Commissioning of USS SCULPIN (SSN-590)

The following info and pictures were submitted by the former EM2 Marvin Kummet, now residing in Goose Creek, SC. Thanks Marvin. I believe it is extremely important to remember our proud past and donations such as this make it possible.

Brief history of the original SCULPIN

On her last fateful patrol in November 1943, SCULPIN (SSN-191) was assigned to an area outside of Truk Island. On 16 November, while pressing home an attack on a convoy, SCULPIN was severely damaged by depth charges from a counter attacking destroyer. Realizing SCULPIN was doomed the Commanding Officer, Commander Connaway, decided to surface and give the crew a chance to escape. SCULPIN surfaced and put up a furious battle with her deck guns, but the destroyer soon found the range. A succession of hits killed Commander Connaway and the gun crews topside. The SCULPIN was scuttled and Captain John P. Cromwell, overall commander of the "wolf pack" and deployed on SCULPIN, chose to go down with the ship rather than risk capture and possibly having vital war plan information extracted by the japanese.

Visit the original USS Sculpin (SS-191) to learn more about Sculpin's proud heritage.

The Original USS SCULPIN (SS-191)

Sculpin (SS-191)

The keel for USS SCULPIN (SSN-590) was laid 3 February 1958, Launched 31 March 1960 and Commissioned 1 June 1961. The sponsor was Mrs. Fred Connaway, the widow of Commander Fred Connaway who was lost in action with the first USS SCULPIN (SS-191).

Christening Picture

Mrs. Connaway prepares to break the traditional bottle of champagne on the bow of USS SCULPIN.

The following series of pictures depict USS SCULPIN (SSN-590) on her way down the building ways to her place in history.

Champagne broken Down the ways

Down the ways Down the ways

Down the ways Down the ways

Afloat Unit

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U/W on Nuclear Power

Sculpin's first Underway

The First Crew of USS SCULPIN

Officers

Commander C. N. Mitchell, Commanding Officer
Lt Commander Robert F. Hale, Executive Officer
Lt Commander William J. Cowhill, Engineer Officer
Lieutenant Jackson B. Richard, M Division Officer
Lieutenant Peter Durbin, E Division Officer
Lieutenant Eldridge F. Murphy, Jr., Gunnery Officer
Lieutenant John M. Will, Jr., A Division Officer
Lieutenant Richard "Z" Test, Operations Officer
Lieutenant (MC) Elias P. G. Theros, Medical Officer
Lieutenant (jg) Arthur T. Spring, Supply Officer

Chief Petty Officers

Ed P. Foulger, TMCM(SS) COBDavid W. Carrol, YNC(SS)Loren H. Dockter, SKC(SS)
Ronald N. Hoffman, HMC(SS)Herbert A. Love, ENC(SS)Marvin L. McKinney, MMC(SS)
Robert M. Perez, EMCS(SS)John D. Pickett, ENC(SS)James F. Rogers, EMC (SS)
James C. Smith, SOC(SS)James E. Smith, ETCS(SS)William D. Spoon, MMC (SS)
John C. Whitley, QMCS(SS)George H. Wood, RMC(SS)William H. Bradley, ENC(SS)

Crew

EN3(SS) Leonard J. Alder, JrEN1(SS) Glen L. AllenET1(SS) John M. Angleton
ET2(SS) Jack G. ArendTM1(SS) Edwin F. AtkinsQM1(SS) Donald E. Bailey
ET1(SS) Dallas F. BenedictET2(SS) David R. BlackEN1(SS) Joseph M. Boyle, Jr.
IC2(SS) Richard J. BouknightEN1(SS) Paul A. BrooksFA Richard T. Brown
SD2(SS) Howard BurtonRD1(SS) Louis CastagnaSD2(SS) Wison E. Conner
EN2(SS) terrance F. ConwellIC3(SS) Frederick K. DaumeTM3(SS) Harlon G. Davis
EN1(SS) Charles R. DeerIC2(SS) Charles B. EmoryQM2(SS) Peter F. Fawcett
MM3 Jack K. FornshellEN2 Herbert F. GayEN2(SS) William E. Geddes
IC1(SS) Lawrence D. GermanFTM3 Gerald C. GertschIC2 Vernon D. Gibbs
ET1(SS) John C. GollidayMM3 William D. GriderQM2(SS) Joseph B. Haaf
TM1(SS) John F. HaegenSO1(SS) Donald B. HallEN2(SS) Alphonse J. Hammond
ETR3 Lawrence HarshbargerEN1(SS) Kenneth R. HooverEM1(SS) Donald F. Jacob
SA Richard JankowskiIC1(SS) Charles R. JohnsonEN1(SS) Thomas P. Kelsey
MM2(SS) Larry L. KingSO3 Joseph A. KowalskiEM2 Marvin L. Kummet
TM1(SS) Jesse W. McAllesterIC2 Jimmy R. NolanMM2(SS) Robert C. Nolin
TN(SS) Danny L. PattersonEM2(SS) William E. PetersCS2(SS) Charles H. Phillips
SOS2(SS) Donald L. PonciroliEM2(SS) Robert D. RobertsRM1(SS) Jimmie D. Rogers
ET1(SS) Leland C. RogersEN1(SS) Neal G. RoosSN Stanley Rosenwald
EM1(SS) David F. RossumET2 Roger W. RutlandEN2(SS) Dempsey L. Sanders
EM1(SS) John W. SandersonMMFA Leonard J. SchlesingerRM2(SS) Carl E. Schumacher
HM1(SS) Calvin C. ShelleyEN1(SS) Robert E. SimoniniEM2(SS) Raymond L. Slagle
YN3(SS) Colin L. Stockdale, Jr.QM1(SS) Donald H. StricklandEM2(SS) Paul D. Tennyson
CS1(SS) Eugene O. TerwilligerRM1(SS) Emory G. ThaxtonFTASN Richard E. Tracey
RD2(SS) Charles E. TurnerCS2(SS) Theodore H. Van Cott, Jr.ETRSN John D. Waddell
YN2(SS) Theodore S. WaitesSA Gerald M. WhitehurstTM2(SS) Loyd J. Whiteside
IC1(SS) Sam J. WilliamsMM1(SS) Richard C. WyhlidkoTM2(SS) Donald A. Zimmerman
FT2(SS) John R. Zoch

Certificate

If anyone wanted proof that Marvin was an actual real live, proton shooting Nuke, here it is. Marvin said this was one of the last ones that Admiral Rickover actually signed.

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Copyright © 1999 Stanley J. Bice.
Last Updated 14 March 1999
For more information contact: Stan