This page is dedicated to the crew members of the USS Fresno who have gone before us as we share our memories of time served together and lives well lived.
| Name: | Rate/Rank | Time Served | E.O.W | Memories | Contributor |
| Plankowners | |||||
| Stanislaus J Sowinski | CDR (C.O.) | 22NOV69 – 03APR70 | 8JAN10 | I am a plankowner and was on the Fresno from commissioning to Oct, 1971. I found an obituary online where Stanislaus J Sowinski died 8 Jan, 2010. He was the first Captain of the Fresno. | Don Allen (’69-’71) dallen222@yahoo.com |
| Ralph Heckert | YN3 | ’69-’71 | Operations dept/ships office, family called him Bob, was from Nebraska | Coby Barstad (’69-’71) ndwoodlake@gondtc.com | |
| Terry Dustan | RMC | ’69-’71 | 21MAR11 | first RMC assigned to the USS Fresno in 1969 | Jim Alexander (’69-’71) JamesHAlex@hotmail.com |
| James Hatten | ’69- | 2017 | My dad passed away in 2017. | Jamie Keil (Daughter) jamie@thelastpaladin.com | |
| Ken Saunders | ’69 -’73 | 06JAN23 | https://www.edgerlyfh.com/obituary/kenneth-saunders?lud=D17C5DA27D44BD97982335BCE4296B20 | Tom Saunders (Son) | |
| 70’s | |||||
| Daniel Alegria | SN | ’72-’76 | 10JUL12 | Spoke on the phone with him just before he passed. Prostate cancer due to Agent Orange exposure. ( – Larry Brooker) We did a lot of liberty calls together (- KC Ratner) | Larry Brooker, EN3 (’70-’74) Taybrook@aol.com and KC Ratner (’72-’74) kcratner@gmail.com |
| Darcy Zerbel | EM2 | ’72-’76 | 17OCT21 | I met Darcy on Sept 28, 1973. He asked me to marry him after only dating 3 months! I told him if he really loved me he would buy his own car, and then I would think about it! He bought a green 1972 Chevy Nova with a white vinyl top! We were married August 30, 1975 and rented an apartment in National City until he was discharged in February 1976. His pride and joy was a piston that he brought home, after replacing it onboard the Frez. I passed it on to Boyd Puckett. Eng (EMT) A and M Gang are invited to my home in Oceanside, CA for a small gathering during the San Diego reunion. Email me if interested. Anyone know where Aikens, Clark, and Ferry are? Donaldson lives in MO, if you’re looking for that wild man! | Ruth Zerbel (wife) drzerbel2@gmail.com |
| Manuel Salas | HTC | ’72-’76 | 09JAN21 | Manuel Salas Obituary – San Diego, CA (dignitymemorial.com) | Doyle Osborne |
| Robert Mumford | CDR (C.O.) | ’73-’75 | NOV22 | https://allveterans.com/tribute/details/305164/Robert-Mumford/obituary.html#tribute-start | Les Mann Lesmann3@hotmail.com |
| Bob Song | ET2 | ’74-’78 | 2020 | Bob Song, Pat Crippen and myself were on board mid to late 70’s on The Fresno and we had a place in Imperial Beach. Bob was a good friend and even better shipmate. Was told of his passing by Rocky Turner. He lived in Hawaii and passed away in his home state. Think of him often and miss my friend very much. | |
| J.D. (Jimmy) Page | SN | ’74 | DEC16 | Cancer | Mark Donn |
| Ronald Brandquist | CDR | ’75-’76 | 25NOV14 | On behalf of the 200-member crew of the USS Fresno, he received the Arleigh Burke Award for the finest ship in the Pacific Fleet in 1976. Only one ship OR one squadron can win the bronze plaque award. See Facebook Group MEDIA for a copy of the article and photo | Ruth Zerbel via Kurt Brandquist, son |
| RIchard Domenick | MS | ’76-’80 | 16OCT97 | Met many wonderful friends during our time on the Fresno. Prayers for the families of those who have lost their Loved one. | |
| Jerome Larry Bahm | 22APR13 | Served 30 years; retired Master Chief Petty Officer. 3 tours; from Seven Points, TX; Leaves behind a wife, Valerie and two children, son, Jerome Jr and daughter, Christine. | Jerome Bahm, Jr. | ||
| Bob (Merv) Avin | ’76-’80 | 24OCT11 | John Bennett | ||
| Mike D. Smith | FN | ’76 | Accident at Ship’s Event | Ronald Zepke | |
| Dennis Roeber | LT. Engineer | ’78-’79 | 01OCT21 | That was the first ship that I was involved with As soulmates. The best shipmates and wives group. Still in touch with many. Prayers for those gone but never forgotten. Thank you!! | |
| Richard Dominick | MSC | ’78-’81 | 09/98 | ||
| Steven Lee Phillips | SN | ’78-’80 | 09NOV80 | ’78-’79 West Pac crew. Died just a few months after leaving the service. | Bob Kyle |
| Richard Schuerger | CDR (C.O.) | ’78-’80 | 12AUG13 | Fresno’s 9th Commanding Officer. https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/utsandiego/obituary.aspx?n=richard-schuerger&pid=166431587 | Mike Ogonowski |
| Rick Trull | Nov 22 | David Roy Leppert | |||
| Jeffrey B. Cole | HT | ’79 | 18DEC15 | Bob Kyle | |
| 80’s | |||||
| Donald Lux | SN | ’80-’82 | 15APR12 | Met Don on the flight to the Philippines where we both started our time aboard the Fresno. He was a good guy and he enjoyed life to the fullest. We met up a few years after the Fresno, he was from Philly and I was from the Allentown area of Pa. He was in my wedding and I was best man in his, he and his wife had 3 kids together. He was my best friend form the day we met until his passing 10 years ago, he is truly missed by all “RIP” my friend | Russell Hicks (’80-’83) |
| Kenneth Knox | MS3 | ’80-’82 | |||
| Tim Satterfield | SN | ’80-’82 | 20APR08 | Heart attack. Was from Missouri. Wife is Shannon | Russell Hicks and Mark Dunn |
| Truman “Bud” DeLaMatter | SK | ’79-’82 | 24MAY21 | from Gentry, AR | Gregory A. Fox |
| Brent St. John | HTFN | ’80-’84 | 15JAN22 | Cisneros and McGilvray | |
Gerald F. DeConto | LTJG | ’82-’84 | 11SEP01 | Arrived at Pentagon in June 2001, Captain USN. Never forget we lost one of ours on 9/11! | Mark Donn |
| Ron “Sprout” Sprouse | BMSN | ’82-’86 | 11NOV15 | The fact he looked like he was in grade school, smoking, and a pool shark . | |
| Bill Keebaugh | EN1 | ’83-’87 | 18JUN21 | EN1 Keebaugh was one of the most memorable sailors from my time aboard Fresno, and that’s saying something. He was extraordinarily competent at his job and took pride in knowing everything there was to know about it. His example taught me, a new officer on my first ship, the importance of knowing your stuff and when you’re in charge, be in charge. If he was cantankerous at times, it was because he didn’t suffer fools, so best to not be one. I respected him greatly as an enlisted leader who was on top of his job, and if you knew your job and knew your stuff, he respected you in return, but you had to earn it. That made me a better officer. RIP EN1, you made our ship and our Navy better. https://www.kitsapsun.com/obituaries/pbks0033740 | Joe Wright |
| Jerry Rumberg | BM3 | ’86-’88 | 2022 | it is with a heavy heart to have learned of the passing of Jerry Rumberg. Edward Snow called me this morning to deliver the news. Jerry was my “Sea Daddy” and a true gentleman. Our sincere condolences to his family and to all those who knew him. Jerry, may you Rest In Peace my Brother | Mark Collard |
| William Edward “Will” Johnson | EN3 | ’85-’88 | 12DEC11 | Will was assigned to M-Division and worked in #1 Engineroom. He always had that great outlook on life. A gentle giant who loved to laugh. Rest easy shipmate. | EN2 Burke (’85-’89) Ekrubet@gmail.com |
| Allen Bayley | BM2 | ’86-’89 | 06SEP22 | Shipmates of the Fresno, we lost Allan Bailey. He was a Bm2 on the Fresno but retired as BMCS down here in Jax. He was my best friend and brother. | ENCS SW/AW Ed Swanson |
| John Sorby | SN | 87-91 | 1994 (?) | Sorby was a funny guy. Inventor of the phrase, “I’m chewed”. He is missed. | GMG3 Peterson (’88-’90) HossPete@yahoo.com |
| Harvey Dwyer | HMC | ’87-’89 | 16OCT21 | https://www.tributearchive.com/obituaries/24697957/harvey-wade-dwyer | Doc Johnson 1987-1989 |
| 90’s | |||||
| Keith Lowe | LT | ’90-’91 | 1998 (?) | When I transferred to TAR he always called me the “Tar baby!” Later in his career, he transferred to TAR as well! | LT Joe Blaylock (’88-’91) joe.blaylock87@gmail.com |
| Randy Cale Fisher | ENFN | ’90-’93 | 18AUG21 | Gents I was just informed early this evening that we lost a Fresno Shipmate. He was part of the Decom crew 1990-1993 and was in #1 ER with me. On the 18th of August 2021 ENFN Randy Cale Fisher was taken from us do to liver failure. The will be a celebration of life this coming weekend in I believe Marion, VA area. His daughter reached out to me and said she would provide the details. If anyone in this group has Jeff Caldwell’s number please relay it to him. Him and Randy were like Mutt and Jeff in #1 ER!!! Please keep the family in your prayers!!! | Jeff Sliker |
Do you remember a shipmate or have a family member who served aboard the Fresno who has passed on? Enter their name below, and we will add them to our list.