First Filipino Commanding Officer of a Submarine
 

Jose Ricardo "Dick" Corpus, son of Jose Corpus and Carmen Guillermo of Kamuning, Quezon City. Dick is now the Commanding Officer of USS Portsmouth (SSBN-707), one of the most sophisticated nuclear submarines in the world. He was born in Kamuning in 1954 and was a pupil at the Ateneo de Manila University until age 13. His naval career was recently featured in the Asian Journal in San Diego, California. Like most Filipino parents with a yearning for hardship and higher income the Corpus family left Kamuning in 1968 (Dick was 13) and settled in Seattle, Washington, where Dick enrolled in Grade 7. Before long he qualified for advanced classes and his high school grades and his high school grades were impressive enough to earn for congressional appointment to the US Naval Academy at Annapolis. In 1977, age 23; he graduated with a BS in Marine Engineering. In his junior year he volunteered for submarine duty. He was interviewed by Admiral Rickover by Admiral Rickover the architect of nuclear power in the Navy. From then on he specialized in nuclear submarine training. He attended the Nuclear Power School, Proto-type Training and Submarine School. In August 1970 he held several division officer jobs at USS Ray and USS Queenfish that completed Northern and Western Pacific operations and an Indian Ocean deployment. From 1991 to 1992 he was executive officer of USS Nevada. In July 1992, Disk was ordered to join the staff of the Commander, Submarine Force of the Pacific Fleet as strategic operations and plans officer. From this post in July 1994 he was given his own command of a (Los Angeles class) the USS Portsmouth ((SSN707). Portsmouth's main job is to hunt and destroy enemy surface ships and submarines. She has a crew of 145 and can carry such sophisticated weaponry as the Mark 48 antisubmarine torpedo; the Harpoon and Tomahawk guided cruise missile. (Note the Tomahawk was the first missile tested in Iraq conflict when it was launched from nuclear submarine). His submarine won the coveted Battle "e" Readiness Award, a commendation for excellent leadership and crew efficiency in teamwork. The boy from Kamuning and Ateneo has traveled long and hard since he left Quezon City with his parents in 1968. Dick career path is leading to an admiral desk is leading to an admiral desk-someday perhaps-to the pride and honor of his Filipino kin and friends. He is married to nurse Kim Brouillette, from LeMars, Iowa. They have a son named Hunter. (From Manila Bulletin Aug 26, 1997)
+related link==   USS Portsmouth (SSN707)
 

============================================================================== Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2000 19:58:52 +0800 To: Rtorrecar@aol.com From: Jess Ramos Subject: Capt. Dick Corpus, USN Hello Ray, My name is Jess Ramos a resident of Sikatuna Vill, Quezon City. I am a civil engineer by profession in the Philippines and a graduate of Mapua Institute of Technology. I read with admiration a Manila Bulletin newspaper an article about Capt Dick Corpus, as a first Filipino commander of a nuclear submarine. I never thought that a Filipino just one year older than me become a prominent officer in the US Navy. I have a neighbor and a buddy before who graduated from the US Naval Academy in Annapolis being a handpicked scholar after spending a year in the Philippine Military Academy. Capt. Dick Corpus as I read grew up in his younger elemetary schooldays in Kamuning, Quezon City which is very near Sikatuna Village and that he attended Ateneo de Manila in elementary and moved to Washington with his parents. I also read one time here that he is now Chief of Staff of Submarine Group 7. One time they came to Subic Bay for a visit. By the way , what is the rank of Capt Dick Corpus now? The position of a Chief of Staff probably calls for a Commodore (one-star) rank? We are very proud of that boy from Kamuning.  Jess Ramos