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Reserve Cruise Cuba 1968
~ Man Overboard Drills |
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| USS Haynsworth DD700 |
| * Scuttlebut & Memories * |
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Reserve Cruise Cuba 1968
~ Man Overboard Drills |
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Rememberable events were a reserve cruise to Cuba, off loading ammunition in the Key West heat for a ship overhaul in New Orleans, and a dependence cruise where the officers got to show our seamanship skills doing man overboard drills; something that I had never done on my own. The Operations officer (LCDR John ???) and Chief Engineer (LT Louie Welch) constantly preached the “Old Navy” attributes. As the overboard drills progressed, one thing became obvious to all aboard… If you valued your life, don’t fall overboard. Finally I could put off the inevitable no longer, There was no one left in line either in front or behind me. It was my turn to do something I had never done before. Well, I thought, the Haynsworth is just like a big boat and I’ve driven boats all my life. Long story short… I did my thing and when I finally stopped the ship, its bow was only a couple of yards away from the overboard dummy. The boatswain's mate used a boat hook and promptly lifted the dummy aboard the ship with the skipper (CDR Jack Kittrell) announcing “now that’s the way we do it in the new Navy.” Captain Jack, as we called him, was heavily involved in the Navy’s Golden Gloves efforts. Once he had Carmen Basilio aboard (former world welterweight and lightweight boxing champion). The champ was indeed a champ and punched most of the crew in the shoulder saying now you can say you’ve been punched by the Champ. |