Dennis J Buckley (DDR 808) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 56 text:

' Q Ex 1. ,. Q. 3, I Lf J 1 it ' .4 fi 2. .- ' fi--.:.m ..i.a.Qems,1,..3a.m. -m.-.1 .. f .sa 4 SET . St: I wail .X15 4. 15 I zu, Q Y N :sa V' I I I 55 7-41 JH, 1, n- G: 5' I . '. xi I5 . I fi l 1? I if ,I 1' - 'I I.. , 'Lp 1 . L, ,I . 125 1' it 1 I f- I .1 , - I 14 . ,'.1. ay., f-:v,.:...-,.. ,.-, --..---. ,,.. , ..., - . , f. 'f f1fi'r'f- '- L.-21-:'..:f:L-A 'S ?H-'Sf-P'-'.T'1. f,---uf:f-ruff-.:gs4.,.,a. S -.:..,x. ..1x.- . -...a f .. - - 7 . . ,.:. f1g :aSS':-fr-in---vlan.:-'ff' 411-v:f1 '-f 7 a i? -7 f5.:.,-9131 -szpxrggga-':? :.-.-:gg isryzrzz-a..-: ,1 ,n,5t,q:-f..p,5,g,,0HE 5.54 -ff During our last Sunday on SAR, when the J CUETT came alongside for light-line transfer and picture taking, Commodore Emerson gave the crew of DENNIS J. BUCKLEY a heartily expressed thank - you. You're a bunch of real jewels, he said. On 23 June, as we said good-by to the JOUETT for the last time, we knew we were leaving V good friends and dependable comrades-in- arms. Five days then spent in Hong Kong on ' . RSLR were well earned by our weary crew. I No maintenance was allowed in the Crown Colony - a change from our normal routine. Thence to Subic for ammunition on- ' loading and offloading in preparation for naval gunfire support operations in II Corps. area RVN. On 6 July BUCKLEY relieved the USS FLCYD B. PARKS and commenced ten days of port and starboard watches ' necessary for manning all station. Acting in support of United States and Republic of Korea Forces, DENNIS J. BUCKLEY fired 3,000 rounds for the allies. A11 CTGW members performed admirably under the furious pace. From Gunfire support, a day with the TICCNDEROGA QCVA-145 and four days on southwest picket station ended the line period and combat pay for the crew of the USS DENNIS J. BUCKLEY. From 22 July to 24 July it was back to Subic in company with USS CONSTELLATION QCVA-645. A few days in Subic and the BUCKLEY headed out under the threat of several tropical storms, to Yokosuka, Ja-Pan . - f . - - v-.n.a.-.,...n.......m...f,nf.n,,.Qu-.mx

Page 55 text:

class petty officers stood junior officer of the deck watches while on SAR Station due to heavy scheduling of Personnel needed out there. The first class always said they could conn a ship as well as any officer. From SSAR on 6 April BUCKLEY joined USS ENTERPRISE QCVAQNJ 657 to fill in for another destroyer with a casrept boiler. One day with the ENTERPRISE and it was back to Subic Bay. In Subic COIVIDESRON 1, our own Commodore Emerson, met us. We were to be very close to the Commodore during the next few months. It was in Subic where we were paid a visit by the Deputy 'Inspector General, and BUCKLEY crew members found themselvesface to face with an Admiral, a true inspector who was very pleased with what he saw aboard BUCKLEY. April 18 found us back on South SAR, this time with the JOUETT,and COMDESRON ONE, with whom we were to spend our- next two line periods. Aside from eleven days of upkeep in Kaohsiung, Taiwan and a few days in transit, DENNIS J. BUCKLEY and JOUETT steamed together for sixty days. Needless to say per- sonnel on both ships got to know each other very well. Frequent exchange visits were paid by each ship. Each came to know the working of the other. Whenever JOUETT and BUCKLEY were not engaged in a search and rescue mission they conducted exercises and maintained a constant state of readiness for any eventuality. There were many times when the ships set general quarters in expectation of air attack. Extra watches were set when the possibility of hostile helicopter actions existed. 53 wmmp .mm get ff ffsa-

Page 57 text:

-. .M 4 41- ' f f 4 -- zu - ' 1- - z 'sieve-M ff 'f,.,'.' :wi-'-an 1 V.-.W - - 'hs 'L' '11 ,- : , , ---M uv -1-.Q-.,--... -..-f-.gp....l - --:. i.,.,.... .,....:.a...,. f i. .. .. uf , .1-tv -r Y, i V N...-l :' ' .--7-...wg 4.--.. .,::lg.:'j,E.5Q,,,:.ff' ... -... August lst to August 8th were' spent conducting extensive maintenance, shopping, and preparing for the transit home as screen commander for TICONDEROGA. The trip home, in contrast to the beginning of our journey, was smooth sailing all the Way. San Diego never looked so good as DENNIS J. BUCKLEY steamed through the channel on the morning of 17 August. WESTPAC cruise' 1968 bringsto mind memories of sadness and joy, strange names and places, pride and disappointment. For those who have deployed for the first time no longer will Vietnam be just a word discussed in the newspapers. We will no longer use the name casuallyg we have been there. , if ,ax .lf N- N? -- 266.32-'f' af- C 1 f .cf . l ae5e,1m' - .L-Ag e. 'ix 5