After dictating the letter, Lt. Cdr J. W. Coe, Commanding Officer of the USS SKIPJACK (SS-184) handed the letter to the Yeoman, telling him to type it up. Once typed and upon reflection, the Yeoman took it to the Executive Officer (XO), who shared it with the OD. The two proceeded to the CO's cabin and asked if he really wanted it sent. His reply, "I wrote it, didn't I?"

The infamous "toilet paper" letter reached Mare Island Supply Depot. According to another source, a member of that office recalls the letter and said that all the officers in the Supply Department "had to stand at attention for three days because of that letter." By then, the letter had been copied and was spreading throughout the fleet. As the boat came in from her next patrol, SKIPJACK's crew saw toilet-paper streamers blowing from the lights along the pier and pyramids of toilet paper stacked seven feet high on the dock. Two men were carrying a long dowel with toilet paper rolls on it with yards of paper streaming behind them as a band played coming up after the roll holders. Band members wore toilet paper neckties in place of their Navy neckerchiefs. The wind-section had toilet paper pushed up inside their instruments and when they blew, white streamers unfurled from trumpets and horns. As was the custom for returning boats to be greeted at the pier with cases of fresh fruit/veggies and ice cream, the SKIPJACK was first greeted thereafter with her own distinctive tribute-cartons and cartons of toilet paper.

This letter became famous in submarine history books and ultimately found its way to the movie Operation Petticoat, and eventually coming to rest (copy) at the Navy Supply School at Pensacola, Florida. There, it still hangs on the wall under a banner that reads, "Don't let this happen to you!"

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Lord, let me be the person my dog thinks I am.