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Ensign Mel Kowal 1955
SECTION 7.
Top row left to right: Lt. (jg) Howie Egan, Lt. (jg) Dale Mix, Lt. (jg) Charley Johnson, Lt. (jg) Dick Berry,
Lt. (jg) Don Ruth, Lt. (jg) Mel Kowal, Lt. (jg) Lou Schlaufman. Middle row left to right: Lt. (jg) Pat Howe,
Lt. Tom Fitzgerald, Lt. Cmdr. Ray Davies, Lt. (jg) Fred Adair, Lt. (jg) Clark Gill, Lt. (jg) Curt Brotherton,
Bottom row left to right: Ensign Paul McCarthy, Lt. (jg) Terry Rawson, Ensign Irv Levy,
Ensign Terry Dearborn
Pier 91 in Seattle, Washington
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Radio/Radar Antenna Arrangement and Rigging
27 March, 1957
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DER-386 Wardroom - 1955 Christmas party
Family outing on Puget Sound
Ensign Mel Kowal - 1954
Plank Owner
Electronics Officer
Operations Officer onboard 1954 - 1957
[All photographs were most graciously provided by Mel Kowal.]
The MEI LEE - Mel's current craft - on U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary
Regatta Patrol for the America's Cup off San Diego several years
ago. Mel is a 21 year member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary, and is
still active in it. Mel is on the flying bridge waving.
Eileen and Mel Kowal
(they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in November 2004)
Mel has a great web site:
(contains an excellent animated tutorial on popular seaman's knots)
Ashtray made from a 3" 50 mm gun shell casing from the SAVAGE. Made for Mel by the Engineering Department.
Mel crafted two lamps from wood that was salvaged from the ECM antenna.
Base is made from circular plastic radar screens.
Mel was presented with this commissioning pennant the day he left the SAVAGE.
