Gearing (DD 710) - Naval Cruise Book

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. iw l hi V fl V i P ,- ,Z 'Q' 1 il i 4 E 1 ' r i - . x P n 5 21 L g, .- - me. . . . ':.. .':, 'wr yi U -A 5. WINTER 1957 1958 ALL

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fa- rf- rr.:-. .-::..' -Lzfrqtrfr. ,g:1frr':,r.'.:'g 2:.1'l.... . .2-if af - f - . 1 --- - sri 3-ll , a Our Favorite Gas Station j To the Rescue A sailor who jumped overboard into mountainous 60-foot waves to rescue a man washed over the side from a destroyer has been awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal. The medal was presented to Lawrence W. Beckhaus, GM2, UsN, by RADM John C. Daniel, USN, then Commander, Destroyer Force, Atlan- tic Fleet, in ceremonies aboard Uss Salamonie CAO 261. The award, one of the highest peacetime awards given in the Navy, was presented to Beckhaus for his daring rescue of George D. Schack, SN, USN, who was swept overboard from the destroyer Uss Gearing CDD 7101. The incident occurred while Salamonie was performing emer- gency refueling of Gearing off the coast of Spain during an Atlantic stonn. Schack, engaged in iettisoning loose gear to lighten the destroyer, in danger owing to heavy weather to bring him alongside, but was un- able to turn sharply enough to get the victim to leeward, and drifted away from the tiring man. Salamonie turned into the wind for a second approach and was suc- cessfully maneuvered to the wind- ward side of the man. Meanwhile, more than 30 lookouts kept Schack in sight. The heavy seas and 60-knot winds made it impossible to lower a life- boat. Beckaus, with the permission of his commanding oflicer, dived over the side. After a 10-minute swim the gunner's mate reached the exhausted but still conscious seaman. With the tanker rolling' as much as 25 degrees in the trough, Salamonie's crew heaved the line in. Both men came on board simultaneously as the oiler took a huge wave that swamped the well deck. Schack was found uninjured, but was sent to sick bay for shock treat- N82-OA , ......v......,,.........., W,..., WT. 4. -7,- '-. f-1 . ,-.Q .1. .fs i if -E' 'a .33 Simi- BT . - - ' ED . - - ' , QONNENG . PUMPXNG 'i Now coNN2cTED FND y-10555 41259 OP- , f wEm,,,E 6 DECEMBER 1957 warg T , f 1551 J lw ClNGLANTFl- in i 1 - .: 1 oss GEMMNG viii! sv' Mmm A . ur- Dr' - . l All HANDS - 0' ummxcs mm LT ASW E C my . L board this year and but for the out- ,S F N om ue mm N SW PLASSLAXNNI itandmg heroism of gunnel-'S mates me Sn: cv ng W.. rm mn Q j awrence Beckhaus, this number an ww. now . + . ASW ,,f might have been nine. LT SEC MR l ,-f-- 'T I To destroyer Sailors, weather is W1 l ',,,,- 'd , ' vgvbnm- f always an enemY- To 21 destroyer low ',,,- OXNG MsG fu on fuel, the maddened sea can mean ' . 0uTG ,,2 BLU., ll loss of the ship and death for au. It LK ,iff If our fervent hope that the construe- x 5 1 1 2 5 i , tion -of the nuclear-powered guided Nm' ' Q missile destroyer, free from its de- SOONESTQ- pendence on oil, will lessen these L GNP. SHEEP hazards. ,Q on X WU- 1. . . . . I 5-ENDS O FUEL N ', It is in this circumstance that a TTEup11NG l it heroic man of the gallant Salamonie 435195 A S volunteered to hazard his life for 'i' that of another sailor. On behalf of fi the Secretary of the Navy, it gives fit mf? the greatest pleasure to make 1' this citation. , l Standing before Schack's parents fue and Beckhaus wife and four chil- me NBER 1957 dren, RADM Daniel Pinned the wir .WU 5 DEGE' '3 medal on and read the citation which 11281 0 Not , '9, vs N l , , WS Nw x ANTH-T ' concluded: B ' ' . , . and low fuel, was tossed overboard ment and Beckhaus returned to duty Courage initiatiiie Eid illiilfinlilng GEMMNG N su, ,M vim 5 when 9- gigantic Wave broke over after P1'e5CfiP50T1 by the Command' efforts throughout Beckhaus umhmld iss f L HSV' ENG on PW Gearing. ing oflicer. Schack was later retumed the highest traditions of the USU? d K I mm mums tw u CLASS!!-'l , Salamonie was approximately 1000 to Gearing by high line transfer. States Naval Service Si ned Tho e Sw wp W WEA me W PLP1lN!1 l yards astem of Gearing when ,it re- RADM Daniel in presenting the S. Cafes Se0fetafY :iff Sie Nav gms 0 me see X Romg om 'W ceived a man overboard message by medal commented: In peacetime, RADM Daniel Shook hands yuvith , 1 ' mm , flashing light and voice radio circuit. operations are continually exposed to Beckhaus and concluded You h gun K . ,,,.,1,ovP05 D 'N Minutes later Schack was sighted on extra hazardous conditions. Eight my gratitude and thai of e ave -f , B B1 ll the port bow. The oiler maneuvered gallant destroyemien were lost over- deStl'0 9 D very -,TTT owe uso.. - - ' 0 NESK Gm Y fman. OUTG M,yNF 4 .V 4HVTO Ny! . ugssAGE Mlifsv K P 122295951 'Fin N 0 UNT Finn ' T :5aAW'G Sl5 EGTED X WWE 1 NN 055 G0 , , . 1 ro AFT X W CR auameti--'BT' I tt OW sc Lt-B ' NSFERRED P1 ,CE TANKS RWE TM mestt T0 SER' TNNSFERRED AUTH J HAR PN I BY 44162 Himsa' macro owl likicilfiixrr DAXEITWF' ,XZ DEC' MCCWO matron 22281 W ml-l'55 R H - cm I RtNG , PAW W mm USS SEA SALAMONVE v ,sw N 1 me Gun L1 LASHHCATKO ll llmm f...Nfr222a we sec c I , l E w ...- rnml 'mmf' I I -cg w ' -rap.. ' 'x Qt A

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'B ib Men of old used to think that Gibraltar was the end of the world. From there, the flat world stretched away to a finite horizon. Men of today regard The Rock as a bulwark of strength, the symbol of and the gateway to the historic Mediter- ranean and the world that encompasses her his - toric shores.