Owens, Robert L.
Person
Dates
- Existence: June 3, 1924 - April 8, 2017
Biography
Robert L. Owens, from Sanger, California, served aboard the submarine USS Growler (SSG-577), first as executive officer, then as commanding officer, from February 1960 to December 13, 1963. Owens began his submarine service during WWII aboard the USS Tinosa. After the war, he pursued his education, and then returned to the Navy, this time in the reserves. Owens became involved in the Regulus Program, switched from the reserves to regular Navy, and eventually joined Growler. After decommissioning Growler at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Owens continued his naval career, returning to COMSUBPAC Staff as the Polaris Targeting Officer, commanding the fast attack boat Sea Leopard, and joining CINCLANT as part of the team that would send the go-message to the Polaris boats. He was then the Assistant Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations for SubFlot 6, received orders to the Pentagon for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, where he was the Submarine Officer attached to the Chairman’s SALT negotiation team, and ended his 28 years in the submarine service as the 688 Project Officer. After his career in the submarine service, Robert Owens returned to Sanger, California, where he ran his family’s plumbing business.
Chronology:
- 1943
- Start of Military Service (WWII)
- 1946
- End of Military Service (WWII)
- 1952
- Start of Military Service
- February 1960
- Start of Service Aboard Growler
- December 13, 1963
- End of Service Aboard Growler
- 1975
- End of Military Service
Found in 4 Collections and/or Records:
Allen Odette Oral History
Item
Identifier: OHP 111
Scope and Contents
Allen Odette served aboard Growler from August 1961 to December 1963, as a fire control technician (missile guidance systems) second class. Odette began his interview by speaking about his decision to join the Navy. He noted that he first went into the reserves in Illinois before joining the regular Navy after moving to California. He also discussed his experiences in boot camp as well as his decision to apply for the submarine service after receiving a tour of a submarine from a friend of a...
Dates:
September 14, 2016
James W. Day Oral History
Item
Identifier: OHP 130
Scope and Contents
James Day served aboard Growler as a hospital corpsman from 1961 to 1963. He began his interview by discussing why he joined the Navy and providing a brief overview of his service. Day noted boot camp, hospital corps school in San Diego at the Balboa Naval Hospital, operating room technician school at Bethesda Maryland Naval Hospital, being stationed at Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune, and his time as an OR tech aboard the hospital ship Haven during the Korean War. Day also stated that he left...
Dates:
May 24, 2017
John "Andy" Anderson Oral History
Item
Identifier: OHP 112
Scope and Contents
John “Andy” Anderson served aboard Growler from August 1961 to May 1963, as a fire control technician (missile guidance systems) third class and was the torpedo fire controlman aboard Growler. Anderson began his interview by stating that his father served aboard German submarines during World War I, which influenced his decision to join the Navy and serve aboard submarines. He then briefly discussed his childhood before explaining why he joined the Navy. Anderson continued, describing his...
Dates:
September 14, 2016
Filtered By
Additional filters:
- Subject
- Education -- Training -- Military Training -- Naval Training -- Submarine Training 3
- Growler -- control room and attack center 3
- Growler -- crew's quarters 3
- Military Forces (United States) -- Navy 3
- Recreation 3
- United States (nation) -- Alaska (state) -- Aleutians West (national division) -- Adak (inhabited place) -- Naval Air Facility Adak (air base) 3
- Communications Technicians, CTs 2
- Discipline -- Captain's Mast 2
- Families (Human) -- Family Members 2
- Families (Human) -- Family Members -- Wives 2
- Food 2
- Growler -- missile checkout and guidance center 2
- Growler -- sail 2
- Guided Missiles -- Cruise Missiles -- Regulus 1 2
- Humor -- Practical Jokes 2
- Hygiene 2
- Maintenance Equipment -- Drydocks 2
- Russia (nation) -- Kamchatskiy Kray (kray) -- Kamchatka (peninsula) 2
- Russia (nation) -- Kamchatskiy Kray (kray) -- Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy (inhabited place) 2
- United States (nation) -- Midway Islands (possession) 2
- Vacuum -- High Vacuum 2
- Business Administration -- Finance -- Income -- Salaries 1
- Communication And Radio Systems 1
- Damage Control 1
- Defense Systems -- Countermeasures -- Electronic Countermeasures 1
- Discipline 1
- Engines -- Heat Engines -- Internal Combustion Engines -- Compression Ignition Engines -- Diesel Engines 1
- Fire Control Technician (Missile Guidance Systems) Petty Officer 2nd Class, FTG2 1
- Fire Control Technician (Missile Guidance Systems) Petty Officer 3rd Class, FTG3 1
- Food -- Cake 1
- Growler -- chief petty officer quarters 1
- Growler -- enlisted mess 1
- Growler -- galley 1
- Growler -- wardroom 1
- Hospital Corpsman Petty Officer 1st Class, HM1 1
- Liberty 1
- Life Sciences -- Medicine -- Dentistry 1
- Life Sciences -- Medicine -- Military Medicine 1
- Logistics -- Supplies -- Medical Supplies 1
- Master Chief Petty Officer, E-9 1
- Medical Services -- First Aid 1
- Navigation 1
- Navigation -- Inertial Navigation 1
- Navigation -- Radio Navigation -- Hyperbolic Navigation -- Loran 1
- Ordnance -- Ammunition -- Antiship Ammunition -- Torpedoes 1
- Ordnance -- Fire Control Systems -- Fire Control System Components -- Fire Control Computers -- Torpedo Data Computers 1
- Performance Tests -- Psychological Tests 1
- Personnel Management -- Promotion (Advancement) 1
- Pest Control -- Insect Control 1
- Petty Officer 1st Class, E-6 1
- Petty Officer 2nd Class, E-5 1
- Petty Officer 3rd Class, E-4 1
- Radioman Master Chief Petty Officer, RMCM 1
- Recreation -- Entertainment -- Movies 1
- Security -- Information Security -- Classified Materials 1
- Strategy -- Deterrence 1
- Tubes -- Torpedo Tubes 1
- United States (nation) -- California (state) -- San Diego (county) -- San Diego (inhabited place) -- Naval Training Center San Diego (naval base) 1
- United States (nation) -- Connecticut (state) -- New London (county) -- Groton (inhabited place) -- Naval Submarine Base New London (submarine base) 1
- United States (nation) -- Hawaii (state) -- Honolulu (county) -- Oahu (island) -- Honolulu (inhabited place) 1
- United States (nation) -- Hawaii (state) -- Honolulu (county) -- Oahu (island) -- Naval Air Station Barbers Point (air base) 1
- United States (nation) -- Hawaii (state) -- Honolulu (county) -- Oahu (island) -- Pearl Harbor Naval Reservation (defense installation) 1
- Weapons -- Antisubmarine Weapons -- Depth Charges 1
- World War II, December 1941–September 1945 1 ∧ less
∨ more