KITV4 News has learned the identities of two of the civilian guests who were aboard the submarine USS Greeneville when it collided with a Japanese fishing vessel last Friday.

The 16 civilians who were onboard the Greeneville were all big donors to the USS Missouri Restoration Fund, Washington sources told KITV4 News.

At least two of them were from Hawaii, KITV4 News reporter Keoki Kerr has learned.

Sources said that Michael "Mickey" Nolan, who visited the submarine with his wife Susan (both pictured, right), helped organize a charity golf tournament at Pearl Country Club last year which benefited the USS Missouri.

The Nolans are residents of Hawaii Kai. Nolan told KITV4 News that he would not speak publicly about what happened on the Greeneville until he talks to U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board investigators.

Nolan refused to answer questions about who arranged the trip, who were the other civilians on board and where they were sitting when the submarine hit the Ehime Maru.

The 16 civilian guests were escorted on the Greeneville by Capt. Robert Brandhuber, the chief of staff of the Pacific Submarine Force. He is second in command to the admiral in charge of what's called Comsubpac or Commander Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet.

The Navy confirmed Wednesday night that former Pacific forces commander, retired Adm. Richard Macke, arranged the tour. Macke did not return KITV4 News' phone calls.

Macke was the commander in chief of the Pacific Forces in Hawaii from 1994-1995. He was forced to retire after controversial remarks about an Okinawan rape case involving a U.S. serviceman. A military report also found that Macke wasted public funds while carrying on a personal relationship with a female subordinate officer.

Retired Pacific forces commander Ronald Hays, a member of the USS Missouri Memorial Association, told KITV4 News that Macke tried to organize a fundraising golf tournament for the Missouri that was supposed to be held in Hawaii last month. But Hays said that organizing the tournament got too complicated and that it didn't happen.

Don Hess of the USS Missouri Memorial Association issued a statement Wednesday afternoon. "The Association has had no involvement in requesting or making arrangements for any civilians to have access to the USS Greeneville," Hess said in a press release.

Navy officials said Wednesday that civilians could have distracted the crew of the submarine.

U.S. military officials admitted Tuesday that two civilians were sitting at control positions of the USS Greenville at the time of the collision, something the NTSB confirmed Wednesday night. One was seated a helm position, the other at a ballast-control position, officials said.

"A guest had their hands on the valves," NTSB investigator John Hammerschmidt said. "A Navy individual had his hands directly over, and the way it's been described to us, this would be the same procedure utilized in the training for someone to be qualified in that position."

In Washington, Rep. Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawaii, asked Pacific Fleet Commander Adm. Thomas Fargo to release the names of all the civilians who were on the Greeneville.

"There are questions that the Navy has to answer," Abercrombie told KITV4 News. "I don't think it's been handled very well. I think that the way you deal with these things is directly, forthrightly, fully and I wish the Navy had handled that in that fashion."

Search For Survivors; NTSB Investigation

The Coast Guard said Wednesday that it expects to end the active search for survivors from the Ehime Maru sometime Thursday. Officials said that crews searched more than 38,000 square kilometers over five days, using 12 ships and 11 Navy and Coast Guard aircraft.

"This was the most thorough search effort we have ever conducted," Coast Guard Rear Adm. Jim McClelland said.

Navy officials said that the underwater deep-sea robot Scorpio II will soon begin searching for wreckage of the fishing boat under 1,800 feet of water. An attempt on Wednesday to begin the operation was stopped by rough seas.

The Scorpio II uses side-scan sonars and remote cameras. The Coast Guard said that it planned to establish a five-mile safety zone around the search area.

NTSB investigators, at their nightly briefing Wednesday, said that they interviewed the lone survivor who was in the Ehime Maru's lowest deck at the time of the collision. The NTSB also said that all sonars and sensors on the Greeneville were functional at the time of the collision.

Meanwhile, 15 more survivors from the Japanese ship left Hawaii for Japan Wednesday.

Previous Stories:

• February 13, 2001: Sub Captain Could Face Criminal Inquiry
• February 12, 2001: Robot To Search For Sunken Ship
• February 12, 2001: Japanese Minister Meets With U.S. Admiral
• February 11, 2001: Search For Ehime Maru Victims To Continue
• February 11, 2001: Captain Of Ehime Maru Speaks
• February 11, 2001: Government Calls Submarine Collision 'Tragedy'
• February 10, 2001: Sub Commander Reassigned As Search Continues
• February 10, 2001: U.S. Offers Another Apology To Japan
• February 10, 2001: Anxiety Turns To Anger In Japanese Town
• February 10, 2001: Sub Collided During Emergency Maneuver