I was born 26 January 1930 in a suburb of Chicago, IL.  I was a regular NROTC Midshipman from 1947 to 1951 when I was commissioned into the regular Navy.  I reported aboard the Southerland in early July 1951.  I was assigned as Main Propulsion Assistant under LT Eugene Cash, USN until he was detached and LT Arvid S. Peterson, USNR, until LT Peterson was released from active duty.  I was then assigned as Engineer Officer under CDR Wesche and CDR Armstrong until I was released from active duty in May 1954.  While in the Naval Reserve I was a member of a Ships Activation, Maintenance and Repair unit and a CB (SeaBee) company in the Boston, MA area.  I retired from the active Reserve in 1967.  As a civilian, I was on the C1W Project for the USS Long Beach (CGN-9) and later on the DD-963 proposal team along with Richard Ploss, by then a civilian.

I am a widower - my wife of 58 years passed away last year.  Some of my shipmates may remember her and our daughter who went from a babe-in-arms to a toddler while on the Southerland.