I served on the Waccamaw from late 1968-70 as a BT. My unrep station was on the port side (don't remember which rig though) as a ship to ship phone talker.
Great video. On the USS Philip DD 498 and USS Fletcher DD 445 I was the aft phone line handler and had a good view from the 01 deck. It was a sweet duty station.
@satchthemo Thanks! My station was line handler on the starboard side. After we secured from pulling the line across, I had to run in, grab my camera, and climb up to the signal bridge to film this.
thanks for the great video.i served on the wac around 76-77 as a merchant seaman boiler room fireman.my first un-rep station was operating a gypsy winch on the port side.
i was the guy who payed-out the line controlling the fuel line with the Robb fitting on the end of it. also jerked the fitting out when we were finished transferring or for an emergency breakaway. this was all hrs day and night work. seas coming over the deck at times. we worked hard,played hard and were proud of our efforts.
@hulado My unrep station was as one of the line handlers on the starboard side, main deck. We pulled the line for the forward fueling station. The main deck is low on a Destroyer, so getting wet during an unrep is not unusual. The unrep you see here was the only time during my 3 years on board that I got away in time to grab my camera and film it.
Does anybody remember the soft drink called shasta....The reason is during the 1968-1970 time frame the mason at some point took on a lot of shasta soft drinks.just a little tid bit here.....by the way I was told the mason at one time had a two lane bowling alley of sorts,,,,But this really does not sound like the kind of thing the navy would do...and if so it probably did not last long
@kyroughman1 I wonder where they'd put that bowling alley? There's very little open space inside a destroyer! On the other hand, during one cruise, while we were in international waters, we set up a "casino" in the crew's mess deck on some evenings.
I find it hard to see myself,,,,I would think that if true, it would be some sort of small IE short lane...anyway I have been on the mason sites and I am started to search for other people who might know my uncle, these seem to be small sites, Not like the army sites of the vietnam war those are huge and go on and on...But the tin can sites are still there just need more steam in there boilers...You should check out the mason sites,,,,might be a lot of people you know.....
My uncle was probably on his way out when you came in..Now as for his job I don't think he had anything ta do with engine div. nor do I think he had anything ta do with weapons div. I really don't know to much even to this day....I do think that he had a topside job somewhere on deck...I know that for a short period of time the mason had a sort of gyro copter on board, He might have had something ta do with this....his name is Dennis Hoffman....
@kyroughman1 The gyro copter was called DASH. The Navy had stopped using it by the time I was there. While the ship was underway, it is likely your uncle stood watches as CIC Watch Officer. The junior officers (Ensigns and JGs), especially the Operations and Deck ones, would rotate standing those watches. As a radarman watching a scope in CIC, I would have known him from that. The last name sounds familiar, but I can't put a face to it.
When he got out of navy he left his year books,,,There were two such books. One covered 1967-68 I think and the other covered 69-70... these were at the house for many years as well as medals and a sword....However a few years back he came and got this stuff...I myself only have one picture of him...your radar job sounds interesting .....
@kyroughman1 Radar men, later called Operations Specialists, performed a lot of jobs. Watching the scopes, taking fixes from targets on land, tracking ships and aircraft, radio communications, etc. Extremely busy during missions and certain operations; total boredom at other times, but always the responsibility for the safety of the ship.
follow-up..The books I told you about were very interesting..They seem to favor weapons systems, And engine rooms....lots and lots of pictures of that stuff...one would think that this ship had a lot of engine room guys and weapons guys...engine room had shifts sort of..IE a sort of day shift night shift sort of thing...books covered a lot of other stuff but engine rooms were a much liked photo op.... I like how they let the guys grow beards and they could even smoke in those days..
@kyroughman1 The amount of pictures of each area likely reflects who volunteered to take pictures for the cruise books. Sounds like they had a gunners mate and either a boiler technician or machinist mate for cameramen. The shifts were called "watches". Usually three sections (5 hours on, 10 hours off) or "port and starboard" (2 sections - 5 on, 5 off). We could smoke except when the "smoking lamp" was off - such as during refueling.
Was on the Corry DD 817 and replenished with the Truckee in the same storm. The Mason was lucky, most of the time you refueled at night in the pitch black with red lensed flashlights to see what you were doing.
@buckgw The reason we refueled during the day was because we spent the nights cruising up the coast of North Vietnam, taking out CD sites. Three missions a night, three calls to General Quarters a night. Take on fuel one day, ammo the next.
@MrTheoriginalderek So your grandfather was a member of the ship's first crew! BTW - for an unknown ship, the Mason had an incredible and proud history.
Yeah! :D He was a head machinist. I have a newspaper clipping of him working on board. He tried several times before to enlist but they wouldn't take him because he was already working for the railroad and they needed him there for the time being. Do you have any good sources for info on the Mason?
I don't know about 1973, but in today's Navy, an unrep would not happen in rough sea conditions like that...it looks like there's a hurricane going on!
It looks worse than it is! Now that you mention it, though, this was near our upper limit for unreps. Also, the ship I'm on was built during World War II. Today's ships with hurricane bows would have much better sea keeping ability. What you are seeing here is a small, old tin can riding it out. Old destroyermen are used to this!
I remember refueling from the Kansas City, and when we played "The Magnificent Seven", they played "Kansas City Here I come"......
We also had a huge purple flag with a gold "7" on it, and gold fringes the signalmen would run up......Of course it was to the backdrop of a giant cloud of black smoke, which is probably why our radio call sign was "Black Velvet"....
I was on the Henry B Wilson, DDG-7. Our breakaway song was "The Magnificent Seven" from the movie. It was a thrill to hear the bridge over the sound-powered phones order "Flank speed and hit the music".
That tin can could motor pretty fast away from the slower oilers.
On the Mason, DD-852, we played Country Roads on breakaway after every UNREP in the Tonkin Gulf during our 72-73 Cruise. Was great to hear the whine of the ship accelerating and then John Denver coming over the 1 MC.
Well, I'm sure there were some advantages.....BUT....when we traveled with a carrier, and reached a port, like Yokusaka...our skipper would drive the ship right up to the pier, and park it, and by the time the carrier guys hit the beach....well, we already a cold beer in one hand, and usually warm thigh in the other!!!
Actually, no - at the time, I thought we were the only ones doing a breakaway song. That is, until just recently after posting the earlier Unrep video. Hmm, I wonder if there ever was "Dueling Breakaway Songs"!?
Olongapo? No, I left my cameras on board ship when I went into Olongapo. All I have is a pan of Subic Bay itself and some stills of the Navy Base. Were you on the Wichita, perhaps?
I served on the Waccamaw from late 1968-70 as a BT. My unrep station was on the port side (don't remember which rig though) as a ship to ship phone talker.
revjim1968 1 month ago
i served on the waccama 1962 1964 was boswans mate forward deck if any was there email me at harryj108@yahoo .com
harryj108 2 months ago
You did well, very well. Those videos tell more of a story than hours of words. What a ride!
satchthemo 3 months ago
Great video. On the USS Philip DD 498 and USS Fletcher DD 445 I was the aft phone line handler and had a good view from the 01 deck. It was a sweet duty station.
satchthemo 3 months ago
@satchthemo Thanks! My station was line handler on the starboard side. After we secured from pulling the line across, I had to run in, grab my camera, and climb up to the signal bridge to film this.
cosmicship 3 months ago
thanks for the great video.i served on the wac around 76-77 as a merchant seaman boiler room fireman.my first un-rep station was operating a gypsy winch on the port side.
i was the guy who payed-out the line controlling the fuel line with the Robb fitting on the end of it. also jerked the fitting out when we were finished transferring or for an emergency breakaway. this was all hrs day and night work. seas coming over the deck at times. we worked hard,played hard and were proud of our efforts.
hulado 1 year ago
@hulado My unrep station was as one of the line handlers on the starboard side, main deck. We pulled the line for the forward fueling station. The main deck is low on a Destroyer, so getting wet during an unrep is not unusual. The unrep you see here was the only time during my 3 years on board that I got away in time to grab my camera and film it.
cosmicship 1 year ago
Does anybody remember the soft drink called shasta....The reason is during the 1968-1970 time frame the mason at some point took on a lot of shasta soft drinks.just a little tid bit here.....by the way I was told the mason at one time had a two lane bowling alley of sorts,,,,But this really does not sound like the kind of thing the navy would do...and if so it probably did not last long
kyroughman1 1 year ago
@kyroughman1 I wonder where they'd put that bowling alley? There's very little open space inside a destroyer! On the other hand, during one cruise, while we were in international waters, we set up a "casino" in the crew's mess deck on some evenings.
cosmicship 1 year ago
I find it hard to see myself,,,,I would think that if true, it would be some sort of small IE short lane...anyway I have been on the mason sites and I am started to search for other people who might know my uncle, these seem to be small sites, Not like the army sites of the vietnam war those are huge and go on and on...But the tin can sites are still there just need more steam in there boilers...You should check out the mason sites,,,,might be a lot of people you know.....
kyroughman1 1 year ago
My uncle was on the mason from 1968-1972 . he was a LT JG ...I don't know what he did though...
kyroughman1 1 year ago
@kyroughman1 I reported on board Mason in June 1971 - possibly I might have known him.
cosmicship 1 year ago
My uncle was probably on his way out when you came in..Now as for his job I don't think he had anything ta do with engine div. nor do I think he had anything ta do with weapons div. I really don't know to much even to this day....I do think that he had a topside job somewhere on deck...I know that for a short period of time the mason had a sort of gyro copter on board, He might have had something ta do with this....his name is Dennis Hoffman....
kyroughman1 1 year ago
@kyroughman1 The gyro copter was called DASH. The Navy had stopped using it by the time I was there. While the ship was underway, it is likely your uncle stood watches as CIC Watch Officer. The junior officers (Ensigns and JGs), especially the Operations and Deck ones, would rotate standing those watches. As a radarman watching a scope in CIC, I would have known him from that. The last name sounds familiar, but I can't put a face to it.
cosmicship 1 year ago
When he got out of navy he left his year books,,,There were two such books. One covered 1967-68 I think and the other covered 69-70... these were at the house for many years as well as medals and a sword....However a few years back he came and got this stuff...I myself only have one picture of him...your radar job sounds interesting .....
kyroughman1 1 year ago
@kyroughman1 Radar men, later called Operations Specialists, performed a lot of jobs. Watching the scopes, taking fixes from targets on land, tracking ships and aircraft, radio communications, etc. Extremely busy during missions and certain operations; total boredom at other times, but always the responsibility for the safety of the ship.
cosmicship 1 year ago
follow-up..The books I told you about were very interesting..They seem to favor weapons systems, And engine rooms....lots and lots of pictures of that stuff...one would think that this ship had a lot of engine room guys and weapons guys...engine room had shifts sort of..IE a sort of day shift night shift sort of thing...books covered a lot of other stuff but engine rooms were a much liked photo op.... I like how they let the guys grow beards and they could even smoke in those days..
kyroughman1 1 year ago
@kyroughman1 The amount of pictures of each area likely reflects who volunteered to take pictures for the cruise books. Sounds like they had a gunners mate and either a boiler technician or machinist mate for cameramen. The shifts were called "watches". Usually three sections (5 hours on, 10 hours off) or "port and starboard" (2 sections - 5 on, 5 off). We could smoke except when the "smoking lamp" was off - such as during refueling.
cosmicship 1 year ago
Was on the Corry DD 817 and replenished with the Truckee in the same storm. The Mason was lucky, most of the time you refueled at night in the pitch black with red lensed flashlights to see what you were doing.
buckgw 1 year ago
@buckgw The reason we refueled during the day was because we spent the nights cruising up the coast of North Vietnam, taking out CD sites. Three missions a night, three calls to General Quarters a night. Take on fuel one day, ammo the next.
cosmicship 1 year ago
Cool! My grandfather was on the mason during 46-51 :D
MrTheoriginalderek 2 years ago
@MrTheoriginalderek So your grandfather was a member of the ship's first crew! BTW - for an unknown ship, the Mason had an incredible and proud history.
cosmicship 2 years ago
Yeah! :D He was a head machinist. I have a newspaper clipping of him working on board. He tried several times before to enlist but they wouldn't take him because he was already working for the railroad and they needed him there for the time being. Do you have any good sources for info on the Mason?
MrTheoriginalderek 2 years ago
I don't know about 1973, but in today's Navy, an unrep would not happen in rough sea conditions like that...it looks like there's a hurricane going on!
BlazerSax 2 years ago
It looks worse than it is! Now that you mention it, though, this was near our upper limit for unreps. Also, the ship I'm on was built during World War II. Today's ships with hurricane bows would have much better sea keeping ability. What you are seeing here is a small, old tin can riding it out. Old destroyermen are used to this!
cosmicship 2 years ago
By the way, USS Truckee AO-147 had a Gold "E" with three hash marks when I was on board.
BoomerNavy70 2 years ago
If it wasn't for you guys on the Oilers, us Destroyermen couldn't do the job we had to do. Thanks!
cosmicship 2 years ago
USS Truckee AO 147. It wasn't a job, it was an adventure..lol.
BoomerNavy70 2 years ago
To all: I deleted the earlier video (the one with the breakaway song).
cosmicship 2 years ago
I remember refueling from the Kansas City, and when we played "The Magnificent Seven", they played "Kansas City Here I come"......
We also had a huge purple flag with a gold "7" on it, and gold fringes the signalmen would run up......Of course it was to the backdrop of a giant cloud of black smoke, which is probably why our radio call sign was "Black Velvet"....
crumpta 2 years ago
I was on the Henry B Wilson, DDG-7. Our breakaway song was "The Magnificent Seven" from the movie. It was a thrill to hear the bridge over the sound-powered phones order "Flank speed and hit the music".
That tin can could motor pretty fast away from the slower oilers.
We did it in the Tonkin Gulf many times.
crumpta 2 years ago
On the Mason, DD-852, we played Country Roads on breakaway after every UNREP in the Tonkin Gulf during our 72-73 Cruise. Was great to hear the whine of the ship accelerating and then John Denver coming over the 1 MC.
cosmicship 2 years ago
Makes me glad I was on a carrier during the war..
MrRem243 2 years ago
Well, I'm sure there were some advantages.....BUT....when we traveled with a carrier, and reached a port, like Yokusaka...our skipper would drive the ship right up to the pier, and park it, and by the time the carrier guys hit the beach....well, we already a cold beer in one hand, and usually warm thigh in the other!!!
crumpta 2 years ago
Cosmicship, Do you remember the Waccamaw's Breakaway song? I will never forget it.
Captainrandys 2 years ago
Actually, no - at the time, I thought we were the only ones doing a breakaway song. That is, until just recently after posting the earlier Unrep video. Hmm, I wonder if there ever was "Dueling Breakaway Songs"!?
cosmicship 2 years ago
I was an electrician EM-3 Smitty aboard the Waccamaw AO-109 when that video was taken. Great West Pac Cruise
Captainrandys 2 years ago
I can see clearly now! Great stuff!
Thanks
RJFSr 2 years ago
Nice video. thanks for posting it. I was on an ammo ship at that time in the Tonkin Gulf. Have any video of Olongapo from that period?
enthalpyclub 2 years ago
Olongapo? No, I left my cameras on board ship when I went into Olongapo. All I have is a pan of Subic Bay itself and some stills of the Navy Base. Were you on the Wichita, perhaps?
cosmicship 2 years ago