In January, 1968, the Manitowoc Memorial Association and the Wisconsin Maritime Museum (then called the Manitowoc Maritime Museum, Inc.) was organized by a group of sub vets and public-spirited citizens for the purpose of returning a Manitowoc-built submarine to the area so that it could serve as a memorial.
Focusing on the remaining Manitowoc boats still around, the group set their sights on the USS REDFIN and lobbied hard to have the boat brought to Manitowoc. But after many hours of hard work, the plans to obtain the REDFIN fell through, leaving the group back at square one.
As luck would have it, the COBIA was nearing its term as a dock-side trainer in Milwaukee and was marked to be sold for scrap. Re-thinking of their idea to have a Manitowoc-built boat, the group focused their attention on obtaining the COBIA.
It came down to the wire, but the group was finally able to secure the COBIA, rescuing her from the cutting torches of the scrap yard and made plans to have her towed from Milwaukee to Manitowoc.
