There and Back Again

(... with apologies to Bilbo Baggins.)

Last Saturday (8/31), we flew out of Anchorage to the 2024 Crew Reunion of the USS William M. Wood (DD715), destination Gatlinburg, TN. Alaska Airlines doesn't go there, so it was Alaska to Seattle to Dallas, then American to Knoxville. Layovers? Seattle was over 6 hours, and Dallas was nearly four hours. 

Departing Knoxville in an Uber, the ride was 1 hour, 15 min., so our total travel time (factoring in the transition through four times zones) was 22 hours. The driver said he's often asked how long it would take "if there were no traffic. We'll never know."

We didn't sleep much on the way there, so I'm sure we looked thoroughly zombified by the time we staggered into the lobby at 7:30 Sunday evening.

The hotel had the friendliest people, and we felt the genuine Southern hospitality while we were there. But the hotel itself seemed to be stuck in 1972. No microwaves, and no housekeeping supplied while you're there. If you want clean towels and washcloths, and/or clean bedding, just help yourself. It's on the housekeeping cart, conveniently left on the walkway on each level, from 9 to 11 a.m.

Due to labor shortages, the hotel's cafe - which did have good food, and was supposed to serve food from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily - was open for breakfast only Sunday and Monday and was then supposed to be closed for the week.

But since breakfast was included in our group reservation, they brought in a short-order cook and had a front-desk lady run the register and act as server. And to be fair, breakfast was really good.

Since we arrived a day early, presumably to sleep off the lack of sleep/jet lag. On the advice of the front desk lady (the same one from breakfast), we walked across the street to another hotel and bought sodas and Hot Pockets from the coolers in their lobby. That took care of lunch and dinner. 

On a lighter note, the hotel offered some non-advertised amenities, like the local wildlife:

The creek which runs past the hotel

Gatlinburg is overrun with the fur-bearing critters, and folks were surprised that we just shrugged and said, "Oh, you have blackies? That's nice." We live in bear country and have black and brown bears. Of course, we also have moose, coyotes, Arctic fox and snowshoe hares which wander through our yard fairly often. But I digress.

On Tuesday, the group went to Dolly Parton's Stampede in Pigeon Forge, roughly adjoining Dollywood. 

The goomer in the Hawaiian shirt is me.

I tried to upload the Stampede's video, but Blogger didn't like it. So you can watch the 30-second film yourself at www.dpstampede.com ... if you want. It's a rodeo made into a musical event, and ain't half bad. 

Wednesday was a tour of part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which was very beautiful. Even after living in Missouri for 45 years, we'd never seen terrain and green growth like that. Of course, the highest point in Missouri is only 1,325 ft above sea level, whereas the highest peak in the Smokies is just over 6,600 feet.

Part of the ship, part of the crew.

Me and my very patient wife.

There's a view like this around almost every corner.

After the bus tour, we also did a bit o' shopping in Gatlinburg. I bought a new pair of shoes, as the ones I brought with me had died an untimely death. And lunch at the Pancake Palace was quite good (they serve lots of things besides pancakes).

On Thursday, the group went to Pigeon Forge for an official shopping outing. We stayed behind, took a long nap, and did most of our packing.

Thursday evening was the final night, and we had a nice banquet in the hospitality room. 

I met some guys who'd been on the ship in the decade or so before me, and one first-time attendee turned out to be the guy who trained me when I first got to the Wood in '73. I hadn't seen him in 51 years and hadn't expected to. But he remembered me too, and we had a great time remembering and catching up.

Due to the gaining back of the four hours we lost heading east, it took only about 15 hours to get home again. 

It was a great time, and I hope we get to do it again before too much time goes by. 

All and sundry ...

And the crew that attended (excepting the guy on the upper left; he was
somebody's friend, but I'm not sure why he was in the picture).

About The New Header...

... just feeling nostalgic, I guess.

Pre-1964, at which time the 2nd-from-the-right gun mount was removed,
anti-submarine rocket (ASROC) launcher was added amidships, and the entire
superstructure was replaced.

"Yes."  :^)

This pic was taken in 1974, while I was aboard.

Another Navy Memory

I'm the administrator for my old ship's Facebook page. The other morning, one of my shipmates asked if I remembered another crewman named Howe (or was it Stowe?).

I remembered the name, but couldn't put a face to him. I find that that happens more and more frequently as the years go by. Oh well.

Anyhoo, he posted a picture of that sailor being sworn in, in a reenlistment ceremony, and asked for help identifying others in the photo.

Could be anytime between late 1973 to 1975. My guess is spring or fall of '74.

Front and center, you see the sailor in question being sworn in by our skipper, Commander John Castano. Behind Capt. Castano*, from left to right, is Ensign Gordon Dickey, HTC** Richard Djerf, and another fellow whose face I remember but whose name I've forgotten.

After cleaning up and enhancing the photo several times, I recognized the guy on the far left edge. See him? The one who looks like he needs a sandwich?

It's me. 

Strangely enough, I don't remember this occasion at all. But I was probably there to provide the appropriate paperwork to the Captain, and then take it back to Ship's Office. And that would explain why the sailor's name sounds familiar.

Funny thing is, I had been wondering on the morning in question if anyone had pictures which included me. Now I know there's at least one. 

* All ships' skippers are called "Captain"; it has nothing to do with their actual rank.

** Hull Technician, Chief Petty Officer

Life at Sea

Many of you have asked me what it's like to live on a destroyer at sea. Since pictures are better than words, here you go:

A ship like mine ...

in heavy seas ...

can knock you down ...

onto your knees. 

If you're not careful.

Navy Memories: 2018 USS Wm. M. Wood Crew Reunion

Another year, another reunion ended. I saw shipmates and friends (but I repeat myself) for the first time in 43+ years.

Seen while browsing in Fredericksburg, TX after the Nimitz Museum of the Pacific War.

It just struck my fancy, but seems like good advice to those who would critique. :)

Sign in a store window.

An old Spanish mission outside San Antonio.

The Alamo: an old Spanish mission inside San Antonio, and the seat of Texas liberty. 

A random scene from the river cruise...

My shipmate Russ H., with whom I shared an apartment in Elefsis, Greece. We last met in April 1975.

A four-foot-long handmade model of the USS William M. Wood as it was when I sailed on her.

All the shipmates from the various years of the Wood at the Saturday night banquet. I'm the tallish goomer in the back row, left.

And the five shipmates who served together, minus Russ H., who had returned home earlier.
(Me, Ron R., Jim G., John M., and Jerry C.)

More, later, after I've caught up on sleep.

Navy Memories #17: Helo Down - Commence Search and Rescue

Previous installments:

1. Boot Camp Memories
2. About Those Navy Memories
3. First Orders
4. Anchor's Aweigh
5. Man Overboard!
6. Reflections of a Black Shoe
7. Destroyer Life and Ports of Call
8. Warships vs. Big Waves
9. The Accident, and More Ports of Call
10. The Black Sea - Operation Silver Fox
11. 1975, A Year of Change 
12. North to the Future
13. Adak Outdoors
14. Adak Life
15. Adak Work, Winter, and More
16. Rounding the Edges and Filling In The Blanks

Approx. location of operations described below.

SITREP: 
6 November 1974. Task Group 60.1 enroute from Golfo di Palmas, Sardinia, to Palma de Mallorca, Spain.

USS Independence (CV-62)
USS William V. Pratt (DLG-13)
USS Sampson (DDG-10)
USS Vreeland (DE-1068)
USS Richard L. Page (DEG-5)
USS Manley (DD-940)
USS William M. Wood (DD-715)
USS Dalgren (DLG-12)
USS Detroit (AOE-4)

22:10 hours, approx. position 39° 40' N by 13°0' E. The destroyers maintain a loose circle at 10,000 to 14,000 yards from the carrier, steaming at various courses and speeds, while maintaining radar and sonar watches for non-U.S. aircraft and submarines. LTjg D.E. Myers is OOD.*  Cdr. John B. Castano, commanding, directed the rescue operation while LTjg Myers remained on the bridge.

Independence reports a helo** down to the west, and sights two white lights in the water. Wood's position is about 7 miles ahead to the west-southwest of the Independence, and sets Search and Rescue Detail. 

Wood's deck crew was ready with a rope ladder, enough hands to pull the airmen up, blankets and hot coffee. Doc was standing by, in case of injuries.

LT. R.P. Fiske, a qualified diver, was in the water with a line, attempting to tow the men back to the Wood. He was unsuccessful, being blown off course. 

Wood was close by the aircrew when the rescue helo arrived. We kept them in the spotlight until they were out of the water. LT. Fiske was pulled aboard a whaleboat lowered from Dalgren and taken aboard that ship, and later returned to Wood.

22:50 hrs - SAR is cancelled. Ships return to station and normal operations. Course and speed resumed.

Actual ship's log from that night

And now, the rest of the story ...

Two air crewmen down in the Mediterranean, surrounded by the ubiquitous green dye. Why use dye in the dark? Because we were searching with spotlights, and the searchers could more easily see the color change if/when the lights crossed that patch of water. Wood was close enough to keep a spotlight on them, at the end.

Their white helmets with reflective tape helped, too.

My emergency and/or special evolution duty station, as always, was as the Captain's phone talker. When the Search and Rescue Detail was announced, I reported to the bridge. The Captain told me to stand by in his ready room, adjoining the bridge. Two of the on-call Operations Specialists (radar operators) were waiting there, too. They were OS1 Art Spurr and OS3 Russ Haxton.

While we waited, I retrieved my guitar from Ship's Office, and played to keep us entertained.

Me and the guitar

Art had a brand new reel-to-reel tape deck***, and he recorded parts of the session. (I used to have a cassette copy of that, but it long since self-destructed.)

When the aircrew was sighted, Wood steamed to within 30 yards, and kept them spotlighted until the rescue chopper had them out of the water. Called back to the bridge, I was on the port bridge wing with the skipper to watch the rescue. Unforgettable.

Once the SAR detail was secured at 22:50, the ship resumed course and speed. And me? I did what any good sailor would do, and hit the sack.




* OOD: Officer of the deck, e.g., the officer assigned to "drive" the ship when the captain is not on the bridge. In other other words, he had the con.

** Helo: Navy shorthand for helicopter.

*** It was 1974, after all.

TBT: Back in the Day

My sister was kind enough to scan an old caricature from my Navy days. The date on the drawing is Jan. 1974, so I'd only been on board the ship for about six weeks. We'd just returned from my first cruise, if memory serves.

Reunion, Texas-Style

I just made all the reservations for a trip to San Antonio in October, for my ship's annual meet. I've not been before, as work always interfered. Not so much now, though.

I haven't seen any of these folks since 1975 or longer, and there will be plenty there from earlier tours whom I've seen only on Facebook.

I'm stoked.

USS William M. Wood (DD715)

Finally Found My Navy Stuff

When we moved into our new house in 2016, my wife placed my Navy things in a new, more airtight tote ... whereupon I promptly lost track of it.

I finally remembered to ask her where it is, and dug some things out today.