September 27, 2001         Vol. III., No. 3            Editor: David B. Malone

I must admit that I haven't felt much like doing anything lately, ever since the recent tragedies unfolded on September 11th.  Others have told me they have felt the same way, as if every ounce of energy had been drained from them.  It's taken me a while just to get to where I felt I could write this newsletter.  I guess we're experiencing a sense of shock from these horrific events, matched only by a sense of mourning for those who have been lost. At the same time, there is sense of righteous indignation and unbridled anger at those who orchestrated this attack.  I've never seen anything pull this country together the way this attack has.

  There will probably be no quick solution to this problem.  Just as Great Britain discovered during the Boar War in South Africa a century ago, this will be a new  kind of warfare for a new age.  We are dealing with an enemy that uses terrorist tactics on a global scale, and knows how to disappear into populations.  And much like the British a century ago, being the supreme military force in the world won't necessarily guarantee a quick resolution in this situation.  It will take time to root these people out.  I suspect that this will be a fight that will test our resolve to see this to the end, no matter how long that may take.  In this sense, patience truly is a virtue.  But, we are buoyed in the knowledge that Americans have a very strong sense of fair play and justice, and that this sense of justice will sustain us.

  As with everything else, the attack has had an effect on our association.  To begin with, we have at least two shipmates who work in the Pentagon.  Jim Roche (Buchanan CO, 1973-75), who is the Secretary of the Air Force, and Rich Robbins (Buchanan WEPS officer, 1976-78) who, as it turns out, was very close to where the airliner impacted.  I am very happy to report that both Jim and Rich were not harmed in the attack, and that they are safe.

 The recent tragedies have put a bit of a damper on everyone's zest for air travel.  I'm hoping that these tragedies won't dissuade anyone from coming to San Diego to join their shipmates.  These terrorist mean to disrupt our lives and make us live in fear on our own turf.  In my view, the way to defeat them is to not give in to fear, and to continue on as you would have before.  True, we'll all be taking more precautions now, and security at our airports will certainly be a longer affair.  But, if we change our lives to the extent that we are in fear every time we leave our homes, they will have won.  I, for one, don't intend to let them claim a victory in making me change how I live.  I'll be climbing onto airliners every time the government sends me somewhere for training or for a conference, and I'll be climbing on one in February when I fly to San Diego to meet with my shipmates.  I'm hoping others feel the same way I do and come to the reunion.

THE SAN DIEGO REUNION

Really, there isn't a whole lot to report at this time.  Rob tells me that plans are moving forward with ML&RS, who is planning the reunion to our specifications.  If you haven't yet sent in that Reunion Survey and the Questionnaire, please download them off of our website (www.uss-buchanan-ddg14.org/reunions.html) and get them off to ML&RS as soon as you possibly can.

As I stated earlier, I'm hoping that lots of former sailors from USS Buchanan decide to attend.  It should be a good time.  We will be staying at the Red Lion Hahalei hotel on Hotel Circle in San Diego.  Rob is talking with ML&RS about what our itinerary will be, based on the questionnaires that were sent it.  When we find out, we'll post it on our website for all to read and put it in the next newsletter.

  I'm not sure yet what trips and excursions will take place.  A wide variety of options were available to us, which people chose from on the survey.  It wasn't a listed option, but  I supported the idea of making a trip to 32nd street for a tour of our old naval base.  I suspect, however, that this idea might be out the window with the heightened security measures.  But, we'll see what happens.

  One necessary thing we will need to do is to have a business meeting, which I would tentatively like to schedule for Saturday morning right after breakfast.  Along with the usual election of officers, we will have some new by-laws for the membership to take a look at for approval.  Hopefully, we'll take care of all the business as quickly as we did in Baltimore.

  Rob asked me to remind everyone to start digging into the attic or basement for those long forgotten knick-knacks from your Buchanan days.  Dig out those scrap books, cruise books, photos, patches, pieces of uniform, old items from the Ship's Store, or whatever you have and bring it to the reunion to share with your shipmates.  We'll have a couple of tables set up in the hospitality room to display these on.

Rob also wanted me to let everyone know that the Ship's Store still has 25 or 30 USS Buchanan ball caps for sale.  They sell for $18.50, including postage.  Send your check to Rob made out to USS Buchanan Association, along with either an order form from the Ship's Store page on our website, or your name and address.  Send to

USS Buchanan Association

C/O Rob Browning

3576 Calvin Ave.

San Jose, CA 95124

CHEAP AIRFARE TO THE COAST

This February, many of us will need to fly a considerable distance to attend the reunion in San Diego.  True, you could also take a grey hound or go by train.  But, even Amtrak is a three day journey each way from the east coast.  This was the way I returned to New England when I got out of the Navy in 1980.  It was a pleasant journey, but lets face it…I don't have that kind of time to waste now.  Despite the recent tragedies, I suspect that most of us will probably be flying.  In view of that, I did some checking around for air fares.

  We're all coming from different parts of the country, so I can only tell you what my search produced.  The average round trip fare from Syracuse, NY to either San Diego or LAX was $550.00 per person.  The cheapest one I found, by far, was Jet Blue which flies into Long Beach.  Jet Blue came in at $177.00 less than the next cheapest offer, which was at $505.00.  I just purchased my round trip tickets for $349.00, taxes included.  Of course, there are some  draw backs.  It's a no-frills airline which doesn't serve meals, but serves snacks and beverages and allows you to bring a bag lunch.  That's OK, since I prefer my tuna sandwich to their rubber chicken which would probably add $40.00 onto my fare.  Also, I'll have a 4 or 5 hour layover each way at JFK.  Probably the biggest inconvenience is that my flight takes me into Long Beach and not San Diego.  No problem for me, since a shipmates from my division lives right there in LA and will be picking me up.  But, even if you have to rent a car, this could be a bargain way to go if you're bringing your wife and kids.  Plus, it's a nice drive down the coast to San Diego.  It might be worth checking into. My advice is to check around on the internet a bit, and see where you can get the best price to suit your needs.  If you want to try Jet Blue, their URL is (http://www.jetblue.com)

"NOW, ON THE BUCHANAN…"

Moments in the ship's history, compiled from the annual reports of USS Buchanan (DDG-14)

  Thirty Five Years ago; 1966:

In July, BUCHANAN became Flagship for Commander, SEVENTH FLEET during his official visit to Bangkok, Thailand. In this same month BUCHANAN's guns opened fire against hostile forces for the first time to conduct shore bombardment against concentrations of hostile troops in South Vietnam. In October 1966, Commander Murray was relieved by Commander William A. Spencer as Commanding Officer.

  Thirty Years ago; 1971

From 4 September until 18 October, BUCHANAN was inport completing work that was not finished at Hunters Point and preparing for Refresher Training. This included a four day underway period for local operations from 27 September to 1 October in preparation for Refresher Training.

  Refresher Training began on 18 October with a Training Battle Problem. The rest of the week (19 October to 26 October) was spent inport making repairs on the Engineering plant.

  Twenty Five Years ago; 1976

The period 18 September to 22 October saw BUCHANAN not only involved in extensive overhaul of its ship's service turbine generators and main circulation pumps, but also involved in two major inspections and a Food Service Assist Visit.

  Twenty Yeas ago; 1981

BUCHANAN departed on schedule for a Western Pacific (WESTPAC) deployment on September 19. The first phase of transit west, TRANSITEX 19-81, was a busy evolution for the Warship with numerous training exercises conducted to fine tune the crews warfare skills.  Arrival in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii was on September 26.

  Ten Years ago; 1991

USS BUCHANAN (DDG 14) was decommissioned along with USS ROBISON (DDG 12) and USS LYDE MCCORMICK (DDG 8) at Pier Thirteen, Naval Station San Diego, California on 1 October 1991 after twenty-nine years of outstanding service to the United States Navy. Her final days ended in a historic ceremony commemorating her on a job well done.

TREASURER'S REPORT

PAID MEMBERS (47)

Baile, Bruce; Barnett, Roger; Beinke, Phil; Botti, Bill; Boyd, Dave; Boyle, Tim; Browning, Rob; Christian, Fred; Connell, Dan; Daisley, Dick; Davies, Jim; Fend, Tony; Fronk, Jack; Gardella, Paul; Hart, Eddie; Heffernan, Michael; Herrman, Larry; Holden, Wayne; Howard, John; Huffman, Melvin; Jackson, Thomas; King, Mike;  Looney, Glenn; Malone, Dave; Moulders, Dick; Nepper, Jerry; Pelzel, Jerry; Perkins, Eric; Perkins, George; Pierce, Jim & Margaret;  Poplin, Dave; Repp, John; Ridlon, Lawrence; Robbins, Rich; Roche, Jim; Rudisill, Terry; Schaefer, Larry; Scott, Walter; Sena, Pat; Stronach, Steve; Sutherland, Terry; Voepel, Randy; Wihera, Victor; Williamson, Will; Wood, William; Zimmermann, Dick

NEW MEMBERS (21)

Beinke, Phil                        ETN3                        1967 - 68

Botti, Bill                              EW1                        1973 - 74

Boyle, Tim                                                            1985 - 90

Christian, Fred                        IC2                        1977 - 81

Connell, Dan                        MM1                        1970 - 72

Davies, Jim                             BT3                        1975 - 77

Fronk, Jack                        SMCS                        1971 - 75

Huffman, Melvin                   BTCS                        1961 - 62

Jackson, Thomas                     BT2                        1965 - 70

Moulders, Dick                      EMC                        1960 - 63

Perkins, Eric                             FT2                        1982 - 86

Pierce, Jim                           GMM2                        1987 - 89

Pierce, Margaret                       Wife                        1987 - 89

Repp, John                              LTJG                        1961 - 63

Ridlon, Lawrence                      BTC                        1966 - 69

Scott, Walter                             ETC                        1981 - 84

Stronach, Steve                         RD3                        1967 - 69

Sutherland, Terry                     MAC                        1982 - 85

Voepel, Randy                           OS1                        1970 - 74

Williamson, Will                       FTG3                        1964 - 66

Wood, William                      GMMC                        1978 - 80

TREASURER’S REPORT

Balance 1 June 2001        $1,729.55

Dues                                     595.00

Ship store sales                     170.25

Website fee                         -140.00

Ship store expenses              - 68.37

Balance 1 Sept 2001        $2,286.43

DOG TAGS FROM VIETNAM

Submitted by Bill Johnson

On a recent "Today Show" there was a story about two men who went to Hanoi on a business trip. The men encountered a guy selling old GI dog tags from US servicemen who were killed during the Vietnam War.  They were disgusted by the thought of this man profiting from the sale of these tags. Upon returning to the U.S., they decided to go back to Vietnam and purchase ALL the dog tags. They did so, paying 19 cents per tag! They brought home several hundred tags. The plan is to return the tags to surviving family members, when they can find them. The process has already begun with one set being turned over to a grieving Mom on July 4th, (coincidentally, it was on her birthday)! These two men have set up a website, http://www.founddogtags.com

The website lists the names of all those whose tags they purchased.  If you've lost friends, family, or know of someone who lost a loved one in Vietnam, I suggest you check out this website. If you recognize a name, there's an e-mail address to contact these two men and to help in their efforts to return the dog tag to it's rightful survivor. I'm sure a family member would be eternally grateful to have such an important item returned. Please help by checking this website. And please send the website address to everyone you know. The more people who see the lists, the  greater the chance of returning ALL the tags to those who lost loved ones in Vietnam!

USS BUCHANAN DISCUSSION GROUP

Frank Manis has organized a discussion group for former Buchanan sailors on Yahoo! Groups, called USSBuchananlounge.  It's a free and easy-to-use e-mail group service, where you can send an e-mail to be read by numerous Buchanan sailors and be able to read messages from others.  The Discussion group has a webpage at

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/USSBuchananlounge

You can go to this link and learn all about the discussion group, and all the other activity options available to you.  For example, right now there are a couple of polls taking place that you can participate in.  In order to participate in these activities, you will need to join the group, which is free to do.

You can simply send messages to members of this group, by sending an email to

  USSBuchananlounge@yahoogroups.com

USSBuchananlounge sounds like a great way to stay in touch with shipmates, and do more than just communicate by e-mail.  Here, we can hold public discussions that everyone can get in on.  Sounds like fun! 

  AN EXCURSION TO A FORMER NAVAL BASE

I make my home in the upstate New York town of Seneca Falls, and work nearby as a park ranger for the National Park Service.  I don't come from upstate New York, however, so every day tends to be one of new discovery in my surroundings.  The region is a country of open farmland, of beautiful long and narrow finger lakes, and a topography that can range from flat plains to near mountainous hills in the span of just a few miles.  In many ways, the scenery can be as varied and breath taking as the landscape of my native New England.

Nearby to Seneca Falls is the small city of Geneva, which sits at the northern edge of Seneca Lake, one of two largest and deepest of New York's finger lakes.  It was along the shore of this lake on Route 96A that I drove one day.  My destination was the town of Romulus and Sampson State Park, which sits hard on the eastern shore of Seneca Lake, 15 miles south of Geneva.  There is little of it to see there today, but Sampson State Park had once been Camp Sampson, a Naval Training Station where over 400,000 men became sailors between 1942 and 1946.

  Practically all of Camp Sampson's building are gone, but the roads remain.  One can still make out where the company streets were, the barracks, the drill hall, and the grinder.  As you drive into the facility, almost immediately you come to a rotary.  A tall white flag pole remains in the small park formed by the circling road.  How many time had vehicles come to a screeching stop and marching companies come to a halt while colors were carried out here?  In front of the pole and facing the entrance is a statue of a blue jacket sailor, sea bag hoisted to his shoulder and waiving to a distant shipmate.

Driving around the rotary to the opposite side, and continuing the journey, a building can be seen in the distance.  A sign by the side of the road directs you to "The Sampson Museum."  Parking my car, I struck off towards the museum.  This is the one remaining building from Camp Sampson's heyday.  It happens to be the brig.  Now, during the days when I wore Navy blue, I pretty much stayed out of trouble.  I'm proud to say that I put in my four years without ever once having been put on report and going to Captain's Mast.  As a result, I had never seen the insides of one of these facilities, and had only seen the outside.  

It turned out that it was built more like a fortress, with four buildings built into a square with a central quad.  What we had here was a fort that was meant to keep prisoners inside, rather than keeping the enemy out.  I guessed (and was later told I was correct) that the quad area was for the prisoners to exercise in.  It had been gravel then, and had remained so until a couple of years ago when a local reserve Seabee Battalion bricked it over.  The museum was in the brig, just to the right as one enters through the gate.

The exhibits were an eye opener.  There were dozens of photographs of boots going through training, and others going through "A" school.  It became increasing apparent that there that been a great many changes in boot training between the mid 1940s and 1976 when I went through Great Lakes.  These boots were expected to go out onto the lake and row around in whale boats.  When you think about it though, that's great training.  It not only teaches you how to row (which could come in handy if your ship happened to take a torpedo or two), but moreover, it teaches teamwork…a necessary skill if 10 to 12 men are expected to row in unison.

There were uniforms, and models of  Navy ships from WW II, and pictures of sailors on liberty in nearby Geneva.  I was struck by how young they all looked, and then came to the realization that I too had been that age when I went through boot camp.  The last room was a cell block, with cells and bars still in place.  Another view of Navy life I thankfully never experienced.

Probably the most fascinating exhibit was a simple ship's bell.  The plaque for the exhibit indicated that it was "From USS Goldsborough DDG-20."  That one brought me home in a hurry.  I never thought I'd find the bell from a sister ship here.  I'm not exactly sure why the Goldsborough's bell would be at Camp Sampson, although it is conceivable that some of the senior enlisted men in the commissioning crew for the Goldsborough (and the Buchanan, I might add) could have gone through boot camp or "A" school there.  More likely, it was sent to Camp Sampson arbitrarily by the curators at the Naval Archives in the Washington Navy Yard.  Still, it was fascinating to see it there, and I notified the Goldsborough Association of it as soon as I got home.

Camp Sampson was a Naval Training facility for just four years.  It was closed in 1946, and then was sold to the Air Force who opened it as a basic training facility for a few years in the 1950s.  Now, it is a state park where summer vacationers may camp and launch boats in Seneca Lake.  But Camp Sampson had it's part to play in American History, and prepared thousands of men for the rigors of fighting at sea during W II.  For those who travel through the area during the summer months, Camp Sampson can provide an interesting view of naval training in the day of Nimitz, Halsey, and Burke.  For those who won't be venturing this way soon, take a look at their website. http://www.homestead.com/usntssampson/

SEA STORY OF THE QUARTER