USS Aspro SSN-648: History, Patrols, Crews

Commissioning

The USS Aspro, (SSN-648 submarine, nuclear-powered) was a member of the Sturgeon class of nuclear fast attack submarines. It was the second U.S. Navy vessel named after a fish commonly found in the Rhone River.

The Ingalls Shipbuilding Corporation of Pascagoula, Miss., received the contract to build the Aspro on March 26, 1963. Her keel was laid on Nov. 23, 1964 and she was launched on Nov. 29, 1967. The ship was commissioned on Feb. 20, 1969, with Commander Roy Wright in charge of the initial crew.

Underway

Assigned to Submarine Squadron 1 of the Pacific Fleet, the Aspro was stationed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Her first deployment to the western Pacific began in July 1970, with the Aspro serving a six month tour in waters off the coast of Asia. This included 10 days operating on "Yankee Station" in the Gulf of Tokin in December.

The Aspro spent nearly all of 1972 attached to the 7th Fleet, making ports of call at Yokosuka and Sasebo, Japan; Guam; Pusan, Korea and Hong Kong in the process. In April 1973, it returned to Pascagoula for 13 months of refitting.
The Aspro would go through two more major overhauls and serve several more deployments to the Far East and Northern Pacific. From 1990 to 1994, the Aspro would win the Battle "E" award for Submarine Squadron One three times and received the Meritorious Unit Commendation in 1994.

Decommissioning

The Aspro was decommissioned and struck from the Register of Naval Vessels on the same day, March 31, 1995. The submarine entered the Navy's Ship and Submarine Recycling Program at Bremerton, Wash., on Oct. 1, 1999, and was scrapped on Nov. 3, 2000.

Characteristics of the USS Aspro (Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
Type: Nuclear-powered fast attack submarine
Displacement: 4015 tons Length: 89 meters (292 feet)
Propulsion: S5W reactor
Armament: Mk. 48 Torpedo, SUBROC, tube-launched mobile mines
Motto: Faith - Vigilance - Service

Career:
Ordered: March 26, 1963
Laid down: Nov. 23, 1964
Launched: Nov. 29, 1967
Commissioned: Feb. 20, 1969
Decommissioned: March 31, 1995
Fate: submarine recycling
Stricken: March 31, 1995

Timeline:

March 1963: Contract to build USS Aspro awarded
November 1964: Keel of USS Aspro laid
November 1967: USS Aspro launched
July 1970: USS Aspro starts its first Far East deployment
December 1970: USS Aspro spends 10 days off the coast of Vietnam
1994: USS Aspro receives the Meritorious Unit Commendation
March 1995: USS Aspro decommissioned
November 2000: USS Aspro scrapped

Crewmembers of the USS Aspro:

An unofficial list of crew members that served on the USS Aspro can be found on the unofficial navy website at: http://navysite.de. This list is compiled by former crewmembers that voluntarily register. Some quoted comments from former crewmembers are listed below; many more are available on the source website at the following web address: http://navysite.de/ssn/ssn648.htm

Philip Eveland: (Served from July 1992-November 1994): "My first boat and will always be special. Good sonar shop...Did 2 WestPacs, including her last to New Caledonia."
Dan Ongie (Served July 1990-March 1994): "Transferred to NNPS...then became a SA for 2 years."
Justin Heath (Served October 1990-June 1994): "Some of the greatest people I have ever known and respected have come from the military, most from the Aspro."
Corey Vire (Served April 1991-May 1995): "Would not trade my time there for anything."

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