THE SCUTTLEBUTT
The Newsletter of the
USS Buchanan (DDG-14) Association
December, 2004
Vol
VI. No. 4 http://www.uss-buchanan-ddg14.org Editor:
David B. Malone
________________________________________________________________
NEXT
Our next reunion is
scheduled to take place in
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TREASURER’S
REPORT
PAID MEMBERS (48)
Acosta,
Javier; Alexander, Ted; Andrew, Randy; Baile, Bruce; Beinke, Phil; Borg, Gene;
Botti, Bill; Browning, Rob & Marian; Boyle, Tim; Casmier, Dave; Connell,
Dan; Cotant, Mike; Crisp, George; Doran, Paul; Egge, Dennis; England, Carl;
George, David; George, Ken; Ginter, Roger;
Heffernan, Michael; Heisler, Tim; Hoermann, Richard; Kern, Tom; Kupec,
Cole; Looney, Glenn; MacAdam, Mac; Malone, Dave; Manis, Frank; Marak, Ron;
Mezori, George; Myers, Dean; Nepper, Jerry; Nightingale, Tim; Probus, Ed;
Proctor, Lou; Rudisill, Terry; Sample, Eric; Schaefer, Larry; Sheridan, Tom;
Smeltzer, Steve; Taylor, Jim; Tom, Phillip; Ursich, Al; Wallace, Jim; Wihera,
Victor; Yow, Tom; Ziesmer, Jim; Zimmermann, Dick
NEW MEMBERS SINCE SEPTEMBER, 2004
Doran,
Paul RD3 1969 - 72
TREASURER’S REPORT
Balance
1 October 2004 $3,334.45
Dues 124.00
Ship
store sales 108.40
Ship
store expenses -83.65
Balance 31 Dec 2004 $3,483.20
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WHO IS RUNNING THE NAVY
This came from the 85 year old
former Commanding Officer of the USS Charles F. Adams DDG-2, Jack L. Jones, who
lives in
=======================================
Who is Running the
Navy.......................
In the
reputed to have the best hunting dog ever, by the name of "Admiral".
Three Admirals went-up into the mountains and wanted to rent him.
The old sailor said, "Good hunting dog, gonna cost ya $50.00 a day."
They agreed and three days later came back with their limit.
The next year they came back. "'Admiral' got better, gonna cost you
$75.00 a day." Again they agreed, and 2 days later they came back
with their limit.
The third year they came back and told the old sailor they had to
have "Admiral" even if it cost $100.00 a day.
"You can have the worthless mutt for $5.00 a day, and I'm
overcharging you $4.00."
"But, we don't understand, what happened to him?"
"Well a bunch of guys from the Navy base in
rented him. One of the idiots kept calling him "Chief", and he's just
been sitting on his ass barking' ever since."
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NOW ON THE BUCHANAN...
Moments in the life of USS
Buchanan (DDG-14), taken from the ship’s annual reports.
Thirty years
ago... 1974
BUCHANAN
was involved with several underway periods while conducting special operations
associated with the CNO projects. Upon completion of all the required special
operations, BUCHANAN entered an
upkeep period in early December for the deinstallation of the CNO projects and
a pre-ROH maintenance availability. Once again it was BUCHANAN's pleasure to serve as DESRON 31 flagship. However, this time BUCHANAN hosted her new squadron commander, Commodore Paul
Lautermilch, who had assumed his duties during the spring months.
Twenty Six years ago...1978
A
busy and rewarding two week period began 20 November in which BUCHANAN demonstrated her combat
readiness through numerous drills, two battle problems, and several seamanship
evolutions. The highlight of IRFT occurred when BUCHANAN requalified in Naval Gunfire Support in one day-the first
time IRFT observers had observed this feat. IRFT was broken for Thanksgiving,
and on 25-26 November for visit ship at the Broadway Pier in
Twenty One years ago...1983
Phase
II of MIT began on 14 November, with underway operations. From 23 November
through the month of December, she was inport
Fifteen years ago...1989
From
1 - 3 December, BUCHANAN conducted a
weapons offload at sea with the USS
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SEA STORY OF THE QUARTER
Submitted by Jerry Larsen, LT
(jg), 1962-64
The Technician and the Can of Paint
It
was 1963, and the BUCHANAN was still virtually a brand-new ship. The DesRon Commander was being relieved, and
he wanted to have the ceremony on board one of his ships, so he chose the
BUCHANAN to host the affair. This of
course led to a flurry of activity to ensure that every inch of the ship was in
perfect shape. A disproportionate amount
of this effort fell to the deck force, since the ceremony would be held
outdoors on the fantail under canvas. We
were underway on some sort of ops during the time we had available to us to get
ready, so the painting and polishing took place while steaming at 20 knots or
better.
I
was the First Lieutenant; I think I was still an ensign, and was all of 23
years old, fresh caught out of the Academy.
BMC Williams, who "worked" for me, had 26 years' service as I
recall, and was the epitome of saltiness.
BM1 McMoran, who was the next senior deck force petty officer was also
salty, but nothing like Chief Williams.
Our skipper, Dave Webster, relied strongly on Chief Williams - probably
more so than any other man, officer or enlisted, in the areas that involved
pure seamanship.
We
had completed all the work - a complete repainting of the deck and after
superstructure, all the lifelines were replete with fresh fancywork, and the
brass was polished. It looked like a
million bucks, and we were ready for the most intense scrutiny. Just about then, a second class FT had also
finished up with his chores in the FT shack, which was on the 01 level. As we were told later, he had a small can of
black striping paint, open at the top, which was partially full. He didn't know what he should do with it,
since he didn't need the remaining paint.
How to dispose of it?
Well,
you probably know what happened next.
There was a big wide ocean right outside of the porthole, and a dinky
little can of paint certainly wouldn't cause any pollution problem - so - out
the porthole it went, uncapped. There
were some laws of physics that then took hold.
The 20 knot wind across our bow came in contact with the droplets of
paint, and dispersed them evenly in a broad swath; with gravity then acting on the droplets,
they became fairly evenly deposited across the entire fantail, right on top of
the freshly painted and shined surfaces.
We
didn't have much time between that disaster and the change of command
ceremony. I remember the vision of the
entire FT gang, from senior petty officers on down, on their hands and knees
re-doing the entire area, as long as there was daylight enough to turn to - and
I think they may have worked under floodlights also. They were working in fear of their lives from
Chief Williams, who went ballistic and stayed that way until the job was
re-done to his satisfaction.
When
the job was nearly done, and I was visiting with Chief Williams back where he
was supervising, he told me a couple of things that I'll never forget. He first commented on "technicians with
the GCT of a genius, and the IQ of a Q-ball!" Then he kind of looked up in the air, his
gaze off in the distance, and said, "you know, Mr. Larsen, the way they
create a technician is to set a bos'n's mate or gunners mate bare-ass naked on
a piece of chicken wire, and cut off whatever falls through!"
So
went the education of this brand-new ensign.
(with all due apologies to you techies and ex-techies out there, who of
course kept the incredibly complex systems working. Just don't touch any cans of paint!)