“A year out of Clairemont and still looking 16! The submarine in the background is the Raton (SS-270) The Rat and I swam together for two years throughout the Pacific and had many adventures, including a frightening typhoon, an uncontrolled dive to below our official crush depth, and a collision with a ship while we were submerged. But, she looked after us and survived our best efforts to sink her permanently. I came to her as a boy and left her, if not quite a man, at least well on my way to becoming one.”