USS Albuquerque senior enlisted gather for final time at the Horse & Cow

PHOTO: Senior enlisted crew members of the USS Albuquerque display the sub’s brow banner they are donating to the Horse & Cow’s collection of submarine memorabilia. From right to left: Neal Bederson, Ryan Parsons, Tony Ojeda, Manuel Reynoso, Chris Wilfert, Trev Lawrence, Greg Jefferson, Christ Ruth, Josh King, Christian Venegas-Ramirez. —Photo by Terryl Asla/ Kitsap News Group

BREMERTON— Ten members of the senior enlisted crew of the USS Albuquerque (SSN 706) got together Jan. 20 for the final time for lunch. After this day, some of them will be retiring or leaving for other duty stations, as the 33-year old fast attack submarine nears the end of the decommissioning process at PSNS.

The group gathered at the Horse & Cow Bar and Grill, 536 Fourth St., Bremerton, for lunch and to donate items from the boat to go on the walls of H&C along with memorabilia and photos of submarines dating back to 1918.

Among submariners, the H&C is legendary.

“All roads lead to the Horse & Cow,” said Trev Lawrence, chief administration officer. Several of the 10 men there had been to all of the Horse & Cow establishments in San Diego, Guam, and Bremerton.

Several of those no longer exist except as pleasant memories.

“The owner, Mike, actually met us at the pier in Guam,” recalled several of the men with wonder. “Then he took us on a tour of the island.”

The Albuquerque, one of the original Los Angeles-class fast attack submarines, arrived in Bremerton in October 2015 to begin the final decommissioning process. The formal decommissioning ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. Feb. 27 at the Keyport Naval Undersea Museum.

Terryl Asla is a reporter for the Kitsap News Group. He may be reached at tasla@soundpublishing.com.