MICHAEL A. ODENING, LTJG, USN
Michael Odening '66
Lucky Bag
From the 1966 Lucky Bag:
MICHAEL ANTHONY ODENING
Silver Spring, Maryland
A Navy Junior and a resident of Silver Spring, Maryland, Mike was well-prepared for his life at the Naval Academy as a midshipman. While a plebe, Mike was fairly adept at remaining unobtrusive except for a bathrobe-clad encounter with the Officer of the Watch on the terrace behind Smoke Hall. Trying to avoid the wrath of the Officers of the Watch while studying into the wee morning hours, Mike pulled good grades, especially in Physics, his major. Mike's affability and even temper stood him in good stead throughout the onslaughts of his practical-joking roommates. Judging from the model of the SSBN George Washington hidden behind the pipes and books on his desk, Mike was interested in Nuclear Submarines, but, when asked, he indicated no preference either for surface or sub-surface ships. In either event, the Navy will gain a valuable career officer.
He was also a member of the 6th Company staff (spring).
MICHAEL ANTHONY ODENING
Silver Spring, Maryland
A Navy Junior and a resident of Silver Spring, Maryland, Mike was well-prepared for his life at the Naval Academy as a midshipman. While a plebe, Mike was fairly adept at remaining unobtrusive except for a bathrobe-clad encounter with the Officer of the Watch on the terrace behind Smoke Hall. Trying to avoid the wrath of the Officers of the Watch while studying into the wee morning hours, Mike pulled good grades, especially in Physics, his major. Mike's affability and even temper stood him in good stead throughout the onslaughts of his practical-joking roommates. Judging from the model of the SSBN George Washington hidden behind the pipes and books on his desk, Mike was interested in Nuclear Submarines, but, when asked, he indicated no preference either for surface or sub-surface ships. In either event, the Navy will gain a valuable career officer.
He was also a member of the 6th Company staff (spring).
Loss
Mike was lost when USS Scorpion (SSN 589) sank on May 22, 1968.
Other Information
From USS Scorpion (SSN-589) In Memoriam:
Michael Anthony Odening was born December 17, 1944, in Los Angeles, Calif. He attended elementary school in Arcadia, Coronado, and Danville, Calif., and Arlington, Va. Lt. (jg) Odening went to Monterey (Calif.) High School, and graduated from Princess Anne High School in Norfolk, Va. As a youth he was active in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts.
He was appointed a midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy in June 1962, where he participated in swimming events and was a member of the French Club. After graduating from the Academy with the class of 1966, he received nuclear propulsion training in Bainbridge, Md., and Schenectady, N.Y., and basic submarine training at the Groton Naval Submarine School. He reported to the USS Scorpion in January 1968. He was authorized to wear the National Defense Service Medal.
He is survived by his widow, the former Doreen M. Miller of Saratoga, N. Y. He is also survived by his parents, Captain and Mrs. Robert E. Odening, USN (Ret.), of Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.
Michael swam varsity for the USNA swim team.
An article published June 1, 1968 in The Daily Breeze, during the period when the submarine was considered late but not yet lost, mentions that Michael's father had previously served aboard the destroyer USS Norfolk (DL-1) with an unnamed member of the USS Scorpion crew. Michael was also survived by his three siblings Timothy, Susan, and Gerald.
Michael has a memory marker in the Naval Academy Cemetery.
Remembrances
From The Capital Gazette, June 24, 2019, "Charles R. Jones: 51 years later, remembering the USS Scorpion":
Since one of my Naval Academy Class of 1966 classmates (Lt. J.G. Michael Odening) was onboard and was lost, I have always been interested in the details surrounding the loss of this submarine, even speculation.
This loss is especially important to me since Mike sat next to me at Nuclear Power Prototype School in 1967 when our nuclear power class was making commitments to “go subs” or “go surface.” He selected subs, and I selected surface. Mike would likely have been just qualifying as engineering officer of the watch on Scorpion in 1968 when I was qualifying on USS Enterprise, both during deployments.
Photographs
Related Articles
John Doherty '66 and Leland C. Sage '66 were also in 6th Company.
Francis Slattery '54, David Lloyd '56, Daniel Stephens '59, John Burke '63, Charles Lamberth '63, George Farrin '63, John Sweet '64, and Laughton Smith '65 were also aboard USS Scorpion (SSN 589) when she was lost with all hands on May 22, 1968.
The "category" links below lead to lists of related Honorees; use them to explore further the service and sacrifice of alumni in Memorial Hall.