Sherry Sontag;Christopher Drew (62 page)

Gates's decision to bring the videotape of the funeral held for the men on the Golf was ultimately motivated by the fact that the United States wanted to inspire Russia to offer up information on missing American servicemen in Vietnam. Before that, "We had never confirmed anything to the Russians except in various vague senses," he said in an interview. "Shortly after the USSR collapsed, the Bush administration had told the Russians through an intermediary that we couldn't tell them any more about what had happened on Golf/Glomar. But then when we started asking the Russians about what had happened to U.S. pilots shot down over Vietnam, and if any U.S. POWs had been transferred to Russia and held there, they came back and said, `What about our guys in the submarine?"'

At the time, the administration told the Russians only that there were no survivors and that there were only scattered remains. Later, Gates says, "It seemed to me, as I was getting ready for the trip, that there would be symbolic value in terms of assuring the Russians that, from the CIAs standpoint, the cold war was over." It was then that he decided to give them information about the Glomar. He planned the move as a surprise, he says. "We didn't tell the Russians what I was bringing. We told them I was bringing a gift for Yeltsin of historic and symbolic importance. They were dying to know what it was. For once, we kept a secret. I guess Aldrich Ames was not brought into the picture."

Appendix A: Submarine Collisions

Main sources: U.S. and Russian submariners and navy officials, Joshua Handler, Alexander Mozgovoy, and news articles cited in the text.

Appendix B: From the Soviet Side

Main sources: U.S. and Russian submariners and navy officials, and articles in Russian newspapers and magazines. The most detailed account of the reactor accident on the Hiroshima came from the May 1991 issue of Soviet Soldier, in an article titled "Ivan Kulakov Versus a Nuclear Reactor," pp. 28-31.

Since the end of the cold war, the Russian Navy has been much more open about what went on than the U.S. Navy, and numerous articles have appeared in the Russian press detailing submarine disasters and disclosing other problems. Our researcher, Alexander Moz govoy, wrote some of these articles for various publications. Several articles have described the travails of the K-19 and the drama of the reactor accident that killed eight of its crew members in 1961. (An additional twenty-two men ultimately died from radiation poisoning.) The episode involving the USS Baltimore and the Soviet Zulu 1V sub was first reported in the series in the Chicago Tribune and the Newport News (Va.) Daily Press in 1991.

Most of the submariners and intelligence officials who have helped us with this hook have done so only under the condition of anonymity and took great risk in speaking to us. We were surprised at first at just how warm a welcome many gave us, letting us inside their lives and sharing their secrets. Looking back, we have cone to realize that our book gave them their first opportunity to share what had been, for many of them, at once the best and most harrowing days of their lives. They needed to talk as much as we wanted to shine a light on an extraordinary era that had gone largely unexamined and unheralded.

Some people were able to help us openly, and it is with great pride we name them here. We hired a top Russian military reporter, Alexander Mozgovoy, to interview Russian Navy leaders and submariners to help us understand their side of the story. Joshua Handler, who traveled all over Russia investigating Soviet submarine accidents and their environmental damage, made this possible by introducing us to Mozgovoy, and josh's wife, Sada Aksartova, translated his report. Moz- govoy's son, Vasily, also helped. On the American side, John Craven made us smile with his volumes of maxims and elfin wit, then helped us understand the most daunting technical topics, sharing his vision of the deep and of the men who agreed with him and the men who scoffed. We would also like to thank Rafael C. Benitez and Harris M. "Red" Austin of the USS Cochino for bringing us back in time to the days the submarine wars began. Otis G. Pike, Aaron Donner, and Seymour M. Hersh shared with us what they went through when they tried, twenty years ago, to take the first serious look at the hidden realm of cold war submarine operations. Waldo K. Lyon patiently explained the daunting properties of Arctic ice. There were also a number of people who went out of their way to help us who belong to veterans groups such as the Naval Submarine League, United States Submarine Veterans, Naval Intelligence Professionals, U.S. Naval Cryptologic Veterans Association, and the Association of Former Intelligence Officers.

Finally we would like to thank Harry Disch of the Scientists Institute for Public Information, who helped us get around the Navy's reluctance to give us an outing on a submarine by including us in a tour of the 6th Fleet that he had arranged for military writers. We would also like to thank Diane Wilderman, whose husband Alvin B. Wilderman, captain of the USS Plunger (SSN-59.5), was pulled overhoard by severe waves and killed while passing near the Golden Gate Bridge in 1973. She and many other submariners' wives gave us an invaluable understanding of how the families were affected by the risks their men took every time they went out on a submarine.

Even with such assistance, there were times over the past five years that we were nearly overwhelmed by the task of telling four decades of hidden history while trying to navigate a publishing world undergoing its own confused metamorphosis. We could never have done that without Esther Newberg, our agent at ICM. With her behind us, we knew we could focus on what was most important-getting this hook written. We succeeded in wrestling with the silence and secrecy because we knew we could count on her to take on any and all comers on shore. She grew up outside of New London, Connecticut, watching submarines come and go and wondering what they did, and she came to help us find our way through publishers' row in Manhattan. She is one of the strongest, most caring, and best women we know, and we are awfully glad she is on our side. In her office, first Amanda Beesley and then Jack Horner were always there to cheer us on. John De Laney, ICM's attorney, also has been a remarkable ally and a good friend. Helen Shabason, an IC:M film and documentary agent, has also worked tirelessly on our behalf. We would also like to thank Robert Asahina, who early on saw the potential of this project.

It was Esther who first brought us to Peter Osnos, publisher and chief executive of PublicAffairs. Peter created PublicAffairs because he believed that there could be hooks beyond the topic du jour, that journalists and historians deserved to he heard, that there could he and should he "good books about things that matter." We are very proud to he among the first of his offerings. It was Peter who put us in the hands of Geoff Shandler, who, as our editor, proved himself to he a throwback in the best sense of the word. He believes that editors and authors can still work together, that there is more to an editor's job than making deals for manuscripts and watching sales charts. It is that conviction, along with his considerable talent, that helped us through the final hurdles of completing this project. We couldn't have been in better hands. He and Robert Kimzey, PublicAffairs' managing editor, helped give this book its design and flair, and Lisa Kaufman, Mary-Claire Flynn, Erica Brown, Kate Darnton, and Gene Taft also helped enormously.

When a book takes over your life, someone, many someones, have to pick up the slack. All three of us also want to thank the people who stood behind us and for us.

From Sherry Sontag:

First I want to thank my parents, Marvin and Sandra Sontag. When I write, I am really speaking to them. I would also like to thank my sisters and their husbands, Lauren Sontag Davitz and Michael Davitz; and Aviva and Yedidiah Ghatan; and my brother and his wife, Avi and Freyda Sontag. They never flagged in their support despite the fact that my work on the book often meant my absence from them and from the offshoots of the Sontag clan: Tova, Josh, Shoshana, Shira, Matt, Ariella, Gabriel and Zachary.

Doreen Weisenhaus of the New York Times encouraged me to find my voice as a writer when I was at the National Law journal and ever since has been my best mentor and a close friend. James Finkelstein, my publisher at the Law journal, never let me forget that there would be life after this book. Along with Deidre Leipziger and Claudia Payne of the New York Times, they have all been unfailing supporters and terrific teachers.

Holly, Bob, Emily and Anya Carter were always there to listen to submarine tales and anything else as were Jon Stewart; Alexis Thomason; Julianne, Greg and Peter Genua; and Joe Gallant. Bethany Birkett and Larry Howard guided me through all of the rough spots with great love and wisdom. Michael Dalby; Lima Kim; Shirley Loci; Mala Felt; Manfred Fulda; Martin Weidner and his sons Chris and Josh; Carlos and Marina Trovar; Mark Peterson; Chris DeMarco; Michael Whitlow; and Joan Yager stepped in whenever they were needed, which was often. I couldn't have gotten through without any of them.

Edgar levins gave endless time and support, fostered my cat all the months I spent on the road doing research, and handled much of the paperwork of running life and a business. Julie Whitney forced me to relax and celebrate as small pieces of this book got finished and kindly ignored all the work that still had to he done.

Tim Sheetz and Gary Leib at AT&T Global Information Solutions kept the laptop computer we used on the road functioning long past its natural life. Barry Sears, a fellow author, and his brother Doug Sears offered reams of advice and crucial help.

There are other people who have been terrific friends and who have picked up the slack wherever and whenever. Some of them are Leah Dilworth, Rick Birkett, Debra Strell, Carol Neal, Carl Allocco, Ruth Stone, Jane and Emily Hall, Jeanie Walsh, James O'Conner, Jodi Lambert, Mike Taranto, Jeremy Lampel, Rob Childs, Rob Wolfson, Larry Vedi- lago, Walt Bogdanich, David Millman, Paula Lovejoy, Brian Hoffman, Judith Spindler, Cara Hogue, Ann Day, Greg (Tauron) Mitchell, Lissie Mitchell, Mike Mullen, Kim Brewer, Randy Cooper, Bruce Harlan Boll, Ernie Foster, Tom Hruby, Josh Mills, Harvey Goldschmid, James M. Milligan, Dominick Oliver], Martin Baskin, Robert From, Richard Klein, Julie Mitnick, Lila Nachtigal, Donald Rubell, Adriana Semnicka, Anna Sposej, Maria and Juayuin Valdez, Gene Andre, the gang at Muffin, and the folks at Marin Management. I would especially like to thank Maggie Hopp and (:he Graham for shooting the author photos for the publisher's catalogue and the hook.

Finally I would like to thank Mary O'Conner Spinner and my grandparents, Sydell and Abraham Bockstein and Harry and Dora Sontag. I wish they could have read this hook. I will miss them forever.

From Christopher Drew and Annette Lawrence Drew: