Submarine crew visits with elementary students

Post date: Dec 22, 2015 7:48:3 PM

Four petty officers and one chief petty officer from the U.S.S Scranton submarine made a day-long visit to Wells Elementary School to visit with students and staff on November 9th.

In the morning the sailors participated in the school’s annual Veterans Day K-4 assembly. Some of them commented on photos being shown on a large screen about life onboard a sub. These pictures showed a typical bunk bed area and the kitchen and dining area plus a photo of the Scranton currently dry docked at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard ((PSNY) for an engineering overhaul.

Later sailors visited various classrooms, dined with students at mid-day in the cafeteria, and participated in playground activities at recess times in the afternoon. Also these men helped pack up 68 cases of donated food and toiletry items to be shipped to service men and women at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington and Landstubl Regional Medical Center in Germany.

One of the sailors visiting WES in November was MM1(SS) Steven Weston who, along with others from PNSY, have volunteered their time since September of 2014 to work with WHS students on a class project to construct a two-person, self-powered hydrofoil craft.

The appearance of the crew members at the WES was made possible by Nicole Weston, wife of Steven Weston and a school volunteer, plus WOCSD Resource Coordinator Maryanne Foley. Wells, Maine is the official host city for the U.S.S. Scranton’s crew while the submarine is overhauled at PNSY.

At the entrance to the “Café” at Wells Elementary School on November 9th are (from left to right) Petty Officer Soukup, Petty Officer Weston, Chief Camac, Petty Officer Wring and Petty Officer Bequette.

Standing behind first grade students on the WES playground is ET2(SS) Soukup (at far left), MM1(SS) Weston (center) and CC1(SS) Bequette at far right. The other sailors visiting the school but not in this photograph included MM1(SS) Wring, and Chief Petty Officer Camac.