Epperson (DD 719) - Naval Cruise Book

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OC DIVISION ' I , A OC Division is an abbreviation for Operations-Communications Division and it consists of Radiomen, Signalmen and Hospital Corpsmen Enlisted Ratings. This division, alias Ops-is-Tops , is at least at times under the control of Always Right Pendleton, and under the supervision of the Communications Officer, Dashing Light Bekkedahl. The division is assigned the mission of maintaining reliable, rapid, and secure radio! visual communications for the command. To accomplish this mission on a FRAM I Destroyer, the latest and most sophisticated communications equipment is installed in the various communications spaces. We have a capability of communicating thousands of miles with other afloat imits and shore-based communications stations, strategically located throughout the Pacific. The Radiomen, gallantly led by Limited Duty Seratte, under the close supervision of Disagreeable Character McLenegan and Week End Thompson, are responsible for maintaining radio and long-range commtmications by use of equipments and operating positions for radio-telegraph, radio-telephone, and radio-teletype. On a typical day in radio, you may find Washout Regularly Benavitz, burning up a Transmitter, Jack Daniels Harris, sobering up over a mitey-mite, while Rat Fink Monteros and Roaming Lover Rasmussen tell Max Jabber Ryan and The Mouth Hulsey a few sea stories. In another corner Big Wheel Johnson and Rum Jug Hunt send code to each other, while Rambling Massas and Fall Guy Munger argue about who made the last coke run. The signalmen, under supervision of Gold Denture Attaway in cahoots with Racks Down Vandeventer, are responsible for maintaining visual short flaghoist and semaphore. On a casual trip to the signal bridge, one might see Run Away Jensen showing Low Rank Love or Thin Witted Berkley flashing light procedure, while Always Lonely Marsyla, Foxy Doodles Brown, and Ocean Riding Schmidt do all the work. The Hospital Corpsmen have no communications function but are traditionally assigned to OC Division on destroyers for personnel administration. A modern and efficient sickbay for the health and well-being of the crew is run by Razor Aleman, assisted by Jabbing Always Burello, alias needles. Flexibility and versatility are our key words and witho t u our vital service, command and control would not function properly. Our international call sign. is NTGT , and to us it symbolizes NO TINCAN GREATER TODAY.

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Our dual purpose man is ET3 Raborn, who is also the Dash back- up man., Seamen Short and Kier round out the com- munications' specialists. The Electronics' Technicians, Radar, are composed of Third Class Petty Officers' Bonavita and Beebe,andSeamen Apprentices Peltin and Anderson, with newcomer Seaman Troendle joiningthe radar specialists in February. Our last member is Seaman Sheppard who is currently awaiting Electronics School while learning all he can through on the job experience. The ET is on call 24 hours to come to the aid of ailing gear and to bring it on the line in as short a time as possible. Even though the two rates are separatefrom each other, they must be able to cooperate, to work together towards the single goal of attaining and maintaining the highest state of readiness for their ship. The second of the two groups in OI Division is composed of the Electronics' Technicians, under ENS H, K, Shintaku, EMO, Assistant OI Division Officer and boy wonder. This relatively new rate is one of the most important in this technically oriented Navy. On the EPPERSON, leading ET, Curley Shiley, ETC, requires his men to have an intimate knowledge of the operation and design of electronic equipment used in CIC, and also communications gear repair. Of our radio specialists or Electronics' Technicians, Communications, we have Second Class Petty Officer Grumbles Watson, whose grumbling is second only to his ability as the leading Petty Officer under Chief Shiley. FIRST Row CL to RJ: Anderson, C.H., ETRSN, Short, THIRD ROW: '.ENS sh.-intaku, H,K., Bonavita, F., ETR3, s.L., ETNSN, watson, c.L,, ETN2 SECOND Row: Kier, Pelfin, T-Je, ETRSA, Shlleyf RA-f ETC C.R., ETNSN, Beebe, J.K., ETR3, Rabvrn, SL., ETN3

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5, OCS VES CN LT Bekkedahl, D.L. FIRST Row CL to RJ: Berkley, T.W., SM3, Love, L.R. X 7 , ,I if 1 , R,F,, RM3, Massas, R., Jr., RMSN, Burello, J.A,, SM3, Schmidt, O.R,, SMSN, Benavitz, W.R., Jr., CT2, SN THIRD ROW: Hunt, R.J., RMSN, Ryan, M.J., RMSN, Brown, F. D., Jr., SMSN, Munger, F.G., RMSN, Attaway G.D., SMC SECOND ROW: Rasmussen, RL., RM3, Hulsey, T.M., RMSN, Jensen, RA., SM2, Monteros, 1 Johnson, B.W., Jr., RMSN, Thompson, W.E,, RM1, ,Har-ris, J,D., RM3, Marsyla, A.L., SMSN, Vandeventer, R,D,, SM1