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R.Connole

"My natural father David Connole graduated from the USNA in 1936, went to submarine school in 1938, served on a number of submarines, promoted, and became commanding officer of the USS Trigger (SS237) in late 1944. I was born in Sept 1944 and my father last saw me and my mother at my christening in November, 1944. The USS Trigger was lost off the south coast of Japan (Nansei Shoto area) on March 28, 1945, probably sunk by depth charges from a Japanese destroyer. Other US submarines were in the vicinty and heard the charges. look up webpage, www.subnet.com/fleet/ss237.htm.

Roy Benson served as the second CO of the Trigger in 1942 and knew my father David. In 1948, Roy met my Mother at a USS Trigger memorial service at the USNA, they started dating and one year later I was a Navy junior again. Roy became a Rear Admiral and was COMSUBPAC. http://www.csp.navy.mil/admirals/benson.html Also, serving on the USS Trigger from 1941 to 1944 was an officer Ned Beach. Ned later wrote a book, turned into a movie, named Run Silent Run Deep. Ned also served on other submarines and became Naval Aide to President Eisenhower.

My mother christened the second USS Trigger (SS564) in 1951 and Ned Beach was the first commanding officer. This submarine was part of the Tang class (six boats) all of which were named after famous WWII submarines. The Trigger 2 was in service from 1952 to 1973. look up web page, www.homestead.com/GudgeonSS567/ for SS564 stories.

In 1968, my grandmother and mother christened the USS Connole (FF1056) and I had the honor of riding the ship down the ways at Avondale in New Orleans (sideways launch into the Mississippi). In 1969, the USS Connole was commissioned into the Navy at the Charleston SC Navy Yard. Trigger 2 (SS564) happened to be homeported in Charleston and we arranged for her to be moored to USS Connole during the commissioning ceremony. Both ships were open for tours...a great day.

The USS Connole was homeported in Newport RI from 1978 to 1992 and the crew involved me and my family in their activities on many ocassions (which included about 30 days at seas across the 14 year period). In 1992, she was transferred to the Greek Navy and is now the H/S Eprius (homeport Pireaus, near Athens). I wrote a history of the USS Connole, a 32 page booklet, for the decommissioning in 1992, in which a lot of this history is detailed. check out web page www.plateau.net/usndd/ff1056/ " I'm a CPA and act as an acting chief financial officer for a number of clients. One of my major endeavors is a co-owner of a cranberry farm (200 land acres and 50 bog acres). My wife Joanne and I live on Cape Cod, so come and visit. I have two sons, one named David R. Connole. My step father Roy and my mother Vida passed away and are buried in the USNA cemetary in Annapolis.