Charlton Heston Interview USS Fort Snelling

In 1983 a host of celebrities visited US Navel Vessels stationed off the coast of Beirut Lebanon. Among them was Charlton Heston who gave this interview aboard the USS Fort Snelling to Journalist Tom Hyatt

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Charlton
• Heston
• Navy
• Beirut
• 1983
• oil
• interest

[irreverentjim]

What is a BM outside of what I know it? Shouldn't be a GM (gunners mate). No one has confirmed the story I heard, and that it had explosives aboard and was intent on sinking us.

There is a picture I saw in a storefront window in Naples that had our ship sunk at the bottom of the sea. I thought about buying it for nostalgia sake, but then concluded that they would not let me bring it aboard, and no one would appreciate it if I did. The American presence was not liked overseas...even in Rome.

[DougInSC]

It was a 100 foot freighter Diana D. The 50 cal was manned by a BM1. There is a picture of the spot where it sank, off of our port side, in our cruise book.

[irreverentjim]

Good Memory.  Was it loaded with explosives?

[expro1980]

Didn't know Heston came to Beirut, interesting interview. I was in the Navy in Beirut also, does anyone out their remember the Ft. Snelling getting rammed by the Lebanese freighter and it sinking? I was on the ship next to the Ft. Snelling when it happened and remember someone opening fire on it before it hit you guys.

[irreverentjim]

expro 1980, what ship where you on, what rate where you.

[expro1980]

I was on the USS Sylvania we were along side of the FT. Snelling when they hit you"ll I heard the shooting and ran over to the other side of the ship and the Ft. Snelling had just been hit, and your bow was only a few feet from hitting our ship. It was a close, we picked up about four of those crew members off the Lebanese ship and our Captain was pissed off with them he through them in the brig. Later that afternoon we took them back into Beirut.

[irreverentjim]

So this was a navigation error in your understanding? Do you have any concern that this was a terrorist attack. I was not aboard at the time, and herd that by scuttlebutt after the fact about the explosives. Apparently there was gunfire by two accounts of two shipmates on two different vessels. Please be clear and more verbose. If the Slyvania picked up the crew of the Diana D. and released them, then they were cleared. I thought they tied to sink us, and munitions were on board.

Jim

[expro1980]

I don't know what happened to them, when we took them back Beirut they were in handcuffs and the Captain told the Gunners Mates that were escorting them into Beirut to shoot them if they tried anything stupid. What happened to them is a mystery. I will always believe this was an attack, I don't know if the ship had explosives or not? I do know it sank within 10 minutes after it impacted the Ft. Snelling.

[MS3ABBOTT]

i was a cook on the fort we where re fueling and taking on stores . it was thanksgiveing eve . when the helmsman didn't move it did hit us and the bm1 (accadenaly )fell and pulled triger.

[irreverentjim]

As I understood it, it was a terrorist attack. UDT seals where sent to look at the wreckage, and it was loaded with explosives. That was the story I heard when I returned on board a few weeks after the fact.