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Contact Info
Home Town Altoona, Blair County PA
Last Address Virginia Beach City, Virginia
Date of Passing Sep 28, 2012
Location of Interment Eastern Shore Chapel Cemetery - Virginia Beach, Virginia
Louis was a 1949 graduate of Altoona High School and enlisted in the Naval Reserve. In 1950, he entered the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps. All the billets at Penn State University, in his hometown of Altoona PA were filled, so he transferred to the University of South Carolina and graduated in 1953. He returned to Penn State, where he matriculated in graduate studies in economics. He furthered his education by earning a Master of Science degree at George Washington University in 1965.
From 1949-82, Louis proudly and lovingly wore his uniform, from seaman recruit to convoy commodore, when he was routinely recalled to active duty from retirement (1983-1993) to train with the U.S. Merchant Marine in the convoy of merchant ships in wartime. He served on destroyers, commanding the USS McCloy, USS Jonas Ingram and Destroyer Squadron 2. He spent five years of his career on aviation staffs embarked on Atlantic Fleet carriers and from 1968 to 1971 worked in the destroyer development program in OpNav, 213-230.
His final tour of duty prior to retirement in January 1983 was as chief of staff to Commander Carrier Group Eight. The three rear admiral aviators he served were Bob Dunn, Jim Service, and Jerry Tuttle.
Other Comments:
From the ASSOCIATION OF AVIATION:
LOUIS COLBUS, CAPT., born June 16, 1931, Altoona, PA, and has a MS degree. He joined the service in September 1949 and retired in January 1983. CAPT Colbus received the LOM (Legion of Merit).
Assignments: Commanded USS McCloy (DE-1038); USS Jonas Ingram (DD-938); Destroyer Squadron TWO, Carrier Division. He participated in the Cuban Blockade 1962-63, and Vietnam 1966-67.
Captain Colbus served on the Advisory Council of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society in 2010.
His final request: In lieu of flowers or charitable contributions, friends, family, and shipmates are encouraged to treat a friend to dinner.
Commissioned in 1954 after training as an NROTC midshipman at the University of South Carolina and Penn State University, Colbus initially served in the destroyer escort USS Albert T. Harris (DE-447) and on the staff of Commander Escort Squadron 12. He had temporary duty in late 1958 on the staff of Commander Task Force 88 for nuclear weapons testing, and then was flag secretary, 1958-60, to Rear Admiral Edward C. Stephan, Commander South Atlantic Force. After he took the general line course at the Naval Postgraduate School, Colbus was executive officer of the destroyer escort USS John R. Perry (DE-1034). He had shore tours in the mid-1960s in the Bureau of Naval Personnel and as a student at the Naval War College. Back at sea, he was executive officer of the destroyer USS Basilone (DD-824) during her first Vietnam deployment, then commanded the destroyer escort USS McCloy (DE-1038) in NATO ops. He was part of the program staff that developed the USS Spruance (DD-963)-class destroyers. In the early 1970s he commanded the destroyer USS Jonas Ingram (DD-938), then served on the staff of Commander Carrier Division Six. After duty in the Operational Test and Evaluation Force, Colbus was one of the initial students in the Senior Officer Ship Material Readiness Course in Idaho and later commanded Destroyer Squadron Two from 1976 to 1979. His final tour of duty prior to retirement in 1982 was as chief of staff to Commander Carrier Group Eight. The three rear admiral aviators he served were Bob Dunn, Jim Service, and Jerry Tuttle.
