U.S. sailor's father gets chance to visit him aboard sub

Cape Girardeau resident Joe Dirden recently participated in a nuclear-powered submarine "Tiger Cruise," aboard the USS Key West, one of the U.S. Navy's Los Angeles class Fast Attack stealth weapons.

The submarine is homeported in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Dirden's son, Bruce, a petty officer 2nd class, sponsored his dad in this exercise.

He is one of the ship's nuclear power operators and has served aboard the submarine since June 2003.

Even though the nuclear power plant is strictly off limits to individuals who are not officers or nuclear operators, family members of Key West's crew took part in in other activities for three days while the vessel was submerged and surfaced.

Visitors to the the ship's control center watched the ship's helmsman and plane operators, listened to fish, dolphins and whales in the ship's sonar suite, operated the two periscopes and took a depth sounding.