Master Chief Petty Officer Kenneth E. Fondren, USN (Ret) quietly Departed on Eternal Patrol in the early morning hours of Wednesday, 23 July 2008 due to complications of an ongoing illness.

Ken, ‘Muff’ to his friends, was born in Plainview, Texas on December 7th, 1946, the 5th anniversary of that Day of Infamy, to Warren Dale and Milred Marie Fondren.  At a young age, Muff enlisted in the Navy to become an Intelligence Specialist of renown.  He was a Submarine Spook Rider and Aircrew Intelligence Collector in addition to being a shipmate, mentor, and dear friend to many.  Submarine spec-ops of the 60’s, 70’s, & 80’s were highly classified and only recently, after the publishing of a book, have riders been able to admit they even existed.  Muff made these 60-day submerged spec-ops on, among other boats, USS Bluefish, USS Ray, USS Queenfish, USS Bergal, and USS G. P. Lipscomb.  In addition to submarine spec-ops, Muff flew aerial intel ops while attached to VQ-1, and served at overseas intel commands and in our Nation’s capitol, retiring after 26 years of honorable and faithful service.  Muff was a also a plank owner of the local area chapter of Drum Base, U.S. Submarine Veterans, Inc. and associate member of Ala/Flo Chapter, Submarine Veterans WWII.

Muff has many friends in the Intelligence Community, Submarine Community, and his home for the past fifteen years, Molino, Florida.  Burial will be at Barrancas National Cemetery, NAS Pensacola, Florida with full military honors; date and time not yet determined.

Sailor, rest your oars……