Nan plunged her hand into the wound and felt around. Boats groaned in pain.
“There. Got it,” she called out. The bleeding stopped almost completely. “Severed artery. I’m holding it shut. He’s going into grade four shock. We need to keep pressure on this and get lots of fluid into him. He needs an IV right now and surgery real quick.”
Tom Clark grabbed a couple of saplings and fashioned a make-shift stretcher. “Lieutenant, we’ll carry your man. Nan will look after him.”
Roland nodded. “We’d better get going. I sure hope those OSPREY’s have a medivac kit onboard.”
As the group headed down the trail, Tom murmured to Nan, “I didn’t know you were a nurse.”
Nan smiled and answered, “Not yet. But I will be in a couple of years.”
23 Jun 2000, 1043LT (0243Z)
The curtain parted, Buell stuck his head into the stateroom. "Excuse me, Skipper, XO. We're at the estimated position for the pilot. XO, the Nav requests that you come to control."
Fagan excused himself and stepped back out into control.
“XO, no sign of him yet,” Warren Jacobs reported as Fagan stepped up to the periscope stand. “I can see a couple of F-14s orbiting to the East. I think that we need to establish contact with them.” He never took his eye from the periscope eyepiece.
“OK, Nav. Does radio have the frequencies to talk to them? Tell them to monitor the SAR freqs, too. If they have him, we can vector in on that,” the XO replied.
“The pilot freqs are already set in to the red phone. Their call sign is Victor Six Foxtrot. We are Sierra Lima Four,” the Nav replied.
“Victor Six Foxtrot this is Sierra Lima Four, we are standing by to pick up your team mate. Do you hold him?” Fagan spoke into the secure phone.
“Sierra Lima Four, this is Victor Six Foxtrot authenticate golf whiskey seven,” the orbiting Tomcat pilot replied.
He couldn’t see any other US ships or planes and probably did not know that there was a US submarine in the area. He was clearly concerned someone might be on the circuit that did not belong there. The authenticator procedure guarded against this by requiring the initiator to give a code that changed daily. The receiver had to correctly reply to it. If either side gave an incorrect code, the other would immediately break contact.
Bill Fagan checked the codebook with the Navigator and answered “Authenticate yankee three.”
“Sierra Lima Four, this is Victor Six Foxtrot; we do not hold you visually. Where are you?” the F-14 pilot inquired.
Fagan answered, “Victor Six Foxtrot, we are a US submarine about four miles Southwest of your orbit. We’re the guys who sank that frigate that was shooting at you. We are ready to pick up your downed comrade. Do you hold him?”
“Sierra Lima Four, roger. We have him,” the pilot responded, clearly relieved.
The close-knit naval air community went to great lengths to take care of their own. When one of their number was downed, they would stay on station and do everything in their power to protect him and to effect a rescue.
“He is injured and has been passing in and out of consciousness. I think that he is out right now. We are orbiting about three miles to the East of his location. Suggest that you surface and I will vector you to him. If I can get him to respond, I'll have him pop a flare. We have had no contact with his NFO. Didn’t see a second chute either. Think he went down with the bird.”
“Roger, we will be surfacing momentarily. Request you provide SUCAP while we are surfaced. Sierra Lima Four standing by,” Bill Fagan concluded.
SUCAP was the acronym for Surface Combat Air Patrol. Fagan was asking the F-14’s to be his eyes for encroaching surface ships while SAN FRANCISCO was busy picking up the downed flier.
Turning to LCDR Jacobs, Fagan directed, “Nav, get a quick sitrep off to SUBPAC and Alpha Alpha. Tell them about the frigate firing on the F-14s and us taking it out. Attempting rescue of the pilot. Also tell them we intend to attempt rescue of frigate survivors. We’ll need a SUCAP until we can off-load them somewhere. Show it to the Skipper before you send it.”
“OK, I’ll get it out right away. The ship is ready to surface,” the Navigator replied.
The XO turned to the diving officer and ordered, “Diving Officer, surface the ship.”
“Surface the ship, aye,” the diving officer responded. “Chief of the Watch, on the 1MC, “Surface, surface, surface.” Conduct a normal blow to the surface.”
The Chief of the Watch stood and announced on the 1MC, “Surface, surface, surface.” He then reached for two large toggle switches on the upper section of the forward ballast control panel. When he flipped them up, a roar of high-pressure air filled the boat. The sub’s depth stayed steady for a few seconds and then slid smoothly to the surface.
“Three four feet and holding. The ship is surfaced,” the diving officer reported.
23 Jun 2000, 1134LT (0334Z)
With SAN FRANCISCO safely bobbing on the surface, the XO snatched the 21MC microphone from its holder and ordered Master Chief Hancock, "Search and rescue party lay topside. Be ready to recover the downed pilot."
The search and rescue party raced up the ladder through the forward escape trunk.
A fresh breeze had picked up out of the East. White caps were starting to form as the wind pushed the water to near a sea-state three. The protected Java Sea did not build the long deep rollers of the open Pacific, but an erratic chop made working on the round slippery hull interesting. A group of silvery
