“I was born and raised on Long Island New York and was boating from a young age... Vietnam came up and the draft came up, I knew I was not a soldier, I was a sailor.”
Enginemen Third Class Ronald J. Riederich, USN
The United States Navy Memorial Stories of Service Program is honored to announce the November 2018 story of the month has been selected to recognize the service of United States Navy Veteran, Enginemen Third Class Ronald J. Riederich. The United States Navy Memorial Stories of Service Program was privileged to interview Enginemen Third Class Ronald J. Riederich at the USS Spinax SS-489 reunion at Daytona Beach Florida in the fall of 2017.
Enginemen Third Class Ronald J. Riederich began his interview by sharing “I was born and raised on Long Island New York and was boating from a young age... Vietnam came up and the draft came up, I knew I was not a soldier, I was a sailor.” Riederich enlisted in the Navy in 1966 and his training began soon after. He recalled, “I went to boot camp in Great Lakes Illinois in January of 1966, there we learned how to take care of ourselves and it was very basic…the training changes you from being an adolescent to an adult." Following basic training, Riederich was ordered to Submarine School in Rhode Island. It was there he learned a multitude of skills to become the newest member of the silent service.
He was then instructed to report to the USS Spinax in San Diego, California. Upon arriving aboard the Spinax he 
shared, "from there on it wasn’t basic, it was qualifying on every system and crawling throughout that submarine becoming familiar with everything...after six months of that and getting signed off, you were qualified on submarines.” He spoke fondly about qualifying for submarines and the proud feeling of accomplishment upon achieving that monumental task.
After qualifying, he was assigned to the engine room and worked to ensure the boat operated at maximum efficiency. Riederich participated in a WestPac cruise which took him to a variety of Pacific ports during critical moments of the Cold War. He reflected on crossing the Equator, spending six consecutive weeks under water while participating in a classified mission, and the strong comradery among the crew of the USS Spinax.
The United States Navy Memorial honors United States Navy Veteran, Enginemen Third Class Ronald J. Riederich, featured within this series titled, Tales from the Navy Log, Story of the Month. Each month, this series honors a Veteran’s story recorded by the Stories of Service Program at the Navy Memorial. To learn more about this story and to explore the Navy Memorial archive, visit the Navy Memorial Stories of Service site at http://navylog.navymemorial.org/stories-of-service.
To view this interview please visit the USS Spinax SS-489 Collection on the Navy Memorial Stories of Service page.
Interview of R. J. Riederich Part One Joining the Navy in 1966 and Memories of Submarine School
Interview of R. J. Riederich Part Two Joining the Crew of the USS Spinax and Earning his Dolphins
Interview of R. J. Riederich Part Three Memories of the USS Spinax and Life in the Engine Room
Interview of R. J. Riederich Part Four Memories of the Spinax and the WestPac Cruise
Interview of R. J. Riederich Part Five Westpac Ports of Call on the USS Spinax
Interview of R. J. Riederich Part Six Service in the United States Coast Guard during the Cold War