Chief Petty Officer Carlos G. Studabaker

From the 1967 West Pac Cruise Book:
In Memoriam
The Western Pacific-Veitnam Cruise Book is dedicated to Chief Petty Officer Carlos G. Studabaker. Chief Studabaker died as a result of a heart attack on 6 Dec, 1967. He is survived by his wife and five children, living in White Pidgeon, Michigan and his father living in Constantine, Michigan. The chief had served 20 years in the navy and was due to retire in April of 1968. He was an excellent fire control technician, extremely competent in his field, and the New's performance in her gunfire support missions for friendly troops in South Veitnam relied heavily upon his skills. He was an effective leader who was genuinely admired and respected by the men who worked with him and for him. His absence is felt by all the officers and men aboard the New.

In Memory of…

When I enlisted in the Navy, in 1954, I heard this phrase almost daily, "The Chief's run the Navy." I don't know if that's still true, but I hope it is. I eventually served twenty-six years, throughout which I worked for, worked with, and had work for me countless CPOs (I use this general abbreviation to include E7s, E8s, and E9s) who represented this phrase with integrity and honor. My intent in the next few paragraphs is to share my point of view about one: Chief Carlos Studabaker, FTC, a gentleman, a leader, a NEW shipmate, and a friend.

I reported aboard New in September of 1965, a recent graduate of Destroyer School. My billet was Weapons Officer. As my memory serves, Chief Studabaker was the leading chief of the department. My memory of his official status may be wrong, but my memory of his leading role bringing the NEW's weapon systems to top condition, and keeping them there is indelible.

NEW had been FRAM converted a few years before my tour. FRAM conversion focused on Ant-submarine warfare, and I inherited an ASROC and DASH equipped ASW system that performed to specifications, and was reliable: a tribute to the men that kept it so. Her gun system, however, was another matter. My first month aboard NEW was a roller coaster ride. ASW was a high, shooting the guns, or attempting to, was a low. Let me hasten to add the gun system's problems were no fault of the men who tended its various pieces. In a word, the system was old. NEW's fire control computer, gun director, and 5" guns had seen only routine alterations, and day-to-day maintenance since her commissioning in 1945. After twenty years the system was showing symptoms of arthritis.

Ironically, a problem in the ASW system's switchboard taught me how knowledgeable Chief Studabaker was about the ship's weapons systems in general. Over the next eight months, in part concurrent with a Mediterranean and Red Sea deployment, Chief Studabaker lead a team of Fire Control Division and Gunnery Division men determined to bring the gun system to acceptable readiness. One of our highlights was a four page Casualty Report message that brought us badly needed engineering services, and set a record for one of the longest CASREPS ever received by the engineering station. The man that responded to the call told us they'd fought over who would take the call just to see if the details of the many faults outlined were accurate. They were.

Eventually, Chief Studabaker and his team were successful; our 1966-67 overhaul only added to the system's accuracy and reliability. NEW's gunnery performance during refresher training was exemplary. A good thing, since in May of 1967 we deployed to Viet Nam, one of only a handful of Atlantic Fleet destroyers to do so during the entire duration of the war.

I was transferred from NEW in August of 1967. She was in her fourth week of duty on Northern SAR station: shotgun for USS Pratt. Relieved by the new Weapons Officer, I spent the last hour onboard in Chief's Quarters drinking coffee, and reminiscing with Chief Studabaker. For that hour we were simply friends. He walked with me to the fantail where I was lifted by helicopter and shortly after was in route to Yankee Station. I looked out the open door at NEW receding aft. My last thought was the new guy's got a ship that can shoot, and her sides need painting.

Chief Studabaker remained onboard, and, I am certain, was a key player in NEW's successful combat duties. In December NEW headed homeward. Tragically, Chief Carlos Studabaker died, the victim of a heart attack, before she arrived.

For me, more than a year passed before I learned of his passing. I didn't know what to say then, nor do I now. I only knew the Navy had lost one of those legendary Chief's, one of those who ran the Navy.
David Griffith