The
USS Remora (SS-487)
DVD Story

In early 2004, out of the blue, some guy (Scott Garvey) sent me an email and asked if he could get a Remora hat for his Dad who served aboard the boat. He also asked how much it would be with "Scrambled Eggs". Right away I wrote back and asked what his Dad's name was, when he served and what rank he was. I was concerned because I wouldn't send out a hat with scrambled eggs because they denote command. He wrote back and said that he was the skipper between 1952-54 and his name was R. S. Garvey. Well, I fired back an email and told him that I'd immediately have a cap made up for him and that no skipper of our boat would ever pay for a hat. It would be his with my compliments.

A couple of weeks later, I got the hat and sent it to his son who originally requested the cap. He told me that the next week, he'd deliver it to his dad. I also found out that both he and the Skipper lives within 50 miles of me! I told him that I'd be very interested in meeting him and having lunch if that was possible. Due to scheduling problems, we weren't able to set up the meeting for about a month or so. His son also told me that due to his age he and computers didn't get along very well. Anyway, the day for the luncheon arrived. I had copied all the pictures from my web site to a CD and I took my laptop with me.

During the luncheon, I asked him if he'd like to see some pictures of the old boat that I had. He said definitely, yes. I set up my laptop and fired up a slide show program and fired it off. His eyes were glued to the screen and a smile was glued to his face. We were near the isle of in the restaurant and by the time the slide show ended, there was a group of 10 waitresses and customers standing behind him watching the slide show as well. The skipper has nearly no short term memory. But, his long term memory is fully in tact and as clear as a bell. He could recall every person's name what they did and he could recall stories of events that happened 50 years ago! However, if you got up and went to the bathroom and came back to the table, he'd look at you like he had never met you.

Anyway, after the meeting, his son told me that the skipper had taken over 10,000 feet of 8mm movies during his command. As we talked, I told him of the upcoming reunion in NY and told him that it would be very interesting to have a DVD copy so I could show our shipmates. He said no problem and sent all the film out to be converted. In the first attempt, about half of the DVD was so dark, it was almost black and you couldn't make anything out. He sent it back a second time and it came out great. I spent several days making enough copies for everyone that attended the reunion. The picture on the DVD is of the skipper during the luncheon.

Personally, I think that the DVD is quite historic. It has scenes on it that I've never see before, anywhere. Take for example the shot where he put a seaman in a raft, gave him a rope, submerged the boat and had him attach the rope to the scope. Then, got underway. Can you see this seaman being dragged along by a submarine periscope?

After I received my DVD, I made copies and presented everyone at the 2004 USSVI Convention Remora Reunion with their personal copy. It was very well recieved! I would like to publically thank Scott Garvey for taking the time and trouble to perserve a piece of USS Remora history for us.

Bob Prater