John J. Ekelund Oral History
Object NameRecording, Video
Transcript
Narrator
John J. Ekelund
Association
USS Growler (SSG-577)
DateMarch 15, 2017
PeriodCold War
MediumMTS, PDF
ClassificationsCommunication Artifacts
Credit LineCollection of the Intrepid Museum. Gift of RADM John J. Ekelund, USN (ret.). OHP.127
Object numberOHP.127
DescriptionJohn J. Ekelund served aboard the submarine USS Growler (SSG-577) as the executive officer, making three deterrent patrols from 1958 to 1961. The Intrepid Museum recorded his oral history interview on March 15, 2017.See transcript for complete interview. Below is a summary:
John J. Ekelund began his interview by providing a brief overview of his time aboard Growler. He then recalled when Gary Powers was shot down over the Soviet Union and explained how this affected Growler’s patrol. The interview then briefly shifted to Ekelund’s early life, and he discussed growing up in a Navy family and how frequently his family had to move.
As the interview continued, Ekelund mentioned the Regulus I missile and explained how submarines guided the missile, which led to a discussion on his initial time aboard Growler. Ekelund recalled the work that had to be completed before Growler was commissioned and the many new technologies and systems the crew had to learn. He also discussed sea trials, noting the different systems the crew had to test. Ekelund then recounted one test dive when a leak occurred. A temporary repair was made using a nickel. He also recalled the difficulty they had trying to keep an engine running during sea trials. Ekelund explained that this problem was caused by collapsing fuel hoses that ran from the clean fuel oil tank to the engine, and he explained how they solved this problem.
The interview then shifted to Growler’s time in service. Ekelund stated that Growler was initially assigned to Puerto Rico and that the original plan was to operate the Regulus boats in both the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. He then explained why all of the Regulus boats were sent to the Pacific. Ekelund also discussed Growler’s secondary duty, intelligence gathering, as well as his role as the executive officer. He explained the duties of an executive officer, the typical day for an executive officer, and the relationship between officers and enlisted men on submarines. Ekelund also discussed the importance of the officers’ wardroom.
As the interview continued, Ekelund provided a variety of other stories from his time aboard Growler. He recalled when Growler hosted the King of Thailand. He also explained how he used the periscope’s stadimeter and nearby mountains to determine the submarine’s position, which led to an explanation of Ekelund Ranging. He discussed the difficulty they had maintaining depth control on Growler. This led to an explanation of how raising the sail had helped to solve this problem.
The interview then shifted to Ekelund’s time as the commanding officer of USS Grayback, Growler's sister vessel. Ekelund stated that he felt he was prepared for this job, noting the prior experiences that prepared him for command of a submarine. He also recalled some of the challenges he faced while aboard Grayback, including a fire that forced him to return to port before arriving on station, a depth keeping problem that was caused by damage to the stern planes, and the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Ekelund then discussed his family and how his family grew as they moved from one location to another throughout his naval career. He also recalled where each of his children were born and discussed the benefits of having these life experiences. As the interview came to an end, Ekelund explained some of the difficulties they had with the Regulus program. He also stated that he hopes visitors will understand what Growler and the other Regulus boats had accomplished. Ekelund discussed the importance of Regulus, stating that the country’s system of deterrence was based on the triad and that the missiles at sea were the obvious survivable deterrence. Growler and the other Regulus boats played a small part in this deterrence strategy. Ekelund stated that he felt they accomplished a great deal.
Extent: 7 media files, 27 page transcript
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