Skip to main content

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 2 Collections and/or Records:

Duane F. Heatwole Oral History

 Item
Identifier: OHP 057
Scope and Contents Duane F. Heatwole served aboard Growler as a commissaryman petty officer second class from 1960 to 1964. Heatwole began his interview by discussing Growler’s galley. He also described how he acquired different types of food, how this food was loaded into the boat, and how the food was stored. Heatwole then discussed some of the meals that he prepared for the crew, including filet mignon, lobster, and crab legs from Alaska. He then continued, describing a process called snorkeling, which...
Dates: October 1, 2014

Robert L. Owens Oral History (First Interview)

 Item
Identifier: OHP 059
Scope and Contents Robert L. Owens served aboard Growler, first as executive officer, then as commanding officer, from February 1960 to December 13, 1963. Owens began his interview by stating where he was born and raised and discussing his service in WWII. Owens explained that after boot camp and electrical school, he rode Intrepid from Alameda to Pearl Harbor, where he served aboard the submarine tender USS Bushnell. He then went aboard the USS Tinosa and made seven war patrols. After providing additional...
Dates: October 1, 2014

Filtered By

  • Subject: United States (nation) -- Connecticut (state) -- New London (county) -- Groton (inhabited place) -- Naval Submarine Base New London (submarine base) X
  • Subject: United States (nation) -- Hawaii (state) X

Additional filters:

Subject
Bering Sea (sea) 1
Celebrations -- Holidays 1
Commanding Officer 1
Commissaryman Petty Officer 2nd Class, CS2 1
Discipline -- Captain's Mast 1
∨ more
Disposal -- Garbage Disposal 1
Education -- Training -- Military Training -- War Games 1
Engineering -- Marine Engineering -- Shipbuilding 1
Executive Officer 1
Families (Human) -- Family Members -- Wives 1
Food 1
Food Dispensing -- Food Service -- Meals 1
Germany (nation) -- Schleswig-Holstein (state) -- Flensburg-Mürwik (neighborhood) -- Naval Academy Murwik (naval academy) 1
Growler -- commanding officer's stateroom 1
Growler -- forward torpedo room 1
Growler -- galley 1
Growler -- missile hangar(s), port missile hangar, starboard missile hangar 1
Growler -- officer stateroom 1
Growler -- sail 1
Growler -- wardroom 1
Handling -- Loading(Handling) 1
Humor -- Practical Jokes 1
Hygiene -- Shower Facilities 1
Intelligence -- Military Intelligence -- Communications Intelligence 1
Japan (nation) -- Kanto (region (administrative division)) -- Kanagawa-ken (prefecture) -- Yokosuka (inhabited place) 1
Lieutenant Commander, O-4 1
Norway (nation) -- Vest-Agder (county) -- Kristiansand (inhabited place) 1
Personnel -- Military Personnel -- Guided Missile Personnel 1
Petty Officer 2nd Class, E-5 1
Recreation -- Entertainment -- Movies 1
Recreation -- Games 1
Russia (nation) 1
Soviet Union (former nation/state/empire) 1
Strategy -- Deterrence 1
United States (nation) -- California (state) -- Ventura (county) -- San Nicolas Island (island) 1
United States (nation) -- California (state) -- Ventura (county) -- Port Hueneme (inhabited place) 1
United States (nation) -- Alaska (state) 1
United States (nation) -- California (state) -- Ventura (county) -- Point Mugu (cape) -- Naval Air Station Point Mugu (air base) 1
United States (nation) -- Colorado (state) -- El Paso (county) -- Cheyenne Mountain (peak) -- Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station (Air Force base) 1
United States (nation) -- Hawaii (state) 1
United States (nation) -- Hawaii (state) -- Honolulu (county) -- Oahu (island) -- Pearl Harbor Naval Reservation (defense installation) 1
United States (nation) -- Hawaii (state) -- Kauai (county) -- Kauai (island) 1
Vacuum -- High Vacuum 1
World War II, December 1941–September 1945 1
Wounds and Injuries -- Burns(Injuries) 1
∧ less