"One of the first things you got was your qualification card. The first two weeks everyone took you under their wing and guided me through...you studied, you read, and you learned every valve, every wire, and every switch. It was a very interesting learning curve."
Lieutenant Commander David Hinkel, USN
The United States Navy Memorial Stories of Service Program is honored to announce the March 2019 story of the month has been selected to recognize the service of United States Navy Veteran, Lieutenant Commander David Hinkel. The United States Navy Memorial Stories of Service Program was privileged to interview Lieutenant Commander David Hinkel at the USS Spinax SS-489 reunion at Daytona Beach Florida in the fall of 2017.
Lieutenant Commander Hinkel began his interview by reflecting on his entry into the United States Navy and the service of his Father. Hinkel shared, “In 1965 things were heating up in Vietnam and I was a high school graduate and prime candidate, my Dad was a World War Two pilot and retired Colonel. He wanted me to go into the Air Force...but I was a little rebellious...I thought the Navy was so much better because I liked the uniforms and I had some buddies in the Navy.” He attended Boot Camp at San Diego and recalled, "Boot Camp was an indoctrination...some guys had a really hard time, I was a squad leader and having my Dad's training about doing stuff. You learned how to get along...and do the best thing you can." Following Boot Camp, Hinkel was sent to Engineman A School at Great Lakes and commented on the cold weather but the valuable lessons learned.
Upon completion of Engineman A School he volunteered for Submarine School because he felt that was where the best of the best went. The lessons learned at Submarine School would provide essential tools that Hinkel would use at sea. His first boat was the USS Spinax SS 489. He recalled, "One of the first things you got was your qualification card. The first two weeks everyone took you under their wing and guided me thro
ugh...you studied, you read, and you learned every valve, every wire, and every switch. It was a very interesting learning curve."
His first cruise on the Spinax was to the Western Pacific for six months. He visited Hawaii, the Philippines, and Japan. He shared stories at sea when the Spinax played cat and mouse with a red Chinese destroyer during the Cold War, life on t
he Spinax, and visiting different ports. He spoke fondly of his Spinax service and commented, “The comradery on the Spinax was amazing. The boat with a heart, because you’ve got the core which is the boat and the crew which make it up. The boat had a heart which is everyone who was on it, we watched out for each other.” From his service on the Spinax he would transfer to the USS Pomodon SS 486 before concluding the first half of his service in 1969. In 1975 Hinkel would reenter the United States Navy and retire as a Lieutenant Commander in 1993.
The United States Navy Memorial honors United States Navy Veteran, Lieutenant Commander David Hinkel, 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 David Hinkel Part One Joining the Navy, Memories of His Father, and Boot Camp at San Diego
Interview of David Hinkel Part Two Memories of Submarine School, the USS Spinax, and WestPac during the Cold War
Interview of David Hinkel Part Three Service on the USS Pomodon SS 486 and Conclusion of Service