Having won multiple awards for World War II activity, including the Philippine Liberation Medal, the Navy Unit Commendation, and the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, as well as 9 battle stars, the USS Puffer (SS-268), was laid down in 1942 as a Gato-class submarine by the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company. It completed 9 war patrols under the command of Lieutenant Commander M. J. Jensen. In 1960, the USS Puffer was struck from the Naval Vessel Register and subsequently sold for scrap.
The keel of the submarine was laid down in 1942, during a time when asbestos was heavily employed in shipbuilding. Therefore, it represented a great health danger to those who served on it. We strongly encourage veterans who were present on the USS Puffer (SS-268) to take great care of their health by undergoing annual medical examinations to ensure the asbestos fibers they breathed in have not affected their lungs.
760-621-6147
