The Submarine Verse of Eternal Father Navy Hymn

"Bless those who serve beneath the deep, Through lonely hours their vigil keep. May peace their mission ever be, Protect each one we ask of thee. Bless those at home who wait and pray, For their return by night or day." -- Rev. Gale Williamson

The Heart that Beats in the Shark of Steel

In all of it's power and glory - tactical weapons and weapons of mass destruction, precise navigation and sophisticated communications, absolute stealth and long range sonar, nuclear propulsion to steam submerged many times around the world; ability to deter an enemy, defend a people or destroy a nation; respected by all, feared by most, and loved only by the men called submariners - the submarine is but a mass of steel, electronics and weaponry. 

It's the sweat of the men in her that's the lifeblood flowing through the veins of the beast. It's their courage that matches the violence of the seas. It's their dedication and ingenuity that provide the margin of victory over the enemy. It's their service that assures the peace for a free nation. And it's their personal sacrifice that is shared only by their families. These are the men who live in the belly of the beast. They are the crew. They are the heart that beats in the shark of steel. Captain Don V. Hahnfeldt , CO. USS Tennessee SSBN 734 (retired) A Submariner (reprinted with permission from The Submarine Review April 1996)