| U.S.S.
LITTLE ROCK CREW RECOLLECTIONS |
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| The following commentaries are
provided by shipmates and are intended to help friends and family members
understand what we did, how we lived, and what things now seem important
after so many years. Some slight editing has been done to correct spelling
and to smooth out the reading... otherwise all of the commentaries remain
as originally written. |
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| Contributors as of 15 Feb 2008: |
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| Ron Berardino - QM2 Frank Berglas - YN3 Rhys B. Blair USMC Obert Blaisdell - BM3 Pat Cavanaugh - CYN3 Jerry Dupuis - LTJG Kyle Fitzwater - FTM3 Phillip Gilbert - EN2 James M. Hall Jr. RD2 Tom Hallinan - LT Marty Hansen -YN3 Tim Hartley - BT3 Michael Holloran - LI3 Paul Jett - FTG |
Terry Mahoney - BM3 Robert Martin - BTFN John Meyers (*) Dan Murphy - MM2 Marc Nolan Don Pleu - BT3 Steven Rinfret - SN Dave Sciarretta - RM2 Jim Sklarz - BT Rodger D. Shilling - YN3 John F.Sterk - MM3 Larry Wallace - SN Larry Williamson - GS2 (*) Indicates latest contributors |
| Larry Wallace - SN SN S-3 Div, Barber, year in the crews shop, last year in the Officers Barber Shop Oct 59 To Nov 1962. Div Officer: R.L. Bates, Div Chief: R.J. Tedesco, Dept Head: LCDR R.O. Holt. Have to say I enjoyed the travel that was free for 3 years 10 month and 23 days. Would I do it again? NO. Best friend was a Marine Paul Lusa. He was Capt Chenault's Driver. |
| John F. Sterk MM3 I worked as an a/c mech in "A" div. from 68-72. Worked and stood watch in evap. room. I had several friends, Don Wilson, Mike Schmidt, Don Rodgers, Jose Costa, Paul Liuipe (sp?) and several others who's names I forget. Now that I look back on it, I think it was some of my best times. I saw places I never would have seen if not for my years on board the Rock, that's not to say I would do it again. I never cared for the way enlisted men were treated compared to Officers, that is the main reason I would not reenlist. I have been in contact with two of my shipmates in the past year thanks to this site. I would like to hear from others I served with in "A" Div. or anyone else who may remember me. "E", "R" and "M" Div. sailors. Thanks for this site. I can't remember the name of the Div. Officers we had, but I will never forget one of them had a degree in business management, and he was in A Div. Go figure! MM1 Miller was one of the several LPO's I had. There was a Chief by the name of Tippadue (sp?) We called him “Froggy” because he had a real deep raspy voice. I wish I had never lost my ships book, I would love to be able to look back and put a name to the many faces I can recall. |
| Tim Hartley - BT3 I worked in both firerooms, and our oil-lab. Was on the Rock June . Made friends all over the ship and saw places and people I'll never will get a chance to see again. Would do it again. And take a lot more pictures. If any snipe from that time don't know the name, do they remember “Boom Boom” from fwd fireroom? Hope to hear from fellow snipes. From a later posting: I can recall our Chief Engineer was J. Myrick, and Ens Largent was one of our Div. officers. I worked under a few 1st PO... McKay, Wells, Starkey, Bush. All I can remember for now. Hope to see the Rock again before I get too old. |
| Dan Murphy - MM2 Main engine room, operation & maintenance of engine room equipment. I manned the #1 throttle during refueling at sea. That was exciting!! My closest Friend was Roy Tenney. We had a great time. I was aboard for 17 months, from 8/61 till the end of 62, then transferred to the U.S.S. Manley DD940. I loved it and wished I had spent more time aboard. Will they let me re-up @ 64? |
| Michael Holloran - LI3 X Division 1964 to 1967 Print shop duties included printing the Plan of the Day and many forms used by the different departments on the ship. The print shop was located on the main deck portside at about midship. I worked for LTJG Ralph Latham and CWO Bailey. Ralph and I spent time together at a reunion in Buffalo a few years ago. I enjoyed my time the Rock and was happiest when we were underway. |
| Rodger D. Shilling - YN3 X Division 1962 to 1965. Worked in Captain’s Office for J.R. Payne, C. Edwin Bell, Jr., R.O. Middleton. (Also) Officers’ Records and general office work. Worked with CWO J. Malik, Chief T. Wright, LTJG Ralph Latham, Chief C.L. Wingfield. Allen (Tomenendal) Himsworth was my good friend. It was a good experience, except for the Trieste Trots. Would do it again. |
| Frank Berglas - YN3 Aboard from precommissioning in 1959 through November, 1961. (From age 19 through 21.) I was a YN3 and part of X Division. My job was ship's legal yeoman. This entailed keeping records of Captain's Masts, Courts-Martial and other, statutory duties. In addition I was responsible for publishing the Plan of the Day. Each evening I would prepare it and have it OK'd and signed by Commander Berry, the XO, Then I, and one or two willing division-mates, would distribute the PoD all over the ship. The X Division Officers to whom I reported were Hobart K. Robinson and Gerard A. Dupuis. They, in turn, reported to the XO. I attended Naval Justice School in Newport, RI for a couple of months to learn the details of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. And I always was a GOOD boy!!!! One benefit of the job was that I never, in the two years aboard, stood a single watch!!! Thanks for that to Messrs. Robinson and Dupuis! In reply to Kyle Fitzwater’s note about the hurricane, Frank wrote: Thanks for that vivid description of the hurricane adventure. That wasn't the only time Little Rock encountered some rough going. In 1961, when she had left Bordeaux, France, and was in the Bay of Biscay, heading back into the Mediterranean, a storm (wasn't officially called a hurricane as far as I recall - but sure felt like one) overtook us. I. too, recall some pretty hairy port and starboard rolls which scared the daylights out of us. Most of the crew were sick - and it wasn't a pretty sight. We learned that such a storm was more or less "routine" in the area at that time of year - it was wonderful to return to the calm waters of the Med. |
| Paul Jett - FTG I was a "kiddie cruiser" FTG in Fox Div and G Div from Dec 1962 to Aug 1965. In charge of the 6" gun director and then later 5" plot, while we were underway. I was also one of the ship's drivers, with the 1962 (or was it a 1963?) crew cab Dodge pickup as my main ride. I also drove the Dodge van, at least in Naples, to take the officers to the officer's club. I managed to run over a police car on the big "grinder" parking lot where we tied up in Naples. That may have shortened my career as a driver! Ernie Green and "Pete" Popke were at the 5" MK 37 gun director. Larry Austin worked with me in 5" plot. Rick Cooper was in 6" plot with Cecil Hays. When I joined the Army, in 1984, I got all the ribbons and medals I didn't get during that tour, like the Overseas Ribbon and NDSM! I said I joined the Army, but it was actually the Texas Army National Guard. After two months of being a "weekend warrior", I went AGR and carried a green ID. Pushing 40 at the time, I was one of the older E4’s and I really had fun at the active duty PLDC, which was like boot camp all over! I managed to make SGT before I got out that time, but I only had about 8 "hero badges" (hash marks were based on 3 year tours and total prior enlistments counted for pay and hash marks)! Oh, I was the Assistant Operations Sergeant at Battalion level with a 19E20 MOS. We shot the little guns, like 105mm (that's only 4"!) on the M60A1 tank! |
| Obert Blaisdell - BM3 On board Sept. 1966 thru June 1968. In charge of 1st Lt. Division. I remember of all the special details including mooring to buoy. Center projectile loader 6" gun mount (General Quarters) Division Officer: Lt. Hallinan. He was one of the best I worked for. He was not afraid to turn-to whenever it was needed. He backed his men when they were right. I will always be grateful for his insight and friendship. If I was not planning to get married when my tour was up, I would have made the Navy my life. All though there were some bad times, the good times out weigh the bad by far. |
| Tom Hallinan - LT I noticed the posting from Obert Blaisdell. When he was on the Rock, he went by the name "Bull". I was his division officer and he was a member of the "buoy patrol" that moored the ship to the buoy in Gaeta and other ports where we couldn't tie up at a pier. Bull was a great shipmate and we had some great times together trying to stay on some of those bubuoys. The traction wasn't that great and the white "paint" was provided by seagulls. The first thing we did after getting back on the ship was take a shower. I've been trying to get Bull to come to one of our reunions in Buffalo but so far without susuccess. Maybeext year? How about it Bull? |
| Pat Cavanaugh - CYN3 I worked in the radio shack cutting tapes for the TTY machines, taking messages off the machines and then became the Main Comm. Supervisor for duplication of TTY messages as may be needed to Staff and Flag. Served 09/68 thru 05/70. I enjoyed the midnight food provided when the mess was closed and the baker was working. I was known for not allowing the Admiral into the radio shack. I was amazed at the great ports that we visited even when we had people yelling go home Yankee to us. Good friends. |
| Marc Nolan I was assigned to the Little Rock right out of battalion school. I dropped my A school in boot camp and was told I would become the convenience of the Navy. I caught up w/ the Rock in Gaeta in February of 1973. I remember being assigned to the forward division (1st?) - up close to the rope lockers. Talk about being young and dumb.... my little hippie ass didn't know much about structure, let alone the idea of chain of command. It didn't take long to get restricted to the ship with a little extra duty. I remember once we were in port and were side-swiped by a personnel boat and tore the gangway ladder right off. Another time, in some pretty heavy seas, we were told to stay below and of course we found our way up to the fantail! The swells were well above the ship, we were way too lucky not to have been swooped over. Another time while in port, a fellow sailor said “20 bucks to jump”, as we were admiring the crystal clear beauty of the water. Without hesitation I jumped from the second, maybe the third deck, without considering it was March in the Med and the water was probably only 36 degrees. As I hit the frigid water I had visions of death- then swam 20-30 feet to the garbage barge. Climbed up the ladder and was sent to the showers and written up for Captains Mast. A few more stories: Like getting to watch Clint's new movie "The High Plains Drifter". Wishing I had taken more pictures of some of the coolest places I've had ever seen-Tripping though Tangier's, Morocco, visiting Rome on mopeds, Madrid Spain - Disco. Maybe should have made a few more friends (at least recorded their names) - Fighting just because someone said something about the Little Rock... |
| Dave Sciarretta - RM2 COMSIXTHFLT 1973 - 1976, Maincom... I was an inrouter for the messages on my watch. We were berthed with the Signalmen and some of the ET’s, 2 decks below the Talos launcher. The hatch to go down there was right by the Post Office. Emergency steering was in our Head. I believe we were right above the port screw as it was so noisy underway that we had the TV turned up all of the way. I was also a DJ for WLRK radio during the lunch hour. Then I got the coveted Supply PO, DCPO, and MainCom scrounge. My Radio Officer called me the SGT Bilko of the Navy. My office was in Radio 6 way aft. There was only one way in, or out. Down the stairway to the boat deck. That office was host to countless all night poker and spade games. Then I screwed up and made E5 and ended up in teletype repair. We had a RM1 Fred Hager, he was the original Frank Burns (from MASH). He had a fit if you spit in a burn bag. Of course we all did. He married an Italian national, and I assume he is still in Gaeta. He bunked right by the TV area and was always complaining. One night he was asleep and his feet always stuck out. We put shaving cream on his toes and stuck birthday candles in the cream and lit them. One of the guys took a picture and we then blew out the candles and left them on his feet. We would rub a phone in an ink pad and dial his desk. We glued his coffee cup to the desk. Someone was telling about all the layers of linoleum they took up (for the Museum space). In out berthing space we had to chip up all of the flooring to bare metal, red lead and retile. All while we were living in that space. I took up residence in Radio 6. There was dust and fumes all day and night and we were all shift workers at the time. While I was in charge of the compartment cleaners one of my guys chipped a hole through the hull to the outside. I got one of the Engineering officers to check it out. He put a big wad of chewing gum in it and said that would work until they got back to the yards. Well we go out on an operation and refuel. I guess you can figure out what happened. When we went lower in the water that gum popped out and water was shooting all over the place. Needless to say, it got a proper patch. Well that is all I have for now. I am looking forward to the work party as my wife got sick and was hospitalized so I could not go. As soon as it is announced I will get the time off and get me some tickets to Buffalo. Subsequent posting from Dave: Since it is the holiday season, I'd thought I might say a few things about Christmas and New Years in Gaeta. The first thing that comes to mind is the loneliness of not being with the family for the holiday. One of the things I enjoyed the most was going out with the ComSixthFlt band and singing carols. All of the neighbors would invite us in and would imbibe us with homemade wine or brandy. Needless to say by the time the evening ended, we were all quite smashed. One year my roommates and I decided to have a Christmas Tree. We hiked up and got a small pine off Split Mountain, and brought it home. We made decorations, and the garland was made off of old pop tops off of beer cans. A couple of nights later I come home and the tree was in the parking lot where it was thrown from the second floor of our apartment. When I went up I found out that one of the Maincom shift leaders RM1 Bowen thought it would be funny to urinate all over our tree. Does anyone remember the Italian fireworks? They had the firepower of a stick of dynamite with a 1/4 inch fuse. We bought some that were about a foot long....they zig zagged down to a large knob at the end. It was like lighting a pack of firecrackers with 5 M80's on the end. We blew a piece of our marble stairway off. Then nothing compares to an Italian New Year. The tradition of throwing something out of the window from the old year. The streets are covered with trash, but the next morning the streets were immaculate. Of course in Naples we got messages to the Admiral, where sailors were throwing wardrobes, chairs, and other furniture from hotel windows. Well I'm going to close this up. Everyone have a great holiday season. |
| Terry Mahoney - BM3 I joined the Little Rock pre-comm crew at the Phila. Shipyard in Nov 1959 fresh out of boot camp. We sat around until Feb. 1960 playing cards at the Receiving Center and doing odd jobs for everyone. We were then sent to Newport R.I. and froze our butts off in those WW1 barracks. They sent us to all kinds of schools; Damage control; Winter survival (which came in handy up there), and 2 or 3 others that I can't remember now. I think it was in Newport that they grabbed a bunch of us for OI Div and were determined to make Radarmen out of us. The ones that could write backwards made it and we went on to other training. In the spring some of us were flown to Willow Grove NAS and thence to Camden NJ where we went aboard the Little Rock. We were working for BM1 Howard Dickey and work us he did. We spent about 4 wks there and then went back to Newport via train because the flight down was so bad that no one wanted to fly back. Dickey pulled some strings and got us on the train. For that I have been eternally grateful. After the commissioning, when we finally got underway, I found out what CIC was all about and didn't want to spend my life below decks writing backwards and staring at a repeater. I finally ticked off an RD2 (whose name I've forgotten) and they sent my sorry butt to OL Div. to be a lookout. Lt. Elliot was the Div Officer and Howard Dickey BM1, Jack Lamb BM2, and John Cournoyer BM2 were the division PO's. I enjoyed working topside with those guys and learned a lot from them. I stayed in OL and made BM3 in Oct of 62 and left the Rock in Nov 62. I live in Pa and am only about 120 mi from Buffalo and visit her occasionally to relive the best time of my young life. Sorry this is so long but it brought back a lot of good memories. See you all in Buffalo next year. |
| Phillip Gilbert - EN2 I was also sent to Newport, RI to join the Little Rock crew from a year of shore duty in Norfolk. Aboard ship, I was assigned to A Division. My Division officers were LTJG Dewey Babb and CWO Jim Fagan. My duties were with the boat gang. After our shakedown cruise I was assigned as the Gig engineer when in port . Our Gig was the Navy's first gas turbine powered boat, and what a witch she was. We finally got her straightened out by the time we arrived back from our 6th Fleet tour. I have nothing but fond memories of my time aboard the Rock, my shipmates, liberty in the Med. and Caribbean ports Pictures (found elsewhere on this web site) were furnished by Phil. Here's what he said: “I thought I would be able to caption and arrange the photos once uploaded. The picture in the Gig was taken by Rich Lammersfield, very early into our Med cruise. Location unsure. The three Sailors drinking beer at a table are Fred Beardsly EN2, Phil Gilbert EN2 and MR3 Ribar. The occasion was a Little Rock banquet, ashore in Norfolk, VA early 62 or late 61 |
| Ron Bernardino - QM2 CPO Mess to the Bridge... Came onboard as SA. Mess cooked in the CPO Mess until I convinced Chief Olsen I wanted to be a Quartermaster. Left the Little Rock as QM2. It was the best time, but (you) never know it until it's past. The guys, the places we went! I've been back to the Rock 3 times. Might try this JULY 2007. |
| Kyle Fitzwater - FTM3 I thought I would add the ports of call of the Little Rock when she went on a North Atlantic cruise as flagship Second Fleet in the fall of 1972. Bergen, Norway Liverpool, England Rosyth, Scotland Cherbourg, France It was during this cruise the ship went north of the Arctic Circle into the fjords of Norway and all crewmembers became official Bluenoses. We were conducting NATO exercises. Coming back across the Atlantic we went through a hurricane with sustained 40 foot seas and occasional 60 footers. Tore all the lifelines from the bow and took so much green water over the 6 inch gun mount that the rubber grommet around the 6 inch barrels was torn away. At times the 6 inch gun mount was completely underwater and the 5 inch was partially submerged. Rock & Roll!!!! The seas were so high and the ship rolled so far over that when I was standing just forward of the highest 49 radar mount (the missile radars) I had to look up to see the tops of the swells. Kyle added in a later posting: I was outside radar 7. The ship was rolling so much and the swells were so high that I had to look up to see the tops of them. I can remember having to hold onto my glasses to keep them from flying off. That was also when Jim Whelen lost the rope going across the homissileuse one night and slid across the deck until the lifeline caught him around the chest. His legs were hanging over the side. |
| Jerry Dupuis - LTJG In January 1961 (when I came aboard), one of the Junior Officers in the Missile Division was one Ens. Peter Sala. If you were there when he was, you surely will not have forgotten him!!! Quite an act. While in Istanbul in late '61 Peter bribed a Flag Staff Steward and "appropriated" the Admiral's Quarters to entertain a certain young lady at dinner & what not. Caused quite a stir in the Wardroom. That was only one of his escapades. He also fell off one of the steel beams in the missile house, and broke his leg, all while giving a "lecture" on Missile House "safety procedures". Peter was eventually transferred to a Naval Facility in South Florida. However, we were to hear of him again some months later when someone sent us the Miami Herald with a photo of a turned over yatch in a busy intersection in Miami. Peter had been towing it. There was his picture with the story. I could write a book on this guy but, I won't. An addition to this story was posted by Larry Wallace one of the ship’s barbers: Mr Sala was a great officer when I was the Officers’ Barber. He would, after entering the Officers Barber Shop, place a fifty cent piece under the cloth on the shelf. Then after sitting in the chair would ask for a light trim around the ears!! A couple months went by and Commander Berry walked in and pulled the appointment board off the bulkhead. After looking at the number of appointments at that time, he looked at me and said: "Mr Sala has an appointment at 1320 today... CUT HIS HAIR OFF, AND I MEAN OFF". Shortly before 1320 Mr Sala walked in the shop, placed the 50 cents under the towel, and sat down in the chair. I informed him of the XO's orders to me? His reply was "I am an officer and a gentleman so I won't repeat what I am thinking". Another Story on Mr Sala later! Your right he was something! :-) But one of the better officers I ever had the pleasure of dealing with on the Rock or any other duty ! And Larry Williamson GS2 adds: Speaking of Ensign Sala... On our first shakedown cruise in the fall of 1960, we had this Jar Head captain that was so tough you could have stood him on his head and drove him through the teak wood deck. Anyhow, this Marine Capt. and Ens. Sala had a difference of opinion at the Officers’ Club in Gitmo, and nobody had told the Capt. that Ens. Sala was a heavyweight boxing champ in college. The (Marine) Capt. was walking around the ship for the next week-to-10 days sporting the biggest shiner you ever saw. Sailors didn't dare laugh at him to his face, but had to wait till he had left the area. When I was climbing the up to the 05 level to get a picture of Bobby Kennedy, MAA McCoy told me to “Get the *%&#@ down off of there”. Ens. Sala told Mac that it was all right for me to do it. I made a copy (of Kennedy's picture) for Ens. Sala! |
| Marty
Hansen - YN3 X Division 12/68 to 12/72 Chaplain's Office, Captain's Office Security Control Petty Officer, Security Clearance Administration, POD when on duty, type, print and distribute. Church service set up / tear down. Print and sell tour tickets from Chaplain's Office dutch door. Worked for CWO Stepp and CWO Laucella (Queens, NY). CDR Feagins (Chaplain). GQ was Captain's 1JV talker and sometimes in CIC because I could write backwards on the glass for radar contact locations. Friends were (and still) Joe Mowery, Tony Maeurer, Ron Andriello, Dave Lewis, Rich Heepe, Phil Baratta, Bob Fink and Smitty (Disbursing). Sailor of the month in 1972. (Got) head of Chow Line privileges and no duty for a month! Great times in Gaeta in our apartment. Attended all reunions in Buffalo. And will in 2007. |
| Jim Sklarz
- BT It wasn't my intention to become a sea-going "ingineer". In fact, based on my education, my placement scores and my volunteer status, my recruiter promised me an "A" school of my choosing within the engineering rates. He assured me that this included the opportunity to become a SeaBee, as was my sincere desire. Upon completion of boot camp I found myself on the way to BT "A" school. A fleet sailor I was acquainted with said, "So much for promises, sucker!" I complained most vigorously and was determined to work my way up the chain-of-command until I got what I wanted. The chief I met within the Service School admin office, a salty old dog with "green" chief insignia on his collar made it pretty clear to me that I could moan and groan all I wanted to. Doing so wouldn't change the fact that I was designated to fill one of the many engineering personnel vacancies that existed in the fleet at that time. At that point in the Viet Nam conflict, the Navy just didn't need SeaBees who weren't already skilled tradesmen. "So, get yer tail back in the classroom and turn to, ya raisin-headed swabbie, or y'all will end up in the fire room just the same!" Although this was not to my liking, what choice does one have at that point? The Navy's got you and you had better make the most of it! BT's were in short supply and the Navy was doing everything possible to fill those billets as quickly as possible. I busted my hump in an accelerated class and surprisingly, graduated in the top five of my class! The chief who had read to me from the good book was pretty pleased, too, and as it turned out, I was allowed to choose my home port. Since my family was mostly all settled in central MA, I asked for Newport and was assigned accordingly. The Navy was even so accommodating as to offer me a choice of ship type. I wanted to be on something bigger than a DD or a DE but I didn't want to be on an auxiliary craft, preferring assignment to a bona fide man-o-war. When I heard that I was going to be a part of the crew of the Little Rock, I was excited! It was 72 or 73, I'm not sure now of the year, when I first saw her tied up at the pier. She looked pretty awesome to me, all business for sure: Two gun mounts forward and the missile launcher on the fantail spoke of just how serious a threat she could be. My Dad, a retired USMC Gunnery Sargent seemed pretty impressed, too. It must have brought some memories back to the “Gunner” the day that he walked me down that long pier. He had been a sea-going Marine back in the late forties, assigned first to the Marine detachment aboard the battleship Mississippi and later to the detachment aboard the USS Worcester CL-144, the light cruiser named for his hometown. With a total of eight years of sea duty, my Dad became a Shellback, something that I never had the dubious distinction of becoming, and served two combat tours in Korea. He also did one tour in Nam, retiring in 1971 with twenty-four years total service. Assigned to B Division, the Division Officer at that time was LTJG Bill Largent. He was pretty cool and encouraged me to advance myself, even suggesting OCS, for which he said I seemed very well suited. But I had it in my head that I was more suited to being one of the Indians versus one of the chiefs! His boss, the Engineering Officer, was Mr. Myrick, a LCDR at the time, I think. We had two first class PO's, as I recall, BT1 Nemeth from NH, and BT1 Wells from ME. I remember that a chief from the cruiser Springfield and/or Albany, BTC McMurtry, joined our crew while I was aboard the Rock. He had previously served aboard the Dealey DE-1006. This vessel was gifted to the republic of Uruguay and became their flagship, el Siete de Julio (the 7th of July, the date signifies their independence day from Spain). While the Rock was in the yard in Boston in 73 or 74, this South American vessel was also in port and could be boarded by the public for inspection. In comparison to the typical USN bunker fuel burning ships of the time, el Siete de Julio was as clean as an operating room! The fire room had highly polished deck plates, fancy knot work on all of the ladder handholds and all the valve wheels had been chrome plated. The sailors from Uruguay had her gussied up nine ways to Sunday and not long before she had been destined for the scrap yard. What a transition for the old girl! One other sailor assigned to our division, BT2 Clark (not BT3 Theo Clark), was also a prior Dealey crew member and could tell you how nicely she had been tricked out. Years later, I found out that one of my very best friends from the small central MA town that I was living in was also a prior Dealey crew member and actually remembered McMurtry and Clark! What a small world! I have a pretty good memory for details overall and have a lot of other memories that I can add to this monologue at some point later on. I also recently acquired a Little Rock cruise book from that era that is loaded with photos that many of you here may find interesting. At some point I'll make it a point to spin a yarn or two more and will also scan and download some of the better photos from the cruise book here. Would I do it again? I had some great times associated with my time aboard the Rock and with my buds from B Division. You bet I'd do it again! |
| James M. Hall
Jr. - RD2 I am not a Brown Nose but proud to say I am a Blue Nose! My name is James M. Hall, Jr. and I served on the Little Rock CL 92 from May 15, 1946 to June 18, 1947. I was a watch PO in the CIC and a Radar operator achieving the rank of RD2 during my three years nine months of naval service. I was discharged March 23, 1949. I served on the USS Fitch DMS 25, Little Rock, Dayton and Huntington. I was looking through the Little Rock web site yesterday and thought you might be interested in this. The Little Rock, Battleship Missouri and a Fargo Class Destroyer departed Norfolk on November 21, 1946 for a training cruise up to the Arctic between Greenland and Canada. We crossed the Arctic circle November 30, 1946 and became members of the Royal Order of the Blue Nose. Here is a picture of my card. I will always remember the roughness of the sea. The Little Rock rolled to the extent that at times I thought it was going to roll over. During a nighttime illumination exercise, the Little Rock hit the Missouri with a five-inch star shell. On the way home on December 7, 1946 we stopped at Argentia, Newfoundland and departed for New York on December 9, 1946 arriving New York on December 13, 1946. I would rather not do this again. I was a nervous wreck the whole time during the cruise. I really enjoyed my time on the Little Rock. I was sent to a radar repair school in Boston and by the time I finished this school unfortunately the Little Rock was in Europe so they sent me back to the USS Dayton CL 105 when I finished the school but after one month I was transferred to the USS Huntington CL 107 thank god. Huntington service was great and at a time when Arleigh “30 knot” Burke was the Captain. I would be interested in knowing what happen to Lt. Helton after he left the service From another post Jim shared the following: “......as I cruised around the Web Site for the Little Rock Organization today, I started to think about my division officer, Lieutenant Helton, who was in charge of the CIC or Radar Division. He taught me..... in one lesson the meaning of taking responsibility. Here is what I write about him in my “Lessons Learned” document.... Take Responsibility When I was in the US Navy I was up for promotion to petty officer rank. The Division Officer called me up to his stateroom one day and said, “I'm going to go ahead with your appointment to petty officer but I want you to understand the meaning of this. It simply means that I can’t imagine any excuse that would be acceptable to me for you not getting done what I assign you to do!. I said “Yes Sir!” but after leaving, I started to think that maybe I didn't want to be a petty officer. Then I reached the conclusion that it could not be any other way. When you take on a responsibility, you must carry it out regardless of what it takes. I conclude this lessons learned documents with this summary statement. Summary Always doing the right thing, presenting yourself well, working well with people, and maintaining your technical competence while taking total responsibility for your job will absolutely guarantee success.” |
| Rhys
B. Blair - USMC My name is Rhys B. Blair and I reported aboard the USS Springfield in July 1973 as part of the Flag Allowance and the Marine Detachment. I reported aboard as a Corporal and was promoted to Sergeant on October 1, 1973. I worked in the Fleet Marine Office (FMO) on the 2nd level at the top of the double ladderway in Flag Country. I reported directly to Colonel Frank McLendon and Lt Col. Pat Cacace. There were 3 other Marines attached to the Flag also, Corporals Jeff Palmer, Robert Miner and Jim Crawford. They were all orderlies who stood their post outside the Chief of Staff's office on the first deck. We lived in the MarDet which was commanded by Capt. Carridise and our 1st Sgt was Morris Larson. My main responsibility was admin in the FMO, organizing message traffic, writing memos and anything else either colonels required. In the evening I lived at the admiral's quarters providing personal security to the first family. I traveled with the admiral's wife as necessary to meet the Admiral in different ports of call. VAdm Daniel J. Murphy was the Commander of the 6th Fleet when I reported aboard in Gaeta. In late August or early September we cross-decked from the Springfield (CLG-7) to the USS Little Rock (CLG-4). Our first cruise was to Monaco, and then to Istanbul in early October where our port of call was interrupted by the "Yom Kipper War." During my 2 year tour Adm. Murphy was replaced by Fredrick Turner, Colonel McLendon by Stephen G. Olmstead and I eventually was transferred, in July 1975, to the Marine Corps Public Affairs Office in Los Angeles. Lt Col. Cacace stayed on as the Operation officer and as the Fleet Marine Officer in the early 80’s. I left active duty in 1979. I truly enjoyed my shipboard experience with the Flag and the U. S. Navy. |
| Don Pleu -
BT3 I was in the Oil Shack from 1970 to 1972 and I remember when Jimbo Sklarz came aboard. BT1 Wells was in charge of the Oil Shack and I was a BT3. Oil King duty was the best job in B Division. As Jim stated we were in charge of the potable water as well as boiler feedwater, NSFO and JP5. I recall a voyage from the states to Liverpool England and 2 days from Liverpool we lost all of the fresh water pumps aboard. On more than one occasion we caught the Captain in the shower and suddenly no water. We jury rigged the Forward Fireroom's Bilge Pump to provide the pumping force. Also Jim pointed out that the tank sounding tubes were located throughout the ship and we had keys to every space that had a sounding tube. Two such spaces were the Captain's and Officer's Galley. Every man in B Division new we had access. I recall one night while we were in port, a couple of Snipes came back from being ashore after sampling the local talent and libations. Well I was on duty and had to got to the head and when I came back the key to the Captain's Galley was missing. It seems one of my Bud's went to the Captain's Galley and found a fresh from the oven turkey. In his drunken state he decided to take the bird down to the Forward Fireroom to share with the crew on duty. In his unsteady state he spilled the juice from the pan on the steps of the ladders from the Galley to the Fireroom. Well the Galley Cook followed the trail to the Fireroom and caught him red-handed. A certain BT who shall remain anonymous, and a member of this Forum, was found guilty at a Courts Marshall and was fined the cost of the bird. It seems that the Captain was to entertain local guests aboard and personally bought this Turkey Breast in lieu of serving them standard USN chow. Our B Division group was quite eclectic at that time with a mixture of Yankees and Rebels. See if these names ring a bell: Cisco, Cocuzo, Baumwall, Harrellson, Powell, Starkey, DaVilla, Wallace, et al. |
| Steven
Rinfret - SN I was a Div 2 deck ape from Nov 68 to Jan 71. Also was a lookout, sidecleaner and a helmsman Used to play guitar with a buddy I went to Great Lakes with Bruce Mann. If anybody knows Bruce Mann, he was a bilge rat from Idaho and died in a 1980 snowmobile accident there. Would I do it again? NO! |
| Robert
Martin - BTFN (Reply to John Sterk) I worked in "A" div. also. Stood a/c and evaporator watches with you, Donny Wilson, Paul Liauppa, Tommy Lasky, Wayne Brown, Bob Giani, Bobby Hayes. Chief's name was MMC J. Thibodeau. Remember the MPA also ENS P. Armenia. Found the site and it brought back some memories - some good and some not so good. Could not even count the number of times I've said the same thing "Had a lot of fun, went places, saw things, did things I would never had the chance to do otherwise, but do it again? I don't think so. Too much politics between enlisted and officers. Sure hate to hear about Bruce. Still have my cruise book and it has some pictures of him in it. There's a real good one of you and Tom Lasky in a bar somewhere - imagine that! |
| John Meyers The following are from postings made to the Message Board by John Meyers. Each has its own message. (Enjoy them all! Ed.) “Only the beginning!” By John Meyers Feb 11, 2008 I was assigned to the Sixth Fleet flagship from September 1971 to December 1975. USS Springfield served as flagship until USS Little Rock took over in August 1973. The Italian city of Gaeta became the flagship’s Mediterranean homeport in 1967 after France kicked the flagship out of Villefranche. During my time in Gaeta, the officers and enlisted men of the flagship were permitted to live ashore within a few miles of the local Nato fuel pier -- subject to good behavior. A married crewman had the option of moving his family overseas to live in Gaeta. “Only the beginning!”
In the fall of 1971, a group of Gaeta Navy wives and a few men from Springfield formed a choir with the encouragement and full support of Vice Admiral Gerald Miller, Commander Sixth Fleet. By the end of December, the choir and Sixth Fleet band had performed a series of Christmas shows at local Italian theaters and military venues in the Naples and Gaeta areas. “Only just the start!”
The choir became known as “The Sixth Fleet Singers” and the combined choir and band performed as “The Sixth Fleet Music Show.” The show’s highlight trip of 1972 was the Munich Olympics. The quoted lines are taken from the lyrics of “Beginnings,” a song the Sixth Fleet band played and a favorite of mine from Chicago’s first album. The band and a core group of choir members remained in Gaeta when Little Rock arrived, which allowed the show to continue without missing a beat. The choir was still practicing new arrangements and planning future performances with the band when I walked off Little Rock for the final time in December 1975 to process out of the Navy and signup for college. Are there any former show members around? I recall that a number of choir members were pregnant and close to their due dates when they performed in a series of shows near Maastricht, Netherlands in September 1975. It would be interesting to hear from those thirty-something kids. - - - - - - - - - “A Fish Out of Water” By John Meyers Jan. 25, 2008 The Little Rock was dry docked to have her rudder repaired at the S.E.B.N shipyard in Naples a few weeks after the Miss America Show. The work took longer than planned and the ship’s departure was delayed to the second week of October 1975. Prior to parking at the shipyard, the Little Rock made a trip to Rota to offload all her missiles and shells. I was not invited to the working party, but I believe the shells for the five and six-inch guns had to be hand carried off the ship in ant-like fashion. After being released from captivity, the Little Rock put in a few days of sea trials and then returned to Rota to retrieve her bullets. It seems to me that all the five and six-inch gun ammo was vintage 1945. I believe it took 3 days to put all the missiles and shells back in place. Does anyone remember straining their back, or accidentally dropping a bomb or two? Who remembers how and when the rudder was damaged? It seems to me that the ship hit something??? Added on Jan. 26, 2008 - - - - - - - - - “1974 Tigers Win 38 to 8.” By John Meyers Jan. 09, 2008 Little Rock had a football team in 1974 -- named the Little Rock Tigers. I went to a game the team played in Naples on Sunday, October 27, 1974. The Tigers won easily, scoring five touchdowns. The final score was Little Rock 38 and the Capo Flyers 8. Are there any former players out there? Prior to the big football weekend, the Little Rock went out to fire a couple of missiles into the sky. The ship pulled out from Gaeta on Tuesday, October 22 and returned that Friday. It was a wasted effort as a little bit of everything went wrong. I was disappointed that the missile launch was canceled, as it was always a rush to watch a missile zigzag through the sky. - - - - - - - - - “Marrakesh Express” By John Meyers Dec. 17, 2007 I had a great time while stationed on board the Little Rock and was afforded the opportunity of a lifetime to visit more than 40 countries throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East. I met shirttail relatives in Finland, traveled to a country between Spain and France that I’d never heard of, climbed the Rock of Gibraltar and the Leaning Tower of Pisa, rode in the back of an “express” truck to Marrakesh, waved hello to Princess Ann and the Pope -- and so it went. I will always be grateful to the people in my life that took an interest in me and helped get me to the point where I could take advantage of life’s opportunities. In the spirit of giving back, my wife and I have been involved with the C5 Youth Foundation, formerly known as Camp Coca-Cola. The goal of the program is to help young people from disadvantaged circumstances reach their potential and take advantage of the opportunities in their lives. To learn more about the program visit the web page at: http://www.c5yf.org If you know of someone seeking a summer job in youth development, check the web site for employment opportunities in Georgia, Texas, Massachusetts and Wyoming – start the application process now for jobs this summer. And if you’re looking for a great place to make a year-end charitable contribution, please consider C5. The work they do really does change the lives of young people. - - - - - - - - - “Suitcase Getaway” By John Meyers Dec. 03, 2007 Ship’s scuttlebutt had it that the prison in Old Gaeta held a single prisoner, a Nazi SS officer convicted of war crimes. By 1972, after more than 23 years behind bars, the man had outlived the other prisoners and by default spent his days alone, with only the prison guards for human contact. The Italians reviled the man and vowed to keep the prison operating, no matter the expense, until he died there. I left Gaeta in 1975 and from time to time have wondered if the story was truth or fiction. Recently, I went on a web search for information about Old Gaeta’s prison. It appears the man I’m looking for is Herbert (Hubert) Kappler. He was an SS colonel in March 1944, when a partisan bomb killed a 33-man German patrol near the Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy. He was the officer in charge of the reprisal killing of 335 Italian civilians, for which he was convicted by a military court in 1948 and sentenced to life imprisonment. A movie based upon the story of Kappler and the massacre in Rome was released in 1973 and starred Richard Burton. As Kappler’s health declined, the German government began making requests for his release on humanitarian grounds, but the Italians declined. Kappler did manage a prison wedding in 1972 to a German woman named Anneliese, a nurse. I don’t know about the timing, but it seems a little too convenient that Kappler’s new wife was a nurse and a full 18 years younger than he was. It might be that the marriage was arranged as a compromise between the Italian and German diplomats as they argued over his release, with the woman more of a nurse and paid companion than wife, or possibly a secret operative for the Germans. Sometime in 1976, Kappler was transferred from the Gaeta prison to a Rome hospital for cancer treatments. Kappler’s wife was allowed almost constant access to his hospital room. One night in August 1977, around 1 a.m., Kappler’s wife went to his room, stuffed him into a large suitcase and wheeled him out. (Can you hear the music playing à la Mission Impossible?) The carabinieri guard on duty even helped her roll the suitcase onto the elevator. She had a car waiting and drove him to a town in West Germany to hide out. In order to provide more time for their escape, she put a “do not disturb until 10 a.m.” note on Kappler’s hospital room door. As a result, the hospital nurses did not find he was gone until late the next morning when they discovered an old wig and pillow in his bed. Kappler died within six months of his escape. There are other interesting elements to this story, but this writing is too long the way it is. You can find additional information by searching for Msgr. Hugh O’Flaherty of the Vatican and CIA notes. For a Time magazine story visit the web site: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,915344,00.html. I never went to see to the prison while living in Gaeta and suspect that tourists were not allowed very close in any case. Since Kappler’s escape, I would guess relatives are no longer allowed to bring Samsonite luggage filled with goodies when they visit an inmate in Italy. Do you remember hearing this story? Does anyone have some additional “inside” knowledge, or a picture or two of Gaeta’s prison? I disavow any information you have read here that might be attributed to me. - - - - - - - - - “A View From the Top” By John Meyers Nov. 09, 2007 One of the highlights of my time on the Little Rock was our 1975 stop in Alexandria and a tour of the pyramids just outside the city of Cairo. I had the opportunity to return to Egypt a number of years later to see the pyramids from a unique perspective. In 1986, I worked for Pako and volunteered for a project at the national newspaper in Cairo, Egypt. I arranged for two days time off while in Egypt, to tour the pyramid area of Giza, just outside the city of Cairo. Near the end of my second day at Giza, after most of the other tourists were gone, a security guard asked if I would like to climb to the top of Menkaure (men-cow-reh), the smallest of the three big pyramids. The guard requested a fifty-dollar donation, with half the money going to his buddy, a local Egyptian climbing guide, dressed in a traditional hooded robe. Even though Menkaure is much smaller than the other two large pyramids at Giza, it still looked extremely high to me – exactly 218 feet (66.5 meters) to the top. I hesitated for a moment, but then decided to trust these “independent” operators and agreed to make the climb. I don’t remember how many levels there were, but at each pyramid tier I would put my hands on top of the next higher stone, push myself up, and then swing my legs up and forward to get on top. My guide was about sixty years old and he moved and climbed around like a cat with nine lives, while I was not nearly as nimble and took a more cautious approach, asking to stop and rest every four or five tiers. To add to my stress level, it seemed the sun was setting faster than I thought I could make it to the top and still get down before dark. I might have called it quits at about 100 feet, but my guide kept telling me not to give up, claiming that it was a religious (pass the collection basket) experience to climb to the top of a pyramid. As we finally neared the top, the swirling winds created another challenge just as we were passing an area where the huge pyramid blocks were missing, making it a disastrous, thirty-foot “oops” if one was to slip or be blown over the edge. Despite the potential pitfalls, we made it to the top, injury free, and I had a spectacular view of the Giza area, made more so by the physical and mental effort I made to get there. I guess it was even religious in nature, as I thanked God that I made it! I did find that climbing down was much faster and easier than going up had been, and the proof that my camera and I made it down safely is this sunset picture that I took from the top of Menkaure, looking toward Khafre. Cheops, the oldest and largest of the three main pyramids at Giza, is behind Khafre in this picture. I’ll send my picture to Art Tilley and ask him to post it to this message in a viable format. Anyone have an Egyptian story to share? - - - - - - - - - “Be Good or Be Gone” By John Meyers Oct 19, 2007 As flagship, the Little Rock tended to operate independently from other ships in the Mediterranean. Except for fleet training exercises and replenishments, it was rare to even spot another navy ship while the Little Rock was underway. The ship’s independent schedule included most port calls, which was great because the crew did not have to share attractions with 10,000 other fleet sailors on liberty. One downside to our exclusive port status was that the locals knew which ship and crew to blame if someone misbehaved. The Rock’s crew was far from a bunch of angels and it seemed the incident report after a port visit was never blank. On one occasion, Little Rock’s Captain Cullins shared a note from Admiral Murphy just before our visit to Alexandria to emphasize the importance of the crew’s behavior – reminding us in a formal manner not to screw up. Excerpts from the admiral’s 1974 note: Dear Captain Cullins, The flagship’s visit to Alexandria scheduled for July 29 through August 1, is, next to Gaeta, the most important port call we will have made to date. Each man on the flagship must understand the very important role he will play during our visit. The people of Alexandria will draw their conclusions about Americans largely from the impressions that we make on them. Each man on board can help to leave the impression that we are a proud, professional and friendly group of Americans. At the same time, each man should also know that any incident ashore will seriously detract from this important visit. Sincerely, D.J. Murphy Vice Admiral, U.S. Navy Anyone caught messing up in public view could count on a trip to Captain’s Mast to receive appropriate official judgment and a possible set of bye-bye orders for embarrassing behavior. It was easy to guess when a crew member or dependent crossed the line and hit the “embarrassing” threshold, as they seemed to vanish into thin air, shipped out to a less demanding duty station. As a younger-than-he-looked chief petty officer once advised, “Be Good or Be Gone!” Does anyone have a story of reprieve? - - - - - - - - - “Being Sheepish Is Good” By John Meyers Sep. 07, 2007 They saved how many sheep? A humanitarian relief operation in 1973 made port visits to Tunis a great experience for sailors of the Sixth Fleet. This operation occurred several months before the Little Rock took over as flagship in 1973, but it helps explain why Tunis became a great port stop. I was assigned to the Springfield at the time. From the web ---- http://www.history.navy.mil/library/online/humanitarian.htm Tunisia, March 1973 In response to an urgent request for flood relief from the American Embassy in Tunisia on 28 March, one aircraft carrier (Forrestal) was in position to provide helicopter assistance by first light 29 March (about 13 hours after the request). The helicopter operations were also supported by one destroyer (DDG) and two LPDs. U.S. helicopters flew about 40 sorties, rescuing or relocating 729 persons, moving 27 tons of cargo, lifting 17 doctors to evacuation centers, lifting an emergency appendectomy to the CVA, and evacuating the entire sheep herd (227 sheep) from one flooded village. In addition, the carrier's bakery provided 1,200 loaves of bread for distribution, and crewmembers contributed money to buy supplies for homeless children. During the relief mission, U.S. personnel temporarily based at Tunis airport coordinated the rescue efforts flown by helicopters, not only of U.S. forces, but from Tunisia, Italy, France, and Libya as well. From my archives: Vice Admiral Miller was COMSIXTHFLEET at the time. Vice Admiral Murphy took over on June 11, 1973. During the change of command ceremony, Vice Admiral Miller was presented with a Medal of the Order of the Republic of Tunisia from Captain Ben Mohammed Djedidi, Tunisian Chief of Naval Operations, on behalf of Tunisian President Bourguiba. Captian Djedidi said, “This is in recognition of the services rendered to the Tunisian people by the Sixth Fleet during our recent national disaster. The Tunisian people are not only appreciative of the humanitarian service rendered, but also for the alacrity, and your personal concern as expressed the expeditious reaction to our initial request.” Anyone remember shopping in Tunis? - - - - - - - - - “1974 Cyprus Emergency Recall” By John Meyers Sep. 23, 2007 Anyone remember the emergency recall for the Cyprus Crisis while the Little Rock was in Gaeta. I believe it was issued on Saturday, July 20, 1974. The Little Rock got underway two hours after the all hands recall was issued with about 95 percent of the crew making it back onboard. Anyone remember not making it back in time? I wonder what the missing crew members did to make it back onboard. (The following was added by Jimmy Reeves, also on Sep. 23, 2007” “John, I think all the Missile House gang made it back. I remember hearing the ships horn blasting from my apartment. I think we had all been warned ahead of time that we might have to go so most of us stayed close. As for the cruise I think some of our Marines were transferred off the Rock to another ship, maybe to help with the actual evacuation I never knew. I seem to remember staying out about 3 weeks and on the return to Gaeta the Captain stopped everything and had swim call. A Marine in a boat with a M14 on shark patrol while some of us jumped in from the fantail. Not me though, after all what’s worse; getting eaten by a shark or shot by a Marine? I decided to watch. OK some of you guys help me out here the memory slips sometimes. I remember making two trips to Alexandria Egypt while I was on the Rock in 74 & 75 Did we make one of these trips while on the Cyprus Recall?” (Follow-up be John Meyers on Sep. 24, 2007....) Hi Jimmy: I suspect the marines were transferred to the USS Inchon (LPH 12) to assist with evacuation of civilians from Cyprus. Any comment from the marine contingent? The U.S. Ambassador to Cyprus, Roger Davies urgently requested the evacuation of U.S. citizens from the island. On July 22, with the USS Forrestal providing air cover, marine helicopter squadron HMM-162 from the USS Inchon evacuated 466 people, 384 of them U.S. citizens, over a period of five hours. The Little Rock and other units of the Sixth Fleet provided operational support during the evacuation and remained on station until July 28, 1974. Someone from the Inchon might be able to fill in some details. The Inchon at the time was assigned to Sixth Fleet Task Force 65, which was established to help the Egyptians get the Suez Canal operational. The Sixth Fleet assist with the Suez Canal opened the door for our visit to Alexandria, Egypt. The Little Rock was there from July 29 to August 1. A Greek Cypriot assassinated Ambassador Davies inside the American Embassy on August 19, 1974. - - - - - - - - - |
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Add YOUR input to this page!! Here's
how:
A. Go to the Message Board at: http://www.websitetoolbox.com/tool/mb/kksearsB. Select the "So what did YOU do on the Little Rock" folder, and give us your memories... 1. Your name, rank and years aboard... 2. WHERE you worked... (area/space) 3. WHAT you did... (your specialty) 4. Your MEMORIES... (good, bad, or otherwise) 5. You SHIPMATES (Such as: who was your Div Officer, your LPO, your best buddy) 6. Would you DO IT AGAIN? 7. Etc. etc. |