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Home Town Connellsville, Pennsylvania
Last Address USS Iowa (BB-61) Buried at Mount Tabor Cemetery, Connellsville, Pennsylvania.
GM3 Heath Eugune Stillwagon, 21, of Connellsville, PA, was one of 47 men killed in the explosion of gun turret #2 on the USS Iowa, during training maneuvers in the Atlantic Ocean off of Puerto Rico. Served in the Navy from 13 Feb 1986 - 19 Apr 1989.
Described by his mother as a "happy boy, very athletic", and planned to attend college after getting out of the service. His only assignment after Great Lakes Naval Training Center was aboard the Iowa, where he volunteered to be a gunner's mate, firing the gun and making repairs.
Iowa Class Battleship: Displacement 45,000 Tons, Dimensions, 887' 3" (oa) x 108' 2" x 37' 9" (Max)Armament 9 x 16"/50 20 x 5"/38AA, 80 x 40mm 49 x 20mm, 3 AC. Armor, 12 1/8" Belt, 17" Turrets, 1 1/2" +6" +5/8" Decks, 17 1/4" Conning Tower. Machinery, 212,000 SHP; G.E. Geared Turbines, 4 screws. Speed, 33 Knots, Crew 1921. Operational and Building Data: Laid down by New York Naval Ship Yard, June 27, 1940. Launched August 27, 1942. Commissioned February 22, 1943. Decommissioned March 24, 1949. Recommissioned August 25, 1951. Decommissioned February 2, 1958. Recommissioned April 28, 1984. Decommissioned October 26, 1990. Stricken for disposal 12 January 1995 but retained as a parts source. Reinstated on the Naval Vessels Register and returned to reserve status 4 January 1999. Fate: Preserved as Memorial at 250 S Harbor Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90731