melvin e. "bud" cole: qm1 us navy (ret)
Melvin E.
(Bud) Cole QM1 (SS) (DV) USN ret. is currently our vice
president for the second consecutive year. Cole served on the
wooden hulled minesweeper USS Engage MSO-433 during "Operation
Market Time" out of Cam Rahn Bay, south Vietnam in 1971. They
stopped and searched suspected infiltrator junks, some of
which were carrying north Vietnamese regular army and supplies
for the enemy. These infiltrators were sunk.
Cole was awarded the Vietnam service medal with two bronze
stars, National defense medal, Navy expeditionary medal, unit
commendation medal. personal commendation medal and the
Republic of Vietnam campaign medal .
During his Navy career Cole served aboard a heavy cruiser, USS
Rochester CA-124 as a 1st loader on a 3"50cal antiaircraft
gun, He attended Basic enlisted submarine school in 1959 and
served on three diesel electric boats and three nuclear
powered boats. On board Scamp SSN-588, a Skipjack class sub.
(their sister ship the Sculpin is still at 8,500 ft off the
Azores islands with a Russian torpedo up in the rear of the
the sail) he was the assistant navigator, ships 1st
lieutenant, and nuclear safety officer in charge of the
handling and stowage of nuclear weapons. Cole retired in
August of 1977 from the Los Angles class fast attack submarine
USS Drum SSN- 677. In twenty years service, Cole was awarded
ONE good conduct award. All of his commanding officers agreed
that underway, Cole was the best sailor on board, however his
conduct ashore left much to be desired!
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