New Books Network – Interview with Henry Roush

Book: Submerged: Life on a Fast Attack Submarine in the Last Days of the Cold War
Host: Gregory McNiff
Guest: Henry Roush
Date: December 6, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode features Henry Roush, author of the memoir Submerged, which recounts his experience as a submarine officer during the waning years of the Cold War. The discussion delves into the operational, cultural, and psychological realities of life aboard a fast attack submarine, including Roush's personal journey, leadership lessons, the evolution of naval technology, and the unique community dynamics on submarines.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Motivation for Writing Submerged

• Three Core Reasons (02:53):
  • Public Awareness: Many civilians have no idea about the realities of submarine life, such as high CO₂ levels (“we breathe carbon dioxide at about 6,000 ppm, which is about 25 times what... you and I breathe right now...”).
  • Preserving History: The submarine force and technology have changed dramatically; Roush wanted to "lock it in stone," capturing that era as Dana did with whaling.
  • A Candid Account: Discontent with sanitized official memoirs, Roush aimed to honestly portray the hardships and camaraderie.

“I wanted to kind of... put out there, you know, kind of the real thing. And I've got a lot of feedback... saying that I really told the way it was.”
– Henry Roush (04:27)

2. Psychological Aftereffects and Dreams (04:39)

• Roush describes recurring dreams related to his submarine days—not nightmares “in a bad way,” but “almost in a fond, nostalgic way.”
• Writing the book did not serve as catharsis; it stirred memories, some difficult but also tinged with nostalgia.

“At one level, you know, there are tough times. We kind of miss them, too.”
– Henry Roush (05:16)

3. Vivid Nuclear Dangers—SL1 Reactor Accident (06:06)

• Roush details the infamous Army SL1 nuclear reactor accident and its effect on young nuclear officers. The deadly explosion and subsequent radioactive contamination left an indelible caution: “better not screw up. That could happen.” (06:31)

4. Unorthodox Path to the Submarine Force (08:16)

• Unlike most shipmates, Roush did not attend the Naval Academy but Stanford (“I was kind of at loose ends... it just sounded like a good idea at the time” – 08:55).
• Initially wanting to be a doctor, he was drawn into the Navy through strategic recruitment during the Cold War’s Submarine build-up, feeling the historical pull of the era.

5. How Nuclear Submarines Work & Evolving Technology (10:27)

• Submarines shifted from diesel to nuclear, allowing vessels to stay underwater for months, limited only by food (10:48).
• The role of food and the cooks was highlighted as vital to morale (“they’re my heroes... just did an incredible job with what they had to work with” – 11:58).

6. Technological Transformation Over 30 Years (13:10)

• Modern boats are larger with advanced vertical launch systems (Tomahawks), computerized control, and electronic navigation.
• Roush: “It would be much more easier... for somebody from a diesel boat to walk onto our boat than... from my time to walk onto a current Virginia class.” (15:16)

7. Radiation Exposure, Training, and Naval Community (15:31)

• Submariners typically received less radiation than Denver residents due to exceptional ship design (15:39).
• Training locations include Idaho (for reactor prototypes) and Groton/New London, CT—"the heart of the submarine force" with its WWII legacy and strong sense of tradition (17:14).

8. Branch Rivalry and Naval Humor (20:17)

• Light-hearted banter between branches; e.g., describing Air Force bases as "a golf course and occasionally a Runway" (20:33).

9. The Mental Gymnastics of Submarine Warfare (21:16)

• Officers developed “mental gym”—the ability to quickly estimate firing solutions or trigonometric calculations without electronic aids.

“If the electronics... gave you a Wrong answer, you wouldn't just blindly follow it.”
– Henry Roush (21:36)

10. Arctic Operations: Navigating & Surfacing at the North Pole (22:50)

• Navigating near the pole was uniquely difficult: “A heading... doesn't exist up there like it does down here in the lower latitudes...” (23:11).
• Submariners relied on artificial reference systems and inertial navigation, as gyros failed near the pole.
• Surfacing required careful maneuvering around hazardous “pressure ridges” of ice, a nerve-wracking and “fraught experience.” (26:09)

11. Marriage, Family, and the Submarine Code (27:49)

• The Navy maintains strict policies: no news of critical family events (even deaths) is relayed during missions. Coping requires extraordinary resilience and a strong support network among spouses.

“It’s quite a lot to ask... to just go away for three months [with] no communication whatsoever... Submarine force is very tight in the community. The wives helped each other a great deal.”
– Henry Roush (28:30)

12. First Impressions & the Pressure of Qualification (30:35)

• Roush describes seeing his first submarine: “It didn’t look like a pretty recruiting poster... It had rust streaks, it had growth... people were welding.”
• The qualification process is an 18-month ordeal, requiring mastery of every system and hands-on demonstrations.

“There's a big press to qualify quickly and do it fast so that all kind of rolls into it.”
– Henry Roush (34:31)

13. Boat Culture: Hazing, Individuality, and Leadership (34:31)

• Coming from a non-military, non-team background, Roush found military hazing and camaraderie unfamiliar (“I did not react... very well at all.” – 34:38).
• The service shapes pliable youth; Roush, however, entered at 22 after significant independent life experiences, which made him less likely to accept authority without question (35:15).

“Bullies... are always kind of surprised when their victims lash back at them.”
– Henry Roush (36:36)

• Candid about mistakes, he stresses that personal growth came from honest reflection and peer pressure to meet high standards.

14. Leadership & Enlisted-Officer Relationships (45:59)

• As the son of a Navy master chief, Roush had natural rapport with chiefs and enlisted crew, prizing ability over formal credentials.
• There was tension at times, especially between junior officers and enlisted men, but ultimate mutual respect, and the importance of harnessing everyone’s strengths.

15. “Boomer” vs. Fast Attack Rivalry (48:38)

• Describes friendly rivalry with “boomer” submariners (those serving on nuclear missile boats as opposed to “fast attacks”), and differences in crew rotation and mission.

16. Submarine Dangers: Reactor Scram and Fire (50:05–50:45)

• Reactor Scram: An emergency shutdown—a rare but serious event (“when the rods go in the holes, you know, unless you’re trying to put them there, it’s generally a bad thing”).
• Fire: The greatest threat; smoke rapidly overwhelms visibility and breathable atmosphere.

“There are a lot of things you can recover from, but one of the things happens very quickly is you can’t breathe, and it fills up with smoke and you can’t see.”
– Henry Roush (50:47)

17. Navy Promotion as “Multi-level Marketing” (52:03)

• He describes the up-or-out winnowing process for junior officers moving up the command chain (“you need three people to go from JO to department head... two [from] department head to XO...”).

18. The ‘Road to Damascus’ Moment — Growth and Humility (52:57)

• A pivotal professional setback (demoted to junior officer of the deck) briefly triggers resentment, but Roush quickly grasps the immaturity of this reaction and recognizes that his growth is tied to accepting responsibility and serving the crew—not his ego (53:28).

“It was very much my initial reaction was, screw you. And then I realized... what the heck am I doing? ... It was very juvenile, but I really learned like, Oh, wait a minute.”
– Henry Roush (53:28)

19. Would He Recommend the Submarine Force? (55:09)

• Despite changes in culture and increased bureaucracy, Roush strongly recommends submarine service for young people. Submarines remain a critical part of national security, especially given modern challenges in the Pacific.
• The experience, he says, teaches resilience, selflessness, and the value of belonging to something greater.

“I would absolutely recommend it for a young man or a woman to go into submarine force... You would not regret it.”
– Henry Roush (55:36)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You’re not getting a gold star for doing your job, but you screw up one time, they let you know.” – Gregory McNiff (36:47)
• “That which is gained with difficulty is retained with ease.” — Machiavelli, cited by McNiff (54:05)
• “Everyone’s good at something—just find out where they’re good at and put them there.” – Henry Roush (46:18)
• “It was a fraught experience... it was really kind of nerve wracking being up there [near the ice cap].” – Henry Roush (26:09)
• “The world doesn’t revolve around me, so to speak. So I’m glad that came out.” – Henry Roush (38:01)

Timestamps of Key Segments

• Why Write Submerged / Book’s Authenticity: 02:53–04:39
• Psychological Effects & Dreams: 05:16–06:15
• SL1 Nuclear Accident: 06:31–08:16
• Path to the Submarine Force: 08:55–10:27
• Operation of Nuclear Submarines / Food: 10:27–12:50
• How Submarine Tech Changed: 13:10–15:31
• Radiation and Training: 15:31–18:04
• Mental Gymnastics of Sub Command: 21:16–22:50
• Arctic Navigation/Surfacing: 22:50–27:49
• Marriage and Family Resilience: 27:49–30:29
• First Sub and Pressure to Qualify: 30:35–34:31
• Boat Culture, Hazing, and Individuality: 34:31–36:47
• Leadership and Enlisted-Officer Relations: 45:59–48:38
• Reactor Scram / Fire Risk: 50:05–51:53
• Promotion System: 52:03–52:57
• Road to Damascus Growth Moment: 52:57–54:05
• Would He Recommend the Service: 55:09–57:51

Conclusion

In this candid, richly detailed interview, Henry Roush demystifies the life-and-death struggles, technical marvels, and interpersonal complexities of Cold War submarining. His memoir and this discussion both stand out for their honesty—and for highlighting the enduring value, challenge, and camaraderie of serving on a “fast attack” sub.