Special Opps or Nutt Job

[ISS]

I am going "NUTT JOB". Note: if anyone ever starts with the war hero stories, just ask them what their MOS was. Military Occupation Specialty. Anybody in the Army combat units had one started with 11. Basic infantry is an 11B20. Sgt would be 11B40. I will just say I went thru the airborne training, so I was 11B40P. Airborne Ranger made me an 11F40P. I think; it has been over half a century, so I am not certain if it was 11F40P or 11F4P. At 74, I have days where I can't remember what I had for breakfast last week.

Then, ask him what unit he served in. There were no special unnamed units that cruised the world on special missions. Spook Liaison, possibly. The CIA boys came to the Company occasionally and would request a short, three man team, but they had us report to the Division HQ and detail the mission.

ISS

 

[durand mortenson]

It is a small world. My last cruise aboard the USS Hancock (CVA-19) on Yankee station ended in June of 67. The Forrestal might have relieved us.

If the ship went to Hunters Point after that. I did some work in the machine shop for the Hancock. Went aboard once to help work on the elevator curtains. They rolled up like a window shade.

Mort

 

[Old Navy]

If the ship went to Hunters Point after that. I did some work in the machine shop for the Hancock. Went aboard once to help work on the elevator curtains. They rolled up like a window shade.

Mort

We were on a 7 month over and 5 months back schedule. It went over to Hunters Point each time we were back. I was discharged August 27, 1967 and honestly can't remember if were tied up in Alameda or Hunter's Point. We went through a Typhoon once and were in the Hanger deck with the curtains up/sideways looking out at the waves. When the ship nose dived all we could see was water. No sky until we came back up. The tin can sailors with us were having a bad/scary ride.

 

[durand mortenson]

We were on a 7 month over and 5 months back schedule. It went over to Hunters Point each time we were back. I was discharged August 27, 1967 and honestly can't remember if were tied up in Alameda or Hunter's Point. We went through a Typhoon once and were in the Hanger deck with the curtains up/sideways looking out at the waves. When the ship nose dived all we could see was water. No sky until we came back up. The tin can sailors with us were having a bad/scary ride.

I was in the Marines when I did a 13 month tour over there in 61. My ride was a flat bottom LSD. Somewhere between Japan and Subic Bay P.I. we hit a Typhoon and were all secured below deck. The screw would come partway out of the water and shake the the ship. The sling on my Garand was woven in the webbing of the bunk above me so I just laid there and watched it swinging side to side. Most of us had sea legs by this time so getting sick wasn't a big issue.
Thanks for your service

Mort

 

[Old Navy]

I was in the Marines when I did a 13 month tour over there in 61. My ride was a flat bottom LSD. Somewhere between Japan and Subic Bay P.I. we hit a Typhoon and were all secured below deck. The screw would come partway out of the water and shake the the ship. The sling on my Garand was woven in the webbing of the bunk above me so I just laid there and watched it swinging side to side. Most of us had sea legs by this time so getting sick wasn't a big issue.
Thanks for your service

Mort

When we hit that storm our escort destroyers came right up close to us off both sides of the ship. They would ride down a big wave and when they started back up it would cover the front third of the ship clear up to the bridge. Probable 20' or more. When they hit the top the bow was out of the water. You could see different color paint on the bow. Some yellow and red. I think it was Zinc Chromate. The bunks had seat belts to keep the guys in while sleeping. I am sure there are some tin can sailors on here that can elaborate.

 

[Old Navy]

I know it changed a lot of things in future ships like automatic foam fire suppression systems, and making sure all sailors were properly trained in fire suppression before setting foot on the ship. From what my dad has told me and from what I’ve read, it really sounds like Captain Beling got a raw deal after the fire. I’m thankful my father survived the fire, but it saddens me to see how that event still effects him to this day.

The foam was to smother fuel fires. We were taught firefighting in boot camp. They had a large water trough, maybe 20' across. They pumped a couple inches of diesel on top of the water and ignited it. We had two fire hose teams to fight it. One hose had a long spray nozzle like a shower head. The other was a regular solid stream spray. One team pushed the flames and would stop for a few seconds while the spray tried to smother it. The whole time one guy was running a had pump adding fuel. Really exciting for a bunch of 18 year kids. We had to fight it until it went out. So the guys on the Forrestal were doing their job with the hoses. Probably out of foam. Who knows in the heat of the battle to save their ship. Join the Navy! See the world my recruiter said. First time to Vietnam we put 67K nautical miles on the ship.

 

[durand mortenson]

When we hit that storm our escort destroyers came right up close to us off both sides of the ship. They would ride down a big wave and when they started back up it would cover the front third of the ship clear up to the bridge. Probable 20' or more. When they hit the top the bow was out of the water. You could see different color paint on the bow. Some yellow and red. I think it was Zinc Chromate. The bunks had seat belts to keep the guys in while sleeping. I am sure there are some tin can sailors on here that can elaborate.

We didn't get seat belts... just grab the tube frame and hang on.. I don't think you guys cared whether we slept or not ( : The waves you described would have been scary as hell in a LSD... glad i missed that one. As you said it would be nice to hear from someone on a DE.

 

[MClark]

Friend I worked with was telling me he was on the destroyer Rowan on the Haiphong Harbor raid. We were in the office with internet so with a little searching I find a crew list with pictures.
I turn the monitor around and say, "Hey! Some skinny kid was claiming to be you!"
I told him going into an enemy harbor guns blazing is John Wayne hero stuff. He said apparently being a hero is being scared shitless and screw up less than the other guy.

 

[Kalitrazescapee]

To all the vets of combat thank you. I was a mm in the hole,600lb and1200lb tin cans, surrounded by hp super heated steam and asbestos. On the John R Craig dd885, we had a one in steam line fail which filled engine rm in seconds,with a loud roar, 600psi.
On the Roark former de, but classified as an ff when I was on. We were in the tasmanian sea off Australia in 79 and I didn't see only feel. Nobody was out on main deck, fwd gun was covered in the trough and shaking on her way up. Walking below decks, things would smack you with the heavy rolls .evaps had to be closely watched.