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  1968 - USS Cusk (SS-348) Year by Year History

Crewmembers, Pictures and Memorabilia

The Cusk readies for her next and last WestPac in 1968 and Captain Don Killian relinquishes command of the Cusk to Captain Albert W. "Sam" Houston at the Submarine Pier in San Diego.  Shortly after the change of command on July 30, 1968, the Cusk depart on what would turn out to be her last WestPac.  Her trip would take her to Pearl Harbor for refueling and R&R, then a 14-day trip to Yokosuka, Japan.  Leaving Japan, the Cusk stopped on White Beach, Okinawa anchoring out in Buckner Bay for the first day and tying up to the pier for the next two days.  Heading south out of Okinawa, the Cusk found herself between two typhoons. To make matters worse, two engines failed and the boat limped into Sasebo, Japan for two weeks of repairs on the damaged engines.

Click here to see a list of the USS Cusk crewmembers who came aboard in 1968

USS Cusk memorabilia and crew pictures from 1968 (Click on any item to see its full size):

Change of Command Ceremonies

Captain Houston assumes command of

the USS Cusk from Captain Killian

(Photo courtesy of Don Killian)

USS Cusk Captain Don Killian

(Photo courtesy of Don Killian)

Change of Command Ceremonies

Inside of brochure

(Photo courtesy of Don Killian)

Captain Killian addresses the Cusk Crew

at the Change of Command ceremonies

in San Diego, 30 July 1968

(Photo courtesy of Don Killian)

USS Cusk Christmas Card, 1968

(Card courtesy of Don Killian)

Family and Guests

for the Change of Command ceremonies

in San Diego, 30 July 1968

(Photo courtesy of Don Killian)

Hot Bread

Bobby Maddox pulls fresh baked bread out

of the oven while on patrol in communist

Chinese waters, December, 1968

(Photo courtesy of Tom Roseland)

Tom Roseland, USS Cusk Webmaster

celebrating Christmas Eve while on patrol

in communist China, December, 1968

(Photo courtesy of Tom Roseland)

Chris Quijada shipping over with

Captain Sam Houston

(Photo courtesy of Tom Roseland)

Unidentified, Dave Lawrence, Dennis Schultz

and Tony Manning in a bar in Subic Bay

(Photo courtesy of Dennis Schultz)

Submarine Escape Tower in Pearl Harbor

(Photo courtesy of Tom Roseland)

R.G. Kroplewski, John Troutman & Dave Lawrence

At sea near the Philippines

(Photo courtesy of Tom Roseland)

Souvenir from the Dragon Boat Bar

in the Hong Kong Hilton

(Photo courtesy of Jim Branske)

Jim Branske and Keith Cisewski in the

Forward Torpedo Room

(Photo courtesy of Jim Branske)

Souvenir from the Hong Kong Hilton

Coffee Shop

(Photo courtesy of Jim Branske)

Ronnie Lane gets sworn in by Captain

Houston while shipping over on patrol,

December, 1968

(Photo courtesy of Lee Krabill)

Vietnam Patrol patch

(Photo courtesy of Tom Roseland)

Matchbook cover from Iwakuni

(Photo courtesy of Jim Branske)

 

SubFlot1 News, May 29, 1968

(Photo courtesy of Dave Duerr)

 

Gary Shaw working on one of the engines

(Photo courtesy of Tom Roseland)

Shark watch during swim call

(Photo courtesy of Dennis Schultz)

Bob Nichols practicing semaphores from the bridge

(Photo courtesy of Dennis Schultz)

Chief Kuharski writing a letter home

(Photo courtesy of Tom Roseland)

"War Shot" sign from Cusk torpedo tube

(Photo courtesy of Jim Branske)

Souvenir from hotel above Sasebo, Japan

(Photo courtesy of Jim Branske

Matchbook cover from the

Star Light Submarine Bar

Yokosuka, Japan

(Photo courtesy of John Schmitt)

Matchbook cover from the

Fiddler's Green Bar

Sasebo, Japan

(Photo courtesy of John Schmitt)

Crew qualification & promotion ceremonies

Subic Bay, Philippines

Gary Gayda & Bobby Maddox throw Chris Quijada

into the water as Bing Bingman & Dennis Schultz

watch from the tank tops

(Photo courtesy of Tom Roseland)

Lovely bar girl in Sasebo, Japan, Oct 1968

(Photo courtesy of Tom Roseland)

Arriving in Pearl Harbor enroute to USS Cusk's

last WestPac cruise.  L to R: Dale Tripp,

Charlie Tinkle, Steve Rogers, Don

Shoemaker, Richard Bingman, Don Fordney,

Chris Quijada

(Photo courtesy of Paul King)

Neil Briggs, Sandy Whitaker, and Tom Roseland

Sierra Club Bar, Olongapo City, Subic Bay, Philippines

(Photo courtesy of Tom Roseland)

Tokyo Lunch

Don Birch and Tom Roseland are smiling at

the camera while Bob Nichols, Bill Syzmanski,

and Neil Briggs work on a traditional Japanese

lunch at a restaurant in downtown Tokyo.

(Photo courtesy of Don Birch)

 

Tokyo Tour

Bob Nelson talks with Don Birch, Bob Nichols

and Bill Syzmanski at a special lunch in Tokyo

(Photo courtesy of Tom Roseland)

George Peperyias & Tom Roseland hunting

in the mountains near San Diego

(Photo courtesy of Tom Roseland)

Thanksgiving Menu

November, 1968

(Document courtesy of John Schmitt)

Thanksgiving Menu 1968

(Document courtesy of John Schmitt)

Refueling while at Anchor

White Beach Naval Base, Okinawa

(Photo courtesy of Tom Roseland)

 

Taking out the trash - Sasebo, Japan

Schenck gets a can of trash from Dennis Schultz.

Bob Nelson is in the back ground, Kroplewski's on

watch, and Tom Roseland's having a smoke.

(Photo courtesy of Tom Roseland)

 

Crewmembers who came aboard the USS Cusk in 1968:

Last Name First & MI City State Rank/Rate Svc. Date Comments
Adams J. M.     ETN2(SS) 68 - 69  
Baze D. W.     TM1(SS) 68 - 69  
Benedict R. L. Jr.     EN1(SS) 68 - 69  
Berry Lee     CS2(SS) 68 - 69  
Bingman Richard W. "Bing" San Diego CA STCM(SS) 68 - 69  
Birch Don     ET3(SS) 68 - 69  
Blazi I. A.     HM1(SS) 68 - 69  
Boing John W.     EM2(SS) 68 - 69  
Bowman Richard F. Scarville IA TM2(SS) 68 - 69  
Brauch R. D.     QM1(SS) 68 - 69  
Broadway Ronn     RM3(SS) 68 - 69  
Bustria B. L.     EM1(SS) 68 - 69  
Carnes J. J.     EMC(SS) 68 - 69 Last COB of the Cusk
Cisewski Keith L.     TM1(SS)(DV) 68 - 69 Eternal Patrol - 11 Feb 2005
Clark G.     CS2(SS) 68 - 69  
Cochran Leon       68  
Condron R. J.     CS1(SS) 68 - 69  
Dietrich E. M.     IC2(SS) 68 - 69  
Dimalanta F. P.     SD2(SS) 68 - 69  
Dunn J. W.     FTGSN(SS) 68 - 69  
Emmons Stephen R.     FN(SS) 68 - 69  
Fordney Don Lynwood WA QM1(SS) 68 - 69  
Fox T. L.     LTJG 68 - 69  
Graves John Montrose CO HMC(SS) 68 - 69  
Henderson E. A.     STS2(SS) 68 - 69  
Henrion C. L.     FTG3(SS) 68 - 69  
Holland J. T.     EM2(SS) 68 - 69  
Houston Albert W. "Sam" Cocoa Beach FL CDR 68 - 69 14th Captain
Kattner Donald M.     EM3(SS) 68 - 69  
King Paul G.     ETR2(SS) 68 - 69  
Knight J. R.     RMC 68 - 69  
Korn T. A.     EN3(SS) 68 - 69  
Krabill Earl Lee Cape Coral FL QM3(SS) 68 - 69  
Kroplewski R. G.     EM3(SS) 68 - 69  
LaFaunce Gary L.     TM3(SS) 68 - 69  
Lawrence David C. Marietta GA STS3(SS) 68 - 69  
Lyons       TM3(SS) 68 - 69  
Maddox B. E.     CS2(SS) 68 - 69  
Mariano R. I.     ENC 68 - 69  
Martinez R. A.     TM3(SS) 68 - 69  
McCarthy Chester M. Malibu CA YN2(SS) 68 - 69  
McLeod Ken   CA CM3(SS) 68 - 69  
McQueen D. W.     TM3(SS) 68 - 69  
Morrissette Leo M. Johnston RI YN1(SS) 68 - 69  
Natividad P. A.     SK1(SS) 68 - 69  
Nichols Robert     QM1(SS) 68 - 69  
Ouimet "Doc"     HMC(SS) 68  
Pacleb E. T.     TM3(SS) 68 - 69  
Perkins L. Ronald     LTJG 68 - 69  
Pickett Joel     YN3 68  
Quijada Chris Groton CT RM1(SS) 68 - 69 Eternal Patrol - July 2003
Raymond David A. Seattle WA LCDR 68 - 69  
Read M. G.     EMC 68 - 69  
Reynolds John T.     EM2(SS) 68  
Rilliamas E. R.     SD3(SS) 68 - 69  
Rusconi Richard E.     EM3(SS) 68 - 69  
Saunders C. E.     ICC 68 - 69  
Sawyer Tommy D. San Diego CA LCDR 68 - 69 XO
Schmitt John     EN2(SS) 68 - 69  
Schultz Dennis Royal Oak MI STS3(SS) 68 - 69  
Schwenke Robert E.     MM3(SS) 68 - 69  
Scott M. R.     QMSN 68 - 69  
Smith F. J. Jr.     ENC 68 - 69  
Starkey R. L.     LT 68 - 69  
Szymanski William A.     EN1(SS) 68 - 69  
Tharp Robert Kingston WA CWO3 68 - 69  
Thomas John J.     STS1(SS) 68 - 69  
Tinkle Charles E.   OK STS2(SS) 68 - 69  
Tipton Jimmie D. Norman OK IC1(SS) 68 - 69  
Tripp Dale Las Vegas NV ETC(SS) 68 - 69  
Troutman John L.     LT 68 - 69 Last Engineering Officer
Walbaum Donald D.     EN1(SS) 68 - 69  
Wilson E. R.     TM2(SS) 68 - 69  
Young A.     IC1(SS) 68 - 69

If you have any information, pictures, history, or crewmember names/information from the Cusk in 1968 (or any year), please contact the Cusk Webmaster. Thanks!


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 All information and pictures herein were contributed by, and are the property of crewmembers of the USS Cusk.  It is intended solely for your enjoyment and education, and for preserving the memory and history of this great ship.  If you take anything or make copies, please give proper credit.  Your questions and comments are welcomed, as are any pictorial or historical contributions you might wish to donate or loan. 

Send an email to the USS Cusk webmaster at: USS Cusk Webmaster

This page was last updated: 02/12/09