Manchester (CL 83) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 76 text:

' In background sailor keeps the watch between gulps ot soup while hr buddy tries to warm hand irom Korea ' s hitter cold. As the temperature dropped to 12 degrees below zero it became apparent to the Commanding Officer of the Prasae, Commander Vudhichae, of Bangkok, Thailand, that his men could no longer aid in the salvage operation because of the cold, and requested that they be transferred from the ship. He said, We can always build a new ship, but not a new man. He directed the transfer of his men until he himself fainted from the intense cold and was also taken to the Manchester. During the two days, the helicopter carried out 111 evacuees, seven of them Americans. Aboard the ship, they were given warm food and clothes, and remained aboard until January 14th when the Manchester dropped anchor in Sasebo. The last evacuees are lowered to the Manchester ' s deck and rushed below to sickbay for medical treatment.

Page 75 text:

A they waited their turn to be picked up. the remaining Prasae sailors lived on hot soup brought from the Manchester in the milk cannister at right. We managed to get Lieutenant Harding. Lieu- tenant Thornton and the latter ' s crewman, Marci- ano, in the boat and to the beach. I made another trip to get Thailand sailors for a beach guard. We established a nice little beachhead. The next day the helicopter from the Manchester evacuated Lieutenant Harding, Marciano, and the exposure and shock cases from among the Thailand sailors. Lieutenant Thornton insisted on staying with me to maintain the beach guard. That evening we managed to get a line from the Bolster to the Prasae, but it broke the fol- lowing morning. We tried to get lines between the ships with buoy floats, sail rafts and even helium balloons. Finally we got some clear weather, and the Manchester ' s helicopter suc- cessfully got a line rigged. It, too, broke on the morning of January 12th. In the afternoon we began to send all personnel to the Manchester by helicopter. At dawn today we could step from the Prasae to dry ground. All remaining personnel were evacuated. Under the whirring rotors the last survivors are hurried aboard tor the shuttle to the Man- chester.

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FROM: COMMANDER SEVENTH FLEET TO: MANCHESTER WELL DONE FOR YOUR EFFORTS IN CONNECTION WITH RESCUE OF PRASAE CREW FROM: COMMANDER TASK FORCE 95 TO: COMMANDER SEVENTH FLEET THE PROMPT AND EFFICIENT ASSISTANCE FURNISHED BY MANCHESTER DURING PRASAE OPERATIONS DESERVES HIGH COMMENDATION X DESERVING PARTICULAR COMMENDATION ARE OPERATIONS OFFICER X MEDICAL OFFICER X AND ENLISTED PERSONNEL ENGAGED IN RESCUE WORK FROM: COMMANDER TASK GROUP 95.2 TO: MANCHESTER SERVICES COMPLETED X YOUR ASSISTANCE IN THIS OPERATION IS GREATLY APPRECIATED X WINDMILL PILOT AND CREW DESERVE HIGHEST COMMENDATION FOR A DIFFICULT JOB WELL DONE X THANK YOU AND GOOD LUCK X FROM PRINCE PISIT DIS KUL COMMANDING OFFICER THAILAND EXPEDITIONARY FORCES WITH THE UNITED NATIONS COMMAND QUOTE AS CHIEF OF THE THAI MILITARY LIAISON AND COMMANDING GENERAL OF THE THAI EXPEDITIONARY FORCES WITH THE UNITED NATIONS COMMAND COMMA PERMIT ME TO PLACE ON RECORD THE DEEPEST APPRECIATION OF HIS THAI MAJESTYS GOVERNMENT AS WELL AS OF HIS MAJESTYS ARMED FORCES FOR THE GALLANT AND SUCCESSFUL RESCUE OPERATION OF THE END OF HIS MAJESTYS CORVETTE PRASAE WHICH WAS RECENTLY AGROUND AT KISASMUN DAN OFF THE EASTERN KOREA COAST DURING AN ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE ENEMY ASHORE X ON BEHALF OF HIS MAJESTYS ARMED FORCES AND OF THE ROYAL NAVY IN PARTICULAR I BEG TO YOU ADMIRAL TO CONVEY TO YOUR COMMAND AS WELL AS TO THE COMMANDING OFFICERS AND MEN OF THE SHIPS CONCERNED WHO TOOK PART IN THE RESCUE OPERATION AND IN THE ENSUING BRAVE ATTEMPT TO REFLOAT THE PRASAE AN EXPRESSION OF OUR MOST GRATEFUL THANKS FOR ALL THEY DID TO HELP THEIR THAI COMRADES IN ARMS IN THIS CONNECTION X THE THAI PEOPLE OF ALL RACES AND FIELDS HAVE BEEN OVERWHELMINGLY TOUCHED BY AND ARE PROFOUNDLY APPRECIATIVE OF THIS ACTION ON THE PART OF THE OFFICERS AND MEN IN QUESTION WHICH EXEMPLIFIES NOT ONLY THE SPIRIT OF COMRADESHIP BUT ALSO THE CORDIAL FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN OUR TWO PEOPLES WHICH I AM SURE WILL GO INTO THE ANNAL OF THE PRESENT STRUGGLE FOR THE IDEALS OF THE UNITED NATIONS WITH WHICH WE ARE BOUND IN SOLIDARITY X UNQUOTE X