1966 - USS Cusk (SS-348) Year by Year History

Crewmembers, Pictures and Memorabilia

On May 18th, the Cusk's home port is changed from Pearl Harbor to San Diego as the Cusk arrives at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington for a major overhaul.  Shortly afterward on June 10th, Change of Command ceremonies are conducted as Don Killian takes command of the Cusk from William Von Christierson at Dry Dock Four at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton.  As the overhaul was wrapping up in August, the Cusk was undergoing sea trials in Puget Sound  when one of her port main motors caught fire.  Gary Carr, EM1(SS) was on the sticks in Maneuvering and is commended by Captain Killian for his quick thinking and heroic action when the fire is discovered.  

The Cusk remained in the Bremerton Yards through November and December until the main motors are replaced and the Cusk again performs sea trials in Puget Sound.  Near the end of the trials, the Cusk is suspended from three huge buoys for a total of 36 hours to test noise levels of all equipment.  Afterwards, the Cusk descends to test depth to test sea fittings.  All is well until a grease fitting on the forward sonar come explodes but the leak is minor and the test continues to completion.  Near the end of December, the Cusk arrives in new home port in San Diego.  A large number of the crew greet their new wives and families from Bremerton.

Click here to see a list of the Cusk crewmembers who came aboard in 1966

Cusk memorabilia and crew pictures from 1966:

Change of Command Ceremonies brochure (Photo courtesy of Don Killian)	Last Ship's Patch of the Cusk, 1966 (Photo courtesy of Tom Roseland)	Inside of CoC brochure - Don Killian relieves William Von Christierson as Captain of the Cusk (Photo courtesy of Rick Greer)
Chief Morton checks out what's for chow on the barge in Bremerton, Washington (Photo courtesy of Rick Greer)	Leo Lemoine reading in the Chief's quarters on the barge in Bremerton (Photo courtesy of Rick Greer)	"Jethro" Jerome and Don Shoemaker enjoying lunch on the barge in Bremerton, Washington (Photo courtesy of Rick Greer)
Rick "Ptomaine" Greer in the messhall (Photo courtesy of Rick Greer)	Unidentified Cusk crewman sleeping in in the crew's quarters on a barge in that was tied alongside the Cusk while she was undergoing an overhaul in the Bremerton Shipyards.  The caption on the picture reads, "Just back from Vietnam" (Photo courtesy of Rick Greer)	Al "Killer" Kilpatrick, Gerry Speilman and Don Shoemaker share some laughs on the barge in Bremerton (Photo courtesy of Rick Greer)
Mike Keelin (Photo courtesy of Rick Greer)	Ronnie Lane gets a birthday cake on the barge in Bremerton (Photo courtesy of Rick Greer)	Rick Greer in the Mess Hall (Photo courtesy of Rick Greer)
Billy Michaels in the torpedo room (Photo courtesy of William Michaels)		Moored inboard of USS Diodon at Ballast Point in San Diego (Web photo)

Crewmembers who came aboard the Cusk in 1966:

If you have any information, pictures, history, or crewmember names/information from the Cusk in 1966 (or any year), please contact the Cusk Webmaster. Thanks!