As you get close to someone, things become apparent – things that at one time either went unnoticed or seemed minor in nature. Some of these observations are already known by the observed, some are not. Those that are not known are commonly called blindspots.

Regardless of whether a blindspot exists or not, each person needs and deserves compassion – especially in the midst of struggles. It is always so easy to jump in a suggest what appears to obvious but is that what is needed? Sometimes, maybe all the time, compassion can be more healing and certainly better received than “answers.”

As with all things there can be no hard fast rules to suit all occasions. Some behaviors are naturally destructive, either physically or emotionally. Some behaviors are on the fringes of destructive to self and others. To be honest the decision between using compassion or intervention is quite a blurry line. When to step in, when to reach out. How can one know what to do when?

Couple that with our motives, which are hardly ever pure and complicates, convolutes and conspires to work against us in determining what this other human being needs from us at any given time. There is only one source of wisdom that is always knowing and always caring.

I see no other way to respond.

Why is it do hard to find good friends? Why is it so hard to find a great friend? We remain in a state of loneliness without deep friendship. We feel like we’re the only ones struggling – at that no one else can relate to our problems.

You know, for the most part, I believe we do it to ourselves. We close down to protect ourselves and this protective layer prevents any meaningful relationships. Wouldn’t it be great if we could all pour out the deepest, most intimate feelings and have another soul understand them? Yes.

More than a simple yes, it is necessary if we are to experience the fullness of relationship. It can’t be all it can be without 100% transparency. Maybe 100% is not possible but at least its a goal to constantly strive to achieve.

For myself, I can say that the closer that I come to 100%, the closer I am to feeling fuller, more understood, more understanding.

• Balao Class Submarine
• Keel laid: January 12, 1944, at Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., Manitowoc, WI
• Launched: May 28, 1944
• Commissioned: October 14, 1944
• Displacement: 1,526 tons surfaced; 2,424 tons submerged
• Length: 311′ 9″
• Beam: 27′ 3″
• Operating depth: 400′
• Complement: 6 officers, 54 enlisted
• Armament: ten 21″ torpedo tubes, six forward, four aft, 24 torpedoes, one 5″/25 deck gun, one 40mm, one 20mm, two .50 cal. machine guns

Lagarto departed Subic Bay on April 12, 1945, bound for the South China Sea, and received orders on April 27 to patrol the outer waters of the Gulf of Siam.

On May 2, USS Baya (SS 318) picked up four contacts and sent a contact report to Lagarto. Baya soon had her hands full; as her commanding officer later reported: “Jap gunnery poor but plenty of it. Tracers passing down both sides of the periscope shears and overhead…” Baya informed Lagarto “that we had been driven off by gunfire.” Baya’s skipper later ruminated: “It is nothing short of a miracle that we came through so much gun fire without a single hit.” “We were in a continuous hail of lead, fire, and steel and sustained not a scratch.”

During the mid watch on May 3, 1945, Baya rendezvoused with Lagarto and their captains discussed plans. The latter’s proposed to dive on the convoy’s track to make contact. At 15:00 on May 3, 1945, Baya sent the first “of numerous contact reports to Lagarto.” By 3:47, “having sent Lagarto contact reports almost half hourly with no receipt,” Baya decided to go it alone. Again, however, the Japanese escorts drove off Baya when she attacked during the mid watch on May 4, again saving their charges from destruction.

Post-war examination of Japanese records revealed the most likely reason for Lagarto’s silence. One of the two escorts, the minelayer Hatsutaka, made an attack on May 3 against a submerged submarine in 30 fathoms of water.

Discovery, 2005-2006
In May 2005, a group of private deep-sea divers, led by British wreck diver Jamie MacLeod, discovered the wreck in 70 m (225 ft) of water in the Gulf of Thailand. The wreck is mostly intact and sitting upright on the ocean floor. During the dive, a large rupture was discovered on the port bow area, suggesting a depth charge as the catalyst to her sinking. Also observed during the dive was an open torpedo tube door, with an empty torpedo door behind it, suggesting the possibility that Lagarto fired off a torpedo shortly before her sinking.

In June of 2006, Navy divers from the USS Salvor ARS-52 surveyed and photographed the wreck for 6 days. More evidence was seen that this is the USS Lagarto. Twin 5″ gun mounts were seen on the forward and rear parts of the ship. “Manitowoc” was seen on the propellers providing a connection to the Manitowoc, Wisconsin shipyard. The pictures were sent back to naval archeologists for further review. After viewing the evidence provided by the USS Salvor divers, it was confirmed that this was indeed the USS Lagarto.

Lagarto received one battle star for World War II service.

Naval Historical Center

Commander Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet

Patch(es) were obtained from:
NavSource Online (Submarine Photo Archive).
Originally contributed by Mike Smolinski.

Big Screen & Television

• Voyage to the Bottom of Sea (series)
• Lost in Space {I currently own the DVD series}
• Get Smart {I currently own the DVD series}
• Salvage I {I have DVD copies of every aired episode}
• 24 {I currently own the DVD series through season 5}
• Planet of the Apes (the 5 movies)
• Wild, Wild West (series)
• James Bond
• Lost {I currently own the DVD series through season 2}

Movie/Book Genre

• Time Travel
• Science Fiction – (purer science – not fantasy mixed in)

Foods

• Mexican
• Chinese
• Thai
• Spaghetti

Exercise – I have developed a new fondness for what I abhorred for all of my life.

• Backpacking
• Treadmill
• Dumbbells

Numbers

• 8, 18, 28, 38, 88

This list by no means is not complete – just what comes to mind off the top of my head.

Good day to my very limited readership. Today marks 12 lunar cycles that Cone of Silence blog has been live. That would be the time that it has taken the Earth arrives at approximately the same celestial position in relation to the sun as it was when this blog first started. Of course this blue sphere we all call home has traveled with our sun only a small percentage of its distance around the galactic center. By the time we’ve made one revolution around the galaxy this blog will be long forgotten… so sad.

In my first year live there have been 221 posts and a whopping 9 legitimate comments. That’s an average of six tenths of a post/day and 4% of my posts receiving some type of feedback. I have been spammed 3,985 times.

There have been 2,580 visitors and I’ve served up 12,420 pages. It is no surprise that my readership is extremely limited. Truthfully I am surprised to find that even that many people would find even a mild curiosity in my thoughts.

I have completed reading 17 books for an average of 1.41/month and have begun noting information for lost U.S. submarines and their crews. This information has been tracked since July 1st and once July rolls back around and all lost submarines have had an initial post I will enhance the postings with additional information and details.

I also plan many more postings on my ideas, thoughts and whatnot on relationships.

Happy birthday to me!