Sea Stories -Page three

by Dean Myers 71-75

    It was the Wednesday afternoon, just before Thanksgiving 1974.

    Everything aboard USS Buchanan was hushed at the prospect of going home for turkey day. The ships crew were milling around looking for excuses to leave the ship early to start the long Holiday weekend.

    The sailors from OE division had been slowly leaving one at a time so no one would become suspicious. As Leading Division Petty Officer, I had taken the opportunity to reward my guy’s for their long arduous efforts at getting the ship "fighting ready".

    By 1600 I was about the last one aboard and had made a quick tour of all the spaces to make sure all was well for the weekend. I started down to the berthing area to grab my stuff and depart, when my Division Officer, Lt. Paul Apodaca appeared and said we were to go to the OPS Boss’s state room right away. As I had no idea what this was about, I did what any good white hat would do... and started going though a list of possible things I had done, or not done that I could be in trouble for if the wrong person found out.

    When we arrived I was informed that Captain Roche wanted to see me, and when I inquired as to why, the only explanation was that the Captain would explain. Now this made that list I was reviewing in my head real short. The first two things that I thought of was letting my guys go early that day had been discovered, but the whole ship had been on a "liberal liberty" policy, and the second was fact that I was about to leave early also, but had not yet left, so I was safe. However, It crossed my mind that in some religions you did not have to commit a sin, just thinking about it was considered a sin. To the best of my knowledge this had not yet been written into Navy Regulations, so no problem.

    It seemed like hours as I waited for the Captain to arrive, although it was only a few minutes, and as I waited I came to the conclusion that this must be something to do with the SPS 55 radar project. Buchanan had received the first shipboard installation with orders to perform an Operational Test and Evaluation on this proto-type radar, prior to installing it fleet wide.

    John McGilvra and myself had received training from the design Engineers and were two of only four people Navy wide with the knowledge, experience, and the job code. We had been working very close with evaluation team, ‘writing preventive maintenance’ system parameters (PMS), and operating procedures plus evaluating its strengths and weaknesses. I day-dreamed that I was about to be informed by the Captain that I had been selected to be the ship wide Sailor of the Month for December. The general attitude of Lt’sHoward and Apodaca did not seem to support this, but nothing else fit.

    When we went into the Captains Stateroom I was told that the ship had been contacted by the American Red Cross; my parents had been in a car wreck and were in serious condition. I was given emergency leave and they were in process of making flight arrangements for me. I have never had my emotions travel that far, that fast, and pray they never do again.

    When I got home my Mother was in bad shape, and passed away Thanksgiving afternoon. The next few days are kind of a blur, Dad in the hospital, making funeral arraignments, etc. We made arrangements for a viewing Friday, and funeral Saturday. Monday was my Fathers Birthday we did not want him to share this sad event with his birthday.

    Because of it being a holiday week-end, the accident and death of my mother happening so quickly, and funeral being only two days later, most people, outside the family, did not know in time to send flowers. When I arrived at funeral home there to my surprise beside Mom was a basket of flowers marked "From the Crew of the USS Buchanan".

    I was told they were the first flowers to arrive. I did not know how they knew, and been able to get flowers there so quickly but was so very touched that they were there.

    When I returned I wanted to thank everyone for the flowers and, and compassionate thoughts. I was told that Bob Dessert arranged flowers. He told me it started with him wanting to send flowers, contacting a florist in my home-town, and not knowing if she was in hospital or had passed away. He had instructed the florist to check the hospitals, and then arrange the funeral homes, and send what was appropriate. Bob was the impetus, he was the man behind the compassionate act, it was him sending them.

    When others found out what he was doing they wanted to participate, to be a part of it, so it became OE Division then some radar men from OI, and radiomen from OC came to him and soon it became the entire Operations Department as word spread. Sailors from Weapons, Engineering, Supply etc., and the ship’s Officers came to him as well. Before long, it was the entire crew.

    I wanted to thank everyone personally, but Bob said he accepted money handed him and did not keep list. I had been aboard over three years at that time and was known by most of crew. All I could do was post a thank you card on a bulletin board by the ships personnel office, which seemed insufficient. I only wish I could have in some way left a more meaningful, and appropriate "thank you" so that everyone would know exactly what those flowers, and their thoughtful actions, meant to me as I rode that roll-a-coaster of emotions.

    "BZ" shipmates, and God Bless You, wherever you are!

by Mark Falade 76-80

At the time this was occurring I was #2 engine room messenger of the watch which meant at least 2 things:

1. I was fairly new and

2. I had the dubious honor of waking the relief’s.

    One situation that still remains vivid in my mind is the first time I attempted to wake a certain, somewhat large FN whose name now escapes me. After calling his name several times and receiving not even a bit of response I, without a second thought, reached up to him in his top rack and shook his shoulder. His immediate response was to sit straight up and let loose three solid haymakers in my general direction. His fists resembled 2 large hams and came so close I could feel the breeze as they flew by. I didn't even have a chance to duck so divine providence is the only thing I can give credit to for my not being knocked into next week. Once he realized what was going on he delivered me a severe reproach for touching him while he was asleep and explained that I should never do that and if I simply called his name he assured me he would wake up. I was inclined to go along with him, at this point anyhow. So come the next night I dutifully stood at the foot of his rack and, at first, gently called his name several times to no avail. After a few more attempts at increasing levels of volume I'm still not getting even a moan out of this guy and now I'm waking people that don't need to be. This is not good for my popularity at all. So, ducking down as low as I can and from as far away as I can possibly get, I just barely shake his big toe. Sure enough he comes up swinging. That's all it took to get him going. But now I'm way out of the way, thank you!!

    And so this is how I had to continue to wake him for the next few months until I was able to qualify for throttle watch and never had to wake him again. Now there's some incentive to advance to the next level! I don't remember if I ever warned the new messenger. I'd like to think I did.

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