Short Stories
By Erich Feigel


A typhoon hit Hong Kong (circa late 67). We had to call everyone back to the ship at 17:00 and get underway and swing under power in Kowloon Bay to ride out the storm. Surprisingly, everyone made it back to the ship because they rode around in jeeps blaring the notice to get back to the ships. But, over half the crew was drunk so it was not the most disciplined ship handling - heck it worked.

Then there was the time we rammed the freighter in Kaosiung. I could see it coming as we just didn't back down in time. Put big dent in that freighter  -- many messages after that one.

There was the time we unloaded for the Marines at the Isle de An Thoi. We did this each time we made our Market Time run. Some small arms fire came winging through the rigging. Capt. Alderton (I think) got on the bullhorn, told the marine mike-boats to break away and we backed out with our anchor bouncing across the bottom. I always thought it was the marines taking pot shots the rigging.

We got caught in a nasty Pacific Storm coming back from Japan to SF on the great circle route. Our track showed 200mi straight south indicating 12 knots east into the waves for 3 days. The hurricane forecastle would dive UNDER WATER, the screw would spin in the air, then we'd shoot out and up, the screw would dig in twisting and vibrating the ship and a big wall of water would hit the bridge. Other than being terrified, it was very exciting. The storm ripped off the Captains Gig - davits and all. I can remember listening to SOS's and then they'd go silent - very scary. After the third day I stood on the main deck. The seas were still high but the storm had subsided. I was looking UP at the wave tops at about a 40 degree angle while in the trough.  

One day in a down period on the Gulf of Tonkin -- beautiful hot day and shimmering seas -- I was standing on the starboard side bridge, having a cup of coffee. A diesel submarine shot out the water right next to us, the hatch openned and they asked for ice cream? We shot a line and gave them a number of things and some movies. Then, they did an emergency dive - cool. Too bad I didn't have film of that.

We had a band - actually two bands during the time I was aboard. Radarman 1st Rebillard was the first band (he was a great lead guitar guy). I played rhythm guitar and we had a drummer (Biddinger was the name). I think we had a bass as well but I don't remember the name. When my brother came aboard in '67, he and I formed a band as Rebillard had left. We used to play in Sasebo and during some starboard side UNREPs? We couldn't play on the port side because the air search radars would blow out our amps.

We also had a talent show one night using the helo platform elevator as the stage. As we started playing Up-Up and Away while raising the elevator. Lt. Freddy Gorell put the show together. Off in the distance, the the beaches of Vietnam lit up with flares as they were conducting night ops. You could hear the gunfire. Very surrealistic. We also played "We Gotta Get Outa this Place" to resounding applause!

 

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