Arnold J Isbell (DD 869) - Naval Cruise Book

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T( 2 TOR CO of J. P. JONES, CO. ISBELL, DESDIV 132 Commodore JOHNSON BLACK CAT SHIP HAUNTED BY 13 ' s Bad luck signs are becoming SOP (standard operating procedure) for the crew of the USS ARNOLD J. ISBELL (DD-869) . It seems as though they can ' t get away from number 13. It all started some time ago when the 24-year-old destroyer was assigned to Destroyer Squadron 13--the Black Cat squadron. Things started piling up. however, when the ship left Long Beach Friday, Feb 13, for a six-month deployment to the ' estern Pacific. .A month later, also on a Friday the 13th, ISBELL got underway from Subic Bay, R.P., for her first gunline period off the Republic of ' ietnam coast. Noting the frequency with which 13 ' s were appearing, ISBELL crewmem- bers began searching for more evidence of an unkind fate. They didn ' t get far before someone realized the ship ' s name contains 13 letters. Someone pointed out that a report to the ship ' s skipper, Commander Rob- ert HOFFMAN of Huntington Beach, California, would be futile, because there also are 13 letters in his name. One thing a Navyman can count on is sympathy from the ship ' s chaplain. That is unless he is Lieutenant Commander Robert W. HODGES of Johnson City, Tenn. , then you just count the letters and silently walk away. Good has prevailed on ARNOLD J. ISBELL, though, and so far nothing drastic has happened because of the over-abundance of 13 ' s. But the crew is looking ahead to November 13--which also falls on a Friday.

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