USS Blue DD-744 1969 - 1970

[claudemes]

I visited the uss Laffey in 1991 in Charleston South Carolina IN some Cove name I believe next to some older submarines. We was in Charleston for our own ships reunion USS Robert L WILSON DDE--847. Laffey DD 724 was a great Destroyer. willyboat 847

[aetnarearsteer]

my dad served on the blue during vietnam. 66-?? cant remember

[ronfurg]

I love this video offering. Great shots and great music. I served aboard the USS Richard B Anderson (DD-786) and made a WestPac Cruse in 1966. These shots sure bring back the memories. Thanks for sharing.

[GZVSI]

I was a Gearing class the Cone 866. She was a Fram1. 2 /5" 38 mounts/6 tubes 46 torpedo/ ASROC. Saw the Kennedy recently and brought back memories.

Keep your feet dry - FTG3

[frankydman]

Can someone please tell me is this sounds accurate:

armament of USS Blue:

6 × 5 in./38 guns,

12 × 40mm AA guns,

11 × 20mm AA guns,

10 × 21 in. torpedo tubes,

6 × depth charge projectors,

2 × depth charge tracks

[frankydman]

Its a shame, but out of the 58 Allen M. Sumner class Destroyers built, 56 of them, including the USS Blue are gone. Although the USS Blue is gone, you can still visit one of its sister ships, the USS Laffey (DD-724) in South Carolina. It is one of only 2 surviving Allen M. Sumner class Destroyers, and the closest way to return to the USS Blue today, for those of you that served on DD-744

[frankydman]

I don't mean to be rude, but last I checked, the USS Blue was a Bagley class Destroyer, with the designation DD-387, that served during World War II, and was sunk in 1942, or am I thinking of another USS Blue?

[randy946]

You're thinking of the first Blue. The second was commissioned in 1944.

[mig25pd]

When I was at school in the late 60s and early 70s I did a line drawing of the USS Blue for one of my classes. It won a prize at school and my father had it framed - can't think what became of it.

All the Gearings were fine looking ships.

[frankydman]

Even though most are gone, you can still visit the USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. (DD-850) in Battleship Cove, Massachusetts. It one of only 2 surviving Destroyers from the Gearing Class.

[Robkat3751]

USS Blue, Named after Victor Blue who was once Captain of the USS Texas.

[randy946]

Blue was named after LCDR John S. Blue, the son of Victor Blue. He died on 11-13-42 when the USS Juneau blew up near Guadalcanal.

[Robkat3751]

OK, stand corrected however I knew it was from Victor Blue even though now I know it was his son John.

[randy946]

I believe the first USS Blue DD-387 was named after Victor Blue. There are other instances where two ships by the same name were named for different men. USS Fletcher is an example. The DD-445 was named for Frank Friday Fletcher and the DD-992 was named for his nephew Frank Jack Fletcher. It can get very confusing.

[mannie1952]

Hey! That's my ship!!! Dehaven DD-727, taken two years before I came aboard. Thanks for the cool footage and great memories.

Mannie52

(RM3 USS Dehaven, USS Higbee)

[Rikki0]

I was on the USS Hoel DDG-13 from 71 to 74. To whichever of you shipmates shot the video of the Hoel passing alongside the Blue, thank you for posting it and " Salute ". And this is a great video.

[bosnmate820]

Very good shots of the BLUE. I was on a Gearing class during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 62 we were just a stretched out Sumner. We were a DDE.

These really brought back memories of life on a "can". Give me an Email. I have some stills and some fat to chew.

[maxrafaelwaller]

USS Blue (DD-744), Decommissioned: 27 January 1971 , Sunk as target off California 28 April 1977. Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer and named for Lieutenant Commander(LCDR) John S. Blue (1902--1942).

[duinnerfs]

Great job on your posting, stationed on DD-832, two tours over there, caught experiences in still photos only, great job, we were with the Hoel in Shimoda for 2-3 days '71.

[ingledude]

Great Video, I just retired after 24 years of service. Came in when there were still quite a few Vietnam war Chiefs around.

[Blasensaddles]

Brought me back 54 yrs to Hubbard (748). Maybe you might have taken some in rough weather, like in one of those typhoons in the Straits..... Anyway, Bravo Zulu (flags for well done).

[EScott430]

Amazing Video. Loved it. I was on board when that video was taken. I'm sorry I didn't meet you. I was in an RM2 OC Div, 3rd picture 2nd row on page 28 of cruise book. We all looked like kids then. That helo must have been taking a SN to the hospital following the unrep. Great NGFS video. I still have a buoy from the sampan we hit near Bangkok, and a copy of the Bangkok Globe headline labeling us as a US man-of-war. Know where any of our shipmates are now?

[1gowdy]

My Dad Was on the Blue. He is a good father but he has no computer old school but that is fine I told him it was sunk off the coast of california 1971 and he was kind of proud of that.

[DVDDAn65]

My Dad was on the Blue as well during Vietnam, he helps organize yearly reunions.

[jarrod521]

Nice film. I'm one of the musicians playing on the recording that you used for background music. It's nice to see/hear our work used. Did you pick up the recording here at the Academy?

[randy946]

Yes, the excellent score in MP3 format was picked up off the USNA web site a few years ago. I was told by the webmaster it was public domain so I made good use of that fact. It's nice to meet someone who helped create it!

[1musiclvr]

Nice playing jarrod521! Had me tapping my foot while watching this excellent video.

Well done!

[pg100man]

Outstanding !!

I was aboard then, G div, FGT-3 ! My first westpac. In '71 I transfered to the DeHaven ! small world...

who actually took the film ?

[randy946]

I did.

[pg100man]

Actually I was a SN in G div then, made FTG-3 in '70...

What Div were you in ? I'll have to dig out my Cruise book !

[randy946]

Check your private messages. Contact info plus more is there.

[dhsvideo]

Wow-Chokes me up. I have similar shots that I never thought to bring into the digital world, but this brings back shuch memories. I remember so well thinking how glad I was to be on the carrier and not on the "tin cans" during underway refueling. Look at the water washing the decks. It is the "Coral Sea" according to randy946, the producer. Thanks for the great memories. Maybe inspires me to get mine out of mothballs.

[randy946]

By all means, get those old movies out and share. I've had these old shots for eons and never thought many would care and have been surprised at the positive response. And I'm sure others have much better footage than I have so get 'em out and post. I'd really love to see any footage you have of the tin cans heaving alongside the "bird farms" during UNREP. Thanks for your comments.

[GeneralCustersHat]

Outstanding film. I see from the shape of the stack and the low profile that the aircraft carrier shown may be one of the "Midway" class. Do you know which one it was? (USS Midway, USS Coral Sea, or the USS FDR.)

Never been in the service but it looks like I missed something besides the sea sickness.

Again, great film.

[randy946]

Thanks. The carrier was the USS Coral Sea.

[GeneralCustersHat]

Thanks. Again, outstanding film!

[jsepersm3]

I really enjoyed the film clip, having served aboard the USS Blue from 1964 to 1966. Down pilot rescue and "market time" were two of our main assignments. Thanks, again.

[martysullivan]

What memories! I made two Westpac deployments 71/72 on a Gearing (Hanson 832). I found myself bracing in the desk chair with each roll. You covered all the bases with plane guarding, unrep, ngfs, and mail call! I loved driving these ships and am glad you shot many from the bridge wings. Great parting shot. Thanks for sharing!

[parkjh77]

oh my god..

GEARING class ..!!!

i was crew gearing class

u.s navy(dd-818) = s.korea dd-919

[Auggie56]

Both of my brothers were "Tin Can Salors" in the sixties. One on the "The Demoto" in the Atlantic 60'-61'. The other in the sixth fleet. "The Galviston." Based out of Youcusca Japan. 1966-68', I belive. Great video !

[Scott11078]

Clean looking ship! My first ship was the USS Kitty Hawk CV-63 and my last ship was the USS O'Kane DDG-77, I'm proud to have been a Tin Can sailor. What was your ships motto? Ours is "A Tradition of Honor"

[Robkat3751]

That must of been a great 8MM camera. I don't remember any of them doing this quality of work. What a great vid of a the USS Blue, glad someone had presense of mind to capture all of this. So much is lost and we will never see this stuff again.

[randy946]

The camera was a new discontinued model Kodak 8mm that I picked up for $20 while home on leave. Sorry, I don't remember the model number. Salt ate the camera up and it was discarded before it was 2 years old but the film reels have survived. The version shown here has undergone a few conversions and is actually a fifth generation copy.

[pylgrym]

I grew up next to the big Scott hi fi where Richard Rodgers' (correct spelling - less the hammerstein) LP would fill me with awe and wonder. I just love this.

Vietnam veteran, US Army Infantry, 1971

[FALLENshortys]

hi! randy my dad emailed me and we stand... corrected my brother and i...it returned in march 1970 to Alameda it was a westpac deployment..again thanks for the awesome films kept them coming!!!

[randy946]

FALLENshortys, I wish I had more but that's about it. There is some additional footage which I had to cut due to YouTube time limits but it is mostly in port stuff in Thailand and Guam and isn't as interesting as what's posted here. The Coral Sea was a great carrier to serve with, she took very good care of her smaller escorts and we in turn looked after her.

[FALLENshortys]

thanks randy for posting this my dad was a communications master chief on the coral sea and he was on board the cva-43 when that film was taking...i wasn't born yet but my brother remembers it left from Alameda ..and it return to Alameda in march 71 my dad

is alive and kicking at 64 in Florida i emailed him this and he loved it..thanks much!!

[1musiclvr]

FALLENshortys, I was an RM3 onboard in 1971. Worked in CR Division.

Was that your Dad's dept?

[FALLENshortys]

communications

[1musiclvr]

CR Division stood for Communications-Radio.

[FALLENshortys]

my dad was in Communications-Radio.

[FALLENshortys]

from Alameda we got stationed in kamiseya,japan...I THINK IT WAS CR DIVISION...

[treadhead105]

Thanks for posting this Randy! My Dad was a QuarterMaster (Navigator) on The Blue in '58-'59. I was pulling stuff off the net for him related to '744 when I ran across this. He got a real kick out of watching it. Thanks again!

[gustavorocha78]

Very nice movie! My father was a destroyer crewmenber too! My best regards