Rush GramNewsletter of the William R. Rush Association

President: Bernie Caprera Treasurer: Jim Hocking

Vice President: John Buglione Secretary: Art Bramfeld

Historian: Jim Kelly Recruiter: Bud Lincoln

Issue Number 31, Autumn/ Winter2001

Co-Editor: Bernie Caprera Copy Editor: Frank Parra

Co-Editor: Jim Hocking Production: Fred Strachan

iii GOD BLESS AMERICA iii

BRANSON REUNION WRAP-UPby Jim Hocking

It seems like only yesterday that over 130RushMates and family were milling about the premisesat Branson’s Settle Inn. And what a wonderful dayyesterday was. With so much attention focused on theSeptember 11 terrorist attack on the World TradeCenter, we considered calling off the reunion — briefly,and decided against any further discussion aboutcancellation. It was a good decision.

Yes, we all had a grand time in Branson,Missouri. The entire reunion went off without a hitch,thanks in part to the very capable and attentiveassistance of our hostess, Ms. Sherrie Schnapp. Ourfacility, Settle Inn, was perfect for a reunion, withcomfortable lobbies and sitting areas in each of the threebuildings, and enough rooms for our entire group.Congratulations and thanks to Aaron Swinford and“Bugsy,” our advance survey team. The hospitalityroom was bright and spacious, and well used, I mightadd. Our bar server, Marietha Cook, busted butt tokeep up with the thirsty RushMates. In addition, RonLoncar provided us with some lively polka music withhis special talent on the accordion. Our own MariaCorrick and Dolores Foster kept the hospitality roomwell stocked with snack foods. For the hungry, themeals at Jack’s Grill were delicious and reasonablypriced.

On Monday at Noon we had our now famousTexas Bar-B-Q. The food was scrumptious andplentiful. There was a long line for seconds. Then, in theevening, 112 RushMates filled two busses to go toSilver Dollar City for an evening dinner cruise and stageshow on the famous Branson Belle paddlewheelsteamboat. The show was spectacular and veryappropriately patriotic. The meal was outstanding.

(I even tried to talk my way into the wheelhouse, but thecaptain claimed that there was “weather ahead,” and hecould not be distracted . . . )

Tuesday was a more leisurely day, withRushMates relaxing in the hospitality room andattending some of the shows. A tour of the MilitaryMuseum was scheduled, which was attended by a groupof 44 RushMates. Some interesting artifacts were ondisplay, including a large scale model of the USS NewJersey (BB 62) and Adolf Hitler’s dog tags. Thatevening, we had our formal banquet. This year wemoved the banquet ahead one day to allow forRushMates to wind down a full day afterwards, insteadof retiring back to the rooms early while dance musicwas still playing. The plan worked. Who can forgetMarvin and Martha Jane Dietsch doing the “tenstep?” And Bill and Marie Fasick? Pete and AnniGiacapuzzi? Just about everyone was dancing away thenight to the music of Williams Entertainment Agency,played by our DJ, Matt Mitchell. We even invitedsome interested “peekers” onto the dance floor fromanother reunion group looking in from the lobby.

Our last day for festivities was Wednesday. Noformal events were planned, but the Associationprovided shuttle busses for RushMates to use to getaround Branson to shop or to attend shows. All in all,from beginning to end, from the wine and cheese party,to Shirley Golden’s exciting and dangerous “YankeeSwap,” from the ship’s store ( “Bugsy’s” crew of“Bones” Bonesteel, Vita and Reese Davis, and BillGaul) to the raffles, RushMates know how to enjoythemselves. If you missed out this time, be there for thenext one. You w o n ’ tregret it.

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THANK YOUby Sherrie Schnapp of Settle Inn

Hi, guys!

I hope you all had a safe trip home from

Ozark Mountain Country.

It was a genuine pleasure having the

members of the USS Wm R Rush group here at the

Settle Inn Resort and Conference Center. I have to

say that you are the BEST military group I have

had. You knew what you wanted, clearly

communicated it, then came in and enjoyed what

we were able to provide for you. My staff has

asked that we book as many groups like yours as

possible. As I explained, I think the USS Wm R

Rush has a corner on the market of graciousness

and appreciation shown.

Thank you for the hospitality you shared

with my husband, Greg and me. We were honored

to share in your banquet. (I am not sure some of

the ladies understand yet just WHEN I was on the

ship so I could be in the group picture!) We have

both worn our sweatshirts several times.

Happy holidays to you, and peaceful

nights. Stay safe in this crazy time.

Again, thank you for staying with us, and

for brightening our corner of the Ozarks.

Sincerely,

Sherrie Schnapp

TO THE RUSHETTES by Shirley Golden

Ladies, first of all, I hope each and everyone of you felt the warmth that permeated the 2001USS WILLIAM R. RUSH reunion and that you allreally felt that you had a part in it. If you didn't,please let someone know; the Association officersare eager to hear from you.

Now, this is how the Yankee Swap cameto be:

My husband, Jim, and I had missed thefirst two RUSH reunions because we were not evenaware that these reunions were being held. Whenwe found out about them, we attended the thirdone, and each one after that.

At the first reunion that we attended, Iremember standing alone watching other womendoing likewise, while our spouses searched for theirbuddies and once found were completely obliviousto the fact that they had brought us along withthem. I don't remember being introduced to anyoneuntil the last night at the banquet. I still had thefeeling that it wouldn't have made any difference ifI hadn't come. There had to be something wrong; asJohn Buglione has said, "Shirley is not shy."

I wrote to the Association officers and toldthem how I felt, and as a result got myself anassignment to try to alleviate the problem. Thisproblem resulted from the fact that there is alimited period of time for the women to get to meetand associate with each other without taking up toomuch time from their men.

Voila, Yankee Swap! This is the secondyear we’ve had it, and it was better than the first.I don't know how that can be, because the first one

3

was just great. Maybe it just seemed that waybecause I sensed a joyful, relaxed atmosphere.What a great group of women! Each and every oneof you! I was given an award at the dinner andafter the shock of hearing my name called toreceive this award I thought to myself, “It’s nice tohave been thanked for the little bit I did, but with-out you women and your gifts, where would myidea have gone?” So it is to all of you Rushettes Iexpress my thanks. I couldn't have done it withoutyou.

It was so rewarding to see the smiles andchuckles. Later, I was asked if any blood hadflowed; I said, “A few daggers, but no blood.” Thegifts were creative and beautiful. Shows what awoman can buy for $10–$15 (less than $20). Nextreunion, I will have to remind everyone that someof us have to fly home. My gift, which I chose tokeep, was one that I certainly could not have takenon an airplane.

Now the Holidays are approaching, andJim and I hope that you all share the happiest ofmemories with those you love. May the memoriesof Reunion 2001 put a smile on your face andpleasant thoughts in your head, and may the goodLord be with you all and keep you safe and happyuntil we meet again.

JOHN AND LENA GO TO

BRANSONby John Buglione Sr.

At 0412, on 29 November 2001, I wassleeping soundly until the engines of the F-16 (orwas it an F-14 Tomcat?) flying overhead awakenedme. This isn’t something new. We here in NYChave been living with this noise since 11 Septem-ber. We know that all commercial air traffic overNYC is banned at midnight and doesn’t resumeuntil 0500. So when we hear jets after midnight,they must be from USS George Washington or oneof the several Air National Guard airstrips closeby. It’s strange how a sound can be so foreign toyou, and yet become so familiar.

When the first airliner crashed into WorldTrade Center Tower Number One, I had thought itwas an accident. I also knew, at that same instant,that no planes fly directly over NYC, at that alti-tude, without authorization by the FAA. I hadnever, until that moment, seen a plane fly so lowabove the New York skyline. What a tragedy!What a catastrophe! Then I watched the secondplane fly into Tower Number Two. This was noaccident! This was deliberate!

Then, with the news of a plane flying intothe Pentagon, and another into a meadow in Penn-sylvania, it finally became quite clear to me thatthese were the actions of a very demented group.With this in mind, after these tragedies were playedover and over again on TV, I began to ponder thequestion of having a reunion so close in time tothese events. You had to understand what theseevents represented. We were at War, and on ourAmerican soil!

With that in mind, I sent E-mails to all ofthe Association officers and asked them, “Shouldwe continue with our plans?” One of the firstreplies I got was from Art and Marge Bramfeld.Art informed me that he and Marge were attending,they were flying, and no sick or demented person,people, or group would intimidate them into notattending. Then I heard from Jim Hocking. It washis opinion that the skies would be much safer withthe new security measures in place. I began to get

4

reports that all but a few would be attending. Thecancellation rate were no greater than would beexpected at any of the other reunions we’ve held.All of this did not help me. Lena is a financemanager for British Airways, North America. Inthat capacity, she flies at least once a month; yetshe hates to fly. We also fly at 10% of the usualcost. American Airlines is my favorite US com-mercial carrier and it would have cost us next tonothing to fly.

Once we had made the decision that wewould not be deterred, actually an easy decision tomake, we began to explore the various means oftravel. I contacted Bill Gaul, Jim Bonesteel, andReese and Vita Davis. They were renting a van anddriving from Pennsylvania to Branson. I men-tioned that Lena and I would probably hook upwith them. Lena and I continued our discussion,and we decided to drive ourselves. I got the carprepared, accessed my trusty Map ‘n Go programand commenced to crunch the numbers. Then Ithought of all of the old WWII movies, whereeveryone traveled by train. So, this was it. Thiswas the way we would be traveling. At one point,Jim Hocking asked me about my railroad travelplans, and I thought that he and Shelly would joinLena and me. They flew; we should have! Thedays are quite pleasant on the train. We had astandard sleeping compartment, about 3 feetnarrower than a cell at Sing Sing (I should know,I did time there — as a Correction Officer). Wehad a toilet and washbasin in the compartment, justlike prison! Lena forbade me to use it for otherthan “number one.” I can’t understand why. Onthe way there, we had a regular dining car. Supperand breakfast were a bit better than passable.Let’s get to the sleeping accommodations; we sleptfore and aft, in a bunk bed configuration. Ourtravel attendant informed me that since I had beenin the Navy, it wouldn’t bother me. Ha! Everytime the train turned sharply, I felt like I was goingto fall off the bed or crash into the window next tome. I was glad that Lena wanted the upper berth.It was no better on the way back; we had a café carthat offered a three-course meal of hot dogs andchips, with mustard and sauerkraut constituting thethird course.

I should mention that as we went up toAlbany, NY, on our way to Branson, we passedbelow Sing Sing. This was the first time I had evertraveled through the prison on a train. We passedunder two watchtowers I had manned when I wasa “hack” (Correction Officer) there. I waxednostalgic for the next three stops, talking inces-santly about my “Sing Sing War Stories.” Lenahad heard them several thousand times. Shepretended she was sleeping through the telling thistime.

When we got to Branson two days later,having stopped overnight in St. Louis, it was about1530. I went immediately to the Ships Store andRegistration room; Lena and I had no time toregister. Bill Gaul, Jim “Bones” Bonesteel andReese and Vita Davis had already set up the ShipsStore, and had “turned to,” selling, selling, andselling. We jumped in to help. I use the right termwhen I say, “help”; the four of them were handlingit quite well without me. These four and a lateraddition, Stan Lemmons, worked their butts off forthe four days of the reunion. There are no bettershipmates than they were. I don’t think the ShipsStore could have been run so smoothly withoutthem. Actually, it was my clowning around thatslowed the process. Sorry guys. Actually, whenthat happened, they would send me on an errand;get me the heck out of the way. I owe a debt ofgratitude to these five, and to so many more ship-mates, who came in and out of the store and of-fered help in unpacking, stocking the shelves, andwhatever was necessary. THANKS GUYS. Ohheck, I forgot to mention my wife, Lena. ThanksHon!

I can’t tell you all how glad I was to havemade the trip. It was great to see so many oldshipmates and so many new ones. It just goes toshow you that, in the face of adversity, you cancount on your shipmates. I hope that the kidsmanning the ships today have shipmates like you.I feel confident that we will prevail in this en-deavor. God Bless America!

5

GEORGE MUNK HONORED

*+

ATTENTION ALL HANDS !!

George Munk, RMC USN (Ret)1970–73, was named as the 2001 recipient of theRuss Geeting Award for Exemplary Service.The announcement was made at the banquet duringour recent reunion in Branson. As most of youknow, George created the USS William R. Rushweb site and also handles the day-to-day upkeep ofthe site. It is the best service-related site on theweb and contains much valuable information, suchas: current news, ship store price list, a log-in bookfor visitors to "sign in" and other pertinent informa-tion related to our Association.

George also maintains a master list of E-mail addresses of on-line Association membersand non-members, that currently contains morethan 365 names. With this list, he is able to sendout important information to each addressee as itarises.

All the officers, members, associate mem-bers, and on-line non-members wish to congratu-late and salute George on the occasion of thisrecognition and for a job well done!

2002 SHIP’S CALENDAR

NOW AVAILABLE

Just in time for Christmas gift giving, the2002, 10 edition “WILLY R” RUSH calendar isth

currently being prepared for publication.This year, with America at war, the calen-

dar is dedicated to those who Protect & Serve. The calendar cover depicts a familiar scene

to watch standers – the EOT brass plate. Thisnomenclature plate, mounted on the Engine OrderTelegraph, lists the shaft revolutions per minuterequired to produce any given speed.

As usual, the calendar combines both fullcolor as well as black and white photos sent in byshipmates. Most have never before been published.The following have contributed to the 2002, 10th

edition: Robert Bohn, FTC(M) USN (Ret.) 1945;James Jim Delaney, ET2 1962-63; LCDR Mi-chael Guba, 1951-54; LCDR T.G. Tom Mar-shall; C. James Jim Kelly, GMG3 1970-73;William Bill Small, BT1 USN (Ret.) 1966-74;and Burnet Fred Waring S1/c 1945-46. Thankyou all. Without your contribution the 2002calendar would not be possible. NOTE - If any-one has photos of the ship or shipboard life,please consider sending an original snapshot toJim Kelly , 53 Jake Tucker Road, Midland, NC28107-5417. Calendars are $20 each (which includesshipping and handling), and should be orderedthrough JIM HOCKING, 65 CURRIER ROAD,E. FALMOUTH, MA 02536. Jim asks thatchecks be made out to the USS WILLIAM. R.RUSH Association . Please indicate “Calendar”when ordering. Be advised that we are having onlythirty calendars printed. This number correlates todemand in previous years. Calendar orders will befilled on a “First Come - First Served” basis.

6

“Proud to Help”

LST-325by Valeria Darlin

Under a sky bright with winter blue, LST-325 arrived at Mobile, Alabama State Docks on 10January 2001. She was preceded through thechannel by a WWII vintage fire boat, streamingwater in colors of red, white, and blue. Addition-ally, she was surrounded by many small craft, eventhough the US Coast Guard was enforcing a 1000yard boundary. Her crew danced on the deck as alocal high school band played “Anchors Aweigh.”Several color guard units were present in full dressuniform to welcome the World War II vessel home.

LST-325 (Landing Ship Tank, or as theywere affectionately called, “Large, Slow Target”)is 328 feet in length and 50 feet, 11 inches wide atthe beam. She was built at Philadelphia NavyYard and launched 27 October 1942. On 19March 1943, the ship left New York Harbor witha convoy to Oran, Africa. On 11 July 1943, sheparticipated in the initial invasion of Sicily. Theship was also present at the invasion of Salerno,Italy on 14 September 1943. On 12 November1943, LST-325 joined a task unit and made a veryhazardous passage to Plymouth, England. On D-Day minus one (5 June 1944), she was underwayas part of the force invading France. On D-Day,she beached in the area of Omaha and dischargedher cargo of army vehicles. She retracted from the

beach and anchored to take aboard casualties fromashore and from nearby sunken merchant shipsbefore returning to England. In the days followingthe initial invasion, LST-325 made fifty crossingsof the English Channel. In March 1945, shesteamed from Belfast, Ireland headed for a longawaited overhaul back home. LST-325 wasdecommissioned at Green Cove Springs, Florida on2 July 1946, and was transferred to Greek owner-ship as grant aid on 1 September 1964, where shebecame Syros (L-144) until taken out of service.LST- 325 earned two battle stars for her WorldWar II service.

Now, LST-325 had arrived safely after aforty-day cruise from Gibraltar. She carried acrew compliment of 29 men - all former LST crewmembers with an average age of 72 years. Herstruggle to arrive began almost ten years ago whenthe LST Association decided to purchase one of theaging craft – used primarily in World War II – andbring her home as a traveling museum. In July2000, 35 crew members travelled to Greece at theirown expense to prepare the vessel for her trans-Atlantic voyage. During improvements to the ship,including the addition of modern radar and somebadly needed repainting and conditioning for livingquarters, the crew was supported by members ofthe Hellenic Navy and members of the US Navywho volunteered leave time to assist in the effort.During a five-hour shakedown cruise around theisland of Crete in November she performed per-fectly and headed for Mobile on 14 November2000. The journey was not without incident.Before leaving, the crew learned that they could notcount on an experienced fuel supplier and MikeMcAdams., a vice president of British Petroleum,approached his company with the story of the ship.As a result, BP donated 50,000 gallons of dieselfuel – enough to complete the journey.

Captain Robert Jornlin, addressing thosewho assembled to welcome the ship to Mobile,relayed several anecdotal incidents about thevoyage, including one in which he was contactedby a Spanish battleship that wanted to accompanythe vessel. The “battleship” turned out to be a

7

Val and Chief Engineering Officer Edwards

somewhat smaller craft (about the size of a patrolboat), but nonetheless enthusiastic to be part of thehistoric journey. Captain Jornlin said that since thevessel was not documented, sometimes getting intoport was prohibited. He carried ownership papersin his hand. When he arrived in Mobile, she waswithout her gyroscope and utilizing only oneengine.

I arrived at the docks with my husband,RushMate John Darlin, two hours before thescheduled arrival of the ship in order to secure agood “vantage point.” Only 1000 vehicles werepermitted to park on site. I saw the color guardunits arrive along with the band. At approximately1000, the wind picked up, creating a wind chill inthe 20's – unseasonably cold for Mobile. I was notprepared for the site I witnessed a few momentslater. Looking up the channel, I could see the shipslowly making her way up to the dock. As hertower came into view, my eyes filled with tears.Here before me, her decks marred by peeling paintand rust, her crew dancing to the local band, washistory. She was there on D-Day, her bay doorsopen to discharge equipment onto Omaha Beach. Ifound myself speechless and overcome. How manyof us have heard the stories of D-Day or watchedthe movies? There was an aura of surrealism as Istood before the huge ship and gazed at somethingI had only previously seen in movies or books. Thelocal news media were in a frenzy. Balloons andsmall flags filled the air. The captain was escortedto the podium to receive gifts from the communityand speeches were rendered by local as well asnational politicians. An emissary from the Greekconsulate congratulated the men on their accom-plishment. After a brief program, members of theLST Association were permitted onboard and theship was open to the public on two subsequentdays. We toured her on Thursday, 11 July. She’srough and worn, but her flags still fly proudly. Wespoke with members of the Association and heardstories of their assignment to LST’s during WorldWar II. Of 1050 LSTs built, 26 were lost duringthe War. The remainder were sold for scrap or, asin the case of LST-325, given to other countries.

LST-325 is home now and in dry dock formuch needed repair to bring her up to code for herdays as a traveling museum, and a memorial tothose who served the United States. The membersof her crew have returned to their homes across theUnited States. In future years she will serve as amemorial for those of us who do not know theterror of war on foreign soil, and she will remind usthat freedom cannot be acquired without a price.

Well done, LST-325, and welcome home!

NAVY TERMINOLOGYhttp://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/traditions

FORECASTLE

The appropriate pronunciation for thisword is fo'ksul. The forecastle is the forward partof the main deck. It derives its name from the daysof Viking galleys when wooden castles were builton the forward and after parts the main deck fromwhich archers and other fighting men could shootarrows and throw spears, rocks, etc.

8

Captain Quinn’s Crew

WELCOME ABOARD

The following shipmates were located byJim Kelly, Jim Hocking, George Munk, RickReesman, Ken & Rita Shea, Art Bramfeld and BudLincoln. Thanks...

(*) means they have joined the Association

Al Cameron*Theodore (Ted) R. Chisolm, Jr, FN 1952 -54*Richard A. Cohen,ETC, USN (Ret.) ReserveComponent, 1973-77*Albert "Skip" Danzinger, BT3 1960 -63*Robert S. Fash Ltjg (CIC) 1960 - 62

*Thomas Gramins, Ltjg, 1961-62*Felton E. Hudson*Albin Kowalewski, F 1/c,1945 - 46*Bob (Robert F.) Martin, ET2, Sept 55- Aug 58*Marvin Meistrell STC Jan 1966- June 1969

*Phil Morey, FN, 1957-59*James H. Newcomb MM3, 1946-47*James E. Nott EN3 1977-78 (DecommissioningCrew) George Parker, ENC2, 1962

*Charles Reiman, *Kenneth E. Smith, SN, 1952 to1954

NEW ASSOCIATE MEMBERS

Debra Bartholomew wife of Francis W.Bartholomew (DM3) Jean Chisolm wife of Ted ChisolmMary Jo Danzinger, wife of Albert "Skip"Danzinger, BT3 1960 - Jan 1963Thelma Hagan with David R. Katz, Jr, RD2,1953-55Ruby Newcomb, wife of James Newcomb, MM3,1946-47Elizabeth J. Sloat

MAIL CALL

Captain Charles J. Quinn, USN (Ret), 1954-56 -

The reunion was great; a little subdued as one

would expect. I commend the leadership on the

difficult decision to go ahead as planned. The

committee did a superb job; not without help from

the associates. Please thank the committee, you,

John, Art, and Jim especially, and all the ladies

who gave of their time to make it a success.

Bob McDonough GM 3 1952-55 - Just a note tothank you and all your committee for the OUT-STANDING WORK you did for all of us of theRush. We had a great time and of course oldfriendships were renewed. Enclosed is a picture ofCaptain Quinn and some of the OLD guys thatserved under him. I think Capt. Quinn looks betterthan all of us. Thanks again, John (Buglione), GodBless, and the Good Lord willing we will see youin two years.

9

Norm Youness, RM1, 49-51 - I would like toconvey my thanks to all of the officers of theassociation for a job well done. Both Muriel and Ireally had a good time in Branson. We received ourfirst accumulation of snow last night, but nowherenear the 12" received by Grand Forks, NorthDakota. Again, thanks for a 4.0 reunion.

Roberta and Edmund Ferree, S1/c, FCO 1945-46- We want to thank everyone for being so helpfuland caring when Ed went to the hospital. We reallyappreciate your thoughtfulness. We made it homesafely and he is doing well. Thanks again. (Ed note:Ed is doing better and if you would like to drophime a line, his address is: Edmund Ferree, 1238

Bowen Circle NW, Canton, OH 44708-3219)

From Our Websitewww.atlantic.net/~gdmunk

Jerry Stone MM3, 1962-64: Just returned fromreunion. Had a great time and visited with severalold shipmates from the 62-64 era. This was myfirst reunion. I encourage all former crew membersto attend the next and support the association. Iwant to thank the officers of the association fortheir hard work in putting the reunion together --they did a great job!

Charlie Newbold MM2 1954-57: The wife and Itruely enjoyed the reunion in Branson. It was a ameeting of friends that I won't forget. Lookingforward to the next one. Charley & ArleneNewbold Jay Rogers RD2, 1969-72: Thanks to all for thegreat reunion, my wife and I had a wonderful time.Wish we could have been to all the rest. Any onewho wants pictures email me, I will see if I cansend them to you, I will be sending the CD full of

them to be published on the web site, if any can beused.. Thanks again. Jay

Mike Green: Just checking out the reunion pic-tures and noted the banner with the roadrunner...I'dforgotten that he was the ship mascot....anyoneinterested in getting some t-shirts made with theroadrunner on it? I'd be hapy to manage the projectif enough folks are interested.... I'd need thegraphics, of course.... RM2 Mike Green shipmate'69-71

Jim Hocking BM3, 1970-71: The 2001 BransonUSS William R Rush reunion is now history.Many thanks to all who attended and made it anoutstanding week. I hope each RushMate searchesout and finds an old shipmate, and brings him andhis family along to the next reunion. In the mean-time, fair winds and calm seas to all.

More

Richard Cohen: Served on the USS Rush fromMarch 1973 until March 1977 as an ETC(ss) andpart of the ships reserve component. I went back onactive duty in 1982 and retired in 1992 as anETCM (ss/sw).

Ken Smith: I was a plank owner when the Rushwas re-commissioned as a DDR. Great Page.

Ted Kendzior: Had hoped to make the reunion butit didn't work out. Are there any of you ut therethat served from 1947-mid 1950?

George A. Schaver: Enjoyed remembering theway it was. I was a shipmate in the early 70s.

Wayne King : Served onboard from Jan 1972 tillSept 1973 Made around the world cruise. WasBM2 in deck div.

James A. Walker: Served on board "62 & '63 as

10

FTG1. Retired in '79. Appreciated hearing fromany and all!

Daniel P. Howell BT-2 USNR-R: Can anyone putme in touch with a couple of shipmates who servedon the Wille R. back during the summer of 1961?Their last names were Bloosom BT-3 and DeereYN-3 ( just like in John Deere.) Officers andenlisted would always answer him as "Yes Deere"just to bug him :) Bloosom served with me in theforward fireroom. I remember getting sea-sick onhe mid watch underway and filled a 10 quart pailabout half full :) Even the memory makes me sick.YUK !!

Ron Cullen: On board 10/68 to 6/72 AsrocDiv.GMG3. Any of you old cooks remember therecipe for the red sauce w/ground beef that wasserved in mornings aboard the Willie? It wassomething like SOS but with beef and was put ontoast. Please advise I have tried to match the tastewith little success and my son thinks i am kiddinghim/ Thanks in advance Eric SM2: Will E Mailshortly. computer has been busted for a while andjust got up and running again. It's a long story.

LETTER FROM A MARINE

The following letter from SSgt Timothy

Lee Wright, USMC was received at the RUSH

web site:

I want to thank all of you that have replied

to my E-mail about my father, Luther David

Wright. He may be gone, but rest assured, he was

proud to serve with each one of you and he was

proud to have served aboard USS WILLIAM R.

RUSH.

I do hope I can make it to your next re-

union to meet some of the shipmates that served

with him.

I am pleased to see a web-site like yours

and even happier that there are people that still

remember my Dad.

I might have served in the Marine Corps,

but I hereby render a well-deserved salute to all of

you.

In case anyone of you passes that way and

would like to pay his respects, my Dad is back in

his birth-town of Roanoke, Va., beside his mother

and father,

I remember him mentioning some RUSH

shipmates by name, but that was when I was way

too young to remember those names today. In fact,

that was back in 1979, when I was about twelve

years old and there were occasions prior to that

when shipmates were mentioned in conversation by

my Dad.

Once again, I salute the crew of USS

WILLIAM R. RUSH (DD-714) because I know he

would do the same if he still could.

SEMPER-FI!!!

CRYPTOQUOTEby Frank Parra

Cryptoquote consists of an encoded mes-

sage taken from a statement made by someone

famous (or not so famous), sometimes anonymous

and sometimes unknown.

The cryptography involves simple substitu-

tion of letters; as for example, the word

SPEECHES could be represented by the letters

JDTTPETJ, where J stands for S, D stands for P,

T stands for E, P stands for C, E stands for H, and

so on throughout the quotation, and carrying over

to the author’s name, which is presented at the end.

The solved quotation is provided elsewhere in the

same issue of RushGram.

Here is this issue’s cryptoquote:

11

ELN WLV’R ATT GT OR MTUOA LQ OR

RFT QOKTA RFQLPXVU GE GLVTE

OQLNVW. X’MT ULR O ULMTQVGTVR

RL ANBBLQR.

YLY FLBT

IN

MEMORIAM

Joseph Bisigno, 1950-51- passed away in April, 2001.

John T. Brown, passed away in January, 2001 at

the age of 73.

Pierre Vining, Captain, USN, Ret., 1960-62

Chuck Reiter: (From Ralph Hurst) In reply to

your query concerning Chuck, he was stationed on

the U.S.S. W.R. Rush around 1958-62. I am Mary

Reiter, his mother, and Chuck came back to Venice

when he got out of the Navy. He got married to a

local girl in June '63. They had two boys. Chuck

took seriously ill in January of '65. It was a blood

ailment. He died on January 11, 1965. His two

sons have married and each have two children. His

widow remarried 14 years after his death. She lives

in Venice at this time. I hope this information will

answer your concerns. We all still mourn him. Best

regards. Mary L. Reiter and family."

Phil Ruppel, GM3c, 1954-56 - passed away

recently. We were informed of this by Mike

Ruggirello, GM2, 1953-56. Phil's family can be

reached at: 685 Black Springs Rd., Bedford, Pa

15522, telephone number (814)-623-2427.

HOMES FOR VETERANS(Armed Forces Retirement Home)

The following was forwarded to the RushGram by

George Munk.

Dear Sir:

I am submitting the following article on

behalf of the United States Soldiers' & Airmen's

Home. It would be greatly appreciated, if you

could run this in the next addition of your newsletter.

Also, is it possible to provide a link from

your web site to ours: http://www.afrh.com

Thank you,

Sheila R. Abarr

Public Affairs Office

For more than a century and a half the

U.S. Naval Home in Gulfport, Miss., and the U.S.

Soldiers' and Airmen's Home, in Washington,

D.C., have provided the finest retirement and

medical care for our nation's veterans. Both facili-

ties, now under the unified management of the

Armed Forces Retirement Home, are considered

model retirement centers, complete with on-site

assisted living and long-term health care facilities

to meet the future needs of each resident.

Residency is open to veterans from all of

the Armed Services whose active-duty military

service was at least 50 percent enlisted or warrant

officer, received an honorable discharge and who

are one of the following:

12

§ Retirees with 20 or more years of active-duty

service, and who are at least 60 years old

§ Veterans who are unable to earn a

livelihood due to a service-connected disability

§ Veterans who served in a war theater or

received hostile fire pay, and are unable to earn a

livelihood due to injuries, diseases or disability

§ Female veterans who served prior to 1948

Despite their names, veterans from any

service are welcomed at either Home. Both Homes

offer each resident a private room, three meals a

day, some on-site medical care, plenty of recre-

ational activities, and access to medical treatment

at nearby VA or military treatment facilities.

In addition to fine living accommodations and

recreational activities, residents enjoy spending

their time among people with whom they share

a special bond ? the bond of military service, and

service to this nation.

More information is available through our website

(www.afrh.com <http://www.afrh.com>) or by

calling the toll-free numbers for each Home. The

U.S. Naval Home can be reached at 800-332-3527

and the U.S. Soldiers' and Airmen's Home can be

reached at 800-422-9988.

OUR NATIONAL ANTHEM from The Reunion Network Newsletter,

July/August 2001 issue

The Star Spangled Banner is a relatively

newcomer as our national anthem. It's only been

that way for the last 70 years, since March 3,

1931, when President Hoover signed it into law.

While Francis Scott Key wrote the words, the

origin of the music goes back to 1780. John

Stafford Smith, an Englishman wrote the song,

titled it Anacreon in Heaven, and presented it to

the Anacreon Society, which was a drinking club!

It took another two years to repeal the Volstead

Act.

There was a time when everyone would

stop whatever they were doing, stand, and place the

right hand over his/her heart, whenever the Star

Spangled Banner was played. It was played so

often on the radio, during the months following

Pearl Harbor, that President Roosevelt issued a

proclamation that it was no longer necessary to do

so. He did this because people driving cars would

literally stop the car, get out, and show their re-

spect until the anthem was over. People working in

war plants, listening to radios for war news, would

also stop and show their respects, thus interfering

with war materials production.

Our first attempt at a national anthem,

called The Liberty Song, took place in 1765, as a

mark of resistance to the British Stamp Act. The

writer, John Dickenson, was one of the few colo-

nists who voted against issuing The Declaration of

Independence. The strongest contender during the

revolution, however, was Yankee Doodle, which

has enjoyed popularity to the present day, even

though the original meaning probably was a dunce

or nitwit.

Another contender was America, better

known as My Country Tis of Thee. The origin of

the music for this one was a German hymn Hail to

the Kaiser. Amazingly, the author never realized

that the British stole it first for their national

anthem, God Save the Queen.

Katherine Lee Bates, an English professor,

was so inspired by the view from Pike's Peak that

she composed the words to America the Beautiful.

Once again, the music was written for another

purpose. Samuel Ward composed it as a religious

hymn O Mother Dear Jerusalem, better known as

Materna.

There are many patriotic musical selec-

tions that vied for attention as our anthem. These

13

include, Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean, Hail

Columbia, and John Phillips Souza's stirring march

The Stars and Stripes Forever. A favorite 4th of

July selection is Tchaikowski's 1812 Overture,

composed to celebrate the French Revolution! This

stirring piece includes part of the French national

anthem, The Marseilles, which of course wasn't

written until thirty years later.

The one real candidate to emerge as a possible

replacement for The Star Spangled Banner was a

song written by Irving Berlin for a World War I

Broadway show, Yip, Yip, Yahank. He felt that the

song was inappropriate, and put it in a drawer. His

friend, Kate Smith, introduced God Bless America

on an Armistice Day radio broadcast in 1938.

National anthem or not, it is a lot easier to sing!

SSSSSSSSSSS

Scuttlebuttfrom

http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/traditions

The origin of the word "scuttlebutt," which isnautical parlance for a rumor, comes from a com-bination of "scuttle" — to make a hole in the ship'shull and thereby causing her to sink —- and "butt"— a cask or hogshead used in the days of woodenships to hold drinking water. The cask from whichthe ship's crew took their drinking water — like a

water fountain — was the "scuttlebutt". Even intoday's Navy a drinking fountain is referred to assuch. But, since the crew used to congregatearound the "scuttlebutt", that is where the rumorsabout the ship or voyage would begin. Thus, thenand now, rumors are talk from the "scuttlebutt" orjust "scuttlebutt".

AFGHANISTAN: A BATTLE-

GROUND THROUGH THE AGESBy Jim Garamone, American Forces Press Service

Contributed by Frank Parra

WASHINGTON (NNS) — It is a country that hashumbled three empires, yet Afghanistan has fewnatural resources and is wreathed in poverty.

Afghanistan is sheltering Osama binLaden, the man at the center of the attacks on theWorld Trade Center in New York and the Penta-gon. President Bush wants him "dead or alive." Bush also has said the United States "will make nodistinction between the terrorists who committedthese acts and those who harbor them." A fullrange of diplomatic and economic efforts is underway to convince the Islamic Taliban movement toturn over bin Laden.

Afghanistan is a rugged country regardedas the crossroads between Central and South Asia.As such, it lies on the route that invaders andexplorers have taken from Alexander the Great toMarco Polo to the British to the Soviet Union.

There is no functioning government inAfghanistan. The executive branch broke down in1996. The legislative branch stopped functioningin 1993. The judicial branch stopped in 1995.

The Taliban get most of their support fromthe Pashtun ethnic group. They control the capitalof Kabul and about 80 percent of the country,while other factions rule the multiethnic north. TheUnited States does not recognize the Taliban asAfghanistan's government. The Taliban said theiraim was to set up the world's purest Islamic state.They initially gained favor by efforts to stamp out

14

Extra Duty

local warring factions and to stamp out corruption.The Taliban has imposed Shari'a —

Islamic law — in the areas it controls. The imposi-tion means offenses are punished by public execu-tions and amputations. The Taliban have made itillegal to educate women or for women to workoutside the home. It is illegal to watch any televi-sion program not cleared by the Taliban or to ownany videocassettes that are not religion-oriented.The Taliban has also outlawed the Internet.

Afghanistan has 25 million people, butmany are refugees. Pakistani officials said about2.5 million Afghans are living in Pakistan. Moreare trying to reach Pakistan as tensions between theUnited States and Afghanistan ratchet up over binLaden. Other counties with significant Afghanrefugee populations are Iran and Turkmenistan.

Afghanistan is a landlocked countrybordered by Pakistan, Iran, Turkmenistan,Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and China. In the north ofthe country is the Hindu Kush, a mountain rangethat is part of the Himalayas. The main "industry"is herding. Some 46 percent of the land is inpermanent pastures. Only 12 percent of the landwas considered arable a few years ago, and thatpercentage is suspect today because of a long-termdrought.

Afghanistan has no industry worth thename. It has less than 25 kilometers of railroads.The most recent statistics available put the percapita income at $800 per year, but people whohave been in the country say that's an exaggeration— the estimate's too high.

The country is 99 percent Muslim and 1percent "other." The Taliban have outlawed allother religions in the area they control. In fact, theTaliban are prosecuting some American aid work-ers for allegedly distributing bibles and "trying totempt people from the 'True Faith.'" Some 84percent of Afghans are Sunni Muslim and 15percent are Shi'a Muslim, mostly along the borderwith Iran.

Afghan history has been bloody. Alexan-der the Great moved through the area and allegedlyfought a battle near what is now Kandahar. Gen-ghis Khan's invasion and subjugation of the area inthe early 1200s marked the last time Afghanistan

was conquered. Czarist Russia and Britain viedfor control of Afghanistan throughout the 19thcentury because its strategic location made it a keyto the control of India. Both suffered defeats.

The British occupied Kabul in 1838, butworsening resistance led them to quit in January1842. Given a pledge of safe passage, the Britishcommander led about 700 Britons — soldiers,wives and children — 3,800 Indian troops, andmore than 12,000 camp followers from the city.The trek through a snow-covered mountain pass tosafety would become a 90-mile death march. Onlyone man emerged alive.

In the 20th century, Afghanistan humbledthe Soviet Union. Seeking to prop up their commu-nist satellite in the country, the Soviets invaded in1979. In a 10-year effort, hundreds of thousandsdied. The United States, Saudi Arabia, Pakistanand others supplied and trained the anti-Sovietmujahidin forces. In 1989, the Soviets were forcedto leave. But fighting didn't end. Variousmujahidin factions fought among themselves forcontrol of the country. The Taliban rode to poweron this fighting. Civil war continues in the country,but to a lesser extent than in the past.

In addition to the continuing civil strife, thecountry suffers from enormous poverty, a crum-bling infrastructure, and widespread live landmines.

ÚÚÚÚÚÚÚÚÚPicture from book

“Destroyer Operations in World War Two”

15

USS WILLIAM R. RUSH (DD-714)

in the

NAVAL RESERVE FORCEby Capt. Tim H. Roberts, USNR (Ret.)

In 1973, USS WILLIAM R. RUSH (DD-714) was transferred from USN fleet destroyerduties to Naval Reserve Force (NRF) status. Shewas assigned to Destroyer Squadron 28 (NRF) anddestined for a home port at Fort Schuyler, Bronx,NY. Commander Robert E. Pedigo, USN, herCommanding Officer, brought her to the StateUniversity of New York Maritime College pier,joining USS POWER (DD-839) at Fort Schuyler,and began DESRON 28 NRF operations. Thecrew was reduced to a USN nucleus of 100–125.Selected Reservists (SELRES) were assigned bythe U.S. Naval Reserve Center Fort Schuyler, tofill the crew allowance vacancies. Transition fromUSN to USNR was not an easy task and resulted inmany problems. For example, a young RUSHsailor who had joined the Navy hoping to travel theworld, was disappointed when he found that hewould not be transferred to a fleet-deploying ship;RUSH was to be limited to Western Atlantic andCaribbean operations. Generally, the billets se-lected for transfer by Bupers, were ratings mostneeded in fleet ships. Reservists to replace thosetransferred, were not always available. Logisticsupport in New York was limited; mainte-nance/repair support would fall upon the nucleuscrew and whatever outside help could be obtained.

The need to retain the best of the postWW-II fleet ships was strongly supported by theNavy, and Naval Reserve. The Navy was receiv-ing more new ships along with an increased re-quirement for operating/maintenance funds. Con-gressional defense appropriations separated Navyfunding into various accounts, one being for theNaval Reserve. Congress appropriated the extramoney for the Reserve account to support ships

assigned to the NRF which had become the mosteconomical way to retain valued ships in activeservice.

On 6 August 1974, I relieved CommanderPedigo and began two years as Captain of USSWILLIAM R. RUSH. It was a successful andmost rewarding period of my career. RUSHreflected years of excellent maintenance and careby crew after crew. In my opinion, she was themost reliable ship in DESRON 28.

The normal operating schedule included at-sea operations one weekend per month with theSELRES embarked. The SELRES also wereembarked for an annual 14-day Active duty forTraining (ACDUTRA) period, during whichrequired fleet exercises, fleet services, and a portvisit would be scheduled. Reservists other thanthose assigned to RUSH would be embarked foradditional at-sea weekend operations andACDUTRA periods.

RUSH and POWER enjoyed the servicesof a Ship Maintenance/Repair (SMR) reserve unitthat drilled one weekend each month. This SMRhad some 50 to 60 veterans, who had mostly servedin ships, and were skilled tradesmen as civilians.In some ways we had better assistance than shipsin Naval ports. Normally, the nucleus crew alsoworked those weekends alongside the SMR reserv-ists.

Additionally, at-sea operations with onlynucleus crew members aboard were occasionallynecessary for transits to other ports/locations forevents such as: loading/unloading ammunition,obtaining repair/assistance at a tender/SIMA/shipyard, providing services to fleet schools,providing services to fleet units, embarking reserv-ists in other ports, or returning to Fort Schuylerafter debarking reservists in another port. These“nucleus crew only” operations usually requiredport and starboard engineering watch sections. Itwas policy to avoid operational periods of port andstarboard engineering watches in excess of 48hours. However, tasks requiring more than 48 oursto complete could be broken up by port visits orperiods of rest at anchor.

16

Note: SIMA is an acronym for ShoreIntermediate Maintenance Activity. In1974, it was a brand-new Navy organi-zation manned by Navy personnel invarious Navy ports. Basically, SIMAdid the same kind of work as did thetenders.

Looking back on the period followingreceipt of orders to USS WILLIAM R. RUSH(DD-714), I recall some fairly strong anxieties.Even though I had enjoyed successful tours asExecutive Officer in USS HANK (DD-702) andUSS YOSEMITE (AD-19), the thought of movingmy family to New York City was troubling. Thefamily relocation turned out just fine; excellentnaval housing was available at the old Naval AirStation NY in Brooklyn (Floyd Bennet Field).Today, my daughter still lives in Brooklyn. Mymain concern, however, was safely steaming the25 miles in and out of New York Harbor.

The implications of steaming in and out ofNew York became more worrisome the more Ilearned. Fort Schuyler is located on the East Riverat the Throgs Neck bridge, where Long IslandSound begins. Transiting the 16 miles of EastRiver from Throgs Neck to the Lower New YorkHarbor appeared to be very hazardous. In expla-nation, the East River is not really a river; it is anatural canal connection between Long IslandSound and New York Harbor. Consequently, theEast River is subject to tidal currents that run up tomore than 5 knots. The East River is also rela-tively narrow from the Brooklyn Bridge up toRikers Island. The Harlem river runs into the Eastriver at a sharp bend named, “Hell Gate.” Currentsthere swirl with dangerous force at times of maxi-mum ebb/flood of the tide. Oh yes, I was worried.Only now in safe retirement do I admit my fears.I vowed (to myself) that when I took RUSH to sea,I would take the easy route through Long IslandSound.

A week or so after the change of command,COMDESRON 28, directed that RUSH rendez-vous with two other destroyers for exercises justoff Ambrose Light. I screwed up my courage, puton my best face, and we headed down the East

River. It was nerve-racking, exciting, and satisfy-ing. In my two years in RUSH, I don’t think weever sortied via Long Island Sound, despite myvow.

It was also a challenge to man sea detail withenough qualified crewmen to make the 2 to 3 hourtrip safely between the New York Harbor entranceand the pier at Fort Schuyler. "Nucleus crew only"transits were all-hands evolutions. RUSH operatedlike a submarine, in that many crewmen werecross-trained in watch duties outside their rating.Generally, with SELRES embarked, all stationscould be manned and periodic relief was possible.

The transits up and down the East Riverquickly became the best part of being home portedat Fort Schuyler. Entering from the ocean, theVerrazano Narrows Bridge between Brooklyn andStaten Island was always a magnificent sight. Aswe would approached the tip of Manhattan, NewYork was spectacular. The Statue of Liberty,World Trade Center towers, Empire State Build-ing, and the mass of tall buildings were a grandentrance to the world's greatest city. One of ournavigation aids was to steam directly towardManhattan, align ourselves with the canyon be-tween skyscrapers formed by Broadway (theCanyon of Heroes). Just off the tip of Manhattan,we would turn to starboard and pass betweenManhattan and Governors Island, to begn the tripup the East River. Passing under the Brooklyn,Manhattan, Williamsburg, and Queensborobridges, always caused those on deck to gazeupward with wonder. The same was true when wepassed under the Triborough and Hell Gate bridgesfurther up the river. The conning officer, however,was required to give the ship his full attention whilepassing under these northern East River bridges.In order to be able to cope with the maelstromcaused by the water feeding from the Harlem Riverand the tidal action at the Hell Gate, "full" speedwas often needed to maintain steerage around thattreacherous bend. It was always exciting.

The East River is deep, but as narrow as100 yards in some places. We generally cruisedthrough the river at a speed between 6 and 12

17

knots, depending on the tidal current. I recall onetransit when we were passing through near theUnited Nations building, on a bright sunny after-noon. The current was pushing us through and wewere making turns for about 10 knots. Our speedover the ground was probably 15 knots. I recallthinking RUSH must be a magnificent sight. Icould see heavy traffic on the Franklin D. Roose-velt Drive along the east side of Manhattan, andseemed to establish eye contact with an automobiledriver. He was looking at the ship and failed tonotice that traffic had slowed. He crashed hardinto the car ahead. We pressed on up the riverfacing our own dangers going through the HellGate.

Past LaGuardia Airport, the river broadensinto Flushing Bay, about a mile wide. We wouldthen pass under the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge andapproach the Throgs Neck Bridge and FortSchuyler. Once moored to the old wooden pier, theview in all directions was beautiful.

Mooring to the pier was generally easy.The river was about 2,000 yards across and thecurrents were not as vicious as in the narrow partsof the East River. New officers were alwaysseeking to increase their ship handling ability andexperience, and I was eager to be their tutor.

The Engineering Officers in the nucleuscrew were rarely on the bridge for getting under-way or mooring. Consequently, they did not havethe training opportunities or experience of mostothers. The Main Propulsion Assistant (MPA) wasselected to make his first landing. He had beenthrough many at-sea drills and had gotten the shipunderway. Now it was time for him to bring herin. He was given the conn as we passed RikersIsland. I counseled him on how to make the ap-proach and mooring.

It was my policy to give each conningofficer a thorough briefing before making suchmaneuvers for the first time, then let him carry outthe maneuver, with me quietly alongside.

He began his approach as I had advisedand was heading for the pier at a good angle andspeed. At the point when I thought he should beginto slow, he pressed on. The closer we got, thefaster we seemed to close the pier. Finally, I

recommended he slow. He slowed to 1/3. I knewit was too late. I told him to stop engines and go to2/3 astern, with an urgency he finally understood.Next he went to all back full, as RUSH continuedon directly for the pier. I said, " Mike, we aregoing to hit the pier but we won't knock it down."He really comprehended the situation and orderedall back emergency and called down to his engi-neers to give it everything RUSH had. We clearedthe forcastle and prepared to 'hit.' By now thescrews were churning the water furiously trying tostop our forward movement. Just as the bowloomed over the little wooden pier, the shipstopped.

The Boatswain quickly passed line 1 to thepier. The ship began to back. The MPA orderedall stop, then all ahead 1/3 to keep from parting theline. Slowly we moved alongside the pier andthanked the engineers for finding the power andsaving the day. Most landings were routine andmuch less memorable than this one.

In 1975, returning late from a 2-weekcruise, RUSH approached New York Harboraround 2200 in a moderate fog. The crew wasanxious to get home. Families had been awaitingour arrival since about 1800. Entering the channelentrance, visibility was probably one-quarter mile.As the ship approached the tip of Manhattan, theglow of city lights helped mark the way. In theEast River we could see lights glowing on bothsides. RUSH was now committed to transit up theriver. There was no place to stop, turn around, oranchor. Passing Manhattan the lights were fewer.Just above Hell Gate, at Rikers Island, the riverbegins to widen.

Soon, even the glow of lights was notvisible. The fog became so dense nothing could beseen. Experienced seamen know that navigationaids, such as the radar on a Fram I DD are nearlyuseless in a closed, narrow channel like the EastRiver. They become “landlocked.” Neverthelesswith six miles to go, we crept on, sounding fogsignals with the ship’s whistle. Fortunately, as theriver widened, radar performance improved. Still,all we could see was fog. With the help of somegreat guys in CIC, and an excellent navigationteam, we finally saw the pier about 150 yards out.

18

It was the worst and best transit of the East River.In lieu of a chronological narrative of

WILLIAM R. RUSH operations from 6 August1974 through 6 August 1976, a recollection ofevents follows:

Ports Visited:Halifax, NS; Port Everglades, FL; Miami,

FL; Norfolk, VA; Charleston, SC; Albany, NY;Manhattan, NY; Newport, RI; Mayport, FL; andEarle. NJ.

Events:1. Tall ships/Op-Sail 1976 Bicentennial

celebration in New York.2. Naval gunfire support qualifications at

Bloodsworth Island, Chesapeake Bay. 3. Regular overhaul with Coastal Dry

Dock, Brooklyn, NY. 4. Tender availabilities Mayport FL;

Charleston, SC; and New London, CT. 5. Antisubmarine and submarine exer-

cises in New London operating areas. 6. Officer Candidate School training ship,

Newport, RI. 7. Ammo offload and later load-out at

Naval ammo depot Earle, NJ.8. CNO, ADM. J. Holloway III Navy

birthday visit 19759. Burials at sea

Most of the operations in RUSH wereroutinely successful because the officers and crewworked hard preparing for each activity. Fewunexpected events occurred that caused the ship orcrew to be in harm’s way.

However, one unanticipated event did testthe crew and could have resulted in injuries.RUSH was occasionally ordered to provide ser-vices to submarines operating out of New London,CT. During these operations in the Atlantic,RUSH would act as a playmate to one or moresubmarines. These operations allowed the subma-rines and RUSH to complete required annualexercises.

On a summer day about 200 miles off theNew England coast in moderately bad weather,

RUSH was operating with a submarine. We werefollowing an irregular pattern of courses andspeeds, rolling and pitching, while the submarine,deep under the waves, conducted an exercise.RUSH was her target. It was hot, humid, overcast,and windy. Few men ventured onto the open decks.The engineers were particularly uncomfortable inthe heat of the engineering spaces. We wereoperating split plant with two ship’s service gener-ators on the line.

In the after engine room, a hatch (scuttle)had been opened on the main deck to allow freshair into the space. This was normal procedurewhen operating in hot weather conditions. After a30 to 45 minute period of steady steaming, theexercise required that the ship change direction. AsRUSH was making a turn of about 90 degrees, alarge wave crashed over the starboard side, flood-ing the main deck. A huge gush of seawaterpoured into the after engine room, causing anauxiliary switchboard to short out. The engineroom lost electricity. The report by sound-poweredphone to main engineering control and the bridgethat the after engine room had an electrical problemresulted in an immediate effort by the forwardengine room to send electricity aft. However, re-energizing the shorted switchboard blew it out likea bolt of lightening. This, in turn, resulted in theloss of all electrical power throughout the ship.

We had no steering, no radios, no 1MC, noradar, no internal ventilation, and no way to com-municate the casualty to the submarine. Eventhough slowed by not having a way to “pass theword,” the ship was brought to General Quarters.Propulsion was unaffected, except for only havingemergency lighting (battle lanterns). After whatseemed like an eternity, electrical power wasrestored to the forward part of the ship. Communi-cation was re-established, and the exercise stopped.We were steering the ship using manual steering,with helm orders to Steering Aft via sound-pow-ered phones. Investigation of the casualty revealedthat the damaged switchboard was necessary fordistributing power aft, even from the emergencydiesel generator. We were in a fix. No electricityaft of the after fireroom required that steering bemanual. The Squadron Commander granted

19

permission to return to home port, and madearrangements for a tugboat assist in mooring. Webegan a slow transit back to New York.

Thanks to an experienced and well trainedChief Petty Officer and a band of hard workingengineers under his supervision, the process ofconnecting emergency power cables from theforward part of the ship aft, bypassing the blownswitchboard, was begun. It took about 2 to 3hours, to get electrical power restored to the steer-ing system. As time passed, other vital services aftwere restored. We had lots of cables running foreand aft in the passageways. When we reached FortSchuyler, a tug was standing by, but RUSHmoored under her own control.

No one was injured. The investigation thatfollowed resulted in a Class alteration/modificationwhich provided for a shield over the switchboard toprevent the possibility of sea water causing theswitchboard to short out. No one was foundnegligent. The switchboard was replaced andRUSH was ready to go again a few weeks later.

USS WILLIAM R. RUSH experienced allthe normal fleet ship activities, except those relatedto extended deployments, and nuclear weaponscapabilities. Inspections, Insurv, operationalevaluations, operational readiness exercises, train-ing exercises, etc. applicable to a DD were alwayson the schedule. It was not easy. However, inWILLIAM R. RUSH tradition, every challengewas met and overcome.

The most emotional event in my 25 yearsofNaval service was turning RUSH over to Com-mander Dennis K. Wilson, USN on 6 August1976. In my career, I have experienced commandashore, and three sea commands. ROADRUN-NER was the best of all.

NAVY CHANGES RECORD

SAYS GERMAN SUB SANK

USS EAGLE IN 1945Contributed by Frank Parra

WASHINGTON (AP) - For more thanhalf a century, the Navy said a boiler was to blamefor an explosion that sank USS EAGLE (PE-56)within sight of the Maine coast, killing 49 sailors.But now the Navy is rewriting the EAGLE's recordto reflect what survivors said all along: A torpedofrom a German submarine sank the ship.

The new evidence was presented to NavySecretary Gordon England, who in June ruled thatthe sinking was due to enemy attack. The changemeans those who died or were seriously injured willget Purple Hearts.

Harold Petersen, one of two survivors stillliving, said he's gratified by the change but sorry ittook so long. He still thinks of the parents of thesailors who died and wishes they could have knownthe truth.

"They had to think all these years, `Whowas so negligent that they allowed the boilers toexplode and kill my child?'" said Petersen, 79, ofRochester, N.Y. "That's a hard thing."

EAGLE sank April 23, 1945, just twoweeks before Germany surrendered. The 200-footsubmarine chaser was sailing off Portland, Maine,when the blast broke it apart and sent water 300feet into the air.

Petersen, a second-class machinist's mate,was below deck when the explosion occurred,sending him crashing headfirst into a metal locker.He made for the ladders but stopped to carry aninjured sailor too hurt to move. With water pouringin and dozens of sailors jostling to get to safety,Petersen lost the injured man off his back, then wasconfronted by a panicked sailor who said he could-n't swim.

Petersen said he told the sailor, '"Whetheryou can swim or not, get away from this ship'. So,we both go. He never came up."

Petersen made it overboard, clinging towreckage in the chilly waters until rescuers arrivedabout 15 minutes later. He was one of 13 who

20

USS EAGLE Crew on Deck

survived.A Navy Court of Inquiry was convened in

Portland a week later. Five survivors testified thatthey saw a submarine surface briefly after theexplosion, according to Navy records. Some saidthey saw a red-and-yellow marking on the subma-rine's conning tower.

"I only saw it momentarily," said JohnBreeze, 78, of Milton, Wash. "We didn't knowwhat we'd hit or what had hit us. You don't thinkabout things like that. All you think about is savingyour own life."

Survivors testified that EAGLE's boilerhad been overhauled just two weeks before theexplosion. And no failures were reported with thesame type of boilers on the 59 other ships in theEAGLE class, said Paul Lawton, a Brockton,Mass., lawyer who teaches maritime history.

Rear Adm. Felix Gygax, commandant ofthe First Naval District in Boston, wrote on June 1,1945, that there was "at least equal evidence tosupport the conclusion that the explosion was thatof a device outside the ship, the exact nature ofwhich is undetermined. It might have been anenemy mine or an enemy torpedo."

Still, Gygax ultimately endorsed the court'sfinding that the sinking "was the result of a boilerexplosion, the cause of which could not be deter-mined."

No one knows for sure why the Navy stuckwith that conclusion. It's clear Navy investigatorsdid not have access to later declassified informationshowing a German sub was in the area. Addition-ally, there likely was a reluctance by Navy officialsin Portland to acknowledge that an enemy shipstruck in their territory, said Lawton.

Twelve days after EAGLE's sinking, theGerman sub and its crew of 55 was sunk off thecoast of Rhode Island. Before it was destroyed, itsank another U.S. ship - a collier headed to SouthBoston - killing 12 men.

Lawton, who has taught college courses onGerman submarine operations, became interestedin the EAGLE case a few years ago after chattingwith some friends whose father, Ivar Westerlund,perished on EAGLE. With the help of late Rep.Joseph Moakley, D-Mass., and Bernard F.

Cavalcante, a Navy archivist, Lawton gatheredenough evidence to disprove the boiler theory andurged the Navy to re-examine the case.

A key break came when Cavalcante uncov-ered records showing German submarine U-853was operating in the Gulf of Maine at the time ofthe explosion. It had an insignia of a red horse ona yellow shield.

"We always wondered what really hap-pened," said Frederick Westerlund of Brockton,who was six years old when his father died. "Itshouldn't have taken 56 years to get this straight."

Note: USS EAGLE (PE-56) was one of sixtyPatrol Boats built in the years 1918 – 1919. TheEAGLE boats, as they were known, had astandard displacement of 430 tons, were 200' 9“long, with a beam of 25' 9" and drew a mere 6'6" of water. They were single-screw, geared-turbine drive vessels with a maximum speed of18 knots. Armament consisted of two 4"/50'sand one 3"/50. They were manned by a crew of63.

SSSSSSSSMachinist Mate

21

NEW DESTROYER MUSEUMS

HAVE PROMISING FUTURE

By Ron Bradrick, Rupe Scoop Editor, USS Rupertus (DD-851) Association

Recently announced plans by two historicships' curators might be the most significant devel-opment for Gearing Class destroyer sailors inseveral decades. Representatives from the historicships USS Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. (DD-850) in FallRiver, Massachusetts and the USS Orleck (DD-886) in Orange, Texas are planning extensiveadditions to their museum artifact collections andnaval research functions. These famous ships arethe only two Gearing Class Destroyers on publicdisplay in the United States.

Glenda Dyer, Orleck curator, announcedthat the members of the Southeast Texas WarMemorial and Heritage Foundation are proposingto build a land based historic ship museum andshipbuilding research center. The city of Orange iscurrently preparing a 30-acre park to house themuseum and display the historic ship Orleck alongthe Sabine River front.

The major focus of the Texas Museum'shistorical collection will be on the Gearing ClassDestroyers, like the Orleck and Kennedy, and onother ships built in Orange, said Dyer. D y e rreported that the Texas organization has been verybusy beginning the restoration of the Orleck to its1965-75 condition. It was towed into Orange lastAugust from Turkey where it had served with theTurkish Navy for nearly 16 years.

The Orleck was laid down in the Orangeshipyard and commissioned on 15 September 1945.After serving the U. S. Navy for 37 years, theOrleck was decommissioned on 1 October 1982and transferred to Turkey where it served as theTCG Yucetepe (D-345).

According to Dyer, the Texas organizationis putting its ideas together and wants to develop astrong and viable naval research and ship buildingmuseum. She emphasized the fact that the ship-building heritage of Orange dated back to the1800s, and during WW II, the city developed a

major shipyard, building over 400 ships for the U.S. Navy war effort.

Tom Depwe, President of the TexasFoundation, says their plans call for the eventualbuilding of a museum and library to collect anddisplay thousands of historical items from thesenaval ships and the shipbuilding industry. He addedthat the library would become an active researchcenter in both areas.

When completed, Dyer said, this museumand library could become a tremendous historicalcollection point for nearly 100 Gearing ClassDestroyer Associations and just as many DestroyerEscort Associations, existing in the country today.Thirty-nine destroyers were built in Orange duringthe war, including 27 of the Gearing Class, alongwith 93 destroyer escort ships, she added.

The historic ship USS Joseph P. Kennedy,Jr. (DD-850) is also currently undergoing a veryaggressive restoration and equipment acquisitionprogram to return the ship to its late 1960s to early1970s appearance according to Richard Angelini,assistant curator to the ship. Since January2001, the Kennedy Restoration Team has restoredthe Post Office, Amidships Damage ControlLocker, and the Ship's Store back to their original1970s configuration, said Angelini. We are cur-rently making plans for the Galley, Radio Centraland the Ship's Office. Once the office is com-pleted, it will become a research library withvarious ship blueprints, historical references, over100 Destroyer Cruise Books, photo albums, seastory collections, and a collection of other datarelated to destroyers, he said.

The USS Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. (DD-850)was one of only four Gearing Class Destroyersbuilt by the Bethlehem Steel Company in Quincy,Massachusetts at the closing of the war. It waslaunched on 26 July 1945, commissioned on 15December 1945 and actively served the U. S. Navyuntil 1973, when it was decommissioned andassigned to the historic fleet. The USS Massachusetts Memorial Com-mittee, Inc. has maintained the Kennedy for publicdisplay for the last 27 years. It is part of BattleshipCove in Fall River, which also features the Battle-ship Massachusetts (BB-59), the submarine Lion-

22

fish (SS-298), and two PT boats. According to Angelini, the Admiral BurkeDestroyer Museum and Library are housed aboardthe Kennedy to perpetuate destroyer history andfeature display cases containing destroyer relatedhistorical artifacts, the names and hull numbers forevery destroyer, and many ship's plaques. In thisrole, Kennedy has become the adopted home for thepreservation of the history and artifacts of the 96Benson-Livermore Class Destroyers of WWII,which were awarded 500 battle stars and othercitations. This week, says Angelini, we have openedup a new DD850 website which includes a descrip-tion of each Gearing Class Destroyer, weapons andsensors carried by these ships, and a public mes-sage board for the discussion of our ships andrestoration questions. With the help of the GearingClass Destroyer Associations, we hope to publishindividual sea stories, photos, weapon analysis andother valuable information to enable this website tobe a digital center for the Gearing sailors, he said. In the future, Angelini and Dyer believe theOrleck and Kennedy museums will maintain closeties, sharing historical information about GearingClass Destroyers and displays of their memora-bilia. Angelini and Dyer point out that the Orleckand Kennedy provide a unique perspective to thedestroyer community by presenting both a Pacificand Atlantic destroyer respectively. Both the Texas and the Massachusetts organiza-tions have what are called "Adopt A Space" pro-grams, which allow ship's associations, individualsand businesses to donate funds to help restore andmaintain selected areas of the ships. These organi-zations are set up as 501 (c) 3 corporations, and alldonated funds qualify as tax-deductible items forthe individual donors. Dyer and Angelini havemade special arrangements to accept all types ofhistorical items that may be donated. They areasking individuals and associations to send photos,photo albums, films, videos, Cruise Books, per-sonal journals, letters, sea stories, historical objectsand histories of destroyer associations.

We have drawn up the proper loan and giftdocuments to begin accepting all items immedi-ately, said Dyer, and we have even made provisions

to return everything if our museum is not finishedwithin a certain period of time. As cura-tors, Angelini and Dyer say that all historical itemsthey receive are documented, photographed, sortedand stored in acid free boxes on shelves in secured,air-conditioned spaces. For more information anddetails on these historic ship's restoration andmuseum programs, please contact these curators atthe following addresses.

USS J. P. Kennedy, Jr. (DD-850) C/O Richard Angelini 76 Mt. Hope Rd. Somerset, MA 02726 http://www.ussjpkennedyjr.org/

USS Orleck (DD-886) C/O Glenda Dyer 2202 Link Ave. Orange, TX 77630 http://www.ussorleck.org/ dyerglenda@yahoo.com

Beep-Beep...Support Your Destroyer Museums

23

I LIKE THE NAVY

Reflections of a Blackshoe by Vadm Harold Koenig, USN (Ret)

I like standing on the bridge wing at sun-rise with salt spray in my face and clean oceanwinds whipping in from the four quarters of the globe - the ship beneath me feeling like a livingthing as her engines drive her through the sea.

I like the sounds of the Navy - the piercingtrill of the boatswains pipe, the syncopated clangorof the ship's bell on the quarterdeck, the harsh squawk of the 1MC and the strong languageand laughter of sailors at work.

I like Navy vessels - nervous dartingdestroyers, plodding fleet auxiliaries, sleek subma-rines and steady solid carriers. I like the proudnames of Navy ships: Midway, Lexington,Saratoga, Coral Sea - memorials of great battleswon. I like the lean angular names of Navy 'tin-cans': Barney, Dahlgren, Mullinix, McCloy, -mementos of heroes who went before us.

I like the tempo of a Navy band blaringthrough the topside speakers as we pull away fromthe oiler after refueling at sea. I like liberty call andthe spicy scent of a foreign port. I even like allhands working parties as my ship fills herself withthe multitude of supplies both mundane and exoticwhich she needs to cut her ties to the land and carryout her mission anywhere on the globe where thereis water to float her.

I like sailors, men from all parts of theland, farms of the Midwest, small towns of NewEngland, from the cities, the mountains and theprairies, from all walks of life. I trust and dependon them as they trust and depend on me - forprofessional competence, for comradeship, forcourage. In a word, they are "shipmates." I like thesurge of adventure in my heart when the word ispassed "Now station the special sea and anchordetail - all hands to quarters for leaving port", andI like the infectious thrill of sighting home again,with the waving hands of welcome from family andfriends waiting pier-side.

The work is hard and dangerous, the goingrough at times, the parting from loved ones painful,but the companionship of robust Navy laughter,the 'all for one and one for all' philosophy of thesea is ever present. I like the serenity of the seaafter a day of hard ship's work, as flying fish flitacross the wave tops and sunset gives way to night.

I like the feel of the Navy in darkness - themasthead lights, the red and green navigation lightsand stern light, the pulsating phosphorescence ofradar repeaters - they cut through the dusk and joinwith the mirror of stars overhead. And I like drift-ing off to sleep lulled by the myriad noises largeand small that tell me that my ship is alive andwell, and that my shipmates on watch will keep mesafe. I like quiet mid-watches with the aroma ofstrong coffee - the lifeblood of the Navy - permeat-ing everywhere.

And I like hectic watches when the exact-ing minuet of haze-gray shapes racing at flankspeed keeps all hands on a razor edge of alertness.I like the sudden electricity of "General quarters,general quarters, all hands man your battle sta-tions", followed by the hurried clamor of running feet on ladders and the resounding thump of water-tight doors as the ship transforms herself in a fewbrief seconds from a peaceful workplace to aweapon of war - ready for anything.

And I like the sight of space-age equipmentmanned by youngsters clad in dungarees andsound-powered phones that their grandfatherswould still recognize. I like the traditions of theNavy and the men and women who made them. Ilike the proud names of Navy heroes: Halsey,Nimitz, Perry, Farragut, John Paul Jones. A sailorcan find much in the Navy: comrades-in-arms,pride in self and country, mastery of the seaman'strade. An adolescent can find adulthood.

In years to come, when sailors are homefrom the sea, they will still remember with fond-ness and respect the ocean in all its moods - theimpossible shimmering mirror calm and the storm-tossed green water surging over the bow. And thenthere will come again a faint whiff of stack gas, afaint echo of engine and rudder orders, a vision ofthe bright bunting of signal flags snapping at theyardarm, a refrain of hearty laughter in the ward-

24

GO NAVY

room and chief's quarters and mess decks. Goneashore for good they will grow wistful about theirNavy days, when the seas belonged to them and anew port of call was ever over the horizon.

Remembering this, they will stand tallerand say, "I WAS A SAILOR ONCE. I WASPART OF THE NAVY & THE NAVY WILLALWAYS BE PART OF ME."

Navy Quote:

“If I could have my will, there should notbe the least obstruction of navigation, commerce orprivateering, because I firmly believe that onesailor will do us more good than two soldiers. Anavy is our natural and only defense.”

John Adams, 1780

USSSLATER (DE-766)by Frank Parra

For the most part, thematerial contained herein was garneredfrom the World Wide Web, particularlyfrom the USS SLATER Web Page. It ispresented in order to provide our mem-bership with an appreciation of the mag-nitude of effort and devotion of thou-sands of sailors and their families andfriends to the cause of obtaining andrestoring a World War II naval vessel.

HISTORY OF USS SLATER

Of the 565 Destroyer Escorts produced forWorld War II, USS SLATER (DE-766), a CannonClass Destroyer Escort, is the only one remainingafloat in the United States, and the only one any-where with original battle armament and configura-tion. These trim, but deadly, warships had the dutyof looking out for enemy submarines and kamika-zes as they escorted ship convoys across the Pacificand Atlantic oceans.

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Destroyer Escorts were named for Navalheroes, particularly those from early in World WarII. USS SLATER is named for Frank O. Slater ofAlabama, a sailor killed at his 20-mm gun aboardthe USS SAN FRANCISCO (CA-38) in 1942,during the Battle of Guadalcanal.

USS SLATER was "laid down" 9 March1943, launched 13 February 1944, and commis-sioned 1 May 1944. After a shakedown cruisenear Bermuda in June 1944, SLATER headed forKey West, where she served as a target ship and asa sonar school ship. In the latter part of 1944, theship escorted two convoys to England. She contin-ued her Atlantic convoy duty from January throughMay 1945, when she escorted three convoys toWales.

After returning to New York, SLATERheaded for the Pacific, stopping at GuantanamoBay and Panama. She went through the canal on28 June and stopped at San Diego before sailing toPearl Harbor. From there, she joined Task Unit33.2.4 at Manila in September and escorted it toYokohama. Through the remainder of the year, sheescorted convoys to Manila, Japan, Biak (an islandwest of New Guinea in the Netherlands EastIndies), and the Caroline Islands. SLATER oper-ated from the Philippines during January 1946 andthen sailed to San Pedro, California. SLATERmade another pass through the Panama Canal onher way to Norfolk for inactivation. She sailed toGreen Cove Springs, Florida, in April 1946 andwas then transferred to Charleston in February1947. The Navy placed her in reserve, out ofcommission, in Green Cove Springs in May 1947.

On March 1, 1951, SLATER was trans-ferred to the Hellenic Navy under the TrumanDoctrine. Renamed Aetos-01, the ship served as aHellenic Navy Officer Training Vessel until 1991,when Greece donated the ship to DESA (DestroyerEscort Sailors Association). While in the HellenicNavy, the ship had been used in a number ofmovies including "The Guns of Navarone." RECOVERY

Destroyer Escort sailors from around thenation donated $275,000 to bring the ship back tothe United States. On 27 August 1993, a Russian

tugboat brought the vessel back from Crete to NewYork City where it was docked next to USS IN-TREPID (CV-11). Over the next several years,hundreds of volunteers began the restoration of theship to her World War II configuration. DEHF(Destroyer Escort Historical Foundation) wasseeking a permanent home for the ship and soughtassistance from DMNA (New York State Divisionof Military and Naval Affairs) in order to do so.The Destroyer Escort Historical Foundation,Military History Branch, coordinated the initialmeetings between DEHF and the City of Albany,New York. In July 1997, DEHF and the City ofAlbany signed letters of intent to have the shippermanently located on the Hudson River in Al-bany. SLATER was towed up the Hudson to NewYork's capital and on Sunday, 26 October 1997,USS SLATER arrived at the Port of Albany.

RESTORATIONThe Destroyer Escort Historical Founda-

tion hired historic ship expert Timothy Rizzuto,formerly of USS KIDD (DD-661) in Baton Rouge,Louisiana, to lead SLATER's restoration. Assistedby education and tour coordinator, Nancy Buxton,Rizzuto has recruited and organized teams ofvolunteers to complete the ship's restoration.Professionals donate their time to bring about theship's transformation. For example, the electricalteam worked for months in the dark in freezingtemperatures with only flashlights to guide them inorder to restore electrical power to the ship. Engi-neers meet on Saturdays to work on the ship'sGeneral Motors diesel engines. Maintenance crewsgather to chip paint, paint, clean, and removelayers of tile to restore the ship's spaces. Tourguides, many of them Navy veterans, lead visitorsthrough the ship to help them gain a sense of howthe 216-man crew functioned. Others activelypromote the ship and seek funding to fuel therestoration. The collections team catalogs thehundreds of artifacts, photos, documents, andpersonal papers donated to the museum, which willbe the center for Destroyer Escort-related history.On 20 March 1998, SLATER was officially listedon the New York State Register of Historic Places.Listing on the National Register was formally

26

presented on Veteran's Day, 11 November 1998. On Sunday, 26 October 1997, Mayor

Jerry Jennings of Albany was presented with theNavy Cross and Purple Heart earned by Frank O.Slater in 1942. DEHF has asked the Mayor tohold the decorations until they can be safelydisplayed aboard SLATER.

OWNERSHIPUSS SLATER is owned by the Destroyer

Escort Historical Foundation (DEHF), a 501 (c) 3organization. The ship is not owned by the USNavy and therefore is not subject to recall to activeservice in the event of war. DEHF supports USSSLATER and three Naval Museums with financialcontributions and programs such as assistance withrenovations, development of a strong tourism baseand national media exposure.

VOLUNTEERSSince the time SLATER was donated by

the government of Greece, the work of restorationhas been continually underway. Innumerablevolunteers have devoted their time and energy andfunding to the project, which is still ongoing. Byway of illustration, we provide below excerptsfrom the May 2000 edition of SLATER SIGNALS,a monthly newsletter, published by TimothyRizzuto, Ship’s Superintendent, that reports on theprogress of the restoration:

For the fifth time, Dick Breil [DE-255] and Ron Zarem [DE-148] organized a crew fromthe Michigan DESA Chapter to come East andwork on the ship for a week. This time, theyshowed up with thirty-two men. Although mostwere from the Michigan Chapter, six other DESAchapters were represented: East Pacific, LosAngeles DESA, Golden Chapter of NorthernCalifornia, Old Dominion from Virginia, NewJersey DESA, and the local CAP-DESA. Manyarrived via scheduled airline flights, while othersarrived via Amtrak. These were picked up at theAlbany Airport or the Amtrak station by ladyvolunteer drivers, who baked brownies for the“crew” in between their transportation runs. Therest of the Michigan crew arrived by automobilesand vans, which were full of the cooks’ gear.

Cook Bill Cramer [DE-366] and his twomess cooks, Paul Monaco [DE-148] and JamesRay [DE-422] put all the galley improvements tothe test. They had their work cut out for themcooking three squares a day for the crew. Asusual, the big hit was creamed chipped beef ontoast. Even Nancy Buxton got to experience thisculinary delight, but not until she had been thor-oughly briefed on all the navy nicknames for thisscrumptious treat.

The crew had hardly reported aboard andunpacked their sea bags before John Barko [DE-330] tracked down Tim Rizzuto at the Quarterdeckand said, “This year I want to make my donationbefore you hand out the job assignments. I thoughtI might get a better job.” He then pulled out hischeckbook and made a $5,000 donation right there,matching the donation he had made the previousyear. He then proceeded to pick the same job he’dhad the year before, and spent the whole weekneedle-gunning tank vents around the deck houseon the main deck.

The crew broke into four sections:

27

painting, welding, pipefitting, and cleaning. Al-though slowed down by bad weather, the paintingsection managed to get the fantail, quarterdeck, K-guns and the 01 level scaled and painted. Theyalso did a lot of detail preparation work around thedeck house and a lot of Bondo repair work. RustyNichols [DE-700] donated a gallon of that indis-pensable compound and was officially designated“BONDO-MAN – MAY 2000."

Not only does this Michigan gang travelmany hours to do the work, they also donatesupplies, equipment, and resources to accomplishthe task. Dick Walker [DE-359] contributed thecost of the shut-off valves needed to install theseven sinks aft, while Tim Markham, son of ChuckMarkham [DE’s-183 and 186], applied for a grantfrom CMS Energy Corporation to cover the cost ofthe primer and paint used during the week. DESAdirector, Bob Fowler [DE-534] also brought andleft tools for use by the volunteers.

Welder Tom Schriner [DE-534] led thecrew that worked mounting the forward life raftracks, port and starboard on the superstructure.Greg Krawczyk [FFG-22] had drawn up theoriginal design sketches, Hal Hatfield donated thepipe, and Doug Tanner asked Lou Okonski at TroyBoiler Works, Inc. to bend the pipe. Tom and hiscrew mounted the stanchions and assembled thesupports. CDR Roy Gunther [DD711] completedthe rigging of the whaleboat davits and took advan-tage of the Michigan manpower to swing them free.

The bulk of the crew worked under thesupervision of Dick Breil in cleaning out the after

crew quarters. The first two days were spentbuilding additional shelves in the lower magazinesfrom 2 by 8 planking that was stowed in the space.Then the sorting and movement of material began.Electrical and electronic gear was moved forwardto the reefer spaces. All ordnance, navigation, anddamage control gear was sorted and stowed in themagazines below C-202-L. All interior communi-cations, galley, and tradeable material was stowedin the spaces below C-203-L. Tradeable materialincludes postwar gear and Maritime Commissionfittings. All plumbing parts, supplies, and fixtureswere sorted and moved to the Shipfitter Shop aft.All the books and charts were archived in the afterOfficers’ Stateroom. All the bunk frames, hooks,and chains were stacked in C-202-L for future use.Three dumpster loads of really useless materialwent out as trash. Finally, three pick-up truckloads of scrap metal netted about $250. DickWalker [USCG] lent his truck for this task.

Foundation directors, Earl Johnson [DE-366], Sam Saylor [DE-306], and Ray Windle [DE-640] were in town for a SLATER board meeting.They were joined by DESA director Bob Fowler[DE-534] in plumbing two more after showers theweekend the Michigan crew arrived. That made atotal of four working showers. Once the workweek started, Bob and Earl stayed on and went towork with Clark Farnsworth [CV-32] to mountseven sinks and plumb-in the hot and cold watersupply and the sink drains. By the end of the week,and following many trips to the plumbing supplyhouse, all seven sinks were on line.

Mayor Jerry Jennings was so impressedwith the gang from Michigan that he treated themto a dinner cruise on the DUTCH APPLE on

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Friday night.

IS SHE OR ISN’T SHE?

The following comes to us courtesy ofJerry Jones ET, SLATER Volunteers.

It seems that there is a small controversy(at least in one man's mind) about whether theDestroyer Escort returned to the Hudson River bythe DEHF is indeed USS SLATER! It is true thatseveral DE’s were transferred to the Greek Navyalong with SLATER. An ex-crewmember of one ofthe other DEs has asserted the ship now in the Portof Albany is his old ship and not SLATER. Now,to the casual observer one DE might look just likeanother, and after 55 years, memories can beforgiven for fading just a little, but Simpson'smemory is sharp and clear and he claims incontro-vertible proof of SLATER's identity!

Simpson recalls that while SLATER was

in the Brooklyn Navy Yard in 1944, a pair of yardbirds with flashlights awakened him in his bunk at0200. " Are you Simpson?" "Yes" says Simpson."Is your space the IC and Gyro room?" "Yes" saysSimpson. "Well you better roll out and come withus then, because the yard fire-watch has spottedsmoke and we think it's coming from the IC roomand we don't have a key." Now Simpson is afraidhe knows what it is right away. It seems that on aDE a place to press your uniform is not that easyto find. Simpson had a nice wooden bench in theIC room kind of tucked in between the ship’sgyroscope and the "Now Hear This" amplifier thatwas just the right size. He also had two goodbuddies, Balkin and Blackwood, who used to presstheir uniforms there with him. Down through thehatch in the mess deck to the IC room with the twoyard birds close behind, Simpson unlocks the doorand, sure enough, there is the red-hot iron burnedright through the wooden work bench! No big deal,no fire, and the compartment is soon cleared ofsmoke, but there still remains the hole burned in thebench. "Oh dear," says Simpson (well, maybe nothis exact words). "My division officer will find outabout this tomorrow, he'll tell the Captain, I'll geta mast, get busted and won't get a liberty until1950!" The two yard birds get their heads together

and after a short conversation one of them says toSimpson, "Well, nobody but the three of us needsto know about this, meet us on the pier at 0800."So Simpson is on the pier at 0800 and there are thetwo yard birds with a neat steel plate that they havefabricated to fit over the hole in the bench. Theplate gets discreetly installed, covering the evi-dence, and nobody is the wiser for the next 55years. And there the story would end except forthe allegation that the ship now in the HudsonRiver at Albany is one of the other DEs and notSLATER!

Well, in April 1999, the former SLATER

crew held its annual ship's reunion onboardSLATER, and the first thing Simpson did wasmake it down to the IC room to check out theworkbench. Sure enough, undisturbed, and just asit was 55 years and untold thousands of miles ago,there is the wooden workbench with the steel patchstill hiding the evidence.

And now, you know the rest of the story.

Except that Simpson isn't telling whether it wasBalkin, Blackwood or himself who left the iron onthe bench. . .

PROOF POSITIVE

During the summer of 2000, USS SLAT-ER finally got her upper hull scraped down andrepainted. While the finishing touches were beingapplied, it was discovered that the welding guide-lines for her original "766" bow numbers were stillin place and had not been ground off by the GreekNavy.

29

USS SLATER at Albany, N.Y.

FP Notes:I had never heard of USS SLATER until

about a year ago when a screen play crossed mydesk. The work centered about USS SLATER. AsI read through it, I assumed that SLATER was afictional DE, but the thought flickered in my mind

that she might actually exist. A quick check ofsome of my reference material proved this to be so,and I began to dig further into the SLATER story.

The more I delved into it, the more fascin-ating it became, to the point where early in July2001, I drove to Albany, New York with my wifeto see for myself. It was all true; there she was tiedup on the Western side of the Hudson River,bristling with gun barrels. I had never imaginedthe amount of armament carried by one of theselittle combatants. She has 3"/50's, 40-mm’s, 20-mm’s, Hedgehogs, K-guns, and depth charge racks.Truly impressive! Above decks, she looks ready toget underway and do the job for which she wasdesigned.

I happened to run into Mr. TimothyRizzuto on the fantail, introduced myself, and toldhim of my intention to run this story (with hispermission) in a future issue of our RushGram.Since he was on his way to a luncheon engagementat the time, we arranged to meet later in the Ship’sOffice.

Tim welcomes any publicity he can get forhis ship and gladly granted permission for use ofthe information. He was quite gracious during ourconversation and offered a number of suggestionswhen I informed him of the initial attempts by ourAssociation to bring back RUSH.

He offered the opinion that the country was

fast becoming saturated with World War II mu-seum ships and that it becomes less and less proba-ble that any new endeavor could be shown to beprofitable enough to attract financial support.

He suggested that our organization couldmake a more significant contribution to memorial-izing ships of that era, by cooperating, both finan-cially and physically, with other organizations thatalready have a ship to restore and maintain. In thisvein, recall the efforts of the Michigan crew aboardSLATER. There are a number of these vesselsthroughout the country, whose organizations, I’msure, would welcome that sort of help. If you’reinterested, please take a few moments to locate onenear you and find out how you might volunteer toparticipate in its restoration and/or maintenance.

FINANCIAL REPORTJim Hocking, Treasurer

The following is a summary of our accountfor the period January 1, 2001 to Dec 8, 2001:

INCOME2001 Calendar 60.002002 Calendar 260.00Dues, 2000 20.00Dues, 2001 4060.00Dues, 2002 290.00Dues, 2003 60.00Gift 50.00Reunion 2001 16,714.00RushGram Branson (Excess Advance) 7.39RushRelief Fund 175.00 Ship’s Store 4,490.50Brought Fwd (2000) 10,683.14

.TOTAL INCOME $ 36,870.03

EXPENSES2002 Calendar 450.00Chaplain 165.67 Operation 890.93Reunion 2001 19,161.19RushGram29 5.69RushGram30 400.00RushGram Branson 400.00Ship’s Store 5,807.90

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TOTAL EXPENSES $ 27,281.38

CURRENT BALANCE $ 9,588.65

————

Total Members Paid Up: 263Total Members Owing 2001Dues: 29Total Hardship Members: 13Total Life Members: 2Total Membership: 307

IMPORTANT ADDRESSES

Bernie Caprera, President29 Old Oak Lane

Levittown, NY 11756email: eggcream31@aol.com

Phone: 516 731-5184

John Buglione, Sr, Vice President244-20 88 Roadth

Bellerose, NY 11426email: jbuglione@nyc.rr.com

Phone: 718 343-6261

Art Bramfeld, Secretary1224 Nolan Ave.

Chula Vista, CA 91911email: abramfeld4699@juno.com

Phone: 619 691-8424

Jim Hocking, Treasurer65 Currier Road

East Falmouth, MA 02536email: jhocking@capecod.net

Phone: 508 548-5233

Bill Gaul, Chaplain206 Deer Run

Norristown, PA 19403 email: billdd714@aol.com

Phone: 610 279-2772

Jim Kelly, Historian53 Jake Tucker RoadMidland, NC 28107

email: catskillsailor@juno.comPhone: 704 455-5689

Roger “Bud” Lincoln, Recruiter174 Military StreetHoulton, ME 04730

email: rush_icman@ainop.comPhone: 207 532-4103

Association Web sitehttp://www.atlantic.net/~gdmunk

RUSHMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD RENAMED

Prior to our latest reunion, the Rushman ofthe Year Award received a name change. Effectivewith the 2001 Reunion, the name was changed toTHE RUSS GEETING AWARD FOR EXEM-PLARY SERVICE.

Russ Geeting, BM/CS 1953-56 was theAssociation Chaplain until his death in June, 1999.In addition Russ was the Association's own whirlingdervish, who could be seen at prior reunions with agrin, hearty handshake, and an uncanny ability tosell raffle tickets. Russ was the poster boy for theUSS William R. Rush legacy, a man who not onlyserved his country with pride, but did so while beingthe ultimate brother to all his shipmates, whether heserved with them or knew them from the Associa-tion.

Russ received the 1999 Rushman of theYear Award posthumously. Other prior winnerswere: Al Landry, SKC USN (Ret), and Roger "Bud"Lincoln, IC2, 1965-69.

WRAP UP by Bernie Caprera

WANTED: NEW EDITOR

This may sound familiar, but RushGram

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needs a new Editor-in-Chief. In a time when Ishould be slowing down, I am busier than ever withmy full-time job selling houses and my part timejob of teaching, which, I am proud to say, includesteaching at a local college. I assure you that theseare labors of love. Because of these endeavors, Ihave not had the time to oversee properly thepublication of RushGram in 2001. The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for issue layouts, writing somearticles, and keeping up-to-date the various col-umns (In Memoriam, Binnacle List, WelcomeAboard, etc.). He must be a good communicatorand be able to set and keep deadlines. Any candi-date should contact me to discuss this importantposition.

MISSING THE REUNIONI was disappointed at not being able to

attend our reunion in Branson. I was all set to gountil I found out in August that I had a majorconflict with the dates of the reunion and my job.I had to weigh going or staying home, which, Iassure you, kept me up many nights; but, in theend, I realized that I had no choice but to stay inNew York. My apologies to the membership.

REUNION A BIGSUCCESSI have gotten word fromseveral sources that thereunion was a huge suc-cess and the officers

have received many compliments on another 4.0job of organization. This issue has articles aboutthe reunion in order that those of us who could notattend will be able to get some flavor of what wenton. Hopefully, we will have some more about thereunion in our Spring 2002 issue.

PHOTOS ON LINEDue to the overwhelming cost of the 1999

Reunion Wrap Up issue, we have not put photos ofthe reunion in this issue. In order to see photos,please go to the Association web site.

HOLIDAY GREETINGSThis has not been an easy year for any of

us, with September 11 being so fresh in ourth

minds. I'm sure that it is a day that we will neverforget and our daily prayers include all thoseaffected by it. But, the Officer's and staff of

RushGram want to wish all of you and your fami-lies, a safe, healthy and peaceful holiday season.Additionally, we wish our military a speedy andsuccessful conclusion to its mission and that all ourpersonnel arrive home safe.

GOD BLESS AMERICA!

CRYPTOQUOTE SOLVED

YOU DON’T SEE ME AT VEGAS OR AT THERACES THROWING MY MONEY AROUND.I’VE GOT A GOVERNMENT TO SUPPORT.

BOB HOPE