Life at Sea

Some pictures and memorabilia from those endless days of the original meaning of rocking and rolling

Sometimes it was just out for a few days or weeks of local ops. The Cusk would be underway after colors on Monday morning, and back in port for early liberty on Friday. Then every year of so, it was off on that long trek across

the Pacific. It took about a week to get to Pearl Harbor, two weeks to Japan, and then on to points south, often staying at sea for two to four weeks at time. Then there were the "Special Ops" when the Cusk would be assigned

reconnaissance patrols in unfriendly waters, often staying completely out of touch and submerged (and hopefully undetected) for thirty to forty+ days at a time. That was when fresh air and sunshine became the the stuff of dreams.

Click on any picture to see its full size:

Swim Call Pictures, WestPac, 1967, Somewhere

between Pearl Harbor and Yokosuka, Japan

(Patch courtesy of Don Killian)

Under the Golden Gate Bridge, 1949

(Photo courtesy of unknown)

John Reef & Gary Wood at sea near the Philippines

(Photo courtesy of Neil Briggs)

The Cusk in San Francisco Bay fog

as she arrives at Mare Island Shipyard

December 7, 1950

(US Navy photo)

This picture was taken May 5, 1953 as the Cusk fired an exercise torpedo at the USS McDermott, DD-677. A small arrow can be seen on the left center of the picture showing the location of the nose of the torpedo - clearly, a solid hit amidships had this been a warshot torpedo fired at an enemy ship.

Leaving Mare Island shipyard for sea trials, 1949

(Photo courtesy of unknown)

All systems go - ready for launch
(Photo courtesy of Nick Spark and the movie,
"Regulus, the First Nuclear Missile Submarines"

Entering San Juan, Puerto Rico

May 1, 1946
(Photo courtesy of Zeke Zellmer)

Stern view of ramp and hanger

September 29, 1947

Mare Island, California

(US Navy Photo)

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)

Underway

(Photo courtesy of Gary Wester)

Shellback Initiation - July 1963

Herman Strickland (front center) and other

Cusk crewmembers look like they've just

crawled out of the "garbage chute" during an

initiation while enroute to Tahiti.
(Photo courtesy of Herman Strickland)

Eric Copt's Shellback Initiation

Tahiti, July 1963
(Photo courtesy of Eric Copt)

Bow View

Off the coast of Oahu, Hawaii

Entering Yokosuka, Japan on a cold February day

in 1969

(Photo courtesy of Tom Roseland)

Shark watch from the bridge

during Swim Call, 1956

Hong Kong Harbor as viewed from the Cusk as we were arriving, January 1969

(Photo courtesy of Tom Roseland)

View of Alaskan coast when arriving in Kodiak
(Photo courtesy of Zeke Zellmer)

Getting a little sun on deck

(Patch courtesy of Don Killian)

Cusk entering Mare Island to have

missile ramp and hanger removed, 1954

View from USS Cusk's After

Engine Room hatch while underway 1955

David Tuma doing a back flip during

Swim Call. At sea, 1967 WestPac

(Photo courtesy of Don Killian)

Underway 1957

(Photo courtesy of Gary Wester)

Michael Johnston diving during

Swim Call, 1956

Richard Clark & Harry Cook in foreground

Bow View 1957

Off the coast of Oahu, Hawaii

Cusk submerging during a Dependents Cruise

Off the coast of Honolulu, 1962
(Photo courtesy of Herman Strickland)

USS Cusk coming into Subic Bay, Philippines.

USS Enterprise can be seen in the background

Missile Center Photo 1962

Jim Marchwinski, Jack Trommer and

Bill Hrbacek sit in the Missile Center

before its conversion to Sonar Room
(Photo courtesy of Jack Trommer)

Captain Don Killian getting some sun

at sea during WestPac, 1967

(Photo courtesy Dave Duerr)

Cusk on local ops

Pearl Harbor, 1964
(Photo courtesy of Eric Copt)

View of the Cusk's bow at sea 1961

(Source of photo unknown - possibly Jim Caudill?)

Jesse Kelly in the Cusk's After Engine Room 1957

(Photo courtesy of Carl Meuse)

Publicity photo near Pearl Harbor, 1962

Chris Quijada shipping over with

Captain Sam Houston

(Photo courtesy of Tom Roseland)

USS Constellation (CVA 64)

is centered in the cross hairs of the Cusk's

#1 scope as Captain Don Killian takes a

"final bearing to shoot."
(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)

Still searching for the Cusk, the destroyers

criss cross each other as a search plane

attempts to help. Again, the Constellation can

be seen in the background.
(Photo courtesy of Tom Roseland)

The fast frigate USS William H. Standley

(DLG 32) is seen through the cross hairs of

the Cusk's #1 scope. In the foreground, a

helicopter from the USS Constellation dips

an active sonar buoy in the water to try and

find the Cusk.
(Photo courtesy of Tom Roseland)

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)

Arriving at the Reserve Pier in San Diego

on return from WestPac, March 12, 1969

(Photo courtesy of Tom Roseland)

R.G. Kroplewski, John Troutman & Dave Lawrence

At sea near the Philippines

(Photo courtesy of Tom Roseland)

Cusk getting underway with tug's help
(Photo courtesy of Eric Copt)

Swim Call

Somewhere near Tahiti, July 1963
(Photo courtesy of Herman Strickland)

Cusk steaming toward Tahiti, 1963
(Photo courtesy of Eric Copt)

Coming into port, 1953

(Photo courtesy of Vernon Maxon)

Shellback Certification - Domain of Neptunus Rex
(Photo courtesy of Mike Stephenson)

Click on any picture to see its full size:

Any information, pictures, history, or crewmember names, etc. is always appreciated. Please contact the Cusk Webmaster. Thanks!

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: 01/11/19