On our first day back in the Tonkin Gulf after Japan, 2 October 1969, tragedy struck. A C-2 Grumman Greyhound, a COD (Carrier Onboard Delivery) aircraft, crashed into the Gulf enroute from NAS Cubi Point in the Philippines to the USS Constellation (CV-64).
The six crew members and 21 passengers onboard remain listed as missing in action. Their bodies were never recovered.
The Biddle was among the ships assigned search-and-rescue duties that day. In my journal for the day, I wrote: “All we saw was wreckage, and pieces of bodies.” That may well be true, but, thankfully, I don’t have in my memory now images of body parts floating.
Exactly three months earlier, on 2 July 1969, a C-2 on its way back to Cubi Point from the USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) had experienced a failure in the engine gearbox and propeller assembly that caused the loss of the entire propeller assembly on its port side. The propeller penetrated the plane’s fuselage, causing decompression at over 20,000 feet. The pilot, LCDR Peter Kennedy, was able to bring that plane safely to Cubi Point, actions for which he was awarded the Air Medal with Bronze Star. It was the first award for heroic achievement flying a COD.
Wrapping up Japan
While in port in Yokosuka, I had seen two OCS classmates who were the two other OCS students designated Special Duty (Intelligence). On 22 September, Mike Alin, who was assigned to USS Stoddert (DDG-22), came by and woke me up. He left later that day to go to Hawaii, to join his wife, who was in her eighth month of pregnancy.
Four days later, on the 26th, Clarence Pautzke, assigned to the USS Waddell (DDG-24), came by and we spent some time in the Officers Club. The three of us didn’t know each other at OCS, but we had received intelligence training together in Norfolk. Funny, huh, that we all ended up deployed to the Gulf of Tonkin together, too. Methinks we were part of an experiment. Wonder how it worked out.
The 26th was also our last full day in Japan. At some point that day, I had gone over again to the Exchange for a final buying spree. According to my journal: “Bought a pachinko machine, some clothes for family, filters, paintings, bronzeware, etc.” I think my parents later dumped that pachinko machine, but I still have the bronzeware.
As we left Japan, we had also said goodbye to LTJGs Rogers and Marsters, who had been notified previously of early release from active duty. LTJG Meyers hung around with us a while longer, and had a more interesting departure from the Biddle soon thereafter.
On a roll . . . and pitch
My journal noted that, on our departure from Japan, we had rough weather. On 27 September, I wrote: “Rolling 15-20 degrees. Didn’t feel especially great, but didn’t get sick. We were skirting Typhoon Elsie.” The next day: “Now we’re pitching, instead of rolling. Buried bullnose 45 times in two hours. 10-degree pitch.”
Stats
Through the end of September, I had compiled statistics about the deployment thus far, and entered them in my journal.
As noted, the stats are for me, not the Biddle. Remember, I had been ordered to leave the ship in Subic and go ahead to the Gulf back in June, so I had more days on the line . . . and not in port . . . than the ship. Basically, I was on the line just short of 50 percent of the time, in transit 30 percent, and in port almost 20 percent. You can also see that I was counting the days. Eighty-two days to go!