HEADLINE: USS Simon Lake Sails to Decommissioning
By JOC Jon McMillan

NAVAL STATION ROTA, SPAIN - USS Simon Lake (AS 33) departed 
Naval Station Rota, Spain, for the last time in its history recently.
   The 35-year-old submarine tender is on its final voyage to 
the United States and will be decommissioned there upon arrival.
   Former Simon Lake crew members, the David Glasgow Farragut 
(DGF) High School Music Club and the Naval Station, Rota, 
commanding officer and command master chief were on hand to see 
the ship off. The ship's commanding officer, CAPT David Duffie, 
presented Rota's base commander, CAPT G. K. Stair, a print of 
Simon Lake berthed at the Naval Station port and thanked Rota 
for its support to Simon Lake over the years. 
   Duffie also thanked members of the DGF Music Club for 
participating in the ship's final farewell to Europe. Mr. Mark 
Bignell, the DGF Music Club director said the kids "felt they 
had done something special." 
   He also said the parents were "excited to see their kids 
participating in an event like this."
   Where the event was exciting for most of DGF Music Club, it 
was moving for others who were there to say goodbye. "This was 
the first time I've ever seen it get underway," said Lt. Cmdr. 
Lou Jorfi, a Rota Sailor who completed two tours, 20 years 
apart, on Simon Lake. 
   Jorfi said he has served eight tours on ships and submarines, 
but the two tours he spent with the Simon Lake were special. "I 
essentially made E4 and O4 on the Simon Lake,” he explained.  “I 
also have two (battle) Es and two MUCs (Meritorious Unit 
Commendation Awards) and they come from that ship. That ship was 
kind like home [for me]." 
   Simon Lake was forward deployed to Europe for more than half 
of its 35 years of service. The ship was homeported in Rota from 
1972 to 1977 and has been homeported in Holy Loch, Scotland and 
La Maddalena, Italy.                     -USN-