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During January and February the USS SARGO continued its deployment to the Western with visits to Guam, Subic Bay, Republic of the Philippines, and Hong Kong. Ken Hartung MMC(SS)(1973 – 1977) passed along this sea story from WESTPAC-76 while the boat was in Hong Kong: “We were in Hong Kong harbor, moored out of course. Lousy weather but a great liberty port. Ken Turner RMC(SS) and I were seated at the China Fleet Club bar (where else?) at about ten in the morning when the phone rings and I am asked to come back to the boat to take care of an important matter. “Upon arriving back on the boat I am greeted by one of my strikers who had the topside watch. Having a ‘slight’ hangover I really didn’t pay attention to his attire. Once down below the COB asks me to remove the striker from the watch bill. Why, I ask? “It seems that before I came back this very young, very skinny sailor was blown over the side in a gust of wind. The COB goes on to mention that had I really looked at this topside watch I would have noticed that the lad is now standing watch with 100 pounds of TDU weights tied to his watch belt. I did as requested and he was removed from the watch bill once I had stopped laughing!!!”

Courtesy Mike Hacking	Courtesy Mike Hacking
Mike Hacking on a side-trip to Taipei, Taiwan in front of the Grand Hotel.	Fritz Frederick on a side-trip to Taipei, Taiwan in front of the Grand Hotel.

In March USS SARGO conducted operations in the Philippines and South China Sea, making a port visit at Pusan, Korea and in April USS SARGO returned to Subic Bay, Philippines and participated in READEX 2-76. The following photos provided by Jim Pulver were of the ship and crew in Pusan and in Subic Bay"

Courtesy Jim Pulver	Courtesy Jim Pulver
USS SARGO moored off-shore in Pusan, Korea	USS SARGO moored off-shore in Pusan, Korea

Courtesy Jim Pulver	Courtesy Jim Pulver
USS SARGO moored off-shore in Pusan, Korea	Liberty in the Philippines

Courtesy Jim Pulver	Courtesy Jim Pulver
Topside Watch in Subic Bay, Philippines	Jim Pulver on liberty

USS SARGO conducted an upkeep in Guam during May and departed the night before Super Typhoon Pamela’s arrival and devastation of Guam, transiting back to Pearl Harbor, HI.

The near equatorial trough produced a tropical depression on May 14 north of Chuuk. It moved southwestward, becoming a tropical storm on the 15th. Pamela slowly looped to the northwest, and reached typhoon status on the 16th. On the 18th and 19th, Pamela rapidly intensified to a 150 mph (240 km/h) super typhoon, and slowly weakened as it continued its northwest movement. On May 21 the typhoon crossed Guam with sustained winds of 140 mph (230 km/h). After slowly crossing the island, Pamela turned to the north, and weakened until becoming extratropical on the 26th. Pamela was the strongest typhoon to hit Guam since Super Typhoon Karen in 1962. Though Karen was much stronger, Pamela's slow crossing caused much more damage, amounting to $500 million (1976 USD, $1.7 billion 2005 USD). Well-executed warnings allowed for only one death in Guam. Before Typhoon Pamela hit Guam, ten people died in a landslide in Truk (Chuuk) from its heavy rains.

USS SARGO returned from deployment, arriving at Pearl Harbor, HI on 31 May 1976.

Courtesy Bob McBride

USS SARGO returned to Pearl Harbor from WESTPAC

Robert McBride provided the following photos from the WESTPAC Deployment:

Courtesy Bob McBride	Courtesy Bob McBride
Liberty in the Philippines	USS SARGO at sea

Courtesy Bob McBride	Courtesy Bob McBride
USS SARGO moored off-shore	USS SARGO moored off-shore

Courtesy Bob McBride	Courtesy Bob McBride
USS SARGO returned to Pearl Harbor from WESTPAC	USS SARGO back in Pearl Harbor

Courtesy Bob McBride	Courtesy Bob McBride
Greeting Family and Friends	Greeting Family and Friends

In June the USS SARGO remained inport with a post-WESTPAC standdown for the crew. USS SARGO conducted an upkeep during July and returned to conducting local operations during August. USS SARGO finished the year (September thru December) in a Restricted Availability Docking (RAD) at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard.