Bowfin News | November 9, 2024
Aloha Valued Customers,
Dolphin Store, Hawaii has launched a new website. Our new web address will be thedolphinstore.com. Please feel free to share this with your family and friends.
We appreciate your support and patients as we conduct this transition. We are happy to continue to improve our little store, and to raise money for the Dolphin Scholarship Foundation.
Mahalo,
Kaitlin Sheridan
Manager
Bowfin News | November 3, 2024
On October 19th Bowfin Pearl Harbor Base submarine veteran Dan Del Monte went over the edge at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa for the Special Olympics Hawai’i. This was the 15th Annual Over the Edge fundraiser and participants had the unique opportunity to rappel more than 400 feet down the side of the hotel, and experience truly breathtaking views of Waikiki and Diamond Head.
Dan was able to raise over $4K for Special Olympics Hawai’i while representing Bowfin Pearl Harbor Base Submarine Veterans.
BZ Dan!!
About Special Olympics Hawaii
Special Olympics is a global movement that unleashes the human spirit through the transformative power and joy of sports, every day around the world. Through programming in sports, health, education and community building, Special Olympics is changing the lives of people with intellectual disabilities solving the global injustice, isolation, intolerance, and inactivity they face.
Founded in 1968, Special Olympics Hawaii has grown and now serves over 6,000 athletes and Unified partners across the State of Hawaii. Through the unwavering commitment of 10,000 volunteers, along with community supporters, corporate partners and foundations, Special Olympics Hawaii delivers 10 Olympic-type sports and over 50 competitions, hundreds of health screenings, and inclusive programming in more than 70 schools annually.
October 29, 2024
In this edition…
Our museum reached a major milestone earlier this month in celebrating its 11 millionth visitor to the USS Bowfin submarine.
The Jordan family from Wollongong, Australia were named the 11 millionth visitor and greeted with lei after touring the historic Bowfin submarine.
“We are grateful to all who have visited our museum since opening to the public over 40 years ago,” said Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum executive director Chuck Merkel. “It has been a privilege to share this historic vessel and its stories with people from around the world.” Read more HERE.
Additionally…
>> Honoring the Navy’s Birthday and Navy Day
>> From the Museum Collection
>> U.S. Military Service Members Receive Free Entry into Pearl Harbor Historic Sites on Veterans Day.
Read full newsletter HERE.
USNI News | October 23, 2024
Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro announced that the future Virginia-class submarine (SSN-813) will be named USS Atlanta during a ceremony at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in the city on Wednesday.
“It has been 25 years since the Navy has had a ship named after the proud legacy of the city of Atlanta. Today, it is my honor and privilege to name the next Virginia-class submarine, SSN-813, USS Atlanta,” he said in a Navy release.
The submarine’s naming is in line with the precedent of selecting cities as names for the Virginia-class boats. Five other ships have been named for the Georgia capital.
Read more HERE.
Military.com | October 22, 2024
The USS Washington, a Navy fast-attack submarine, has been awarded a prestigious unit award for its work in securing key intelligence while deployed to the European theater, the service revealed in a statement.
The Virginia-class fast-attack submarine, also known as the “Blackfish,” was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for “outstanding performance in action while conducting operations within U.S. Sixth Fleet” during a recent six-month deployment, a Navy statement announced Friday.
Read more HERE.
Bowfin News | October 18, 2024
REGISTRATION IS OPEN for the USSVI Western Region Roundup 2025, scheduled for March 6-9, 2025 aboard “The Queen Mary” and hosted by the LA/Pasadena Base. The preparation is well underway, and the committee is looking forward to holding the event on this beautifully restored ship.
Registering is easy using our online Registration, Hotel Booking and Payment system which makes short work of the process. Your early registration will be a great help as we continue with the planning.
Register Online Today!
As always, the goal of the Roundup is to provide a way for all Submariners to gather for their mutual benefit and enjoyment.
We look forward to seeing you there.
Bowfin News | October 7, 2024
I was proud to represent my various veteran organizations at the 19th Annual Nisei Veterans Ceremony at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, as a Subvet, DAV Commander Chapter 1, VFW Post 1540 Trustee and Gold Legacy Member, VVA Life Member, and Japanese Hawai’i Veteran.
I am fourth Generation in Hawaii (Yonsei), my Dad was a third generation (Sansei) (also a veteran of the Army Air Corps as a MP and Translator during the post war occupied Japan at Johnson AFB near Tokyo. I have relatives that served in the 442nd and 100th Infantry.
Pat Suenaga
MMC(SS) USN RET
Life Member: DAV, VFW, USSVI, VVA
MEMBER SLAA, AMERICAN LEGION,
NVL, JCCH, NAVY LEAGUE OF THE UNITED STATES,
PACIFIC FLEET SUBMARINE MEMORIAL ASSN.
BOC 1 CERTIFIED
2018 COMSUBPAC Submarine Veteran of the Year
VFW Post 1540 Trustee
DAV Chapter 1 Commander
DAV Dept of Hi Jr Vice Commander
Director Korean War Foundation Inc.
Director Nisei Veterans Legacy
Military Times | October 4, 2024
Navy leaders this week identified an aircraft carrier and two submarines affected by faulty weld issues during work at the Newport News Shipyard in Virginia, but say that the substandard work did not take place on components that affect ship safety or operations.
In a letter to House and Senate armed services committee members Thursday, Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said impacted ships include the recently-revamped aircraft carrier George Washington and the brand-new attack submarines Hyman G. Rickover and New Jersey.
Read more HERE.
USNI News | October 1, 2024
Based on current construction performance, the Navy reported in April 2024 that the first (lead) Columbia class submarine is estimated to be delivered 12 to 16 months after its originally planned date. This would result in delivery between October 2028 and February 2029. A late delivery could ultimately jeopardize the lead submarine’s planned availability for operations in 2030.
According to GAO’s analysis of program data from January 2022 through May 2023, cost and schedule performance for lead submarine construction has consistently fallen short of targets. Through early 2024, those trends had not improved, and future risks will likely add to current cost and schedule growth. The program has reported that the shipbuilder needs to take swift and significant actions to address the causes of poor construction performance. However, as GAO has previously reported, the program has tried to mitigate some of these causes—such as late materials and detailed design products—for years.
Read more HERE.
VA News | September 25, 2024
WASHINGTON—Today, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced that it will conduct a scientific assessment to determine if there is a relationship between per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure during military service and kidney cancer among Veterans.
This scientific assessment — a process codified under the PACT Act — will help VA determine if kidney cancer should be considered a presumptive service-connected condition for Veterans exposed to PFAS. When a condition is considered presumptive, eligible Veterans do not need to prove that their service caused their disease in order to receive benefits for it; instead, if they served in certain locations during certain time periods, VA automatically assumes (or “presumes”) that exposure during military service caused the disease and provides benefits accordingly.
This review is a part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to expand benefits and services for toxic-exposed Veterans and their families, and helps advance the President’s Unity Agenda and Biden Cancer Moonshot goals to understand and address environmental and toxic exposures and end cancer as we know it. As a part of these efforts, VA expeditedhealth care and benefits eligibility under the PACT Act by several years — including extending presumptions for head cancer, neck cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, reproductive cancer, lymphoma, pancreatic cancer, kidney cancer, melanoma, hypertension for Vietnam Veterans, and much more. Since the PACT Act was signed into law, VA has extended presumptions for more than 300 new conditions, includingmost recently for male breast cancer, urethral cancer, and cancer of the paraurethral glands.
“At VA, we want to understand the health conditions that Veterans are living with so we can provide them with all of the benefits they deserve — and that’s what this review process is all about,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough. “As a result of this scientific review, we may be able to make kidney cancer a presumptive condition for Veterans exposed to PFAS, thus lowering the burden of proof on these Veterans. But make no mistake: Veterans should not wait for the outcome of this review to apply for the benefits and care they deserve. If you’re a Veteran and believe your military service has negatively impacted your health, we encourage you to apply for VA care and benefits today.”
PFAS are a class of over 12,000 chemicals and have been used in the military since the early 1970s. VA’s assessment methodology follows guidance from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and other key stakeholders, and will consider available peer-reviewed scientific literature, Veteran claims data, and other relevant data. Regardless of whether a condition is an established presumptive condition, VA will consider claims on a case-by-case basis and can grant disability compensation benefits if sufficient evidence of service-connection is found — and VA is always working to get to yes.
VA prioritizes claims processing for Veterans with cancer and offers comprehensive cancer care services to Veterans across the nation — from screening through treatment. Since President Biden signed the PACT Act into law, VA has delivered disability compensation benefits to more than one million Veterans and their survivors, amounting to more than $7 billion in earned PACT Act benefits. During the same period, nearly 740,000 Veterans have enrolled in VA care and more than 5.6 million Veterans have been screened for toxic exposures.
VA is soliciting public comment on the proposed scientific assessment between PFAS exposure and kidney cancer via the Federal Register. The public will have a 30-day period to provide comments. VA will also host a listening session on Nov. 19, 2024, to allow individuals to share research and input. Individuals interested in participating can registerhere. The public may also comment via either forum on other conditions that would benefit from review for potential service-connection.
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VA encourages all eligible Veterans and survivors to enroll in health care and file a claim. For more information about the PACT Act and a full list of presumptive conditions covered under the law, visit VA.gov/PACT. For more information about VA cancer care, visit cancer.va.gov.
Mahalo,
Yolanda R. Ehere
Secretary
State of Hawaii Office of Veterans’ Services (Tripler Army Medical Center)
459 Patterson Rd. E Wing, Rm 1-A103 Honolulu, HI 96819
Phone: (808) 433-0423
Fax: (808) 433-0385
Email: yolanda.r.ehere@hawaii.gov
Website: http://dod.hawaii.gov/ovs/
Bowfin Pearl Harbor Base 