EP 54: What They Don't Tell You About Life on a Nuclear Submarine

He served on Cold War fast-attack submarines, surfaced through Arctic ice, and spent up to 85 days underwater breathing recycled air — all without his family knowing if he was alive. Retired Navy Commander Henry Rausch joins the show to talk about his time as a submarine officer, the true story behind his bestselling memoir Submerged, and why the submarine force may be America's most important — and most overlooked — line of defense. Henry was the son of a Navy Master Chief, turned down a path to medical school, and instead went straight into the Navy's nuclear submarine program during the Reagan-era buildup. Two tours on 637-class fast-attack submarines later, he'd surfaced through polar ice, tracked Soviet boats in the North Atlantic, missed the birth of his son, and lived through a near-collision in the Strait of Gibraltar that still shows up in his dreams. 📖 Get Henry's book, Submerged: https://henryrausch.com/my-books/submerged-life-on-a-fast-attack-submarine-in-the-last-days-of-the-cold-war/ Henry Rausch served on classified submarine missions during the Cold War. Before publishing his memoir, Submerged, he submitted the book to the Department of Defense for a pre-publication security review, where it was vetted and approved with certain information redacted. The information Henry shares in this episode has been cleared for publication. 👍 If you enjoyed this one, subscribe and leave a review — it helps more veterans' stories reach people who need to hear them. CHAPTERS: 00:00 – Intro/Meet Henry Rausch 05:00 – Why He Joined the Navy 10:00 – Becoming a Nuclear Submarine Officer 15:00 – Training to Serve on a Submarine 20:00 – Inside a Nuclear Submarine 25:00 – How Submarines Stay Hidden 30:00 – The Secrets of Submarine Warfare 35:00 – Life Before Going to Sea 40:00 – Learning to Hunt Soviet Submarines 45:00 – Reporting for Duty 50:00 – The Mission to the North Pole 55:00 – Life on a Cold War Submarine 1:00:00 – The Pressure to Qualify 1:05:00 – What Can Go Wrong Underwater 1:10:00 – Becoming a Submariner 1:15:00 – A Day in the Life Underwater 1:20:00 – Food, Movies & Life at Sea 1:25:00 – 85 Days Underwater 1:30:00 – Communicating With Home 1:35:00 – Being Hunted by the Enemy 1:40:00 – Weapons of the Cold War 1:45:00 – Under the Arctic Ice 1:50:00 – “It’s Kind of Game Over” 1:55:00 – Surfacing at the North Pole 2:00:00 – The Cost of Being Away From Home 2:05:00 – Why Submariners Don't Talk 2:10:00 – Lessons From a Life Underwater 2:11:44 – Final Thoughts Subscribe for more interviews with the men and women who served. 👉 If you’re a Veteran struggling with VA benefits, click this link to schedule a free consultation: https://ameconsultation.com/ref/AVPP1211J20A26YXO Disclosure: This is a referral partnership with American Medical Experts. We may receive compensation if you book through our link. If you or a Veteran you know has a story that should be heard, we'd love to hear from you at humanographyproject@gmail.com. 🎖️ Curious Humanography is proud to partner with Utah Honor Flight, helping veterans visit memorials built in their honor. To learn more or support their mission, visit UtahHonorFlight.org and honorflight.org.