Brinkley Bass (DD 887) - Naval Cruise Book

Text from Pages 1 - 72 of the 1968 volume:

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'- at the II10j1'f18I1t 'Ofgtr g1th ?i Whatjv of 'the' V' monsoonsw 3.11- d the f fSAh 0r g3 fb atter'i,e s' QL16SfiO I1,S1 VSAuchf921S 11ih'efS Q g1inge red1inEQ f men ' s II1iI1VdS Qf 7aS ' 4t heQy ?h'agd i fa,g e's fp a'St.qg- Q3 A11d Yf-Us theY 'W GHtQA T hey Steamed?'i1 West wi tlh cour age ' dndLfaith , ini SGWGS g ali d fheir 7 Ship i i aH dfin 1On e S 5 Wh? 11QW D eer ejd fOg Vfqr ia last 'gli mp7s g,Qoflf,fQt hq5ff 'f aS it ,dis i-beyond' - waterg 'W.hAat longfniglit the iiihr ,E ,,. 'I 'I 'I 1 Q k 4 E E r, F E E F r I F Q, P F ,. M F F 5. r Q V E, v E r. P, F, iw. ? F + r sw .. ii I. il ei if 5' V gn 1-. K.. Q I3 A r: r-1 B E: I EC U fi Sl ss H1 E V N 1 9 YT Q. P! Q 36 E E 5 -1 E D. Q 3e THE DESTRGYER A unit of the Gearing Class, USS BRINKLEY BASS was completed just too late to participate in World War II. Her first significant duties involved participa- tion in the Eniwetok Atomic Tests in 1948, a year in which she also rescued personnel from the SS ONWARD off Shanghai. In May of 1951, BRINKLEY BASS began her first combat duties as a unit of Task Force 95. Pursuant to her service with TF 95 she expended over seven thousand rounds of five inch ammunition in the bombardment of Wonsan Har- bor. At Wonsan she was taken under fire on eleven separate occasions, re- sulting in ten casualties, including one man who subsequently died of his wounds. Following repairs in Yokosuka, BRINKLEY BASS returned to the war as a screening unit for Task Force 77. BRINKLEY BASS returned to her normal cycle of deployments to the Western Pacific until the period of tension between the Nationalist and Communist Chi- nese during the mid-fifties, when she was assigned to the Taiwan Patrol. In 1961 BRINKLEY BASS began an extended yard period under the Fleet Rehabi- litation and Modernization QFRAMJ Program. Replacing conventionalgun sys- tems with ASROC and DASH, enlarging topside command and control spaces, and installing a new Sonar system. When the ship emergedfrom the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard she participated in a series of tests with her newwea- pons capabilities, including the initial sea trials of the MK 46 torpedo. In September of 1965, the counter insurgency effort in South Vietnam had reached major proportions, and BRINKLEY BASS was ordered to the Tonkin Gulf for the first of four tours in the South China Sea. A Y , 5 4 ,i S I 1 5 I Y L i , I E Q. '1 V. -. fi 1 i 1 I fi I F P 1 fi sl L hu.. i 5 i 4 Q v I i 2 i ga i 42 Q P 3 3 Q 3 l 2 3 5 i E Q l 1 3 I 5 l 2 5 ,. '.,m,! 4.5595 if ,, ., ,K ,. ..f.Mfm' THE MAN Harry Brinkley BASS was born in Chicago, Illinois on the Fourth of July, 1916. He graduated from the U. S. Naval Academy at Annapolis in June of 1938, commissioned an Ensign, United States Navy. Following tours aboard the cruiser USS NEW ORLEANS and the destroyer USS FARRAGUT, he underwent flight training and was designated a Naval Aviator on 18 February 1941. In May of that year he reported to Bombing Squadron TWO 1 aboard USS LEXINGTON. For his ser- vice in the Pacific with VA-2, LT BASS was twice awarded the Navy Cross. In April 1944 he took command of Fight- ing Squadron SEVENTY-FOUR and was serving in that capacity when he was killed in a plane crash in the Mediterra- nean on August 20, 1944. For heroism and extraordinary achievement during the invasion of Southern France in Au- gust 1944, he was awarded the distin- guished Flying Cross. COMDESDIV l32, CAPTAIN T. E GROVES USN 1 f Captain GROVES' Black Cats , they call us. The Squadrom emblem of the growling panther is emblazoned on the sides of USS DECATUR QDDG-315, USS ARNOLD J. ISBELL QDD-8695, USS HARRY E. HUBBARD QDD-7485, USS SAMUEL N. MOORE QDD-7475 and USS BRINKLEY BASS QDD-8875. Captain GROVES was born in Winchester Virginia in 1922 and graduated from the U. S. Naval Academy in June 1945. Pre- vious destroyer duty includes tours on USS FLOYD B. PARKS QDD-8845, USS PERKINS QDD-8775 and USS KING QDLG- 101 as Executive Officer and as Com- manding Officer of USS HOEL QDDG-135. He became Commodore of Destroyer Division 132 in November of 1967. COMMANDING OFFICER, COMMANDER STEVEN van WESTENDORP, U Commander Steven van WESTENDORP, the son of Mr. Sz Mrs. Henry van WES- TENDORP, was born in Providence, Rhode Island, on August 7, 1929. After graduation from Hope High School in Providence, he served for two years with the U. S. Army Signal Corps. Com mander van WESTENDORP attended Brown University at Providence where he was enrolled in the NROTC Program and graduated in 1953 with a Degree of Bachelor of Arts. Upon commissioning as Ensign on June 1, 1953 he reported for duty as Damage Control Assistant on board USS STEMBEL QDD-6445. SN Subsequent tours of duty included Naval Gunfire Liaison Officer with the First Marine Division, CIC Officer on board 'USS ROCHESTER QCA-1245, Executive Officer of USS KLEINSMITH QAPD-1345 and Executive Officer of USS BLUE QDD- 7445. Other tours have included duty as Aide and Flag Lieutenant to Commander, Amphibious Force, Atlantic Fleet, Aide to the Commandant, Thirteenth Naval District and Aide and Flag Secretary to Commander Cruiser Destroyer Force, U. S. Pacific Fleet. Commander van WESTENDORP received his post graduate education in physical sciences at the U. S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California in 1962- 1963. He graduated from the U. S. Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island in June 1968, prior to relieving as Com- manding Officer, USS BRINKLEY BASS. Service awards and medals include the Navy Commendation Medal, the China Service Medal fextendedb, the National De fense Service Medal with Bronze Star, Korean Service Medal with Bronze Star, the Vietnam Service Medal with two Bronze Stars, the United Nations Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Ci- tation and the Republic of Vietnam Cam- paign Medal. 'd'.fW-ff f X 1 v Ly 1 4 f ,, y , M23 SWS if 2, 1 'W Q! THE CEREMONY The Chaplain began the invocation. A gunnersmate in the second rank bowed his head and noticed a scuff mark on his shoes as he closed his eyes. Captain Gurney stepped to the microphone and began to read the orders which would end his tour as Commanding Officer of the BRINKLEY BASS. Soon Commander van WE STEN- DORP would rise and read his orders. They would exchange salutes, just as Commander GURNEY had exchanged sa- lutes with Commander LASSITER on a June afternoon some two years before. As has been recorded in a thousand ar- ticles on change of command ceremonies, the proceedings on the destroyer's after weather decks were brief.but impres- sive . There was a tea in the Wardroom afterwards. The crew was granted early liberty. There were well wishes and goodbyes, but all that was a mere flour- ish after the simple words, I relieve you sir . Late that afternoon the gong on the uar q - terdeck struck twice and twice again. The Petty Officer of the Watch called, BRIN- KLEY BASS Departing . . .and the phrase would never have the same meaning again. An era had ended. Another had begun. A DAY IN THE GULF At 0345 the watch is relieved on the bridge. Midwatch personnel go below for a few hours sleep before reveille. BRINKLEY BASS slides uninterrupted through the waters of the Tonkin Gulf. The carrier she screens will com- mence flight operations at 0600 and BRINKLEY BASS will be plane guard destroyer. In the Engineering spaces below, BT's and MM'S go about their duties. The Cil King takes Soundings to determine fuel percentage, throttle watch makes a minor adjustment. 12 knots is the ordered speed, 110 rpm's. Later in the morning it will be all ahead flank and pretty warm in the firerooms. Time passes. At 0515 the Navigator and Chief Quartermaster are on the bridge for morning stars. The Captain rises at 0530 while BRINKLEY BASS maneuvers 1000 yards astern of the carrier, turning into the wind. The lee helmsman answers the command of the COD and snaps the en- gine order telegraph all the way forward, flank speed, 27 knots. So it goes all day, upwind and downwind. Launch aircraft for one strike and land the ones returning. At 1000 the angel brings mail. Hovering over the fantail, the rotor blades beat a tattoo of hot air onto Mount 52 for a few brief seconds as the orange sack is low- ered. Then away up the port side with a wave from the pilot. During lunch the Wardroom elects a new mess treasurer. On the Mess Decks, the off-duty section sets up to watch a movie. The 1MC brings the BMOW'S voice The ship will refuel at approximately 1900 tonight from USS CAMDEN. Lines are laid out, phones are checked and the kingpost is raised aft on the flight deck. At 1900 BRINKLEY BASS is alongside receiving fuel. At 2000 all lines are clear and she's away, receiving night screening instruc- tions from the carrier. Speed 12 knots, 110 rpm's. A long days work in the Gulf. .rnm-w.,,,..,. , EXECUTIVE OFFICER, LIEUTENANT COMMANDER ALEX This is the Executive Officer speaking... Throughout the ship the men pause in the daily routine to .hear the voice which con- tinues from the lMC. The message might be information about a port which the ship is about to enter, a report on the ship's Water supply or congratulations to men who have been advanced in rate. Whatever the subject, it will always reflect the Exec's honest concern for the welfare of the ship's company. First commissioned in June of 1957 after graduation from Brown University in Provi- dence, Rhode Island, LCDR VIESSMANN has served aboard USS RANKIN QAKA-1035, USS WILLIAM RUSH QDDR-7145 and as Com- manding Officer of USS LIPAN QATF-855, a fleet tug homeported in Pearl Harbor. He reported to the BRINKLEY BASS in August of 1967. LCDR VIE SSMANN departed in February to take command of the Destroyer Escort USS MCMORRISQDE-10361. J. VIESSMANN 1 E X E R R 1 X x 2 N M ffm' ,,.,,f- f' W0- ' ,N M1 'Y .4.',.'r ','Q 4-ff 6,1-.qvdi--4kx,:Jfg -.,-' 7.1 f.1'4' Lv '.- -' qv -1, fknx qv, 1,4. -1 .-1. -.. ,-..- -,, . , , , , YV- W- -+ f-- YC- f A - V M .1Af.,f1- 4 -xf-,Up-:5,,f-4'-F 05.124, '5.,f. irq?-f1L55f,q:,.ff-,fy-,J-nlfpg. 7f,q,g79,,QEy:,3fZ5,,,,.,:5.:1,,,Lyw,,lt , , GI EERI G DEP RT E T LIEUTENANT R. E. BROWN, EN Fire and water, boilers and turbines. Steam superheated to 850 degrees. Sixty thousand horsepower generated through two shafts to drive the BRINK- LEY BASS through the water. The ma- chinist mates, boiler technicians, ship- fitters, electricians and damage control- men keep it running. The ship is 23 years old, older than most of the men aboard. They curse the plant but they love it, and to stand on the fantail at flank speed and be deafened by the thun- der of the turning screws is to know they do their sweltering job well. GIN EER OFFICER - ffw-f, Z 'f yawn X .S 'Q-aww 4 V A by ff Q .W M mf , , xxx fd f x f, , '4 K wiv -, 'ff I. X7 Q Qs , 0, af YW 4 ,ww ' N- ws my -4 X We-X Aw .- -- X A .- yi 0 Q, Z iw N.,, , mv V ,wa W ws ,- .::- S, Qy wgy 2 was vef yf r 'm W W IN Sv, wx f mz .-1. 'V -X, sm 2 2. 2-sw-,W , , V gf.. ' ,.,. , Vv' M EY.-24,3 my H smw , V l. k ' f 'MS 'f ' -A Aww 3 X ww ZS4, 'N'4 ' X' . sas S swf C ff V - wh 4 WM . . f f f 5 f X Y as X f 1 f X f X f M f , 7 f f f A v Q 1 f X x f X Q f x f kv , x 9 fx x 7 lk ., . , X, A ,, A In 5 vi L' QA 1 Q, '1 ww f Ig-'iff ' aw 5 - dn' - .fm A XL, X J M. Mm- Ng, ig' X X X 'B if X X 4 N N X x x XX xy. N X -, gi X X X Sli M DIVISION LTJG JOHN DONGA MMI ADRION LAPRARIE MM2 LARRY TYLER MM3 TIMOTHY RANDALL MM3 VENANCIO PENANO FN NOARD BAKER FN HAROLD HENRY FN LOUIS ROSSY FN ROBERT SIMPSON MMCS EARL GRAVITT MM2 LEWIS KING MM3 MICHAEL COBB MM3 JERRY GALLAHER MM3 ROBERT WILLOUGHBY FN RUSTINE BARR FN EUGENE MCDANIEL FN JESUS SANCHEZ FN CALVIN WOOTEN MMI THOMAS ADKINS MM2 EARL COLEMAN MM3 DENNIS FOCHE MM3 MICHAEL HALL MMFN WILLARD HODGES FN ARTHUR HEAD I FN LARRY PIERCE FN WALTER SCHMIDT B DIVISION ENS PATRICK REHOVSKY BTI RICHARD EVANS BT2 LAWRENCE HALLOCK BT2 JOHN PARKS BT3 DANIEL CHAMPAGNE BT3 PHILIP HARTHILL BT3 RUSSELL SAAR BTFN LEE FELTHOVEN BTFN FLOYD WADE FN NORMAN LYSTER FN LYNN TALLMADGE BTCS ARTHUR EDSON BTI JOHN MOTTRAM BT2 DENNIS MORGAN BT2 RICHARD TARPLEY BT3 MELVIN DESY BT3 DARYL HOETZLE BT3 DONALD STACY BTFN JOHM KING FN HARRIS FN PAUL NAPOLITANO BTI CARLOS ECAT BT2 JOHN GILBERT BT2 JAMES OAKMAN BT3 LINDY BAXLEY BT3 WILLIAM DOWNING BT3 ROBERT PATTERSON BT3 ROBERT WISE BTFN RODNEY SPENCER FN MELVIN HARWOOD FN JOHN PATTISON -F I I I I III 'I I R DIVISION LTJG FRANK BLOD 9 S F C KOSE R MMI DAVID LIGHTFOOT if MR3 DUCKENFIELD EMI ELDER EMFN DEEB IC3 DAIZELL ig DC2 PAUL GARCIA ENS RUSSELL MYERS MMC LANGLAIS ' Si MM2 EARL HEM EN2 WHEELER EM2 EDWARDS EM3 JORDAN EMFN LANE DC3 JOSEPH ALBRECHT EMC SCHLENK MMI HENTGES MRI PERKINS EN3 CLARK EM2 SZENAY EM3 TRICARICO IC3 HOWARD SFP3 ALLAN JOHNSON In X I I' I fn I 5 , I I I I I 44 II I E1 I I 2 II I 2 I - IA K I 2 . If I 1 f 1, ,R We E I I Q I 3, J .f E I ? Hn, -. IC3 STEVENSON 1-E ' if .Q E? 33 215 53 x 3 'Q DC3 ROBERT RZENDZIAN 1 7 SEI H3 IS EM3 DESADIER 1 FN LARRY SNOWDALL WE P NS DEPARTME T LIEUTENANT D. H.MCKlNLEY WEAPONS OFFICER Twin 5 38 mounts fore and aft, torpe- does, ASROC, DASH, all the fire con- trol systems, this is the Weapons De- partment. Patrolling the Vietnamese coastline or anchored in Vung Tau Harbor, the guns are what do the job. Screening during carrier operations, the ASW systems are ready, Sonar is pinging. For helo transfer details, refueling, sea details, the deck force handles the job, plus gallons of gray paint. 24 hours a day, all over the ship, the Weapons Department, main and underwater batteries, are ready. ?7-i5?i'3??ffF7f '7'7 '-1 1- 4, ,1-., ,rvwiwir 1 :--s,m.:21...f-1,:f- :fn - ,g S 2 1 I F 4 v I n E x I 3 DIVISION WG DIVISIO lsv uwlq WA DIVISION LTJG JOHN PESTER GMG3 GEORGE KALB STG3 RONALD BRANSTETTER GMG1 LEVI RIVERS GMG3 MICHAEL SMITH TM3 RICHARD MILLS STG3 RONALD ADAMS ENS THOMAS COMER GMG2 JAMES STOKER SN ERNEST MARTINEZ STG3 DOUGLAS HAIRE SN RONALD RODENHISER STGSN ROGER THOMAS STC STEWART STGSN LUEHRS STG2 CHARLES DEWHURST ST1 DANIEL HURSH STG2 GEORGE DUNTERMAN GMG3 NORRIS WALTERS WG DIVISION LTJG FRANK DENGLER FTG2 JOHN HARTMAN FTG3 JAMES GROSSGROVE FTG3 MELVIN HARTMAN GMG2 NELSON BOUCHARD FT1 ORBON FTG3 STANLEY KETURAKIS GMG3 WILLIAM BASCO GMG3 THOMAS SNODGRASS GMG2 TOMMY KING FTG3 CARLTON LANCE SN JANES LUDEMAN FTG3 CHARLES WHITE SN CURTIS GRIMM WD DIVISION f ENS KENNETH LOEB SN THEODORE MONOS BM3 PERRY COGSWELL SN R. A. THOMAS SN WILLIAM BOWEN SN JOHN MCDONALD SN GARY SANDEL BM3 JOSE MONTOYA SN GLEN DANOS SN D. D. THOMAS BM3 ROGER POLLOCK SN JOHN BARTON SN RONALD WIGFALL SN JOHN HOLLAND SN LESLIE PARKER SN RANDALL KIMBERLY SN BRETT GOODMAN BM2 CLARE KEELING BM3 DOUGLAS FOSTER SN RONALD HAYS SN THOMAS TATUM SN JAMES KELLIGAN SN ROBERTO VELA SN GEORGE BURCHETTE SN ROBERT KELLER SN EDWARD MONDRAGON SN HAROLDBARRINGER 4 kxggg 51,51 ,-,-,,-rf-.1-:.f,1 .ofa--l V I I 1 i 1 ll if W 5? Il ll '2 11 M ,W lg 22 PER TloNs DEP RTME T LT. JOHN ERLANDSON, LCDR R H FOBERG Ship's operations: communications, intelligence and electronics. A myriad of messages coming in each day. In- formation is essential to destroyer op- erations. From the Windy signal bridge down to the busy ET shop, men of the operations department keep the doors open so all the information can be evalu ated and acted on. But much of the in- coming data isn't readily apparent. It may co.me in the form of green blips on a radarscope, or a Wavy arc of light in the ECM room, or by flashes of light across the water. Everything that is received is important for ship's opera- tions for the next ten minutes or ten days may hinge on the translation. F i 1 i I I i 5 2 I F l . i E 5 s z 5 2 I 2 I E I I' , . X 1' , ffm- QS ,, Elf. .4 . , . xi 1 iw -rx 5. Q 15 -Q Mn 'Q ff: Q xg WE if f Li: 4 nz I I -I wi .4 -,wg OC DIVISION OE DIVISIO ffr, ,-,,.f, 7,., - 1 Oc DIVISION RMC PAUL STAGEMAN RM3 MICHAEL LAU RMSN OTOUPAL SN O. B. BAKER SMSN JOHN SMITH RMI HAROLD CODAY RM3 JOHN MOOALL RMSN DUANE NAUMU sM3 HARTMAN RM2 ARA OONKLE RMS3 NORMAN CHAVIS RMSN DERYL FRANZEL sMsN JOHN FRIED OE DIVISION LTJG JAMES DIMOCK ETN2 MILLER ETN2 JEREMIAH ETN3 MCKEAN ET1 DONALD HOWELL ETR2 BROOME ETR2 HAAG ETR3 EDWARDS ETN2 MODLIN ETR2 JOHNSON ETR2 MASSELLI ETR3 MILLER OI DIVISION ENS DAVID LARSEN RD3 WE ESE RD2 HATFIELD I RDSN STAMM 1 RD3 GHERING RD1 PARRENT RD3 THERIAULT RD2 OCHOA RDSN OSTERBERGER SN HAYS RD2 KING RD3 PURSELL RD3 CAVARETTA RDSN SHERWOOD UPPLY DEP RTME T LTJG HCWARD FOSTER, SUPPLY QFFICER When a 2200 ton ship goes to sea, things break down, especially when the ship is 23 years old. Supply provides the parts. When the ship deploys for seven months the crew eats a lot. Supply provides the food. And when the crew goes on liberty in WESTPAC they need a lot of money. Supply pays them. Throughout the cruise the Supply Department promptly met the-P demands of the ship for the essential items. We even had enough to give parts to other ships. 3 S i , . 1 . E 1 : . 7 s , SUPPLY DEPARTM ENT LTJG FOSTER SK2 BERNAS SN YUEN CS1 JENKINS SH3 TAYLOR SK3 QUINTAL SH1 HENNEN CS3 PETTY CREW TN NABUS SK3 BUETHE 28 SKC KRING SD1 BRAVO SK1 MAYBERRY SD2 ROSALES SH2 KLEINSORGEN SN REARDON CS3 SULLIVAN CS3 BOLLINSKY TN FIGUE ROA DK1 MAYO SD2 SERNA CS1 SHOWERS SK3 MILLER SK3 SHRUM SN HUBBARD CS3 HUBER SN COLLINS TN SAMONTE fkiiiifii-5725?3L1EIiE5?15?i15L7S4f'i'fIf3'Z -, , . , A , . ,Wd . .,,. , , . , .. ,, . Lx-X R ' ' 'fri-Z, T 1i'?'E:f if '-ES Tb- i- 512' TW:fW'31'X'xXE? U' VL951 AWK , '. QR ,R..Rm2e:nQ1,Wf1RvR.1efxbglxsx-RSHRQSRSBFQM I I I I EXECUTIVE DIVISION LTJG JACK GEOGHEGAN, NAv1GAToR X Division. The Quartermasters and ship's office, sextants and service re- cords. The division comes in two parts The quartermasters, keeping watch and their logs on the bridge and the Person- nelmen and Yeomen in the ship's office running the Navy, pushing about a ton of paper around and somehow nothing gets lost and all the Correspondence gets mailed on time. X DIVISION LTJG GEOGHEGAN YN3 SIMEI PULU YN3 RHOTEN HMC WATKINS QMSA SKAGGS YNC HORTON YN3 STEVEN LARSON QM3 GEBHARDT QM3 ONKEN SN OROSCO QMC ENQUIST PC3 PRITCHARD PN2 MANSFIELD QM3 NUNNELLY I I TH E MASTER-AT-ARMS FORCE Keeping good order and cleanliness throughout the ship, in the mess line, at liberty call and in the berthing com- partment, from taps to taps the MAA's are on the job. 1,-fri: , wymrf-. rv 1-377,51 ' YIQNNESYSXYI V I 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 I 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 I I1 I 11 1 11 1 1 li cAPTAlN's lNsPEcTloN AWARDS Awards and ribbons were presented in November to various crewmembers. Meritorious Unit Commendations went to FTG3 Stanley KETURAKIS, GMG2 James STOKER, and SEAMAN Glen DANOS and a COMSEVENTHFLEET 'Letter of Commendation to GMG2 Nel- son BOUCHARD. An Essay Award from Freedom's Foundation at Valley Forge to RD2 Louis OCHOA and the Long Beach Businessmen's Association named GMG1 Levi RIVERS Sailor of the Year . 51.-U-VWWWMWW-WW! WWW My We ymmwm M. W -4 ,, f .,f.,-,, f . f - f - 1,fts 5,1 l'3:5fSQ'?'5i42'if-iff.iiifli-51:-Q53 - . ,,1.,,, ,,... v. I8 JULY I968 It should have been sunshine as the CRUDESFLOT THREE Band played While BRINKLEY BASS stood outfrom the pier, but it was cool fog shrouding those left standing on the pier. Down the way, manning the rail, We saw them again at Gull Park, Waving. Out the breakwater to the open sea, en- route to Mid-Pacific rendezvous with USS HANCOCK QCVA-195. Two days of steady steaming and We caught the HANCOCK. Twenty-four knots to Hawaii as escort and screen for the Birdfarm. At Hawaii, HAN- COCK Went through her Operational Readiness Inspection. BRINKLEY BASS provided plane guard services. For the next six months BRINKLEY BASS provided services, parts, pro- tection and gunfire, and never missed a committment. V 1 I , n 1 HANCOCK finished her operati01'1H1 readiness inspection and we steamed into Pearl Harbor, to finish out July with some good Waikiki liberty. Many made a first try at surfing, others took a tour of the islands. The bachelors went girl hunting. Suddenly it was time to move on again to Midway. Midway Island, a speck in the Pacific, three thousand miles east of Japan, famous for her battle, now a fuel stop for Destroyers on the way to Vietnam. And for four hours, a liberty stop for the BRINKLEY BASS crew to go swimming and refuel the ship. Then underway again for another rendezvous with USS HANCOCK, 200 miles to the southwest. 4 After meeting HANCO CK, we continued on the way West. We crossed the Inter- national Dateline late at night, so Au- gust third was only 15 minutes long. Halfway between Midway and Japan, BRINKLEY BASS, HANCOCK and com- pany were overflown by three Russian Reconnaisance Bombers. The captain on the lMC announced all personnel interested in getting a good photo of a Russian Bomber, lay to the weather- decks . Luckily, nobody fell over- board in the crush. The Russki pilot obliged us with a low pass across the mast, escorted by interceptor pilots from the HANCCCK, Finally inthe early morning of the eighth of August, the lights of Japan and the mouth of Tokyo Bay faded into view. First the faint glow over the horizon, then the glittering lights of a hundred fishing boats, out earlier than the twi- light, with BRINKLEY BASS, walking on eggs, threading a path between them. qwunq wgfu-www,wmM,v:q.w.fx -,mn '-.- mm.-':.fw : w ww -W u1,f.v.:w:v. vwiszw maxf.-avian if.1:151Y1,Eifiw.'S.'.:E'fr?Hllfd'M A?Nfi ib14:ifi lhr1fib3? int fi'-1'fL'4--i'l'21iF 9 fans naw .!!Exk,W'.1117vRu-Vyii BG, .s :Q ij. -K y :Tu iii r - W as 5 . v '1 E 5: HIE 9: 53? A . ,gig 5 Q5 ERE1i5gfYNXiEfi35ffiillv lrnwxcwwa-Wvvnrvmvuww z-+ Japan was markedby trips to Tokyo, visits to the Great Buddha at Kamakura, and vast purchases of Japanese radios, tape recorders and cameras. First exposure always means overindulgence. If everything BRINKLEY BASS sailors bought in Yokosuka were plugged into the ship at one time, we would have lost the load. With painting, minor repairs and adjustments completed, we left Japan for our last jumping off place before Yankee Station, Subic Bay, Philippines. In port in Subic Bay, there was a frantic rush to get--the ship ready for change of command. On the morning of August seventeenth, the BRINKLEY BASS was decked with flags and bunting and Commander Steven van WES- TENDORP assumed command. The next morning we got underway again, still screening the HANCOCK, for two days of operations off the Phili- ppine coast. On the night of the nineteenth, LTJG Louis PLOTZ, the pilot of an F-8 crusader, ran short of fuel and ejected from his aircraft into choppy seas. Twenty minutes later, with the captain conning, we had him aboard the fantail, safe and sound. Returning LTJG PLOTZ by helicopter to the HANCOCK, we steamed on to Yankee Station and two weeks of unex- citing work planeguarding for HANCOCK. We returned to Subic for four days and then back to the HANCOCK un- til we were called by USS LONG BEACH QCGN-95 to serve as her Shotgun , surface raid defense ship while she acted as strike support ship, keeping track of air strikes into North Vietnam. By the beginning of October, Subic Bay was becoming a second home port for the BRINKLEY BASS. We spent the first 4 days of the month there again,'before getting underway again with USS MAHAN QDLG-115 for a month of search and rescue. First we went to Danang for a day of SAR training, then up to the Gulf for duty. Halfway through the month we were detached to rejoin the USS LONG BEACH when USS POWER's firecontrol radar broke down. So, all in all, October was a pretty dull month, operationally speaking. Otherwise, we had some good things to occupy our time. Supply supplied weekly steak barbecues on the fantail, and mail service was exceptionally good. Several offi- cers and men were given tours on the LONG BEACH, and there was a full schedule of drills and exercises for jun- ior officers on the bridge and the engineering department below. BRINKLEY BASS rejoined the MAHAN for the last few days of October before being relieved and heading back to Subic Bay. The first eight days in November were spent alongside the tender in Subic Bay again, to get number one boiler fixed and other minor work done, and then out to the gunline. While We were all in Subic, the President called a halt to bombing North of the DMZ, so We be- came part of CTG 70.8 in III corps in- stead. For the first real action during the cruise, we steamed into Vung Tau har- bor and relieved our sister ship, the USS ARNOLD J. ISBELL QDD-8695 on the firing line on November eleventh. An hour later we commenced firing in the Rung Sat Special Zone, the Killer Swamp hideout for Vietcong 30 miles south of Saigon. The ship continued fi- ring for four days, destroying struc- tures, bunkers and a sampan. was-I :we-fx:-:f:C'f-23: -:--,-.f,.--- -'11, .- , .,,1 ,-1. .31 175. .W .fr . .,-, ., ,. -., , W ,mi , AW, ...P , I 5 39 40 373197 ??l7575Fr'Fi3 f?Ti 4Z?.'Li3F57???9,I'.4 I 1 1 1 2' 377.-Q11 7 : :Li We left the .Rung Sat in the middle of No- vember, steaming farther South to the Mekong Delta in IV corps and the mouth of the Bassac River. The marshy flat- land and mangrove swamps in this area. make good hiding places for the Vietcong. Our mission was to make it more uncom- fortable for them, destroy their bunkers, food supply, anything that might be a com- fort to them. It took about three days to be convinced the-re weren't very many places to hide in the Bassac, so we North into III corps again, about forty miles up the coast from Vung Tau. A couple of mountains where the VC were planning an offensive, and we met a salty old spotter who gave us some good tar- gets, supply routes, observation posts, base camps and two caves which we closed with direct hits. The captain kept moving the ship closer and closer until we were firing from four thousand yards, direct fire, at an old concrete structure that wouldn't budge. That was the only target of the cruise that 5 !38 guns couldn't handle. ' No sooner were our guns getting hot and the men used to port and starboard watchstand- ing, than we were called away for type training near Danang. By this time we were all thinking about Hong Kong. We saved up our money and when we finally finished 6 days of plane guard duty with the CORAL SEA, left the Gulf on last day of November for Hong Kong and points North. The month of December was best of all for men of the BRINKLEY BASS. We steamed through LEI-U-MUN pass into Hong Kong Harbor at eight o'clock for six days of spending, drinking and sightseeing, some- times in reverse order. It seems you could run into just about anybody in the Hong Kong Hilton Hotel. It's said that you can get any- thing in Hong Kong. Maybe a rabbit fur bed- spread if you're so inclined, or clothes and gifts from the China Fleet Club. It was get- ting close to Christmas and we stimulated the- Hong Kong Economy quite actively. After we left Hong Kong, the cruise was down- hill all the way. Hong Kong is such a hard place to leave because no matter how long you stay, you know you haven't done it all. But if y0u'rG a sailor six days is plenty of time because if you stay any longer, you run out of money. BRINKLEY BASS spent two days in Keelung, on the northern tip of Taiwan while the crew went to Nancy's Bar and to Tai'Pei for two more days of R 85 R before we moved on to Sasebo, Japan. All along the weather was getting colder and colder. More than anything else, the change of climate from the tropical warmth of the Gulf made the trip to Sasebo. Also Fiddler's Green. We had a ship's party at Fiddler's Green, two days of good times, a loud band, plenty to eat and drink and Go Go Girls. All too soon this was over and the BRINKLEY BASS was steaming back to the gunline via Kaohsiung for fuel. This time we went to DaNang in I Corps. The North Vietnamese were up in the mountains on the northern side of the harbor and the ship was assigned to harassment and interdiction of the en- emy positions while the 101st Army Airborne Di- vision worked on the landward side, boxing them in. For Christmas in DaNang there was a ceasefire intermittently interrupted by machine gun fire. In DaNang the ship followed a routine of firing all night and steaming out to sea during the day for refueling and replenishments. We had a call for fire south of DaNang in the Dodge City area and destroyed a large cache of rice and several structures. Ranging up and down the coast in the vicinity of DaNang, on New Year's Eve we were 3,500 yards off Mui Chon Mai Dong firing into the coastal mountains north of the har- bor. At the stroke of midnight, all the Marines, Destroyers, and swift boats firedenough pyrotech nics and tracer bullets to light up everything for miles around. After that the weather got worse and worse and we were steaming off the coast by the DMZ when the word came that we were relieved and detached. We joined the ISBELL and USS CONSTELLATION in Subic Bay and headed for home via Yokosuka, I 1 I 1 I I 1 1 1 1 1 I I I I 1 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 I I 1 1 I 1 1 i I I 1 I I 1 1 1 I I I 1 1 I I I M? ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,M,,,,,,,,,,, ,-,,,,,,,,,,.,,, .,,,, ,,,, ,,.,,,,,11,, .,,.,. , ., , ., Y, Y. . 1-,441 44 'fr in-' if-: GLI LINE The bow wave curled translucent sheets from the dark water. The BRINKLEY BASS was on the move again. Last night she fired at trails and base camps, fired blind into the darkness of a silent shore- line. A few days before that she'd hit rice caches 'along a strip of the coast known as Dodge City , pockmarked by shells until it resembled Verdun. A month had passed since she finished pounding Viet Cong positions in the Rung Sat Special Zone, and so it went, watches became days, days, weeks, and weeks ran into months with only church services and an occasional mail call after refueling and rearming to break the monotony. ln such times, seemingly minor experi- ences became the focal point of subcon- cious thoughts which gradually evolved in- to an emotion, an emotion expressed for those who knew it by a single word, gun- line . Who would forget the stack gas and salt . water of refueling stations, or the weari- ness which overtook men who cradled and carried the endless stream of projectiles and powder charges to the magazines ? How many would recall the simple divers- ions of life on the gunlineg the letter you read until you memorized the second para- graph, the candy bar from the ship's store, the old black and white movies, the soup and crackers for mid-rats , and in recal- ling them, who .would smile ? What was it that made such trivial things important? Perhaps it was the grim business of cyc- ling ammunition up from the stuffy confines of the magazines. Perhaps it was the effort to maintain a condition of constant readiness waiting in CIC or on the bridge while radio circuits crackled to life, ending momentary lulls in the firing. .... target, height four zero meters, de- scription, bunkers .... Or perhaps it was waiting below where men knew nothing of what was happening until the ship shook with the recoil of the first salvo. 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 45 1 S5i??!EN?tfGfaI?Yi5aETi3?2 -46 .,, S 2 , A si- m Lf ff V1 ymmx. w.x-Lmrfw Visas, f ' -,. - , . --.1-L.ii fw gf ff f 5 , ,Www : - M2 23+ 4 f 1 I 4 1 1 w v V f v 1 ! f um.. A L.1-,M.v ! S 48 On the bridge, in the director, in CIC, the missions had some variation. In the gun mounts they were always the same. T One round, slow salvo fire, load! The powderman seized the long brass cylinder from the scuttle and set it in the tray with a motion that months of practice had made as mechanical as the gun he served The projectilesmen's foot slammed a treadle to the deck plates and his beefy arms swung the heavy round in ahead of the powder with a solid metallic thud. He hit the ram- mer operating lever and the spade thrust the round into the darkness beyond the yawning breech. Loaded! The word was passed, the order given, then the inevitable buzz of the salvo signal prompted an involuntary tenseness in the mount. The gun fired and the housing hurtled to the rear, the empty cartridge case shot back trailing hot gases and slammed into the shell chute. The familiar hiss of the gas ejection air fell on momentarily deafened ears. One round expended, bore clear, no casualties! Outside on the main deck, spent brass rolled and clattered in the darkness. So it went. Some times there was rapid salvo, or continu- ous fire. Occasionally there were moments of excitement, a misfire, a hangfire, setting fuzes by hand to feed the hungry guns, but everything was taken in stride. The ship's routine went on, thanks to a large body of unsung heroes, the cooks, the bakers, the ship's servicemen, and the engineers. Some men served double duty, as did the IC men who stood Watch on their own gear and operated the fire controlfstable element as well. On the bridge and in CIC, the officers and men of the port and starboard shore bombardment teams received target information from the spotters on the beach, plotted the targets, conned the ship in tofiring position, set up the com puter solution with the fire control technicians in plot, and directed the fire which destroyed numerous bunkers, struc- tures, logistics points, bridges and sampans. Whether firing from anchor or underway, firing was an all hands evolution. The seamen and gunnersmates in the mounts were relying upon the fire control technicians to put guns on target, who in turn relied upon the gunnery liason officer and his plotters, who in turn relied upon the 'naviga- tor the OOD the helmsman, and soon. FI'0II1 the flfemen , d' t ,h in the oven like after fire room to the mess stan ing wa c u cook who worked long into the night, the 111II1eS demanded everyone to do his duty and do it well. There were these h were not continuously involved in the firing, but who w o , stood ready at their posts for the moment when the 11VeS of their shipmates might well depend on 13116111- Their over-riding effort Was for the ship, the all-PFeV-eding spirit was, can do . REP Blacknessg total and impenetrable inky blackness lies before you as you SWiI1g the heavy watertight door open and bal- ance momentarily in closing it behind you while the main deck rolls beneath your feet, The metal fittings on your bulky lifejacket scrape the rungs of the ladder as you grope upwards to the DASH deck. On the bridge, the special sea and re- fueling detail receives the manned and ready reports of the stations involved in the night refueling. A score of eyes strain to see the dull red lights of the oiler which lumbers ahead across the dark waters of the Tonkin Gulf. In CIC, weary Radarmen plot the oiler's course and speed, and those of the other ships in the area, and monitor the radio nets which blare forth cryptic messages at irregular intervals. I ii . .5 1 ,A fl I 5 X. 1 u 1 1 f 1 . - 1 1 1 1 v 1 s Engineers wait below decks to answer the bells which will be required on in- stant notice during the difficult approach phase of the refueling evolution, their sweatsoaked dungaree shirts cling to their arms and backs with the familiarity of a second skin. Other 'snipes stand by the sounding tubes of the ship's fuel tanks, waiting for the vicious torrent which must come hissing and plunging from the now silent trunks above. The rigs are manned and ready. The breakway tools carefully laid out on deck. The Gunnersmates await the arrival of the shot lines. The 1MC blares, The ship is commencing her approach. f ':--me : -' ' vugggp-evw:..--:.v1-1,.,. ' its if , AMA f 4 ,- .ff V Y,-V - fm, fn fi 'L . . 2' 'ff . . . On the BRINKLEY BASS, standy for shot lines fore, aft, and amidship. Shrill whistles pierce the warm night air. Three shots are heard and an aluminum and plastic pigeon thuds against the ASROC launcher, ricocheting over the starboard side trailing its nylon mes- senger line. Similar shots have landed lines at the forward and after refueling stations and now the work of hauling in the heavy spanwire begins. !'Heave around, dammit! Come on now, heave together! The ships roll apart. Men lurch and stagger and swear. The massive refueling probe slides down the spanwire like a clumsy, spastic snake. The hose halts fifteen feet from its des- tination and hangs before the bell, now held rigid by the quivering spanwire. Suddenly the winch operator on the oiler frees the saddle and the probe drives home with a solid metallic thud. Seated. Commence pumping! On the bridge, the Officer of the Deck counts the lights on the distance line and watches the slow swing of the bearing card in the pelorus. The soundings are rising rapidlyg ten feet, five inches, eleven feet, three . . . Stand by to se- cure. Cease pumping! The signalman's arm waves back and forth, leaving a trail of dull red light. The hose is emptied with a blowdown and back suction. The probe is released from the bell and hauled back to the oiler. The spanwire is tripped even as the phone messenger line is retrieved by a tired seaman who works knowing that two more destroyers must be refueled before he sleeps again. All lines clear forward! All lines clear forward, aft and amidship, Sir. The Captain turns to the Officer of the Deck and nods, Twenty-seven. All engines ahead flank, indicate turns for twen- ty-seven knots. The Destroyer seems to settle deeper aft as the water boils from beneath her fantail. The men restow their gear and head be- low for a well earned rest. BRINKLEY BASS is again on station and ready. fag 1 , ,, . .ii 25? Q, .111 -r'QF'Z3'f f,1 ef W fv 'Y 'Q' 'w- .1 'lvef'vL1f -sP71 'T?3'af 'ffriif 1315 ,igiglg-2,2-fi' pn--as14.91-:wa-1-ef: '-1 f-a- e... at 5- A ,.--' ' ' A -ef A , A 1' I A ai' visit F , U! Q Lf 5 fa 2 Qi , if 'I . Hi? :H Wi' 57' +71 f'92 f' 1 1:5176 ,gi , .1 5!f1'jf ' - ,HA AGI' .i uk. 55 sm-WU K A, X M W .- 5-fp ,Q--f ,sVf:V4Q'Qv 0 S xx ,SU Sf,5'4iXV :Ql1f' Q . ,. kg-'L ,T k'l','- 4 ,, AS BRINKLEY BASS' own air wing. Drone Antisubmarine Helicopter is the long range ASW capability of the ship. Equipped with a Mark 44 torpedo it's a deadly Weapon. We never had to use our DASH during the cruise, but the capable DASH crew of LTJG CONRADY, EN1 DEERTZ, AT1 VISNEASKUS, ETN3 KAYSER, ADJ3 WALKER and SN DEN- TON kept the system at the ready at all times. LIBERTY CALL An orange sun nestles behind a row of deserted fac- tories across the river in the blue-grey haze Of 21 late autumn evening. The traffic inches forward, traveling ten or fifteen feet, then halting, giving the aerial ap- pearance of a lethargic serpent. Your mind Wafldefs to an evening long ago when the lights grew brighter in the gathering dusk . I wonder what Grace is doing now ? You can almost hear the driving, blaring music which filled the Club Oceans- ll. The car radio seems so quiet by comparison. Good times! , you reflect, and a smile comes to your lips .... Good times! What was the name of the other place ? The China Fleet Club? No, that doesn't sound right .... that was in Hong Kong. The Seventh Fleet Club, that's it. What a show! Suddenly names and places flood back in a jumble of con- fused memoriesg Fiddler's Green, a mental picture of LYSTER with his arms driving back and forth in imita- tion of a dance, a bedspread made of rabbit fur, monkey meat on a stick, the smell of Olongapo City, the graceful trees on the slopes of Victoria Peak, the cold wind which blew across Sasebo, an orange crushed underfoot in the market district, flies, the countless belt buckles, patches, caps, cameras, paintings, tape recorders, books, records and suits that came across the brow on the aching shoul- ders of their proud owners. How many sets of china had been delivered? How many hunting rifles? The traffic moves ahead. Only a few more miles and you can cut across the Grant Street Interchange. Snow flur- ries are predicted later in the evening. You turn off the radio and listen tfo the engine idle. The wind is rising. In the back of your mind a vague picture of a windy night in Subic Bay takes form. You remember steaming in very late in the day. There was some question whether liberty would go at all. When it was finally called away a Mike Boat full of laughing, shouting officers and men headed across the dark green swells, and by the early hours of the morning it was on its way back in a driving rain. Yet, no one noticed the weather much. The boat heaved and pitched, men shoved one another, sang, laughed, and passed the hats of those unwary enough to keep theirs on their heads down the length of the well deck. Yours went over the side. Good times! A truck creeps forward to nudge your bumper. Traffic is beginning to move again. The radio comes to life with a flick of the wrist. The songs are different than they were then ..... but then, many things have changed. The Grant Street Overpass come into view. Soon you will be free again. Keelung, Sasebo, Taipei, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Yoko, and Olongapo City seem far away and long ago. The sun dis- appears in the west. 3. I ,vw f anim .yr : A -V 3, . ,A AM MMWM , . r g 51, ' X. QTQQENQMQA 1 'f ,ff .iwsi Q- :fz?':S3X THE BEARDS While We were on SAR station, the crew needed something to do to occupy their time, so we grew hair on our faces. It Wasn't really enough time for most men but there were some admirable results just the same and first prizes Went to SN DENTON, SKl MAYBERRY and FN ENGLE for best effort. 1 J x 62 ' ' Wm ' 'wwf' 'v ' THE HOLIDAYS The gunline off the coast of Vietnam isn't the best place to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas, but the Supply Department should get credit for making it a little more festive for the men with turkey din ners and a holiday atmosphere, even in the humid warmth of the South China Sea The' good food reminded us of the football games, the snow, the loved ones who weren't with us on the special days. Christmas Eve, we pulled into DaNang Harbor to enjoy a brief respite from the War during the cease fire. From the shore there was a fireworks display of multicolored flares and tracer bullets fired by celebrating Marines. On the mess decks the Captain and the Chaplain led the crew in a Christmas service of carols and the Christmas story. It was a time to forget the War and remember our heritage. ,,r1f1f,f? ff, .JPQJLH VL.. 1 gf' 1 - ',:..,-Y.,-ff- ., -21 ,, ,.,,, ,fn 2, Q, .rmwtfhAQ?-!4z:1-fe1:'.3fw:::f:,.. gaf',43-!',-:r::,11- pf ,M-zrkwi-5-M 5.1: '-5, ff-1.-ff hvv M....,-v.. W.-.,..Y - ,-. ,-..,.L WY . ,.'-iam ,Am 4 'T ff-ef f as f 63 So now we're back in Long Beach againg atleast for a while. Returning home with the CONSTELLATION and ISBELL seemed to take forever, but then one day the ET's picked up KRLA on the ship's entertain- ment system and soon sea detail was set and we tied up the ship, shut down the boilers and went home to families and loved ones. We're back to the freeways, the smog, houses, trees, tacos, and rock and roll. For a while we'll stay in California, but soon men are transferred, the crew breaks up and this book will become a memory of the men and ship we knew in WESTPAC, 1968. WALSWORTH PUBLISHING COMPANY Marceline, Mo., U.S.A. C B 7730 L J ll kSl Off EH h IS! t C lf 92037 1. r.,x fi? gm ' N. 'L .Mk .,. 10 ixskig xx ilk: Ed sr L YS 'Nui K1- : jf -'x '- 4.253 r Vu A '21 I 'E 'sh 'Z 1 x LJ I an H. l Tljjj-.', -S:-:'::q . 'iii-J-I. E 'fs-iii' ' 31539.21 '-I-.135-. ?53Si??3E P:-rag? ,Nia-SQ: 5555531 1LE?Q:l:i 3m 1-.Y ' 9'--'-wk 331531 kv' J' -... n 1u.,QQkE 'ii .E-.aw - 43511:- lr, ,LSI wx. 151 1, wr lv 'Q if 'Q I - :gg 1 id IP -If J ' x , . 9 Q i . , V A i QQ , E, 4s 1- . M A 1 , 1' .. 'e ' i. 1 f- ! 1' , , V .tl 251, E is Z I vi X 6 iz ! vi E u 5 2 93 Q 2 Q i F .1 E c i 5 4 k - ' H-K -' 'v H -' fr, 11' Q. xx gwfvazx- Jw 'V-Mfr-11.s. :-f:f'A-:.z- -:::.x-1:-.w-ras.-1-1:--wx .f.1w1- f f- - v 1 -' ., ' X ,n:x.,g:...4f....:Q-L-z..,- x mliuui! 1