Glenn L. Duncan

Harrisburg, PA

entered the Navy in June 1948 as an ENFN.

Retired July 2, 1972 as a LCDR

(LDO-Loud Dumb and Obnoxious)

(Glenn's own words)

Written by Glenn Duncan on 4/28/2002

Attended boot camp and EN School at Great Lakes, IL

Transferred to Naval Submarine School, New London, CT

for Basic Submarine School.

Reported onboard my first boat, the USS Spinax, SSR (489), stationed in New London in 1949. Was assigned to the Auxiliary Gang because I was a high school vocational machinist graduate and the Chief was looking for someone who could grind in valves. This qualification provided me with many hours setting on the head stools grinding in mishandled flushing valves. The Spinax was transferred to Norfolk in 1950, to Squadron 6 in Norfolk, when the squadron was moved from Panama to Norfolk. The boat made a four-month trip to the Mediterranean and, upon return to Norfolk, was transferred to Squadron Three in San Diego, CA. The Spinax, being a Picket Radar boat, seemed to be looked at as a submersible destroyer picket radar vessel and not something the submarine force knew how to operate. The boat arrived in San Diego in June the day the North Koreans moved on the South. Soon the Navy found a use for the Picket Radar and three more converted radar boats arrived in San Diego from the reserve fleet in Mare Island. We were not the only hermaphrodite submarine anymore. During 1951, the Spinax made what the official record calls a two-month training cruise in Hawaiian waters. Didn't know Hawaiian waters included waters above the Aleutian Islands and off Siberia.

Fought a battle and lost, got married while on the Spinax when I was promoted to EN2(SS). You may recall that, at that time, you had to be a second class and have the CO's permission to marry. If you were not second class you got no BAQ, etc.

1953

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