POLARIS MISSILE FACILITY, ATLANTIC 34 Years of Service to the Fleet 29 March 1960 - 05 January 1995

Rick & Pat Sontheimer - Pat and I are enjoying ourselves in Colorado. After retiring from the Navy after 29 years, we moved to Parker, Colorado where Pat continues to work for Defense Finance (DFAS) and I work for General Services Administration as a Regional Account Manager and Construction Project Manager for the US Marshals Service. Our daughter Kim lives in Atlanta and works for Delta Airlines and our son Rick and his family are in the process of moving to Fort Huachuca. He is a pilot in the Army (CWO3) with 19 years service. Please change my email address to: rfsontheimer@comcast.net.

Thelbert “Bud” Grantham - His son wrote to let us know that his dad currently resides at the following address (101 Milton Ct., Goose Creek SC 29445, (843) 553-5788) and asked that we add his name to those that served. Received from Bud's son Thad (thad.grantham@lmco.com). 

James P. Dixon - Retired from the Strategic Weapons Facility, Atlantic, on 02 January 2004. He and his wife Kathy recently purchased on older home in Jacksonville, FL, to restore. Kathy is continuing to work, while Jim is working around the house. His new E-Mail address is: jpcsdix@peoplepc.com.

Ron and Nancy Thomas - We have not received many inputs for this issue of the newsletter. Any inputs can be sent to the below E-Mail address at anytime and will get into the latest newsletter. Nancy and I are doing fine. I am eligible for a VSIP II, waiting on a match. If that does not happen, I will be retiring on 02 May 2005. Nancy is eligible in July 2006 and I do not know if she is ready to retire or not. She is currently undecided. Take care my friends. Our side business, Southeastern Synthetics, will continue to sponsor the website and the newsletter at no cost whatsoever to the Alumni Association. This includes the web, newsletter materials and any applicable postage costs.

Robert “Steve” Blakey - I worked with Lockheed at POMFLANT from Jul 75 to Feb 92. I'm still employed with Lockheed at the Strategic Weapons Facility, Atlantic (SWFLANT) in Kings Bay, GA.

Richard Alfano - Hi! I'm doing fine, I am teaching Electronics/Electrical Technology at the high school level now. I don't know when I will retire, again. Hope everything is going great with you. Take care and God Bless.

Fred J. Reitmeyer - I worked at POMFLANT for many years. During the period of 1973 to 1979 I was SPC-70 while working for Westinghouse Electric Corp. I first worked with Westinghouse in 1960 at Pier Bravo for the initial load out of the USS George Washington, SSBN 598 and the USS Theodore Roosevelt SSBN 600. I Moved to Groton Connecticut to build submarines until SSBN 659 was started. Then I returned to work at the Charleston Naval Shipyard on overhauls for WEC and was lead engineer for load out operations at POMFLANT as a collateral duty. I established an office at POMFLANT as SPC-70 to lead the refurbishment of missile launcher pyrotechnic devices repaired at POMFLANT and at Naval Weapons Station.

I spent many trips on Missile Technical Proficiency Inspections at POMFPAC and moved here to BANGOR area when the Trident subs came here with the Ohio class 21 years ago. Please visit www.reitway.com for more information.

I would be proud to be included on this site as a member of the POMFLANT team on which I served many years.

PS: The missile accident, date unknown, I spotted and reported the truck sitting at a tavern on Rivers Avenue near the Chrysler garage with the missile motor on it. That evening the driver, (without a second person in the cab as was required, missed a turn south of Charleston and ran into a closed gas station. What you see in the photos is what was left of the missile motor after being lit off by the fire resulting from the wreck. Only One body was recovered. I do not remember the date but believe that someone from the Chief Engineers office, like Ed Biggerstaff or Frank Wood would recall the dates.

LCDR W. S. Smith - Naval Weapons Station Charleston, XO, found our website and was interested in the pictures of Wharf Alpha. Pat Butler of Lockheed provided the originals and Ron Thomas made some high-resolution pictures to send the XO.

Since our last newsletter, I have received information that the following co-workers, co-workers family members and friends have died:

Betty Grubs (Al Grubs' wife) - passed away on 06 August 2003.

Gale Hausen (Ed Hausen's wife) - passed away on 11 August 2003.

CDR Charles T. Hampton (former POMFLANT XO) - passed away on 18 November 2003.

Gill Crocker (Lockheed) - passed away during November 2003.

John Finley (Lockheed) - passed away on 12 January 2004.

Please keep us informed of any news about our POMFLANT family.

Please keep Ron Thomas and John Maney up to date on your e-mail addresses.

Please keep Ron and Nancy Thomas informed of your current snail mail address and telephone number changes. Take Care

Please send us information for the next Newsletter. Without your input we have little to write about. Ron and Nancy