The United States Navy Memorial Stories of Service Program is honored to announce the July 2018 story of the month, has been selected to recognize the service of United States Navy Veteran, Captain Elton Hankins. The United States Navy Memorial Stories of Service Program was privileged to interview Captain Elton Hankins at the USS Spinax SS-489 reunion at Daytona Beach Florida in the fall of 2017.

Captain Hankins began his interview by sharing his desire to serve his country in the armed forces. After achieving high marks in school and conversations with his local representative he remarked, “I got a call from my representative and he said, I have an appointment at the Naval Academy if you want to go there. I said, yes I did and it was the best decision I ever made." He attended the United States Naval Academy and is a proud member of the class of 1954.

Following his four years of study at Annapolis, he was ordered to Pearl Harbor and assigned to the USS Fletcher DD-445 which was the lead ship in its class. It was in Hawaii where he would meet his wife Harriett and with her support, he would attend Submarine School in New London Connecticut. Captain Hankins shared, “While in New London I served in the submarine Sable Fish, and my wife had the first four of our five children. I went on to teach at the Submarine School in New London.” From his assignment teaching at the Submarine School, Hankins would be sent to the USS Sea Owl SS-405, the USS Bashaw SS-241, and the USS Bugara SS-331. After serving as the Executive Officer of the USS Bugara SS-331, he attended the University of Southern California Post Graduate school and studied International Relations. Upon completion of his course work, Captain Hankins received his first command and was ordered to the USS Spinax SS-489. As Commanding Officer of the USS Spinax, he would comment on the outstanding achievements of the crew who worked under him. Following his time on the USS Spinax, Hankins was sent to Washington D.C. to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. From Washington, he would serve back at sea on the Submarine Tender, USS Gilmore AS-16 until being ordered back to Washington to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Political-Military Affairs Department focused on the Middle East and Africa Division. Captain Hankins would then be assigned to the Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff focused on Political-Military Affairs Department and the Middle East and Africa Division. His next assignment would be to the Defense Language School where he would learn Turkish which would prepare him for a new role overseas in the Mediterranean. In June of 1980 he would serve on the Joint US Military Mission for Aid to Turkey as the Senior Naval Advisor. His final assignment before retiring would be on the Naval Discharge Review Board in Washington D.C. His service in the United States Navy would span over 34 years during the Cold War and his assignments at sea and on land included significant operations which are remembered in the annals of United States Naval history.

The United States Navy Memorial honors United States Navy Veteran, Captain Elton Hankins, featured within this series titled, Stories of Service, 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 https://www.navymemorial.org/stories-of-service.