March 1, 2002                    Vol. IV, No. 1                    Editor: David B. Malone

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By all accounts, the reunion in San Diego was a great success.  The festivities began on Thursday afternoon, February 21st, as ship mates began to report in to the Red Lion Hanalei Hotel on hotel circle.  The event kicked off with a welcoming reception a la Mexican fiesta style, complete with the fajitas, freoles and a Marachi band.  Those who were there will freely admit that you haven't lived until you've viewed a screening of the Buchanan sinkex video with a Marachi band softly playing in the background.

 

On Friday morning a number of attendees took a bus tour of San Diego.  For those who haven't seen San Diego in a while, the downtown area has been totally revitalized.  It's still recognizable from the day when we were stationed there, but you can tell a lot of money has been poured into the downtown area, with obvious effect.  A harbor cruise was part of the tour, and was a treat to a former OS such as myself.  Except for the time when I was mess cooking, the only underway view of San Diego harbor I ever had was through a SPA-25 surface radar repeater.  Once back on the bus, the tour drove past the former NTC, which has been closed down.  Fully half of it was already demolished.  Lunch was provided in a fine restaurant on Harbor Island, and the tour concluded with a shopping spree in Old Town.  Friday evening continued the celebration with a Hawaiian luau. By this time, more shipmates had shown, and the party continued late into the night in the hospitality room.

 

On Saturday, another tour was off, this one to Coronado Island and to the 32nd Street Naval Base.  That things had changed a bit at 32nd Street was evident the minute we caught sight of the McDonalds and Subway  Sandwich shop, both right there on base.  We were greeted by a sailor who escorted the bus to the piers for a tour of a modern Ticonderoga Class cruiser.  To say security has changed a bit since our day would be an understatement.  Of course, in the times we live in now, it better have.  The piers were secured by a chain linked fence, and we all passed through a security check point, complete with metal detectors.  Our tour was of USS Shiloh (CG-67).  We were split up into groups of 7 to 10 persons, and we all saw various parts of the ship.  My tour was led by TM2 Ryan who gave us a good look at the ship's weapon systems, which included various missiles and ASROC, all vertically launched from within the hull rather than from a launcher on deck as was done on Buchanan.  Upon inspection of the pilot house, one got the idea that conning this ship was perhaps a bit more like driving Tony Soprano's cabin cruiser rather than standing watch in a pilot house of yore.  The helm and lee helm positions have been combined into one station, with the EOT (Engine Order Telegraph) replaced by throttle handles that are operated by the helmsman.  These are connected to gas turbine engines, down in the hole.  No steam propulsion for this ship, which means no light off period either.  It's not much more than flip a switch and get underway.  I never saw it, but some of the guys were surprised to find the mess deck equipped with an ATM.  Together with daily e-mail at sea, suffice to say that life at sea has changed from our days at sea in Buchanan.  Shiloh has an immense amount of firepower, and provided us with a glimpse of how surface warfare has changed since DDG-14 roamed the waves.

 

Saturday afternoon, the association business meeting was held.  The notes are included in this newsletter, so I won't bore you with that other than to mention that by-laws for the association were adopted, and it was decided that the next reunion would occur somewhere on the east coast in 2004.  A poll of the membership will decide where.

 

Saturday evening brought the banquet, which was attended by all persons attending the reunion.  This was the apex of the reunion.  It began with a nice cocktail hour, and was followed by a fine meal.  After the meal was finished, prizes were awarded for various categories.  Roger Barnett was given the "Longest Distance Traveled Award", having driven all the way to San Diego with his wife Sandy from their home in Newport, RI.  The prize awarded him was the film "Buchanan, Who Needs You".  It turned out that Roger, a former Buchanan CO, already had the film, and so he turned it over to Bob Congdon, the other former CO in attendance.  The award for "Most Advanced Enlisted man" went to Del Worrell, who retired from the Navy as a NCCM, while the "Most Advanced Officer" award went to Ed Moore, who just recently retired as a Vice Admiral.  The "Most Dedicated Crew Member" award went to Mark Falkenhan, who actually has a USS Buchanan tattoo, complete with a skull & bones, on his upper arm.  He actually took his shirt off (with a flare that looked close to something resembling a strip tease) at the banquet to prove it.  An award for "Best able to still wear his uniform" went out to Norton Williams.  He wore his dress blues to the banquet, and looked like he just stepped out of boot camp.  As a final award, USS Buchanan bumper stickers were awarded to all crew members who became a shell back aboard USS Buchanan.  These were bumper stickers that were liberated from the Ship's Store by Rob Browning at the decommissioning ceremony in 1991, and a great many of those were handed out.  After the banquet, all hands assembled on the steps leading to the dining room for photos.  There were way too many of us for everyone to fit at once, so we did it in 5 year increments.

 

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BUSINESS MEETING NOTES

·        The meeting called to order by Dave Malone at 16:37, 23 February, 2002.

 

·        24 Members present

Bill Botti, John Little, Bruce Baile, Lee Noland, Dean Myers, John Ansell, Bruce Johnson, Norton Williams, Michael Brown, Mel Glidwell, Rob Browning, Carl England, John Howard, Randy Kirkpatrick, Ted Crammer, Cesar Claveria, Tom Crosser, Frank Manis, Tim Nightingale, Dave Malone, Bob Bussey, Terry Rudisill, Ricky Smith, Jerry Nepper, Don Bartleson, Claude Stoysich

 

·        Secretary's Report:  Robin Browning read the minutes from last business meeting of 03 June 2000.  Motion to accept, seconded and passed by voice vote

 

·        President’s Report: Nothing to report

 

·        Treasurer’s Report:

(Read by Robin Browning for the absent Dick Zimmermann): The report is published quarterly in the newsletter. Reviewed revenue from dues and ships store sales, expenses for shipping, purchasing merchandise for store.  $2,598.00 in treasury as of 12/01

 

A statement by Robin Browning that more hats need to be purchased, only a few request for jackets.  $2,151.00 at the end of March 2002

 

Who Needs you Buchanan video purchase discussion by Dean Myers and Robin Browning, confirming that Payment to Robin was complete for the purchase of the video from the National Archives.

 

Motion to accept made, seconded, and passed by voice vote.

 

·        Old Business

Bylaws-

Article II correction in paragraph one to read “Article XI …” No discussion after that, motion to accept, seconded, passed by voice vote.

 

 

·        New Business

Rick Bennett, a USS Waddell Association member is forming a loose confederation of Adams Class DDG associations, with a common goal of saving one DDG – the USS C. F. Adams. He has established a website <www.charlesfadams.com> which has links to the Buchanan web site as well as other DDG web sites. A museum in Bay City, MI is trying to preserve the ship and needs $2M to move from Philadelphia, PA to Bay City. It will require removing all asbestos from the ship. Rick Bennett and others have doubts as to whether Bay City can pull it off without substantial federal or state funds, and are simply looking at all available options for saving one DDG.  It appears that Bay City may be the most viable shot at preserving a DDG.  Rick Bennett is collecting artifacts to be placed in a museum one day.  Dave Malone proposed donating $100.00 from our association to the Adams Class Confederation for this effort.

 

Motion was made, discussion followed, seconded, and passed by a voice vote.

 

Reunion timing – proposed either 2 or 5-year intervals, also destination that attracts families, i.e. Myrtle Beach, SC, Norfolk, VA, Charleston, SC, Virginia Beach, FL.

Motion for hosting a reunion every two years proposed, seconded, and passed by voice vote.

 

Motion was made for locations to alternate between East and West coasts, and was seconded.  Passed by voice vote.  Discussion was held regarding polling the crew via email, newsletter as to where and when to hold next reunion. Volunteers called for to get information from various locations. Tim Nightingale volunteered to head up next reunion, he was appointed on the spot by the executive committee as the Reunion Chairman for 2004. Discussion on posting the next reunion in various magazines and publications. Passed by voice vote.

 

·        Election of Officers

Motion to continue existing officers, seconded, and passed by voice vote.

 

 

My friend and former LPO Bill Johnson missed the reunion, but missed it for a very good reason.  He sent along a note for all his shipmates in the association.

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From the Charles F. Adams Class Newsletter

 

YOU MIGHT MISS THE NAVY IF….

·        You refer to the drive-up windows at McDonald's as an "UNREP"

·        You refer to your back porch "The Fantail"

·        When your smoke detector goes off, you automatically don an "OBA"

·        You call the operator for a "Phone Check"

·        When your kids get into trouble, you place them on "Restriction with Extra Duty"

·         You refer to the second story of your house as "The O1 Level"

·         Your car's fifth gear is known as "All Ahead Flank"

 

"NOW, ON THE BUCHANAN…"

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

 

Forty years ago; 1962

USS BUCHANAN (DDG-14) is commissioned on February 7th in Seattle, WA and placed under the command of Commander David A. Webster.  Upon completion of outfitting, BUCHANAN proceeded to her homeport in San Diego, CA and reported for duty to COMCRUDESPAC.

Thirty Five years ago; 1967

In March, BUCHANAN proceeded to Long Beach Naval Shipyard for a five-month regular overhaul.

 

Thirty Years ago; 1972

On April 17, while engaged in a sharp exchange of gunfire with hostile shore batteries, one enemy artillery shell found its mark. The shell penetrated the superstructure and exploded, killing one man and slightly wounding seven others. Material damage was quickly isolated and three hours later BUCHANAN was again striking enemy targets. On April 18, BUCHANAN retired to Danang for battle damage repair.

 

Twenty Five Years ago, 1977

On 12 April, BUCHANAN departed on schedule for a WESTPAC deployment. The transit west was made in company with a task group composed of COMDESRON 31 embarked in USS BAGLEY (FF 1069), USS BROOKE (FFG 1), USS ROARK (FF 1053), USS JOHN S. MCCAIN (DDG 36) and USS CONSTELLATION (CV 64),

 

20 April, BUCHANAN departed Pearl Harbor and rejoined the transit task group enroute Subic Bay, RP. The transit training exercises continued until the evening of 23 April, when BUCHANAN went alongside USS SHASTA (AE 33) for a night replenishment. Steam pressure in the after engineering plant was lost while alongside, necessitating an emergency breakaway. Difficulty was experienced in releasing the span wire between the two ships, and it was cut by SHASTA deck personnel. Trailing aft, the cable became wound around the port shaft, damaging the rope guard and necessitation the locking of the shaft. Repeated attempts by Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) personnel for SHASTA were unsuccessful in removing the cable at sea, resulting in BUCHANAN being detached from the task group for independent transit to Guam for repairs.

 

Twenty Years ago;  1982

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TREASURER’S REPORT

Balance 5 Dec 2001               $2,598.91

Dues                                           462.00

Ship store sales                            456.90

Reunion expenses                       -  20.00

Ship store, web expenses       - 1,949.17

Balance 31 Mar 2002          $1,548.64

 

New Member (25)

Brown, Mike & Jackie       FTM2        1966 - 71

Bussey, Bob                       PN1           1973 - 75

Cameron, Ted                    STG3         1966 - 68

Carreon, Ariel                    ET2 (SW)  1981 - 84

Cheatham, Frank                FTM1        1964 - 70

Crammer, Ted                    ETN2         1973 - 73

Crosser, Tom                     EM2          1966 - 68

Dirickson, Larry                 FTM2        1967 - 71

England, Carl                      RD3           1969 - 71

Gant, Charlie                      PC1           1967 - 69

Haire, Jerry                        RMC         1975 - 78

Horn, Gerald                      EM2          1972 - 75

Johnson, Bruce                   RM1          1965 - 68

Kern, Thomas                    FTMC       1961 - 68

Kirkpatrick, Randy             FTM1        1967 - 71

Little, John                          GMG2       1979 - 82

Martelly, Pete                     FTM3        1971 - 72

Moore, Ed                         LCDR        1979 - 81

Morrison, David                 GMT2        1976 - 78

Noland, Philip                     STGC        1984 - 88

Otis, Bob                           LCDR        1971 - 72

Shaw, Edward                    YN1          1968 - 69

Shultz, Randal                     OS2           1981 - 83

Smith, Mike                        LTJG         1979 - 81

Stringer, Bobby                  SM1          1962 - 65

 

Members in Good Standing

(dues current) (96)

 

USS BUCHANAN DDG 14

AWARDS AND RIBBONS

Received from Rob Browning,

concerning Buchanan's Awards and Decorations.

 

ROW 1

Combat Action, Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation, Navy "E"

 

ROW 2

National Defense, Armed Forces Expeditionary (2 Awards), Vietnam Service (3 Campaign Starts)

 

ROW 3

Navy Sea Deployment, RVN Gallantry Cross Unit Citation, Republic of Vietnam Campaign

 

SEA STORY OF THE QUARTER

 

More on Close Up ROMEO!

This is the second half of a sea story which was spun by former Chief Engineer Dick Zimmermann in the last issue.  While Dick gave some excellent insight to ship handling by the OOD during an unrep, this view is from a couple of enlisted snipes down in the hole.  The incident described occurred  between USS Buchanan and USS Shasta (AOE-3) while enroute to WestPac in April, 1977.

 

Mark Falade, MM3, 1976 - 80

You forgot the part where you lose a boiler and start dropping back, at which point the BMC on the oiler cuts the lines with his trusty ax and they trail back and foul your port screw.  After that you sit dead in the water for two days (in heavy seas of course) while divers ride the shaft like a bucking bronco trying to unravel it.  When that fails, they wrap it with some detonator cord to try to blow it off.  Now the cord fails to detonate and so you then find yourself being towed to Guam with explosives all over the shaft for a lovely 30 day stay to straighten it all out.  And, of course, while in Guam you and your shipmates wreak such havoc with the sub sailors, and their base, and their club, that you are ALL restricted to the ship by the base commander for the last week or so of your stay.

How do I know all this you ask?  I was the lucky dog engineer who sat off of the ship in the whaleboat on the before-mentioned heavy seas doing a little shark watch for the divers.  At about 100 yards off the ship there were times at the bottom of a trough where we couldn’t see the top of the mast. Closest I ever got to seasickness but it faded once we could relax.  Getting the boat in and out of the water is a whole ‘nother story.  Suffice it to say I might just be lucky I’m here talking about it .

I remember it was the SHASTA that was involved and as kind of a “we’re sorry” token we were dispatched over to her to get quite a few cases of shasta sodas. We were so looking forward to being the first ones to down a nice icy cold soda after sitting in that boat most of the day. So we pull up alongside and collect our prize only to discover it was warm! We were a little ummm …. upset!  Putting it mildly, of course.

 

 

Biff Krekling, MM3, 1976 - 80

If I remember right, the divers were from USS SHASTA (AO-3).  I don’t remember the exact details except that the hose had wrapped it self good and tight around the port shaft after someone panicked and released tension and the hose from the SHASTA.  We trailed it on the port side until the shaft caught it.  I remember going down the after engine room right after it happened and watched the throttleman open up the ahead throttle all the way and the shaft did not move.

 

 

THEY'RE PLAYING OUR NUMBER!

This old Press Release came to us from Mark Falkenhan. The accompanying photo was provided by Bill Curnow.

 

14 May 1969 aboard USS BUCHANAN (DDG-14) in the Tonkin Gulf.

 

Many might say the Navy planned it that way, but it was purely a coincidence when at 1400 hours on 14 May, three ships carrying the number 14 made a rendezvous in the Gulf of Tonkin for an underway rearmament.

 

USS BUCHANAN (DDG-14) and USS TICONDEROGA (CVA-14) were alongside USS FIREDRAKE (AE-14) for a normal underway rearmament when this unusual even occurred.

 

BUCHANAN and TICONDEROGA, both home ported in San Diego, have been operating together since they departed Task Force 71 in the Sea of Japan in April. While alongside, during this interesting replenishment, BUCHANAN proudly displayed the official flag commemorating the 200th anniversary of San Diego, California's oldest city.

 

To add to the coincidence of the day, for cross training purposes, USS TICONDEROGA had sent LTJG Walter Buchanan of Lebanon, Indiana to USS BUCHANAN (DDG-14). This transfer was part of a program the destroyer BUCHANAN had initiated and the dual coincidence had not been pre-planned.

 

While on board the DDG, LTJG Buchanan had the pleasure of meeting RM3 Robert L. Buchanan, who hails from Redondo Beach, California and is one of BUCHANAN's crewmembers. USS BUCHANAN's commanding officer presented LTJG Buchanan a ship's plaque and a certificate making him an honorary member of BUCHANAN's crew.

 

After an overnight visit, LTJG Buchanan departed DDG-14 to return to CVA-14.

 

Marc notes that the cruise book contains this picture of the three 14's, plus a picture of the LTJG, the Captain, and the RM3 shaking hands.