Captain
E-mail from Robert Crandall forwarded to Doc in 2010:
To all those who served on the Mazama under Captain Peter Viscardi it is with regret I am sending this email out to you to inform you of his death. I received a call from his son also,Peter Viscardi, that he has passed away about 3 wks ago after having surgery at the VA Hospital that he was at in Alabama. If anyone wishes to send a condolence if you send it to me at my email address I will be glad to forward them to his son. If anyone has a memory that they would like to rely he would more then glad to receive them as his father always remembered the crew of the Mazama even after his Alzheimer.
Comment from Michael Mayes:
I am saddened to hear of the Captain’s death. We were in Hawaii, it was raining and me and a few of the guys were walking back to the ship. Captain Viscardi and the XO and a few other officers were drivingby, he made the car stop, threw out a few of the officers (including the XO) told us to get in and drove us back to the ship. I never forgot him.
Captain Viscardi was the finest CO I ever had the privilege to know. I reported aboard MAZAMA in November ’68 as a PC-3, made PC-2 shortly thereafter. The Captain made it a point to summon me to his cabin, welcome me aboard and ensure that I knew my “only job aboard my ship” was to bring him his mail. While we were in port at Earle (NJ) the Captain, XO CDR Stewart, then SM-2 Mike Scott, my then fiance and I enjoyed libation and conversation at a little bar outside the main gate. A genuinely nice man, I was saddened to hear of his passing. I will never forget his orders to the tugs standing by to nudge up to the pier at Davisville on our return after the ’69 WestPac. “Tell the tugs to stand down, I took her out and I’m taking her home” And he conned the MAZY right up alongside that pier. BTW he assumed command in July of 1968 and was still there when I left in January ’70
I’ve just recently discovered the Mazama website and was very saddened to hear of Captain Viscardi’s passing.
He was a great guy and a wonderful Skipper and it was a pleasure serving with him.
Best regards to all my shipmates!
Dennis Milan, RD-2, 1968/70
I have fond memories of Capt. Viscardi; he used to sunbath on the signal deck and if I happen to be near the radar shack, I was would trade paper backs with him. He was reading a Louis L’Amour novel and I happen to be reading Sarkhan by Lederer and Burdick. (A sequel to the Ugly American) I loaned him the book which he enjoyed. Then I got chewed out by SMC Menard for fraternizing with an Officer. I always enjoyed bugging Chief Menard!
RIP Captain!