By John Montesano –
The Fox Valley Veterans Breakfast Club has named Ralph Fisher, the May 2018 Veteran of the Month.
Ralph, born in Chicago October 21, 1944, was raised in Lombard, until he went into the Navy. After graduating high school, he attended Greer Tech in Chicago. He worked as a mechanic until he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, November 14, 1964. Considered a journeyman diesel mechanic, he was offered an E-3 Engineman rating. Knowing that an Engineman would be sent to Vietnam, Ralph promptly changed his rating to Nuclear. He went to A School for machinist mate; followed by Basic Nuclear Power Training School; and prototype training. He volunteered to be an engineering laboratory technician and was sent to Groton, Conn. for Submarine School.
In January 1967, Ralph received his orders for the USS George Bancroft SSBN-643, a ballistic missile submarine. Stationed in Groton, they operated in Holy Loch, Scotland. They would go on patrol consisting of 60 days at sea; two weeks in Scotland for shake down and refitting and another 60 days at sea. They would return to Groton for 30 days R and R. Some of Ralph’s patrols took him into Russian waters. He is a “Bluenose” which means he has crossed the Arctic Circle. In his case, he did it underwater in a submarine.
While out to sea, Ralph had to qualify at every station. At the Sonar station, Ralph was given a headset. He immediately received contact and could hear a screw(propeller) count, but the sonar man on station could not hear it. They drove toward the sound and did not pick it up until they were 40 miles closer. After that, if the sonar man got a faint contact, they would call Ralph from engineering to confirm it. In fact, Ralph was adept at many facets of running things, the type of petty officer you want on your boat.
After four years, he was sent to Advanced Refrigeration and Air Conditioning School. His last duty was temporary duty on the USS Tinosa in Kittery, Maine, waiting for completion of construction of the USS Sand Lance. It took 18 months before the Sand Lance was launched.
November 22, 1972, Ralph left the Navy as a Machinist Mate 1st Class Submarine Service and came home to Chicago. When I asked Ralph if he minded being called a “bubble head”, he said: “We made more money than officers in the regular military. Call me anything you want.”
From 1973 to 1976, he worked jobs as a maintenance mechanic, hotel engineer, project manager, and plastics factory engineer. In 1976, Ralph went to work for Illinois Bell for 21 years. He was in building operation management; taught building operation management; and taught and installed a digital control system. When Illinois Bell closed, he went to Automated Logic, 1997-2006. He did sales, engineering, and project management. When that closed, Ralph went back to college. However, circumstances dictated that Ralph go get a job. He went to work for Premier Engineers Commissioning Authority as a commissioner. He considers it the best job he ever had. After all, the job is to find things wrong, but not have to do fix it. Ralph retired in 2013.
Ralph married his childhood sweetheart, Sandra. They started dating at age 14, were engaged several times and finally married April 28, 1965. They have two sons and three grandchildren. They have lived in Berwyn and Woodridge, and now in Montgomery.
Ralph likes to hunt and fish. He even started a hunting club named the Cock and Bull Sportsman’s Club. He doesn’t have the Cock and Bull Sportsman’s Club anymore, but he still has the plaque in the garage.