Byron Audler
I’m married, with a small but terrific family. I’m incredibly proud of my grandson. He’s determined to go to NROTC at The Citadel…and I’m equally determined to help him get there. I’m 55 now, and I’ve worked in the shipyards as a Shipfitter for about 35 years now. No, I didn’t help build the Ark…but I did help with a SLEP. I’ve built ships, repaired them, converted them. Right now, I’m a supervisor with contractor at Mayport N.S. I’ve been reading everything worth reading about naval history worth mentioning, fiction or non-fiction since I was a youngster, including going through S.E. Morrisons “History of the U.S. Navy in WW2″ during a summer break. I’ve never served in the Navy…but sometimes people think I have. Nope, I’ve just spent a lot of time working on ships painted Haze Grey.
I’m also a Harpoon player. Harpoon is the BEST Naval tactical simulation around, bar none. And it’s been around in one form or another for over 20 years now, ever since Larry Bond and Chris Carlson decided NAVTAG was a kludge. Tom Clancy, when he was still selling insurance for his former father-in-law, bought Harpoon, and began corresponding with Bond. From that relationship, came three things: Clancy became an egotistic best selling author, and the two of them co-wrote Clancy’s first two books : Hunt for Red October, and Red Storm Rising (which was a Harpoon battleset put into print…I know, I’ve played them about a zillion times) For the past 8 years, I’ve been moderator for the Harpoon Users League List, a 500 member mailing list. Also, back in 2000, I got permission to upgrade the last Windows based computer version, Harpoon97 from the rights holder, Don Gilman. I scrounged up a team of volunteers, including two killer coders, and two years later, we came out with a brand new version of the game, Harpoon 2002 (which lead to Harpoon2002 Gold). I had to give up that project manager thing, because it was ruining my personal life. Between lots of overtime, and my family, doing the Harpoon thing was really eating into the quality time for my family. So I divested myself of one of my “jobs”, and just stuck with the HULL mailing list. All in all, I’ve had a great time with Harpoon. It makes all other “games” look lame. I suspect that some of the older Naval Service types actually have played it. Maybe even Lex when he was at the Boat School, since back in those days, Harpoon was one of the courses.
 Email: shipfitter@comcast.net
Me, doing what I do, on the foc’sl of The Sullivans DDG-68:
And “She Who Must Be Obeyed”….my loving wife, whom I can’t imagine ever being without:
Comments
Comment from Steeljaw Scribe
Time: February 5, 2007, 1:44 pm
El Cid eh? Good on the lad 
Drop me a line if you have any questions (’78 grad). Skippy-san is also a grad as is Curt over at http://chaoticsynapticactivity.netfirms.com/nfblog/
- SJS
Comment from Byron Audler
Time: February 5, 2007, 1:51 pm
Will do, Scribe. He’s a few years off. Really hoping NROTC is still around then, since I don’t think we could come up with the $38K for the freshman year. We’re helping with the private school now (his dad is an AD1, hopefully if the board concurs, an ADC, and his mom, due to health reasons is unable to work outside the home, but is making some nice coin with Ebay) We’ll manage somehow, this young man is far too smart, and far too good a young man to end up in a state uni.
Comment from Michelle
Time: February 5, 2007, 3:53 pm
Heh.
I always get a kick out of seeing a picture after “knowing” someone online for awhile. How come pple never look like they’re suppose to? Nice bio, nice picture, Bryon
Comment from Byron Audler
Time: February 5, 2007, 3:58 pm
What, I don’t look like a wore-out, nasty, half-drunk yardbird? My, I’ll have to work on my image some more….sniff Thanks, Michelle 
Comment from Michelle
Time: February 5, 2007, 4:18 pm
Actually, I was kinda thinking that you did look like a……. ummm, on second thought, never mind!
Now exiting The Flight Deck, stage left
Comment from Jeremy Cullis
Time: March 8, 2007, 10:28 pm
G’day Byron,
We used to chat on the HULL list and on IRC a few years back – before 2 little girls came along and reduced my gaming time to virtually nothing – iamjcc was my nickname. Nice to see you’re still involved with Harpoon – Have to dust of my CD’s and get back online.
Cheers
Jeremy
Comment from Mongo
Time: October 23, 2009, 9:20 am
Great pictures and bio, Byron. Thanks for all the years in the shipyard.
Harpoon, eh? Oh man…hours through the night I used to play. The version I used was back in the mid-90′s/Win95/98. There are times when I think I’ll jump off the wagon and start up again; recovering Harpoonaholic, I am.
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