Ted and Patty Hack

Ted sent a few interesting photos for the class blog of himself and his lovely wife, Patty, along with some other people you might recognize. When this first photo downloaded I wasn't sure who it was. It was only after all the other photos appeared that I realized that it is none other than our fellow classmate himself. Seriously, the photo notations bore some impressive names and I had thought that this was a Senator that had escaped notation. I'd vote for this guy, wouldn't you?

For a non-Annapolis graduate, Ted had an impressive thirty year career in the US Navy, during which he commanded the nuclear sub, USS Guardfish (SSN-612), above, and later, the WWII era veteran sub tender, USS Orion ( AS-18), with a crew of 1500. Captain Hack, retired in 1997.
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Before he left active service he contributed to a Navy review of the movies, The Hunt For Red October, and, Crimson Tide. He gave a thumbs up for Navy support for the former and a thumbs down to the latter for technical and national security reasons. I would concur with Ted's judgment here. Who doesn't like anything Sean Connery's in?

One of his many tours while in the Navy, was at the Pentagon in the, Navy Office of Legislative Affairs. That sparked his interest to become a lobbyist for, General Dynamics , in their submarine program, where he has developed many lasting friendships with the men and women in the top echelons of America' s political and military power structures.

I asked Ted to expand upon the nuclear submarine program he has been involved with for us civilians, and taxpayers, who might be curious. He graciously gave me the following account which I have abbreviated:

Everyone at the top of government and the military have agreed, years ago, that we need to maintain a fleet of 48 nuclear subs into the foreseeable future. At this moment we have 52, but, many of those will be decommissioned over the next several years. At an initial cost of $2.5 billion each, coupled with the fact that reduction rates began to outstrip production 15 years ago, we will actually drop below that 48 NS level in 4 to 5 years for a period of about 8 years until it again pulls up to the desired level. As Ted put it," I am VERY happy!!!"...[about that], because, he has personally worked very hard for a long time to turn that declining imbalance around. GD also had to come down on the original price to $2 billion each to help move the process along. How many of us ever knew or cared about any of this before? Here's a story about a recently decommissioned nuclear submarine.

It is an established American truism that many a business deal and friendship happens over a good game of golf. Ted is an avid golfer and spends as much time on the several links around the Washington DC area as his schedule allows. He has also traveled to places like, Old Head, in Ireland, left, where, two years ago, he and six of his golf buddies played 7 courses in as many days. He also plays in numerous fund raisers and charity events.

Patty, his "a little younger" wife, has no interest in the game, but lets Ted play whenever he likes. She is presently pursuing a Public Policy PhD, which is a Philosophy/ Social Studies combination, at the University of Maryland. Patty has credentials of her own. She was the Deputy Director to, Donna Brazile, who was the Campaign Manager of the 2000 Gore/Lieberman Presidential campaign. Patty is a liberal Democrat, while Ted had always been a conservative Republican. " How we ever met and stayed together will ever amaze me," says Ted. But he now claims to be a centrist Democrat, or more of an Independent, like his mentor, Joe Lieberman.( Say, where have we heard that before?) It looks like Patty is having an effect on Ted. They have been married 14 years.

In addition to his beloved game, Ted also loves driving his newly restored, 1983 Porshe 911 SC, that he's had for 24 years, and his 2007 Jaguar XK . No, those photos are not Ted's cars, but the Jag's location certainly fits. Ted wanted us to know that he and Patty normally drive a two car fleet of Fords to work. Patty's is an Escape hybrid. Exactly what you would expect a liberal Democrat to drive. She maintains that Ted "loves his cars more than her!" They both agree that he needs a bigger garage.

Now for a few of Ted's and Patty's friends. On the right, Ted is with, Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Ted has had numerous discussions with Adm. Mullen about naval strength and those submarines levels previously mentioned. This photo was taken a few years ago when Adm. Mullen was Chief of Naval Operations. Their relationship goes back many years and includes a former classmate of Adm. Mullen who is one of Ted's, Myrtle Beach, golf group friends. Adm Mullen is, as Ted describes, a "surface Navy officer." That means he would prefer to build humongous aircraft carriers and ultra-fast destroyers, which in turn means that Ted had his work cut out arguing his case for the Silent Service. Remember that 50s TV show?

Above, we see Patty and Ted together with, Paul G. Kirk, on the far left, former Ex. Director of the JFK Library at a function at the Library in Feb. 2009. Kirk was the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's temporary replacement after he died last August. He was replaced by Scott Brown in the recent Massachusetts election.

All photo credits, (except USS Guardfish): Ted Hack