Failure Isn't Final

I recently had the privilege of meeting CDR Scott Waddle, USN (ret) and listening to him speak.

If you don't recognize the name right away, CDR Waddle was Commanding Officer of USS Greenville (SSN-772) the day Greenville collided with the Japanese fisheries training vessel Ehime Maru in 2001. Nine people, including four teenage students, were killed. (If you want further details of the collision and the aftermath, the Wikipedia article is not a bad place to start, but it shouldn't be where you stop, either.)

CDR Waddle's topic was "Failure Isn't Final"

He started out by sketching his career and discussing his time as Greenville's CO up to the time of the collision. He then detailed the events leading up to the collision, emphasizing his own mistakes and failures. Even seven years later, he still gets emotional when discussing what happened and how his decisions led to the deaths of nine people.

CDR Waddle closed his short presentation by discussing how he personally overcame the tragedy, in large part by taking personal responsibility for what happened. He even traveled to Japan, at his own expense and over the objections of Pentagon brass, to personally apologize to survivors and to family members of the nine victims.

CDR Waddle also proudly pointed out that several of his officers and crew were able to overcome the effects of the tragedy and some had even been able to remain in the Navy and obtain promotions.

CDR Waddle's primary points were:

• Failure Isn't Final
• Take Personal Responsibility
  
• You Need Family, Friends and Faith

It's hard to disagree with any of those points.