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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:

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

Robert L. Owens Oral History (Second Interview)

 Item
Identifier: OHP 126
Scope and Contents Robert L. Owens served aboard Growler, first as executive officer, then as commanding officer, from February 1960 to December 13, 1963. He began his second interview by recalling his early Navy career when he was drafted during World War II. Owens stated that he attended boot camp in Farragut, ID, and electrician school, before volunteering for submarine service and completing five war patrols on Tinosa. After discussing his experiences in the submarine service during World War II, Owens...
Dates: March 14, 2017

Filtered By

  • Subject: United States (nation) -- Hawaii (state) -- Honolulu (county) -- Oahu (island) -- Pearl Harbor Naval Reservation (defense installation) X
  • Subject: Lieutenant Commander, O-4 X

Additional filters:

Subject
Celebrations -- Holidays -- Christmas 1
Communications Technicians, CTs 1
Decommissioning, May 25, 1964 1
Discipline 1
Discipline -- Captain's Mast 1
∨ more
Education -- Training -- Military Training -- War Games 1
Engines -- Heat Engines -- Internal Combustion Engines -- Compression Ignition Engines -- Diesel Engines 1
Families (Human) -- Family Members -- Wives 1
Food 1
Germany (nation) -- Schleswig-Holstein (state) -- Flensburg-Mürwik (neighborhood) -- Naval Academy Murwik (naval academy) 1
Growler -- commanding officer's stateroom 1
Growler -- control room and attack center 1
Growler -- missile hangar(s), port missile hangar, starboard missile hangar 1
Growler -- wardroom 1
Guided Missiles -- Cruise Missiles -- Regulus 1 1
Intelligence -- Military Intelligence 1
Maintenance Equipment -- Drydocks 1
Norway (nation) -- Vest-Agder (county) -- Kristiansand (inhabited place) 1
Personnel -- Military Personnel -- Guided Missile Personnel 1
Russia (nation) -- Kamchatskiy Kray (kray) -- Kamchatka (peninsula) 1
Russia (nation) -- Primorskiy Kray (kray) -- Vladivostok (inhabited place) 1
Social Sciences -- Psychology -- Social Psychology -- Human Relations -- Race Relations 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) -- Aleutians West (national division) -- Adak (inhabited place) -- Naval Air Facility Adak (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) -- Connecticut (state) -- New London (county) -- Groton (inhabited place) -- Naval Submarine Base New London (submarine base) 1
Vacuum -- High Vacuum 1
World War II, December 1941–September 1945 1
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