ICE LIBERTY

The men on the USS Charlotte, a Los Angeles-class attack sub, needed liberty. They only received 18 hours worth, and they had to break through 61 inches of ice to do it, but they had their liberty.

The sub, transiting under the Arctic pack from Pearl Harbor to Norfolk, Virginia, arrived at Norfolk on November 29. Once under the Pole the Charlotte did a 12 hour recon of the under ice using a variety of scanning technologies and then did a perfect vertical ascent through the ice … a record for a Los Angeles-class sub.

Wind chill was -50 (F), but some of the 154 men aboard took pictures, others filmed a spot for the Army-Navy (I’m sure they call it the Navy-Army) football game and others managed to play a game of football – under the lights, since it’s winter at the Pole.

The crew included a Royal Navy officer and one civilian Arctic specialist; along with other first time polar crossers they were christened Bluenoses as well.

“I couldn’t believe how dark it was at the Pole. It was pitch black and incredibly cold, but it was still really exhilarating,” said Yeoman 3rd Class Guadalupe Deleon, who was one of the first crew topside. “After all, how many people can say they have been at the North Pole?”

Thanks to Lt. (jg) Dave Ozeck, of Atlantic Fleet Submarine Force PA for the complete story.