James C Owens (DD 776) - Naval Cruise Book

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A Charleston-Based Ships I A On Vietnain Firing Line BT UNCLAS Action reports on two C h arleston-based destroyers, deployed to Vietnamese waters, were released here today by Headquarters, Sixth Naval District. Seven destroyers homeported here - the Manley, Strong, McCard, Bordelon Cone, Johnston and J. C. Owens - .are deployed to the Western Pacific. NOTHING COULD BE FINER... 1. AS YOU RETURN TO CHARLESTON UPON COMPLETION OF A MOST SUCCFSSFUI DEPLOYNENT, I WISH TO EXTEND T0 EACH OF YOU NY PERSONAI CONGRATULATIONS FOR A JOB VELL DONE 2. AS A UNIT, YOU HAVE SHOWN OUTSTANDING INITIAIVE, RESPONSIVENFSS AND PROFESSIONAL PROWESS. INDIVIDUALLY, YOU HAVE DISPLAYFF EXEMPLARY SKILL, WHILE PARTICIPATING IN NEARLY EVERY AREA OF DESTROYER OPERATIONS IN THE TONYIN GULF. NAVAL GUNFIRE SUPPORT, SEA DRAGON, SPECIAL OPS AND EMERGENCY SEARCH AND RESCUE HAVF ALL BEEN ENHANCED BY THE PRESENCE OF DESRON FOUR SHIPS. INDEED, NOTHING COULD BE FINER THAN THE ACHIEVEMENT DEMONSTRATED BY YOU SOUTH CAROLINIANS. RADM S.H. MOORE BT NAVY TIMES, APRIL 17, 1968 Yes, We Have No - USS J. C. OWENS -- Navy swift .boats operating off Vietnam have found this Atlantic Fleet destroyer, n-ow working with the 7th Fleet, a soft touch. Many of the incidents have been amusing. One of the swift boats hailed, Comdr. Cornell C, Angleman, skip- per, with a worthwhile proposition. In exchange for two 20-amp fuses the swiftie offered 'oo take the ship's outgoing mail ashore. ,Having little or no chance to transfer mail for more than a week, the sailors scrounged fast and in short order came up with the fuses - and lots of outgoing mail. Another swift boat pleaded so earnestly for some potato chips and salad dressing that the order -not only was filled but a box of chocolate bars was thrown in for good measure. On the more serious side, this ship provided one swiftie with a badly-needed pump for she rescue of a landing craft in danger of sinking, its huIl riddled by enemy machine gun fire. Three other Giarleston-based .warships are still in the western Pacific area. They are units .of Destroyer Division 42-the Cone, Johnston and J.C. Owens. One of the Warshfps the Owens, is now in the Japanese port city of Shimoda, some 75 miles south of Tokyo. This is a diplomatic visit for the Owens since her crewmen are participating in the 29th Black Ship festival. Except for the years of World War II, this event has been celebrated at Shimoda since 1934. It commemorates Com- modore Matthew C. Perry's historic negotiations which open- ed Shimoda to his black-hulled Evoarship 114 years ago on May The event is much like an old-fashioned Fourth of July celebration, with fireworks, flags, speeches, memorial services, concerts, dinners, parades - and capped off by a baseball game. Sailors from the Owens will march with Japanese units through the streets of Shimoda and will participate in other festivities.

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1 I P i 6 i 4 W v 2 I Y - Drinking buddies N-4 Good old mountain dew X. Direct from the Crazy Horse Saloon A friendly admirer

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B TATISTICS With 282 officers and men, OWENS' haze gray hull is a living machine re- quiring tremendous amounts of supplies to keep her running. During the seven and one-half months she was deployed, OWENS traveled over 52,720 miles, or far enough to have steamed around the world twice and in doing so used over two and one-half million gallons of fuel oil. The ship went alongside various replenishment ships at sea 63 times, collecting everything from fuel and bullets to electron tubes and ice cream. Although supplies were restocked whenever in port, replenishment ships such as oilers, refrigerator ships, and ammo ships remained her primary source of supplies as she spent 76 percent of her time at sea and on the line. During the deployment, over 2,100 gallons of paint, 2,000 repair parts and 3,000 items of a consumable nature, such as paint rollers and swabs, were issued. Over 3B425,000 was paid out in payrolls. In the ship's galleys aboard, 1145 pounds of hot dogs were consumed, or enough that if placed end to end would reach half way across Charleston between the Ashley and Cooper Rivers. Enough coffee and cokes were served or sold that if passed out in Charleston, every man, woman, and child would receive three cups of coffee and two cokes. While aircraft carrier plane guard duty and Soviet trawler surveillance were important assignments, naval gunfire support remained the most challenging of CWENS' assignments. OWENS' guns accounted for 12 Viet Cong killed in action, 101 bunkers and fortifications destroyed, 75 structures damaged and miles of supply and escape routes interdicted. CWENS expended a total of nearly 7000 rounds of high explosives during her tour on the Gunline.