Metzler Hanson Realty
P.O. Box 156 920-848-1000
400 E. Highland Drive FAX 920-848-1100
Oconto Falls, WI 54154 1-800-844-9552
RUTH TRUDELL BROKER SALES
920-846-3579 Home Office|
664-7632 Mobile
Buying Or Selling, Call "RUTH"
This is to let each of you who served on the US Diodon from approximately April 1949 to December 1951 that your shipmate Dave (Trudy) Trudell died of adnocarcenoma (lung cancer) July 2, 2001. He was diagnosed on March 2, and was told it is fast growing, and had a short time to live. (I beleived he would live until Sept. but that didn’t happen) . This type of cancer is typically caused from asbestos exposure per the oncologist who treated him.
During the period of the illness, we did see numberous Doctors, and one did ask if he would have been involved in any ‘refittings" while he served in the US Submarine Navy. Since I was not with him in the Doctors office, really don’t know how the conversation did get on him being a submarine sailor, buy a guess would be he volunteered the information because his two favorite topics were his time in the Navy and hunting stories and would tell them anytime someone would listen. When he came out of the office and into the waiting room, he told me the Doctor did ask him if he had been in any refittings!!
He did contact the Veterans Service Office in Oconto County and started some paperwork to have the ‘refittings’ confirmed, but as his illness progressed it just became too difficult to continue with the mounds of paperwork. (During the past 40+ years and the many many times I heard Navy stories repeated, he always stated he was in 3—4 refittings)
. He often told of 3—4 sailors, including him who were encapsuled for 8-12+ hours working in the enclosed submarine during the refitting. I do not recall if this was an order or if it would have been volunteered.The Veterans Service Office has been searching to get some type verification of his being involved in these refittings, and asbes tos exposure. He did often mention being on the refittings. I need each of you who would have been with him during these refittings, or would remember anything like who, time, where, and what was done to write me or the Veterans Service Office on your experiences. I need to know about asbestos on the ship and for exposure and if there was dust from it in the air? Also do you remember mixing white powder with water? Do you remember removing or tearing out pipes? Do you remember wrapping the pipes with cheese cloth covered with the white powder mixed with water?
Do you remember replacing these pipes? Just anything regarding asbestos or refittings. The VA asks your statement be above your signature, so am enclosing VA form 21-4138 for you [Webmaster comment: I could not include it on site]. Anything, just any thing you would remember about the asbestos on the ship, the refittings, the location, please write it down and return to me or to Holly Hoppe, the Oconto County Veteran Service Officer. I really appreciate it.
I beleive possibly you/he worked on the ship during the day and at night slept in another place other than the sub. He often mentioned Mare Island, Japan, Hawaii, San Diego, Frisco etc. My address is RUTH TRUDELL 519 5 Main St, Oconto Falls, WI 54154. Phone 414—846—3579 and e-mail ruthtrudell@ez-net.com . The County Service Office is: Holly Hoppe Oconto Co VSO, Courthouse 301 Washington St, Oconto, WI 54153-1699.
Diodon Don has invited me to the September Diodon reunion, and am seriously considering attending. Know Dave (Trudy from Wisconsin) would be planning to attend if he were alive! ! ! Thanks so much for inviting me also, I really appreciate it. It is being held in Minnesota, you know?
Thanks to each of you in advance.
Sincerely
Ruth Trudell