Lowe (DER 325) - Naval Cruise Book

Text from Pages 1 - 64 of the 1966 volume:

DEDICATION TO FREEDOM AND THE ENDS TO WHICH FREE MEN WILL GO TO PROTECT IT... Lieutenant Commander William J. Moredock U.S. N.. assumed com- mand of L ' .S.S. LOWE, (DER 325). a member of Escort Squadron Seven. on 15 September 1965. at Guam. Marianas Islands. LCDR. Moredock «as born June 13, 1929. in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. He graduated fnim the Cumberland Township High School and enlisted in the Navy, serving from 1947 to 1950. He graduated from the Uni- versity of Florida in 1954, receiving his Bachelor of Science Degree in Industrial Management and also his comission as Ensign in the LT.S. Naval Reserve. He then worked for Proctor and Gamble Distributing Company, Jacksonville, Florida, until 1956, when he received orders to active duty. LCDR. Moredock attended the CIC Officer course at Glenview, Illinois, and Advanced Air Control School in Glynco, Georgia, before reporting to U.S.S. HARLAN R. DICKSON (DD 708) as CIC Officer. He later fleeted up to Operations Officer and Navigator, augmenting into the Regular Navy in 1958. In 1959, he was ordered to Commander Es- cort Squardon TEN as Chief Staff Officer and Operations Officer. He was part of the 6rst UNITAS Cruise that circumnavigated South America which also was the first U.S. Task force to transit the Thou- sand Mile Inland Passage of Chile. In 1961 LCDR. Moredock reported to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations where he served as Special Assistant to the Chief of Naval Operations. At this time he entered Graduate .School at George Washington University and in 1964, received his Master ' s De- gree in Personnel Management. He reported aboard U.S.S. ROBINSON (DOG 12), as Executive Officer in March 1964. LCDR. Moredock is married to the former Frances Parker of Martland, Florida. They have four sons : William Jr. (9) James (7). Jeffery (5). and David (2). 0900. TZ Novembre 19H:i. LOWK wan underway for operationH with the Inited States Seventh Fleet. DeHtinationH : the coaHtal waters of South Vietnam. We left Cuam and in the wake of T phon Taye headed for our ftrnt Htop. Subic llay. K.P. At 07:iO. 27 November 19fi5, Grande Island w aH abeam to starboard, the first of many such entries that the quartermasters would lofc before the end of the crui!4e. 1 December 196. ' saw us begin six monthi of patroU in the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand. We quickly settled down to the routine of Market Time patrol activity. In no time at all search procedures for boardinf? Vietnamese junks were ironed out. The methods and means we used to carry out our Market Time aHsi ;nments were revolutionary and unorthodox to say the least. The Captain ' s imaKrination was responsible for the Metal Locator, the speed boat, and numerous psychological warfare techniques. Captain More- dock, would later receive the Naval Commendation Medal from the Secretary of the Navy, for pioneering the development and use of this metal locator in Market Time. Market Time also meant underway replenishments for food. fuel, personnel trans- fer, and above all, mail. The crew readily became proficient in these evolutions and we received many complimentary comments from replenishment ship CO ' s on our speed in moving cargo and supplies. The middle of December brought heavy weather, a four day stay for the Captain in Navarro ' s (APA 215) sick bay, and a return to Subic with a reduction gear casualty. We arrived there at 0800 Christmas morning. Subic, thanks to an outstanding efi ' ort, had us on our way again on 15 January 1966. While in Subic, the Captain initiated a system allowing the married personnel to 6y back to Guam, a much apprecuiated treat for all concerned. During this first stay in Subic, LOWE began it ' s ownanti-poverty paogram in Olongapo. 18 January - 6 Febraury : Market Time operations in the Gulf of Thailand. One of our more evenful patrols. The Blue Goose became operational, proving the necessity and value of this type of craft in Market Time. The XO. Ens Irwin, and Schraml. EN3, also discovered that not all people-to-people programs are accepted enthusiastically. On 5 February we got our first crack at a shore bombardment mission. On 6 February we made the astonishing discovery that during the early hours of the morning the starboard screw had fallen oflf. Just after we had completed our first full patrol with enviable result. Unce a);ain we steamed into Subic Bay. AKD 22 was our hiiine this time while we waited for a new screw to be flown in. We were on our way back to Market Time on 25 February. During this interesting patrol we picked up draft dudgers. deserters, and twojunks full of women and children, refugees from the north looking for the refugee camps near Nha Trang. The Blue Goose again proved its worth. In one day, working in conjunction with the motor whaleboat. we boarded ISO junks. We finished this patrol and headed for a well deserved trip to Hong Kong. While there from 20-25 March, the crew earned the Servicemen ' s Guide Plaque for an unblemished good conduct record ashore. We left Hong Kong on 25 March after a very enjoyable stay and several tons heavier from all that we had purchased. LOWE also had a new paint job courtesy of Mary Sue and her girls. 28 March and another patrol off Vietnam, but short-lived as events were to prove. We made the up-river trip to Saigon on 31 March, for the establishment of Commander Naval Forces Vietnam ceremony held on board on 1 April. General Westmoreland and and a host of other dignitaries were present for this impressive ceremony at which RADM. N.C. WARD. USN donned his new hat. On 6 April, exactly two months from the day our starboard screw fell off we collided with a submerged piling 16 miles at sea and damaged this same screw. 11 April saw us back in ARD-22 awaiting repairs to our starboard screw. SRF Subic. thanks to another outstanding job, had us on our way for our final patrol on 21 April. We then steamed for 42 days with only two days out for a visit to Bangkok. Our last patrol in the Gulf of Thailand was one of the busiest as we frequently ferried fleet freight and personnel to L ' SS KRISHNA (AKL-38) from the oilers and other service craft that came through our patrol area. We got another chance at a shore bombardment mission, causing extensive damage to Viet Cong installations and personnel. Our two day stay in Bangkok was extremely interesting. A ride in the water taxis was an adventure in itself. We left Bangkok on 28 May. destination Guam, with apit stop in Subic. 4 June 1966 was the day all those with families on Guam had been anxiously waiting. We were home ! For all of us it meant the end of an unforgettable and a ••never-a-dull-moment cruise. Technical assistance from the Chief. There I was. just me to fight off five . . . Kit ' ht full rudd Is the screw bent: Carey retrieves the Captain ' s beret. EXECUTIVE OFFICER '  i III I Lieutenant Michael J. Blackwell. USN, is from Cleveland. Ohio. He received his BA Degree in Classical Languages from Loyola University. Chicago, Illinois in 1954. In September 1957. he completed training at the Officer Candidate School. New- port. Rhode Island, and was commissioned an ensign in the U.S. Naval Reserve. Lt. Blackwell augmented into the Regular Navy in 1961. Lt. Blackwells first tour of duty was a Round-the-World cruise in 195.S on board USS ESSEX (CVA-9). During this cruise ESSEX participated in the Lebanon campaign and Quemoy-Matsu crisis. In 1961-62. Lt. Blackwell served as Flag Lieutenant for RADM. F.T. Williamsan. ISN. (now retired) and RADM. R.H. Weeks USN. (currently Director of Naval Communications). From 1963 until July 1965 Lt. Blackwell was the Weapons Officer on USS HOPEWELL (DD-681). HOPEWELL was nominated to represent CRUEDSFLOT 11 in the 1965 Arleigh Burke award competetion- Lt. Blackwell reported aboard LOWE, in July 1965. as Executive Officer. OPERATIONS Lieutenant (jg) Jess E. Benton 3rd, graduated from the I ' niver- sity of Southern California, Los Angeles. California, witii a B.S. Degree in Business Administration. He received his commission as Ensign in the U.S. Naval Reserve from Officer Candidate School. Newport, Rhode Island, in June 1963. Lt. (jg) Benton reported a- board LOWE in July 1963 as Communications Officer, becoming Ope- rations Officer in May 1963. He left LOWE in April 1966 upon com- pleting his active duty commitment. Lieutenant Theodore Fijak Jr., I ' .S.N., graduated from the Illinois Institute of Technology in January 1961, with a B.S. Degree in eco- nomics, and a commission as Ensign in the U.S. Naval Reserve. He augmented into the Regular Navy in 1964. Lt. Fijak ' s first duty station was aboard USS BRYCE CANYON (AD 36), as First Division Officer and later as First Lieutenant. After completing training at CIC Officers School and AIC School at FAAWTC. San Diego, he reported aboard USS OKLAHOMA CITY (CLG 5). Seventh Fleet Flag Ship. Aboard OKLAHOMA CITY. Lt. Fijak served as Ol Division Officer, assistant CIC Officer and Air Control Officer. Lt. Fijak came aboard LOWE via high line in May 1966 and relieved Lt (jg) Joynt as Operations Officer. WEAPONS w Wi it H Hi ' . -_ -r-.- ' li H l Lieutenant Williams S. Verdell. I ' . S.N ' ., graduated from Georgia Institute of Technolnny in December 1962. with a BS Degree in Me- ellanical KnginrerinK and a NROTC comission aa Ensign in the U.S. Navy. His first duty station was aboard US.S SNOHOMISH COUNTY (LST 1126), serving as Damage Control Assistant from 1962 to 1964. Lt. Verdell reported aboard LOWE in December 1964, serving as Weapons Officer. ENGINEERING Lieutenant (jg.) Chester G. White Jr. I ' SN. was commissioned from the I ' .S. Naval Academy in June I9K:i. His first duty station was aboard USS PERKINS (DD 877), from July 1963 to October 1965, serving as MPA, M Division Officer and finally as Navigator. PERKINS participated in Yankee Team and Naval Gunfire Support missions off Vietnam in June of 1965. Lt. (jg). White next went to USS WILHOITE (DER 397) in November and December of 1965, as Communications Officer. Lt (jg). White reported aboard LOWE in December 1965 relieving Lt (jg) Farley as Engineering Officer. A ' ( 1 IB! |Bj SHnp ' T M P P w ir L -Mi 1 Kiiri ' m 1 i j Ol DIVISION O -J o . J- I I - J i i - z -a - -o a i i =2 Lieutenant (jg) Michael P, Joynt. USNR graduated from the State Iniversity of Iowa City, Iowa, in June 1963. with a B.A. Degree in Economics. He received his commission as Hnsicn in the IS Naval Reserve from the Officer Candidate School Newport. Rhode Island, in Novemher 1963. Lt(jg) Joynt had four years of Reserve duty prior to his commission, finishing up as RD3. Following training at CIC Officer School, at NAS. Glynco. Georgia. Ltljg) Joynt reported aboard LOWE in May 1964. . baard LOWE he has served as CIC Officer. OI Division Officer, and as an . IC Officer. Lt(ig) Joynt relieved Lt(jg) Benton as Operations Officer in April 1966. He served as Operations Officer until Lt. Fijak arrived. Lieutenant (jg) Dennis . . Tabel. I ' SN. graduated from the Univer- sity of Idaho, Moscow. Idaho, in June 1964. with a B.S. Degree in Phy- sics and an NROTC commission as Ensign in the U.S. Navy. Lt(jg) Tabel reported aboard LOWE in July 1964. He served as the Main Propulsion Assistant. M Division Officer and later as Electronics Mate- rial Officer. Lt(jg) Tabel developed a chemical detection kit for use by .Market Time units. On several occasions the detection kit proved its value by identifying substances previously not discovered to be in the possesion of Vietnamese fishermen. During our many months at sea certain personalities became prominent, . lexander. our saltiest sailor was always one step ahead of the barometer turning green at the slightest change in the weather. It was also noticed that a dull mid-watch co uld he turned into a circus by our Spelling King . Fontana. If one was fortunate enough to be in the same section as Honest . be Rogers, you could listen to an unlimited amount of true stories. As time wore on there was serious discussion as to when Ogden would run out of ge- dunk and when Pream would stop eating the chow instead of just threatening to. Even Williams would relieve the watch early. In February we high lined silent Stanley Stasel for further transfer, he would rather have swum to the oiler, but he couldn ' t carry his trunk full of sea shells that way. Hineman. our hard luck man. would rather forget his two day stint of mess cooking for taking too much butter, so I won ' t go into that. CAST OF CHARACTERS OHIEK NORDQl ' IST Smith Brothers Award. Nicest Guy in the world. P..S. now how about HiRninK that chit Chief. BOYD. UDl Kip Van Winkle Award. Mr. Peabody. Put in a chit for intravenous feeding to get more sleep during noon meal. HANSEN. RD2 Mr. True and Blue. Jo. Jo ' s. Have you heard the latest 7 Just overheard from a reliable source. Pearl for overhaul. .McCUNE, RD2 Best Speakah. Subic .Supporter. Olongapo ' s answer to the anti-poverty program. GEORGE. RD2 Nicest guy on the beach. The Lop. Big Time. Baby Cakes. Ye 01 Navigator. NICHOLES. ET2 Best disposition. (Sorry ' Bout That). Read l.-MS books during West Pac Cruise and not one of them approv- ed by the Book of the Month Club. PREAM, ET2 Slim Jim. Mr. Pinocle. How can I talk Luce into extending for the pinocle tournament? HARRIS. RD3 May be. Big belt buckle. I know this isn ' t the proper golf stance but it ' s SE.XY ! OGDEN. RD3 Mr. Gedunk. Cuddles. Former occupation, running shuttle between Treasure Island and HANKS. CRABTREE, RD3 Club Rio Award. Peaceful. Had guite a going away party, the band was crying in the street. SCOTT. RD3.... Tight Pockets. Lightning. May Casius what round? What is happiness? Having money on tee books. ALEXANDER. RD Saltiest Sailor. Farmer. Were did all the water come from? Mr. Nose. Gulp... BEATTLE. RD3 Old Timer. Mail Man of the Pacific. Could start a Sweet Shop with gedunk from home. LUCE, ET3 The Lush. Texan. Stayed aboard ship so long he developed Barnacles on his back. PERSON, ET3 Surfer. The Punk. What is happiness? Pulling liberty in a toy store. ET comic book librarian. HINEMAN, ET3 Butter King. Mr. Charity. The only man who could lose an elephant on a football field. STASEL. ET3 Silent Stanley. Graceful. The only man who still thinks Guam is good. COTTRELL. ET3 San Megiuel. Steamer. (So what if the gun cost $7. I ' ll sell it for $10 and he ' ll never know the difference.) ROGERS. RD3 Gator. Honest abe. The only 25 year old man to have B6 years of True Experiences . KONTANA. RDSN Spelling King. Tuna. Wop. If you read this Mrs Fontana. we ' re only kidding. P.S how about sending more salami ! BROWNELL. RDSN Sailor of the Year. Abbott. Range and Bearing! ... OH GOD! WHY ME... Hey Abbott how about some coffee? WILLIAMS. SN Fastest man. Mr. Society. Things wont be like this when I make third. ' . FKICK. SN Sly Fox. Real competition for Don Juan or Honest Abe Rogers, we haven ' t found out which yet. THE CULPRIT I sent him down to clean THK VICTIM Sleeping on the deck again, eh. Ace OC DIVSION it - o -• g i = « . a = L. - a i M Lieutenant (jg) Paul E. Derby. U.S.N.R. graduated from the Ini- versity of Oregon. Eugene, Oregon, with a B.S. Degree in Business Administration. He received his commission as Ensign in the U. S. Naval Reserve, from Officer Candidate School. Newport, Rohde Island, in April 1964. Lt(jg) Derby came to LOWE from Flight School in June 1965. He served as First Lieutenant and later as Communications Officer. Lt(jg) Derby is presently serving in Vietnam as a Communi- cations Officer at a Coastal Surveillance Center. Ensign Richard E. Norman. CSNR, came aboard LOWE in March 1966. via high line from ISS ZALEMA (AF 49). He relieved Lt. (jg) Derby as Communications Officer. Ens Norman graduated from Roosevelt University, Chicago, Illinois, in December 196,i with a B.A. Degree in Economics and a commision as Ensign in the I ' .S. Naval Reserve. Ens Norman had six years of Reserve duty prior to his commission, finishing up as ET3. RUNDOWN OF THE ROGUES KRIED, QMl BRYANT. RMl s hen I was in London, . , FERGUSON, RMl Damn those missing numbers ROHRER, RMl All bark and no bite CABBARD, HMl Come on in and let ESTEBAN. PNl Anything for the LOWE, Sir. KAVA. (JM:! The ciuii-t man. MEDVIT. SMI l!i r Huddha. WOODIN. S.M:1 r.ittle ISuddha. GRADIIXAS. R.M:! I ' ancho. STRONG. YNS Boy liberty in Saijion « as great. CARRILLO. YN2 I.eg. NOEL. RMS The reserve rejected. SOSA. RM3 Sailor 1 thought we were tight. KOCH, YNS The disagreeable yeoman. PROIA. RMS Mr. Mum. GRAHAM. RMS MSGRSN. DE JONG. SN Young ' un. COLON. RMS My books balance? Well back in Puerto Rico. CONLON. SN The tourist. BOWERS. SN Flags- Gunner. HONORABLE OLDIES . VENCIL. SMI The Jewish tailor. SOLIAI, RM2 The old soul. McGURRIN, RMCM Blackjack. Ill take care of it in the morning. CADENA. HMl Marty mess decks. SUTER. PN2 Big Ed. LARSON. RM2 Frames. BORG. RM2 Hello dahlink. CRACRAFT. RMS Crackers. COMPTON. QMS The rat. HIRSHMAN. RMS The kid. BUFORD, SN Mr. Cool. 12 bearded wonders 8 wonders from Iowa R DIVISION Lietenant (jg) Radcliff W. Farley. USNR, graduated from Dickinson college. Carlisle. Pennsylvania, in June 196.1. with a B.S. Degree in Biology. He received his commission as Ensign in the U.S. Naval Reserve from Officer Candidate School. New port. Rhode Island, in February 1964. Lt (jg) Farley ' s first duty station was aboard USS VALLEY FORGE (LPH 8). serving as assistant R Divi- sion Officer, and later as R Division Officer, and Nuclear Defense Officer, until July 1965. Lt (jg) Farley came aboard LOWE in August 1965. via high line, the first man to be high lined aboard. Lt (jg) Farley served as Engineering Officer in November- December 196.5. until Lt(jg) White arrived. Lt (jg) Farley is presently the Damage Control Assistant, R Division Officer, and Navigator. R Division Explained MR mentally retarded SF sorry fellas IC in-competent EM electrical menace DC all damage no control HARKIN, EMC Whafs running in the fifth at HIALEAH ? McKIBBIN, SFC The welding chief WISELY, ICI Needs three days sleep to stand his watch on the fourth day. GOMEZ. EMI M y absent at sea and physically absent in port. HAYS, SFM2 He does a swan drive and it looks like a cannon ball. WERNER, DC2 Jimmy give me a bigger hammer. CROWLEY. SFP2 A little man carrying a big load. HART. EM2 The only thing he missed in West Pac was his dog. SORIANO. EMS He needs twenty tools to change a light bulb. MORIARITY, MR3 He seranades tankers wearing a cooly outfit and guitar. LASKEY, IC3 Progress his is biggest problem. PARTRIDGE, EMS He gets sunburned from a 100 watt light bulb. KNATZ, ICS He has ears that put Dumbo to shame. NUNN. ICS As an IC man he makes a good speed boat coxswain. FORD, PCS As a postal clerk, he is some kind of shipfitter. STEWARD, MRS Santa Clause with a black beard. MEIVES. SFPS He finally got his dream come true ... to become a DER sailor. MARTINEZ. EMFN Darkest bean bandit west of the border. MacPHERSON, EMFN Boy dig those crazy legs FRASIER, SFFN He has the tool for any job. CHRISTOPHEL. DCFN Has the distinction of getting shot in the head with a 50 cal. shell fragment and going to work the next day. UriUCKWAT KEKLtlNl niVltNl (Is Jl, An unrep during working hours? M DIVISION M DIVISION KnsiKn Glen M. Irwin, USNK, Kraduated from Franklin and .MarHhatI Cullei e, Lancaster. Pennsylvania, in June 19t)4, with a R.A. DeKree in MathemalicK. He received his commission aa Knsifcn in the I ' .S. Naval Reserve from Officer Candidate School, Newport Rhode Island, in .March 196. ' . Ens. Irwin reported aboard LOWE in .May 1965, as Electronics Material Officer, berominK M Division Officer in December 19B.i. A Cast of Thousands FOLCK, ENC Our coordinated, rotund chief, who is our shining example of the Engineering Department. WALKER, ENC Leading Cop of the ship. He is a real Brodrick Crawford of the passageways and a Mike Hammer to loose gear offenders. FO.X, ENI Alias the Petty Officer. Charlie Tuna, a lean body held up by hot air. This man has done a great deal for the men in M Division, we ' re going to miss you C.J. when you retire. Dl ' NKLE, ENI Our fearless Freddy the fire fighter. TAD to the Mess Decks. Chow waste offenders beware for this engineman is a lima bean spotter from the word go. (JARNER. EN2 Our grandfather. The thought of years gone past. We had no camp fires, so he would gather us a- round a hot muffler space to tell us tales of when men were men and ships were ships. CULALA. EN2 Barnacle Bill the Sailor. This man is history. He looks like he has been keelhauled, set adrift and tied to the mast in a storm. PALMA. EN2 The owner of M Divisions hangout in Subic. Better known as the Castle, because of the clean cut, well mannered, highly educated, adult clientele. STANDEFER. EN2 The Wyoming boy, quick to learn about engines, a real snipe. FITZMEYER. EN2 We dub thee Paint brush Fitz . You have painted more pictures in the holes than anyone else. CHONKA, EN.-! Mike Nelson of M division. The only man aboard who would spend that thirty day eternity at sea and the first day in port go scuba diving. HO.XRD. EN3 Skippy Wang is Jerry Lewis, and the Three Stooges all rolled up int one. He was not born but drawn by Al Capp. SCHRAML, ENS Our Oil Queen. This is our hero. When under fire he was said to be a cool head . But then who en- joys a drafty toilet. NOCERO, EN3 Antone. the Don Juan of the Philippines. LUCERO, ENS Known as the Mouse. HOOBLER, BT2 Pretty Boy Floyd. KONVICKA. BT3 Ski feet. Hits both sides of the passageways during calm seas. GKEGSTON, EN2 A Texas farm boy who ' s good at lifting deck plates, especially the one on which he is standing. ZIMMERMAN, ENS He should have been a professional mourner. You ' re a morale booster in that we don ' t think of our own worries. TORMEY. EN3 The only man to drop a flywheel in seventy feet of water, then roll up his sleeve and reach down to see if he could find it. HEEDLY. ENS The division secretary. Not as pretty as some we ' ve seen, but he ' s still our YOYO . MULLINS, ENS Hey, that Swift looks like great duty. HILLSTAD, FN The ship ' s artist. Known as never on Sunday. The Sew Lawyer, his card reads : Get better deals with your appeals . KELLY. FN The overgrown snipe. Getting him down a hatch is like putting toothpaste back in a Tube. KRING, FN Has been known to give a book report on the telephone directory and bet he could pick any given page and quote the area codes. PLANTE. FN The kind of guy you have to drive stakes behind to see if he ' s moving. HOLIFIELD, FN He smokes to be one of the boys. GALATHE. FN One of the men the XO knows very well from his great skill at dominoes, the little square ones. UNGARO, FN Alias, Rocky Oragnu. Typical Sampson till Joe the barber got done with him. EBERHART, FN From R Division with Love. CADILE, MMFN Working Space- Any place you can make him stay after you have caught up to him. NEWSOME, ENFN Alias Moto, a Chicagoan, which can ' t be beat, he thinks. LANCASTER. FN The ' Red Man , can ' t get enough sun rays. RAADMAE, FA Nominated for permanent member of the Tiger Team, but we ' re still behind you. BELL, FA The country boy with a lot to learn about life. DELAUGHTER, FA The sleeper, accident prone, knuckle head, but we should have more firemen like you. SCHAD, FA Dennis the Menace of M Division. LARRABEE, FA Raadmae ' s sparring partner. Another Hall of Fame Tiger Team member. McFARLANE, FA The overseer of the mess cooks. All except Davis, that is. He thinks he ' s sick now. Wait until he finds out the MAA got him for wasting chov WE TOOK OFF FROM GUAM FOR A SEVEN MONTHS ' STAY. WE MADE A FEW STOPS ALONG THE WAY. TO TELL ALL THAT OCCl ' RRED I HAVE NOT TIME. WELL COVER THE HIGH LIGHTS IN THIS LITTLE RHYME. OUR FIRST PATROL IT WAS CUT SHORT. WE CAME INTO SUBIC ON ONE SHAFT PORT. WHEN WE MOORED. THE SHIPYARD WAS NEAR. FOR THEY HAD TO REPAIR BOTH OUR RED GEAR. PATROL NUMBER TWO WE WENT ALL THE WAY. NOTHING HAPPENED TILL THE LAST DAY. THE NEXT TO LAST. IT WAS A PEACH. THAT WAS THE DAY WE SHELLED THE BEACH. IT WAS A GOOD FINISH FOR PATROL NUMBER TWO. THE ONLY THINGS WAS IT COST US A SCREW. ALL THAT TWISTING AND TURNING DID THE TRICK. THE STARBOARD SCREW FELL OFF WITH ONE BIG CLICK. IT SANK TO THE BOTTOM FASTER THAN A ROCK. WE ALL KNEW THEN WE WOULD BE DRY-DOCKED. WE MADE IT TO SUBIC AS FAST AS WE COULD GO. THOUGH ON ONE SHAFT IT WAS REAL SLOW. WE GOT REPAIRED IN REAL STYLE. AND TOOK OFF AGAIN FOR A WHILE. PATROL NUMBER THREE WAS NOT VERY LONG. WHEN WE GOT RELIEVED WE WENT TO HONG KONG. OUR TIME IN HONG KONG WAS A SHORT STAY. IT WAS NOT LONG BEFORE WE GOT UNDERWAY. WE STARTED PATROL NUMBER FOUR AS BEST WE COULD. WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT WED HIT THAT BIG HUNK OF WOOD. ILL LET YOU GUESS WHERE WE HEADED THEN ! IT WAS NO PLACE NEW-FOR THERE WE HAD BEEN. THE TRIP TO SUBIC WAS THE SAME OLD STORY. WE MADE IT ON THE PORT SHAFT. CALLED OLD GLORY . THE LAST PATROL WHICH WE ARE ON NOW. WHEN WE GET DONE WITH THIS ONE. THE CREW SHOULD TAKE A BOW. THE TIME IS SHORT IT WONT BE LONG •TILL WE ARE IN OUR HOME PORT-THE ISLAND OF GUAM. FOLCK. ENC. 1st division Ensign Scott O. Honefenger. I ' SNR graduated from Florida South- ern College in June 196t. with a B.S. Degree in Business Administra- tion. He received his commission as Ensign in the T.S. Naval Reserve from Officer Candidate School. Newport. Rhode Island, in December 1964. He reported aboard LOWE in Feburuary 196.5. as Communica- tions Officer. Ens. Honefenger became First Lieutenant in June 1963. ll j ' The Surfers ' Roster HAMBLEY. BM2 Pappy. • ' Give me liberty or give me death . MARCUM. BM2 Twinkle Toes, the Lover. CURTIS. BM3 Please give my coke, and I will ship for six. DURST. BM3 It sure did take a long time to get it. WALLACE. SN Me and my scrub brush and my little whale boat. SANFORD. SN Give me my cycle and show me the way to Talafofo HARDIN. SN How I love my bosuns locker. QUIST. SN I sure do love my fins and my mask. FOWLER, SN Shorty. Please let me be big and tall. McBRIDE. SN The out-of-bounds kid. WAROFF. SN Who stole my surf board and cut my hair short 7 JEYNES. SN Spots. The pen is mightier than the sword . CAREY. SN Let me have a little day light and a drink of water BUDIG. SN Billy the kid and his gang of fighters. O ' ROURKE. SN The kid from 33 , Street. MEAUX.. SA Who stole my paint brush? SHETTLES. SA Tarzan. Where are Jane and the elephant hunters 7 THOMPSON. SN Hack to KlaitslafT to huild houses and plant KrasH. JOESEYESA. SA Where are my how and arrows 7 Dl ' NLAP. SA The (Jeneral. KATAR. SA The man that knows. CONSIDINE. SN The thin man. Now all non-rated men not actually on watch lay to the . . . ■It ' s second nature In 11 FOX DIVISION Lieutenant (jg) ' . Uiihard Sinclair. ISNR. Rraduated from Loui- siana State I ' niversity. Baton KouKe. Louisiana, with a B.S. Degree in Electrical Engineering. He received his commission as Ensign in the U.S. Naval Reserve from Officer Candidate School, Newport, Rhode Island, in July 1964. Lt(jg) Sinclair reported aboard LOWE in August 1964. He then attended Anti-Submarinc Warfare School in San Diego returning in October 1964. to become ASW Officer and Fox Division Officer. Lt(jg) Sinclair was transfered at sea for duty in Vietnam as Commodore of a squadron of River Patrol Boats (PER). Fox Division Di PLYLER. STGl Is there any coffee on the messdeck ? COLLINS, STG The only sonarman with beautiful legs. DONAHUE, STG2 Look Pop ! I ' m leading sonarman. MESSER, STG3 The mad cyclist. WILLIAMS, STG3 Love that Johny Cash. LOFTON. STG3 Anyone seen Christophel 7 FRANK, STGSN Fox Division shepherd. LOWERY, FTG2 The only man that had to be shown where his spaces were. WILSON, FTG3 Due to two brief stays in the Oaknoll Hospital, he finally has learned to keep his jaw out of other people ' s business. WATSON, FTGSN The only man in Fox Division that walks on his elbows. FIREBAUGH, FTGSN Foxs reserve. WESLEY ' . FTGSN An FTs FT. WATSON. GMG2 A hollow leg won ' t support him. but he must have something hollow. HUGES. GMG3 It ' s like trying to describe a broken leg. McPHERSON, GNGSA Participates in beach activities with over exuberance. Currently striking for Seaman. PATTON. SN Favorite song. There ' s a meeting here tonight . GRAY, TM3 Runs a tight gang. It ' s small, blue, and approaching fast. SUPPLY DEPARTMENT Ensign Robert Dale Evans. USNR, graduated from Georgia Insti- tute of Teclinology in June 1964. with a B.S. Degree in Industrial Management. He received his commission as Ensign in the U.S. Naval Reserve from Officer Candidate School. Newport. Rohde Island, in March 1965. He then went to Supply School at Athens. Georgia, for 26 weeks of training. Ens. Evans reported aboard LOWE in Novem- ber 1965. relieving Lt(jg) J.M. Hill as Suppl.v Officer. The Porkchops ' Roll Call MARSHALL, SKI SCHLOESSER, SK3 AGUILAR. SN MASSINGILL. SN . WILSON. DK2 BAUGHMAN. SHI. DECICCO, SH2 Had to declare bunkruptcy when the . 0 put him out of business by taking his operating funds and donating them to charity. Is trying to get rid of his OPTAR records. It seems a hangover and hcadac ' .e do not go together too well in port. . re you sure you don ' t want to teach someone else how to keep ship ' s store and commissary records so I can change my rate ? Will be a good storekeeper once he masters his clarinet and stops letting the snipes upset him. Will undoubtedly make third class if he continues to read the study guides he acquired in Hong Kong. The only DK2 in the U.S. Navy to be able to retire after 9 years service. I wonder if his 16 months as ship ' s store operator had anything to do with it. Vou have to be a pretty good story teller to convince a Navy doctor that you ' re too bad ofif to go to sea. Funny thing that none of the diagnoses were related to his symptoms. Is the butcher who hangs out in the Barber Shop who has been practicing for a month to learn how to hold the barber clippers. It seems that he wants a picture of himself in action to send home. The hardest working man in the Supply Department (next to Hicks). MALIGLIG. SN Runs a close second to Baughman. the only difference being that Maliglig HICKS, CSl One perHon that I ' veryoni ' nhould envy. SOCIA. CS2 Hiilds the ncord for the most Viet lonit killed in the BhorteHt time. 37 in five minute while on shore duty in SniKon. The reason no medals were handed out is that it seemed there were no withnesses. MANTANONA. CSSN The up and coming cook on board who has hopes of improvinu the chow. Actually, there isn ' t much room for improvement. TERHORST. SN Ha.s plans to attend night drivers school so he won ' t total his next car at 25 .MPH. DULH.MSEK. FN The commissary man-lireman who plans on improving the chow by actions rather than by words. KODIL. SD3 Is ready to ko in port after relievins himself as duty cook for the wardroom seven days a week. ONQIIT. TN Wants to get married, but it seems his girl doesn ' t trust sailors. R.4MOS. TN Will be able to go up for third class as soon as Rodil can find him working hours. L.AR. NANG. TN Is so quiet that he missed one month of compartment cleaning duty before anyone knew he was aboard. CINENSE, TN Will undoubtedly be the only TN to make SD3 without even showing up for the exams. Wilson rakes It in. Hicks bakes a tough cake for a tough Admiral. Dinner on the hoof Small arms practi WPB alongside HONG KONG WAS GREAT ! LOWE gives WPB and SWIFT a diink. ■■ ■ m. s SHI H Bp M tL. ' m H : % • ' ' plM ' ' ' WPs H rm| l ,  Uf 3 ' Okay Fellas, just for you. the whole can for $1.00. :i Saigon 1 April 1966. Rear Admiral N.C. WARD becomes Commander Naval Forces Vietnam. This impressive ceremony was held aboard LOWE, with General WESTMORLAND and other dignataries present. n J? i  - 6 |H % -. ■ W|i - K w k . - KSi hL s M W ■11 4 ' v ' itt BANGKOK was certainly the most interesting city we visited. «%s - Bolstering Coastal Force A r.S. Navy tactic devised in South Vietnam over the last few months has sparked a new trend in the coastal surveillance force ships on patrol off the coast. To prevent infiltration of arms, men and supplies to the Viet Cong b.v sea. surveillance force ships must have several virtues. The.v must prossess long endurance on station, reasonably good habitability conditions, good radar and commu- nications equipment, and must be able to pursue light enemy junks and sampans through the shallow waters off the coast and destroy the enemy vessels. The solution was to team up radar picket destroyer escorts (DERs) with the new 50-foot high speed SWIFT boats and the 82-foot Coast Guard cutters. The SWIFT and cutters have the shallow- draft and speed required to chase possible infiltrators through the shallow waters off the Vietnamese coast-where it is possible in places to wade as far out as two miles without getting your chin wet. And the five .50-caI machine guns and 81mm mortar of the cutters or the three .50-cal machine guns and Slmm mortar of the SWIFTS are more than ade- quate to destroy an enemy junk. But shallow draft means small size, which means limited range. These limitations were overcome by using the .306-foot DERs as mobile bases, carrying spare crews, fuel, water and food for the smaller components. Thus, the cutters and SWIFTS can run in for a pit stop and charge out again refueled and resupplied. In the case of the SWIFTS, a fresh crew can be sub- stituted, a desirable capability because of the beating a small craft takes while operating at high speed at sea. The larger cutters do not need to shift crews, since they can rotate the key watches among their 11 men on board. And since the larger, heavier cutters run at top speeds of about 15 knots compared to 25 for the SWIFTS- the ride is not quite so rough. In a 10-day trial of the concept. USS LOWE (DER 325) teamed up with IISCGC POINT COMFORT and SWIFT PCF 10. The patrol area assigned was 100 miles from their normal operating base at An Thoi, Phu Quoc Island, in the Gulf of Thailand, the southermost area of South Vietnam. Two crews were assigned to the SWIFT. Once a day the boat rendezvoused with the LOWE, shifted crews, replenished supplies and held a briefing debriefing session for the two skippers-all in 30 minutes, before resuming patrol. The cutter, which needed less support, came in every three days for supplies at rendezvous points dictated by the tactical situation. During the course of the patrol. LOWE guided the cutter and SWIFT towards areas where junks were concentrated, as determined by LOWE ' S radar. A special advantage of the team concept became obvious when the SWIFT and a small boat from LOWE were taken under fire by small arms from the beach while inspecting a suspicious junk. LOWE opened up with her three-inch guns to provide covering fire as the boats withdrew out of range. All benefited from the change of pace. Crewmen from LOWE took turns going along on SWIFT runs as supernumeraries, and one crew man has already requested assignment to a SWIFT at the time of his reenlistment. The men from the SWIFT, accustomed to the spartan tent camp at An Thoi, enjoyed the comforts of home : comfortable bunks, hot meals, showers, haircuts and a ship ' s store. The only loser is Charlie , the Viet Cong. Now it ' s going to be tougher than ever to sneak through the net of the .Mar ' Ket Time patrols. Jerry Gross, LT, USSR From: Commander Cruiser-Destroyer Force, l ' . S. Pacific I ' lret To : CommandioK Officer. ISS LOWE (DER 325) Subj: Metal Detector: development and use Kef: la) CO I ' SS LOWE Itr .V)0() ser OSO of 30 DEC 65 1. The development of the Metal Detector described in reference (a) is noted with pleasure, the ini;enuity shown and the ability to make do with materials available demonstrates the kind of enthusiastic can-do altitude that makes I ' SS LOWE into a hithly ef- fective ship. 2. The desiKn of the detector and its use in gathering intelligence information reflect great credit on those concerned. This is par- ticicularly true of the imagination exercised by those personnel operating the equipment. 3. WELL DONE : S W.H. BAUMBERGER RADM USN 14. June 1966 From : Commander Cruiser-Destroyer Group. SEVENTH Fleet To: Commanding Officer, ISS LOWE (DER 325) Subj : Performance of I ' SS LOWE (DER 325) in the SEVENTH Fleet L It is with great pleasure that I recognize the significant contribution of USS LOWE to the successful operations of the Cruiser- Destroyer Group. SEVENTH Fleet in support of our naval effort in the Western Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea from 22 November 1965 to 11 June 1966. 2. The Western Pacific Ocean employment of USS LOWE was characterized by many consecutive arduous weeks at sea. The little time in port was mainly devoted to maintenance, repair and resupply efforts at the expense of time normally available for rest and recreation. Notwithstanding the strenuous operations schedule, the officers and men may be justifiably proud of their splendid per- formance under actual combat conditions during close-in patrol and search operations in Vietnamese waters. 3. In every aspect, the record of dedicated service of the ship ' s company of I ' SS LOWE while serving as a vanguard of l .S. sea- power in Southeast Asia was in keeping with the highest traditions of the naval service. S, T. S. KING. Jr. RADM USN NAVAL MESSAGE short form OPNAV FORM 211029 REV. 10-S8 Reorder from FPSO Cog. -I Slock Points SECURITY CLASSIFICATION UNCLAS DRAFTED BY rRFXEIiK. (. ' K ROUTINE ll, TE TI.MK (;K(.)I.T ' ol ' 252Z .MESSAGE , ' R COMMANDER NAVAL FORCES, VIETNAM USS LOWE COMCRl ' DESPAC COMCRl ' DESFLOT 5 COMCORTRON 7 UNCLAS NAVAL FORCES VIETNAM ESTABLISHMENT CEREMONY 1. YOUR OUTSTANDING PARTICIPATION IN THE SUBJECT CEREMONY WAS MOST APPRECIATED. 2. THE APPEARANCE OF LOWE AND THE MILITARY SMARTNESS OF YOUR PERSONNEL PROVIDED AN EXAMPLE OF THE U.S. NAVY AT ITS VERY FINEST. 3. WELL DONE NAVAL MESSAGE short form OPNAV FORM 2110-29 REV. 10- 58 Reorder from FPSO CoR. T ' Stock Points SECURITY CLASSIFICATION UNCLAS DRAFTED BY PRECEDENCE IMMEDIATE DATE TIME GROUP ■44« 428Z .MESSAGE NR COASTAL SURVEILLANCE CENTER USS LOWE UNCLAS A. MY 0404I5Z I. CANCEL REF A. PILOT RESCUED BY ' HELO. THE SPEED OF YOUR ACTION WAS EXCEPTIONALLY QUICK AND WAS RECOGNIZED BY THE ARMY AND WAS COMPLIMENTARY TO THE NAVY CSC. WELL DONE. 30. May 1966 From: Commander l. S. Naval Forces. Vietnam To: Lieutenant Commander William J. MOREDOCK. 5.S.I94.5 1100. I ' SN Via: (1) Commander Cruiser-Destro.ver Force. C. S. Pacific Fleet (2) Commander Destroyer Flotilla FIVE (3) Commander Escort Squardon SEVEN Subj: Letter of Commendation 1. Commander V. S. Naval Forces. Vietnam takes pleasure in commending you for exceptionally meritorious per- formance of duty as Commanding Officer. CSS LOWE (DER 325). from 22 November 1963 to 31 March 1966. During this period LSS LOWE, as a unit of Task Force 113. brought distinction upon the Navy and the Nation through her outstanding performance. Despite a heavy operating tempo I ' SS LOWE remained in an effective state of readiness, and her officers and men continually demonstrated competent professional ability and exceptional devo- tion to duty. I ' SS LOWE achieved a reputation of being able to react quickly and effectively to changing circum- stances, a factor which contributed greatly to the successful accomplishment of the mission of which you can be justly proud. 2. USS LOWE, with constant and aggressve initiative, sought out the enemy at every opportunity. Through her unrelenting inspection of surface contacts within her assigned area of operation. CSS. LOWE, under your out- standing leadership, made a significant contribution toward the effective elimination of North Vietnamese infiltra- tion of which you can be justly proud. 3. USS LOWE was required to spend approximately 85% of her time underway during this period. The extraordi- nary demands which were placed on you and your ship oftentimes necessitated long and arduous hours on watch on a port and starboard basis. Although patrols were lengthy and upkeep time in port was inadaquate, you nevertheless maintained your ship in an exceptional state of preparedness. 4. As commanding Officer you were an exemplary and inspiring leader, maintaining high morale and high standards of smartness in the face of circumstances which taxed to the limit the ability of the ship ' s company to maintain operational readiness. Your initiative and professional performance have reflected great credit on yourself, your ship and the Cnited States Naval Service. 5. You are requested to make suitable commendation to those ship ' s company personnel who have distinguished themselves by significant contributions during your successful tour as Commanding Officer on Market Time ope- S, N. G. WARD RADM USN R - , -..flSSi.. EDITOR ENS. G.M. IRWIN ILLUSTRATORS FITZMEYER, EN2. SORIANO, EM3. HILLSTAD, FN. COLON. SA PHOTOGRAPHY LT. VERDEL, ENS. IRWIN The editor wishes to express his appreciation to all the division editors for there assistance and contributic