ROBERT DANIEL QUINN
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June, 1940, to the end of peacetime, had only the days the calendar allots but to a new Ensign Quinn that length of time couldn't possibly contain the experiences. Junior electrical officer in SARATOGA, a J.O.mess where '40 was well represented, great times ashore and rewarding professional activity packed every minute. Then the ordered peacetime life shifted overnight to the hectic tempo of war. Still in SARATOGA, frantic activity led to the ship's first receipt of Japanese torpedoes and return to Bremerton. During overhaul, Ensign Quinn departed for Submarine School.
1942 brought marriage to a fellow Iowan and fellow Coe College student, Viola Bohlen. It also brought orders to commission USS TUNNY. TUNNY, under highly successful skippers Grenfell, Scott and Pierce, was to be Quinn's wartime home except for assignment to commission USS TYRONE and assume command of USS SARGO.
Posl-war assignment for LCDR Quinn included XO of USS FULTON during the Bikini A-bomb test, skipper of Mare Island Retraining Command and CO USS PERCH. PERCH participated in one of the few Korean War offensive submarine actions with an embarked Royal Marine Commando. This action mitigated past humor concerning the "Pregnant Perch."
CDR Quinn returned to academia as a student at Harvard Business School, an overseas assignment on staff ComWavFe and OPS Subron 6. A new professional world dawned with orders to command USS BORDELON. Mainly with the Sixth Fleet in the Med, the tour was fascinating. By this time, the Quinn family had enlarged by adding Patricia, Kathleen and R.D., Jr. and R.D., Sr. was a four-striper.
First assignment to the Pentagon, in Chinfo, was followed by CO USS RIGEL and OPS and Plans at ServLant. Final sea duty commanding 2nd Fleet flagship, USS NEWPORT NEWS was the high point of a naval career which produced memories which last forever. Staff, Harvard Business School, Regional Director of Health, Education and Welfare in Boston and Director of that Federal Department's Office of Facilities Engineering in Washington preceded final retirement.
Marriage to Ruth Henderson followed dissolution of the first marriage and, from 40 beautiful acres of North Carolina Smokey Mountains, they enjoy life and contemplate the good fortune of their progeny.
Pat(Quinn): MCI, Washington, DC, 4 children.
Barbara(Henderson): High School Teacher, Plymouth, MA, 3 children. Kay (Quinn): CDR, US NAVY, Coronado, CA, 2 children.
Sandra (Henderson): Director, Group Home, Hayesville, NC.
Rob (Quinn): Computer Financial Services, Schenectady, NY, 2 children.
Chuck(Henderson): Man-About-Sea, Marathon, FL.