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1969 - USS Cusk (SS-348) Year by Year
History
Crewmembers, Pictures and
Memorabilia
1969 was an exciting and busy year
for the Cusk, and it was also her last year in service to her country. In
the spring of 1969, the Cusk returned home to San Diego from a long, very
exciting and her very last WestPac. Family, friends, and the U. S. Navy
Band greeted her on the pier. No one knew at the time that the Cusk was
only months away from her final journey.
In mid-December of 1968, the Cusk
submerged and went on an extended reconnaissance patrol in Communist Chinese
waters. She did not surface again until mid-January, 1969 when she went
immediately to Hong Kong for some well deserved R&R. During her very
productive patrol, the Cusk collected a huge amount of information. She
also drifted into an abandoned mine field and was chased from the mouth of a
Chi-Com port by two destroyers when her periscope was spotted taking pictures of
merchant traffic.
During her last WestPac, the Cusk
also visited Pearl Harbor; Yokosuka, Japan; White Beach, Okinawa; Sasebo, Japan;
and Subic Bay, Philippines. The Cusk also received her fifth and last
Vietnam Service Medal and in addition to her Vietnam service, she participated
in numerous operations with U.S., Canadian and Australian Naval forces.
Click here to see a list of the USS Cusk
crewmembers who came aboard in 1969
USS Cusk memorabilia
and crew pictures from 1969: (Click on any picture to see its
full size)
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Bill Syzmanski smiles as the
Cusk
enters Yokosuka for the last
time. Another
21 days and we'll be home.
(Photo courtesy of Tom
Roseland) |
Arriving at the Reserve Pier
in San Diego
on return from WestPac,
March 12, 1969
(Photo courtesy of Tom Roseland) |
Article in the "Periscope"
magazine for the
San Diego Ballast Point
Submarine Base
March 21, 1969
(Document courtesy of John Schmitt) |
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Welcome Home!
Keith Cisewski's children
await their dad
as the USS Cusk returns home
from her
last WestPac
(Photo courtesy of Sam
Houston) |
Crew and families
reunited
at the USS Cusk's homecoming
Left center - Chris Quijada
& wife.
Just above Chris is Captain
Houston
(Photo courtesy of Sam
Houston) |
Chief Babb & daughter
(Photo courtesy of Sam
Houston) |
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Mrs. Gayda and husband
Gary
(Photo courtesy of Sam
Houston) |
USS Cusk Welcome Home Cake
Representatives of the San
Diego Navy
League present a welcome
home cake to
Captain Houston and Chief
Babb
(Photo courtesy of Sam
Houston) |
Relaxing in the Control
Room
Steve "Codger" Rogers and
Gerald "Audie"
Johnson talk with an
unidentified crewman
in the forward end of the
Control Room
(Photo courtesy of Dennis
Schultz) |
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Tom Roseland standing on the Stern Planes
Picture taken when the Cusk was in the yards
at 32nd Street in San Diego
(Photo courtesy of Tom
Roseland) |
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Entering Newport, Ca. 13
June 1969
The USS Cusk's last R&R port
visit was
to Newport Beach, California
(Article courtesy of Sam
Houston) |
Don't take my picture.
John "Jay" Lee stands in
front of the
high pressure air manifold
(Photo courtesy of Dennis
Schultz) |
Newport News Article
Article describes the USS Cusk
and
her weekend visit to Newport
Beach
(Article courtesy of Sam
Houston) |
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Another Newport Beach
News Article
This one describes how a
local bank helped
make sure the crew got paid
when
they arrived for a weekend
of R&R.
(Article courtesy of Sam
Houston) |
Article about the USS
"Kusk"
(Article courtesy of Sam
Houston) |
Last publication of
Cusk's History - 1969
(Photo courtesy of Sam
Houston) |
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Last Change of Command
LCDR Thomas Arnold assumes
command of the Cusk from
CDR Sam Houston
(Photo courtesy of Sam
Houston) |
Change of Command Ceremonies
LCDR Thomas Arnold prepares
to
assume command of the Cusk
from
Captain Sam Houston
(Photo courtesy of Sam
Houston) |
Change of Command -
Inside
(Photo courtesy of Sam
Houston)
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Article about the USS Cusk's
decommissioning ceremony
(Article courtesy of Sam
Houston) |
Final Colors
Cusk crewmembers remove the
Cusk's
flag at the end of
decommissioning
ceremonies
(Photo courtesy of Sam
Houston) |
Cusk makes top fold of
the front page
Article in Vallejo-Times
Herald about the
USS Cusk's decommissioning
(Article courtesy of Sam
Houston) |
"Congratulation on completion
of WestPac"
Message from COMSUBFLOT7
as the Cusk departed
Yokosuka, Japan
February 25, 1969
(Document courtesy of John Schmitt) |
Last known picture of the
USS Cusk
The Cusk is shown in
mothballs at Mare Island. This picture was taken
30 April 1971,
two years after her decommissioning
and one year before
she was sold for scrap. Other boats shown to
the to right of the Cusk
are the
USS Rock (SS-274), USS Bashaw (SS-241), USS Spinax
(SSR-489), USS Pomodon (SS-486), USS
Medregal (SS-480), and
USS Diodon (SS-349)
(Photo courtesy of
NavSource.org website) |
Crewmembers who came aboard the USS Cusk in
1969:
| Last Name |
First &
MI |
City |
State |
Rank/Rate |
Svc. Date |
Comments |
| Arnold |
Thomas F. |
|
|
LCDR |
69 |
Last Captain of the Cusk (15th) |
| Bauman |
B. M. |
|
|
FN |
69 |
|
| Bernight (Rider) |
Edward "Eddie" |
|
|
CTM2 |
69 |
Navy "Spook" aboard
during cold war patrol |
| Colvard (Rider) |
Charles E. |
Coronado |
CA |
SSgt |
69 |
Marine aboard during
cold war patrol |
| Douyette |
Mel |
S. Milwaukee |
WI |
MM3(SS) |
69 |
|
| Eichmann |
J. C. |
|
|
FN |
69 |
|
| Ellslager |
D. M. |
|
|
TM3 |
69 |
|
| Gill |
J. L. |
|
|
SN |
69 |
|
| Gonzalez |
R. A. |
|
|
SN |
69 |
|
| Gornick |
J. C. |
|
|
SN |
69 |
|
| Hedman |
Ric |
|
|
|
69 |
|
| Linne |
Bill |
Fairfield |
CA |
RMSN(SS) |
69 |
|
| McIlvaine |
J. B. |
|
|
ENS |
69 |
|
| Mello |
R. A. |
|
|
SN(SS) |
69 |
|
| Nixon |
E. V. |
|
|
SN |
69 |
|
| Sibley |
G. S. |
|
|
LTJG |
69 |
|
| Steinback |
J. M. |
|
|
SN |
69 |
|
| Thompson |
M. E. |
|
|
SN |
69 |
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| VanHorn |
Victor P. |
Park Forest |
IL |
STS3(SS) |
69 |
Last crewmember to
qualify aboard the Cusk |
| Webb |
John ("Sparky") |
Vallejo |
CA |
RM3(SS) |
69 |
|
| Williams |
B. W. |
|
|
SN |
69 |
If you have any information, pictures,
history, or crewmember names/information from the Cusk in 1969 (or any year),
please contact the
Cusk Webmaster.
Thanks!
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