Accounts 2009 Reunion: have been posted in the Association section of the website (password required).
Mike Stuffle: died 21 December 2009 in Charleston, South Carolina. Mike was a TM1(SS) and served on Tiru from Nov 73 to Jul 75. He is expected to be cremated and buried at sea. Tentatively a memorial service is planned for Monday 11 January. Details will be posted when available.
Captain Bradford S. Granum, USN (ret): former XO on Tiru (Jun 60 - Jul 61) died 20 June 2009. His funeral will be at Arlington National Cemetery on Thursday, 29 October 2009 at 1100. Attendees please meet at the Administration Building at 1030. Donations may be made in his name to the American Kidney Fund, PO Box 1837, Merrifield, VA 22116 or the Naval Academy Foundation, 291 Wood Road, Beach Hall, Annapolis, MD 21402.
(click here for Tiru Memorial Obituary)
Tiru's Grounding 1966: Received emails from Kev Peacock regarding the 1966 grounding. He manned the liferaft that was used to bring the doctor from the HMAS Vendetta to USS Tiru.
(click here to read his comments)
Submarine Memorial Dedication Ceremony: Will be held at the Veterans National Cemetery in Canton, Georgia on Sunday, 11 April 2010 at 1400. Details will be posted when received.
Captain H. Reid Hunter, USN (ret): former XO on Tiru, (Jul 58 - May 60) died 21 September 2009. He will be inurned at the Naval Academy at a later date. Additional details will be posted when available.
(click here for Tiru Memorial Obituary)
Photos: 1950s crew photos have been posted in the Photos/1953 Westpac section, courtesy of Bob Conboy.
(click here for direct link)
Photos: Construction, launching and commissioning photos have been obtained from the National Archives and Records Administration (thanks to Mr. Robert Glass, archivist Pacific Division). The photos are posted in the History/Chronological section. Click below for a direct link to the photos:
(click here for part a)
(click here for part b)
Tiru History: The Tiru Association has been donated copies of all Patrol Magazine articles (Published by SubBase Pearl Harbor) featuring Tiru during the period September 1951 to November 1953. These articles were written by various crew members and contain detailed shipboard and liberty activities, often humorous, and usually not politically correct. If you were on Tiru during this period you must read; they are in date order in the History/Chronological section of the website. The copies were scanned from the original magazines for us by RMC Phil Cole, USN (ret); a submariner but unfortunately not one of Tiru's. He obtained the magazines from a neighbor, a deceased Pearl Harbor sailor. Charles Steinert initiated contact with Chief Cole.
Chuck Coker: died 7 May 2009, at his home in Virginia. Chuck served on Tiru from March 1972 until June 1975. He was a strong supporter of the Tiru Reunions - hosting the 2007 Reunion in Norfolk.
(click here for Tiru Memorial Obituary)
ENC(SS) John Daniel Horan, USN (ret): died 29 April 2009 in Connecticut. He served on Tiru from March 1950 to January 1954. Burial was at St. Mary Cemetery, Stonington.
(click here for Tiru Memorial Obituary)
ENC(SS) Mancel May, USN (ret): died 31 January 2009 in Olympia, Washington. He served on Tiru from Tiru's commissioning on 1 September 1948 until May 1951. Chief May was a WWII Pacific Submarine veteran; he was on the USS Spearfish (SS-190) in Manila at the outbreak of WWII. Chief May gave a memorable review of his Naval service at our 2006 Reunion in Silverdale.
(click here for Tiru Memorial Obituary)
TMC(SS) Woodrow (Woody) Wert, USN (ret): died 8 June 2008 in California. He served as Chief of the Boat aboard Tiru from June 1957 to September 1958. Chief Wert's son Charles has scanned and sent us copies of 1957 Tiru WestPac photos made by his father.
(click here for Tiru Memorial Obituary)
(click here for the 1957 WestPac photos)
Tiru Photos: New photos from 1966 (courtesy of Louis Wanat) and from the 1970s (courtesy of Tom Scott) have been added to the website. For a direct link to the new photos:
(click here for the 1966 photos)
(click here for the 1971 photos)
(click here for the 1973 photos)
ENC(SS) John C. Hinkle Jr: died 23 September 2008. He served aboard Tiru from January 1957 to March 1958.
(click here for Tiru Memorial Obituary)
Charles A. Foskett Jr: died 7 February 2009 at Springville, California. He served on Tiru as an EMC from March 1957 to June 1960. A memorial service will be held at St. Anne's Church, Porterville, California, on 12 February 2009 at 0900. His daughter has asked that anyone who served with her Father to please contact her. (Please send contact information to webmaster and it will be forwarded to her.)
(click here for Tiru Memorial Obituary)
Clayton Sherman Huddleston: died 26 January 2009 at Baudette, Minnesota. He served on Tiru as ET3 during 1949. A memorial service is scheduled for 3 February at the United Congregational Church in Birchdale, Minnesota.
(click here for Tiru Memorial Obituary)
John Paul Close: died 25 December 2008. He served aboard Tiru as a
CS2(SS). No services are scheduled at this time.
(click here for Tiru Memorial Obituary)
Throat & Lung Cancer: Information on VA Disability claims has been posted by Ron Maxwell ('63-'64) in the Crew Inquiries section.
(click here to view)
Rear Admiral Dean Lane Axene, USN (ret): died at Pensacola, Florida on 19 December 2008. Admiral Axene served on USS Tiru as a Lieutenant JG from 1948 to 1951. A memorial service and celebration of his life will be held at the Azalea Trace Retirement Community at a later date with interment at Barrancas National Cemetery, Naval Air Station, Pensacola, FL.
(click here for Tiru Memorial Obituary)
New Photos: Photos from the 1970-5 period have been posted in the Local Ops and 71 Med photo sections. Thanks to Dwight Dexter.
To access the new photos directly:
(click here for the Charleston photos)
(click here for the 71 Mediterranean Deployment photos)
2009 Reunion: Will be held in Groton, CT, 13 to 16 Aug 09. Bill & Ginny Fatek will be hosting. Details will be posted as available.
2008 Reunion: Photos have been posted in Reunion Photo Section. DVD's of Tiru's historical photos have been mailed to those who requested; should have by 20 Oct, if not received notify webmaster.
2007 Crew Meeting Minutes: Posted in Association section (password req)
Captain William P. Willis, USN (ret): died at Ellicott City, Maryland on 2 June 2008. Captain Willis served as the Executive Officer on Tiru from June 1950 to August 1951. Burial services will be held at 3 p.m. on 25 August at Arlington National Cemetery.
(click here for Tiru Memorial obituary)
Sammy Curtis Newton: died in Marengo, Illinois on 9 May 2008 at the age of 64. He was assigned to Tiru as a Radioman from 28 August 1965 to 24 November 1966.
2007 Financial Report: Posted in Association section (password required).
The Retired Enlisted Association: Provides military reunion information for all veterans (retired or not). The TREA has been very helpful in publishing our reunions. Please check their website for reunions for other ships you may have served on (Link to TREA posted in our Submarine Links section).
(click here for reunion section of TREA website)
Captain Cobean: Additional history has been posted in the memorial section.
(click here for details)
Dennis M. Bergjord: Memorial services for Dennis will be held in Toronto, South Dakota on Thursday 17 January 2008, to be followed by a Military burial at the Toronto Cemetery. Dennis died on 8 January 2008 at the VA Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
(click here to view Tiru's Memorial Obituary)
Silverside Fireball Experiments: Tiru engine parts help Robert Golka recreate Ball Lighting in the Maneuvering Room of the USS Silversides.
(Click here to view video)
Tiru Holland Club: A complete listing of Tiru Holland members may be found in the Miscellaneous Section of the website.
(click here to view)
Grounding History: Nelson (Maynard) Green has added an interesting and detailed account of the 1966 grounding and subsequent events. It is posted in the Oral History section. Hopefully it will result in other's sending their recollections. We have a lot of information from outside sources but little from those actually involved.
USS Silversides (SS-236): Reports of drydocking funds possibly being diverted for museum construction. (30 June 08 update)
(click here for more information- members only)
USS Pampanito (SS-383): Currently in drydock for overhaul. Progress photos of the overhaul are periodically posted on the internet.
(click her for link to photos) - Link no longer works
Veterans Memorial: Glenn Reed has been instrumental in establishing a memorial to military veterans in Whitesboro, NY. Tiru sailors will be honored by a memorial brick and plaque. Additional information will be posted after the unveiling ceremony on Veterans Day.
(click here to view photos of Memorial)
(click here to view the Observer-Dispatch News Article)
A section of the Memorial Park has been reserved for Tiru Shipmates use; if anyone wish to have a brick placed for a Tiru Shipmate or a relative please use the form below.
(click here for form to order Memorial Bricks)
Jim Wilkinson Photos: Jim has contributed some '56 -'58 photos to the Photo section. As most of us, he has forgotten some of the names, and asks that if you can identify to please let him know (send to webmaster and I will forward).
(click here to view the photos)
Subvet Calendar: Tiru is one of the featured boats in the 2007 Subvet Calendar.
ListServe: To all shipmates of the Tiru, the Daubenspeck's have started a listserv. With this you use one email and it will go out to all members on the list. If you want on the listserv, send your email to
tiru416(at)bellsouth.net and ask to be put on the listserv.