Radio Waves from a Wooden Warship
For three days in June, the USS Lucid became more than a museum ship. It became a voice on the airwaves, reaching across the world from the Stockton waterfront.
From June 5–7, 2026, the Stockton Delta Amateur Radio Club and the Stockton Maritime History Museum joined a global event that connects amateur radio operators aboard museum ships in honor of naval history.
Built in 1953, the Lucid is a rare survivor: a wooden-hulled minesweeper designed to detect and clear magnetic mines without setting them off. She served in the Western Pacific and supported Operation Market Time during the Vietnam War. Three of her sister ships were built right here in Stockton.
In this five-minute story, Michael Cockrell takes us aboard as radio operators send the Lucid’s signal far beyond the Delta—and invite local visitors to see the operation up close, and even take a turn at the microphone.
Michael Cockrell’s public service career has included law enforcement, water conservation enforcement, and emergency management. After 35-years at San Joaquin County’s Office of Emergency Services (OES), he retired as Director in December 2017. His OES experience between 1982-2017 included a wide range of emergencies and disasters such as floods, earthquake recovery, mass-casualty incidents, train derailments, hazardous materials releases, droughts, extreme heat and cold events. His education includes Associate and Bachelor degrees in Social Science, concentrating in Administration of Justice, and, a Master’s Degree in Public Administration. He has also completed many continued-education courses on administration and emergency management.
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