride time and time again. Others tried it once and quit. There is no shame in that, "cause the boats ain't for everybody." You had to be willing to live closer to your fellow man than anyone should every have too live. You had to go without showers, fresh milk, fresh vegetables, clean air and sunlight for weeks or even months at a time. You had to give up any personal space you held dear and rub elbows with everyone. You had to put up with being considered prima donnas by your peers ashore, "twidgets" by the guys whose lives you disrupted on the boats and "no good low down rats" by your wife and kids. If you didn't love the work, you weren't going to make it, because buddy, that's all you had. But, most of us would do it again, anytime.
So this is to you my sub-riding buddy, we know who won the Cold War. And we did it in some pretty good company like Captain Jack Stone, the man with a full wheelbarrow, Captain Noel Wood, who learned to trust his spooks and became a hero, and countless other submarine officers and enlisted men with whom we were all very proud to serve. To them we say "RE SUR GAM
The casper society:
http://www.geocities.com/thecaspersociety/id2wat.html I am a regular bubblehead, but I enjoy the company of these guys immensely.
Note: GREAT bunch of guys-