On August 2, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield confirmed a Washington Post report that in 1963 President John F. Kennedy had decided to order withdrawal of all American troops from South Vietnam after the 1964 election. Kennedy was assassinated before that election and his successor, Lyndon Johnson, increased troop levels to half a million troops during his term.
Judge taken hostage by Black Panthers
Marin County Superior Court Judge Harold Haley was taken hostage from his San Rafael, Calif., courtroom on August 7 and later killed. During the criminal trial of a member of the Black Panthers, James McClain, a teenage Jonathan Jackson tossed a sawed-off shotgun he had smuggled into the courtroom, along with other weapons, to McClain. Holding the shotgun against the judge’s neck, McClain, as well as Jackson and two convict witnesses, took an assistant prosecutor and three women jurors as additional hostages and attempted to leave in a rented van. They ran into a police blockade. In the ensuing shootout, McClain killed Judge Haley, and McClain, Jackson, and the two other convicts were killed by police. The weapons smuggled into the courtroom and used in the incident were registered to Angela Davis, now professor emerita at UC Santa Cruz.
Former heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali was granted a license to box on August 11, three years after being stripped of his title in 1967 for refusing induction into the Army.
Singer Janis Joplin gave what would be her final concert on August 12 before 35,000 people at the Harvard University Stadium, Cambridge, Mass. She would die October 4 of a heroin overdose.
Robert Fassnacht, a 33-year-old physicist working late at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisc., was killed instantly on the morning of August 24, when a explosives-laden truck exploded outside of Sterling Hall, a building that contained the U.S. Army Mathematics Research Center. It was the work of a group called “The New Year’s Gang” in protest against the Vietnam War. Three of the four individuals in the gang were arrested and each served several years in prison. The fourth was never located.
Thirty-two U.S. servicemen were killed on August 26 when a rocket-propelled grenade struck their Chinook helicopter in Quang Nam Province, South Vietnam. It was one of the worst aircraft personnel losses in the war.
McDonnell-Douglas DC-10
The McDonnell-Douglas DC-10, competitor to the Boeing 747, made its maiden flight on August 29. Carrying only a flight crew, the other “jumbo jet” took off from Long Beach, Calif., and flew for several hours before landing at Edwards Air Force Base.
I spent much of July 1970 on the road, and that road was mostly I-80. The 2,900-mile interstate is your basic straight-shot highway between Teaneck, N.J., and San Francisco.
When I left my hometown of Springfield, Mass., my first stop was New York City, the South Bronx specifically. I had met a young woman in Boston while on leave in the spring and that’s where she lived.
I originally intended just to spend one night visiting, so I parked my car outside her apartment building and left all my stuff in the car. Well, you know how these things go. One night changed to two nights, maybe more, and my attention wasn’t on my parked car.
The South Bronx in 1970 was at the beginning of a terrible decade, but was already a tough place. On the second morning of my stay, I was greeted with “Hey Bill, your car got broken into.”
Nothing was broken, but stuff had been stolen. The most significant item taken was my slide projector and, more importantly still, a carousel containing 140 of the best slides from my WESTPAC deployment on USS Biddle (DLG-34). I made it a habit to take several pictures of things, but quite a few shots were singular.
Second City — Chicago
Heading westward with a heavy heart, for a couple of reasons, I was on my way to Chicago, to see another young woman. I had met her while still in college in Boston and had visited her previously in the summer of 1968, before entering OCS.
We had corresponded during the interim, but she was still in college and had connected with a classmate. So I had my first experience as the proverbial “third wheel.” My stay in Chicago was relatively brief.
Leaving Chicago and heading west meant I was seeing much of the country for the first time. Biddle‘s stop in San Francisco in December 1969 had been my first visit to California, but that was a very brief and limited exposure.
My first day out of Chicago, I crossed the Mississippi River, leaving Illinois and entering Iowa.
The Midwest is big . . . and most often flat. Here’s a gallery.
This shot from somewhere in Nebraska was more amusing than daunting, though the skies portend a storm. And storms on the prairies can be really awesome.
At some point in Nebraska, the interstate runs straight for 72 miles, with a variation of only a degree or two. It’s the longest such straight stretch of highway in the entire U.S. Interstate Highway system.
Interstate 80 wasn’t completed until 1986, so there were quite a few segments of the “highway” in 1970 that was essentially a two-lane road. It was my first experience approaching 18-wheelers, each of us going 70+ miles an hour, with just a white line dividing us, and bracing for the shock wave when we passed. Not fun.
I traveled in big bunches on that trip, usually driving 12 or more hours a day. I stopped mostly at fast food establishments and brought my meals with me.
I may have stayed for the first time since Chicago in the Cheyenne, Wyo., area.
Wyoming was fascinating to me. If the Midwest was big and flat, it was also green, something I was used to. Wyoming started to look like “the West” and I was starting to see the Rockies. Another gallery.
The highest elevation I reached on this trip was Sherman Summit in Wyoming, 8,640 feet. In fact, that was likely the highest elevation I had ever been on the earth’s surface.
I then drove through the Great Salt Lake Desert in Utah and drove on to Elko, Nev., where I spent the night.
The Great Salt Lake DesertMust be Nevada
Straight shot to San Francisco, through the Sierra Nevada and Donner Pass (7,000 feet elevation), passing by Donner Lake. Here are a few views of the Sierra and Donner Lake.
Headed directly to North Beach, where I snared a motel room and revisited some of the sites of refined entertainment I had first patronized that past December.
The final leg of the trip was directly south, along the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), more prosaically titled California State Route 1. It’s about 650 miles from San Francisco to San Diego. The marine layer was quite in evidence that day.
Through Big Sur, the road hugs the coastline with sharp drop-offs. It’s only two-lane. Heading south, I was on the ocean side of the road and I remember being surprised by how little of the roadside contained barriers. There were occasionally relatively small rocks with splashes of reflective paint, but that was about it.
On at least a few occasions that trip, I remember approaching a turn to the left, when you couldn’t see traffic traveling north until right into the curve, and then having to veer suddenly to the right, toward that precipitous drop-off, as a motor home or pickup with a trailer swung a little wide into my lane. I became much more cautious after the first one of those.
I’m pretty sure I made the trip in a single day, but I may have stopped for the night in the San Luis Obispo area. A gallery of PCH.
As evidenced by my choice not to stay on base while in training in Norfolk in early 1969, I seemed to have an aversion to living on base. I guess I preferred just to work there.
San Diego-Coronado Bridge, 1969
Thus, on my arrival in Coronado (and my first trip across the year-old and very impressive San Diego-Coronado Bridge), I got a room at the Glorietta Bay Inn, across the street from the Hotel del Coronado, and maybe half a mile from the Naval Amphibious Base (NAB) Coronado.
Glorietta Bay Inn, Coronado, 1960. Doubt it changed much in 10 years.
On 24 July 1970, 50 years ago, I reported for duty here.
On a personal note, on 1 July, the military got a raise. As an O-2 (Lieutenant Junior Grade in the Navy) with fewer than two years commissioned service, my pay went from $449.70 to $486 a month (about $3,300 in today’s dollars).
Things that happened in the U.S. and around the world 50 years ago.
Rev. Billy Graham addresses crowd at “Honor America Day.”
On July 4, a crowd of 400,000 people gathered at the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., for “Honor America Day.” The event was organized by comedian Bob Hope and evangelist Billy Graham. On the same day, Casey Kassem ran down his first “American Top 40” on the syndicated radio show. The syndicated program started on only 10 radio stations.
President Richard Nixon presented to Congress on July 8 a nine-point program later described as “the most dramatic reversal in the history of U.S. policy toward Indians.” The program would reverse the longstanding effort to assimilate American Indian tribes into American culture and encouraged self-determination.
Nixon proposed to Congress on July 9 establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Pete Rose barrels over Ray Fosse.
The National League won its eighth straight Major League Baseball All-Star game on July 14, 5-4, in the 12th inning. Cincinnati Red Pete Rose scored the winning run with his notorious crash into Cleveland Indian catcher Ray Fosse.
Sears, Roebuck & Company announced on July 27 its plans to build the world’s tallest building, in Chicago. The Sears Tower, at 1,450 feet, would be 100 feet taller than the twin-tower World Trade Center in New York City.
Cesar Chavez, leader of United Farm Workers (UFW), announced on July 29 the end of the UFW’s five-year strike for a fair wage for farm workers and ended a worldwide boycott of grapes. The 26 largest grape-growers agreed to raise the hourly wage to $1.80 and pay $.20 for each box picked. The contract collapsed with a few weeks when the Teamsters Union attempted to organize farm workers.
Players in the National Football League voted on July 30 to go out on strike. While rookies showed up later for training camps, most veterans chose to stay out.
The traditional daily drink of rum for members of the British Navy ended on July 31. It ended a 238-year tradition whereby each sailor was entitled to a “tot” of 95.5-proof rum.
Probably my favorite picture of the Biddle. Steaming, with missiles on the rails.
30 June, 50 years ago, was my last day aboard the Biddle. That day, I went to the quarterdeck, dressed in civvies, and said to LTJG Fauth, I believe, “I request permission to leave the ship, sir.” We shook hands, exchanged farewells, and I headed for the parking lot. I then drove — in that recently purchased Barracuda — to my family’s home in Springfield, Mass. I spent a couple of weeks there, I believe, visiting friends, etc., before beginning my first cross-country drive.
This post is going to include a big bunch of photos from my time on Biddle that I rediscovered in recent days. I’m going to try to add them later to the appropriate earlier posts, but wanted to post them all in this fond farewell to Biddle.
I’ve come to appreciate over the years the depth and richness of my experience on DLG-34. I was able to have adventures and make it through calamities few other friends and acquaintances of mine had. I’ve been able since to share “sea stories” about helo rides, stormy seas, bars in Subic, etc., that enlivened many a conversation.
I’ve enjoyed very much working on this blog and remembering the times and the people with whom I shared them on Biddle. I’ve been in touch with the three other Ensigns on board — Curran, Graham, and Roberts — over the years, especially since the Biddle‘s all-hands reunion in Virginia Beach in 2006. Indeed, here’s a picture of us from that event.
L-R: Jack Roberts, John Graham, Bill McDonald, Steve Curran, 2006
Sure, we look old. And this was 14 years ago!
I was so lucky to have great resources with which to complement the blog. Shipmate Jim Treadway’s excellent Hard Charger: The Story of the USS Biddle (DLG-34) was my reference for what happened when and who was involved. Buy it on Amazon!
At the 2006 reunion, shipmate George Boyles provided us a CD with a video compiled from film he and fellow GMG2 Jerome Kuczmarski shot during the deployment. The video also contained still photos from the Biddle’s construction, commissioning, and decommissioning, but the film shot May-December 1969 was an especially valuable addition to the blog. Thank you, shipmates!
I’ve touched base with a few other contemporary shipmates through this blog, at least through the posts on Facebook, which has been great. I’ve also enjoyed connecting remotely with other Hard Chargers, from different eras. I don’t plan to post on the Biddle group page about my remaining months on active duty, because it’s not what the group page is about. For those who may find information about Naval Special Warfare Group, Pacific, and Coronado/San Diego in 1970-71 interesting, I’ll post something on the Facebook page when I figure out how you can sign up on the blog for email announcements of new posts.
Thanks to Biddlemen for viewing this blog. Hope you’re all well. I hope you have found the photos from Biddle interesting. It is a perpetual annoyance to me that many of the the best photos I took during the deployment and cruises are not here. My slide projector and the 140-slide-capacity carousel with those photos were stolen from my car in the South Bronx in July 1970. But that’s a story for a future post. 🙂
Here’s more photos. If you click on the galleries, you’ll see larger images and captions.
Ship’s gig operating outside the Panama Canal.
A gallery of images from the stop in Hawaii on the way West, including scenes of Nu’uanu Pali.
Manila
Helo ceremonies, including a cake dropped on deck.
View from the Tokyo Tower, showing the green grounds of the Imperial Palace.
Yoyogi National Gymnasium, Tokyo, site of the swimming and diving competition at the 1964 Olympics.
A temple in Tokyo. Buddhist or Shinto, I can’t recall.
We held a ship’s party in Japan and this is another photo from that event. In the rear, paying rapt attention to CAPT Olsen, are LT Berquist (on right) and me.
LT Meyers got an early-out. Instead of waiting until we went into port, the Navy wanted him out right away. He was transferred by highline to a supply ship during underway replenishment. Not as dramatic as ENS Graham’s arrival by helicopter hoist, but still . . . .
Hong Kong
Scenes from the China mainland, within borders of Hong Kong. These were taken by ENS Curran. I had the duty.
Biddle‘s first shotgun was USS Meredith (DD-890), but later in the deployment, we were joined by USS Renshaw (DD-499).
Scenes from plane-guarding
The post about the storm that hit us in early December mentioned the presence of an owl at the bow. It seemed amazing that it would end up on Biddle when we were quite far north of Hawaii. But here’s proof.
More photos from San Francisco, including scenes from UC Berkeley
More from the Caribbean cruise, including a picture of me and Margarita.
My performance aboard USS Biddle (DLG-34), at least according to the officers to whom I reported, was not much to write home about. They wrote about it though, in the “Report on the Fitness of Officers” (FITREP) submitted on me three times.
If Biddle followed the practice with which I became familiar later in the Reserves, officers that oversaw other officers drafted fitness reports on their juniors and submitted them up the chain to be signed by the Commanding Officer. Mine were all signed by CAPT Olsen, but I don’t know to what extent he changed any grades or comments.
My first fitness report from Biddle officially covered 15 February-31 July 1969, but that period also included my leave following commissioning at OCS, travel to Norfolk, and several weeks of Intelligence and CIC courses. I officially reported to Biddle on 3 May 1969, so the initial report was only for three months.
Overall, my performance was rated Excellent and I got the same grade in the categories of my specialty (Intelligence) and watch duty (CIC). I was “Not observed” in shiphandling and airmanship. In terms of desirability (not my studliness, but “your attitude toward having this officer under your command”), I was rated “Prefer to most,” not “Particularly desire.”
I also learned later than officer fitness reports are skewed, in the sense that it seems performance is inferred more by how far the officer is considered less than perfect, rather than an objective evaluation. Thus, my “Excellent” performance, not considered “Outstanding,” was really “meh.”
Regarding the 15 “personal characteristics” on which officers are rated, I was “Above the majority,” third highest rating, in all but two. For “Force” (“The positive and enthusiastic manner with which he fulfills his responsibilities”) and “Military Bearing” (“His military carriage, correctness of uniform, smartness of appearance and physical fitness”), I was rated just one rung lower, “Equal to the majority.”
Damned by faint praise!
The comments section read:
“ENS McDonald has been aboard only a short time and has not yet been fully challenged. He is quiet, reserved, somewhat shy, but desirous of doing a good job. As he has been finding his way, he has not exhibited a great deal of zeal toward acquiring more responsibility than that already assigned. He has been tasked to present several briefings on intelligence matters, all of which he made with poise and confidence.
“When the ship arrived in WestPac, he was one of the Advance Team, which proceeded to the Gulf of Tonkin, where he firmed up his plans for forming BIDDLE’s own Intelligence Team. Under his direction this group has maintained order of battle plots, published a daily bulletin of pertinent information for the embarked Squadron Commander, the command and key watchstanders, and briefed helicopter pilots daily on potential areas of operation.
“ENS McDonald is thoughtful, intelligent, and responsive. He has demonstrated potential for growth.”
I don’t know. It kinda reminded me of a grade school report card.
In my second fitness report, covering 1 August 1969- 31 January 1970, my grades in “Performance of duties” and “Desirability” had moved smartly . . . nowhere. Exactly the same grades as my first FITREP.
I had improved slightly in the grades for my personal characteristics. Most were in the “Above the majority” category, with “Force” remaining in the “equal to the majority” category. “Military Bearing” moved up one grade. Into the “One of the top few” category were “Imagination” (“Resourcefulness, creativeness, and capacity to plan constructively”), “Self-expression (oral),” and “Self-expression (written).”
The comments were a little more extensive:
“ENS McDONALD is intelligent, well-spoken, thoughtful, congenial, and sincere. He is quiet, with a good sense of humor. Although small in stature and lacking in force, he is exceptionally poised. In matters concerned with leadership of men, he is occasionally unsure of himself, reflecting inexperience and an unaggressive nature. However, in those areas in which he is interested, such as intelligence, writing and briefing, he has demonstrated capacity for original and clear thinking and excellent execution.
“During most of this reporting period, the BIDDLE was on-the-line in the Gulf of Tonkin as the PIRAZ or strike support ship. As the OinC of the ship’s intelligence team, ENS McDONALD was responsible for maintaining friendly and enemy order of battle plots, preparing the daily intelligence summary, and briefing embarked helicopter pilots on the reconnaissance missions of the day. He carried out these duties in a superior manner and was awarded a Letter of Commendation from COMSEVENTHFLT for his performance.
“As an intelligence specialist, ENS McDONALD has had a unique opportunity to serve with the operating forces in a war theater. He has used the various intelligence publications available to the shipboard officer. He is well-prepared to serve on a major Fleet staff.”
My final FITREP from CAPT Olsen, and first as a Lieutenant Junior Grade, covered the period 1 February-22 May 1970, his final day as Commanding Officer. I guess you could say that in performance and desirability, I was consistent. The grades for performance and desirability in the final FITREP were the same as in the first and second.
My “low” grade in Personal Characteristics — “Equal to the majority” in “Force” — also stayed in place. I did, however, achieve the top grade — “Is not exceeded” — in “Self-expression (written).” And I added two more in the “One of the top few” category — “Judgment” (“His ability to develop correct and logical conclusions”) and “Analytical ability” (“Logical incisiveness which discriminates between assumption, fact, and hypothesis”).
Comments:
“LTJG MCDONALD is perceptive, erudite, tactful and quiet. Assigned tasks in areas in which he is interested, he is creative, resourceful, enthusiastic, and meticulous. Tasks which fall outside these areas are executed in summary fashion.
“He has refined his administrative skills during this period, but still is not at ease managing men and organizations. During this reporting period the BIDDLE received an Annual Administrative Inspection. Both the ship and areas for which LTJG MCDONALD was responsible, Intelligence and Public Affairs, were adjudged OUTSTANDING (96.7).
“LTJG MCDONALD is self-effacing, good-natured, and considerate of others. He does not seek out responsibility, but when it is assigned, he will give a good account of himself.”
“. . . [S]till is not at ease managing men . . . .” I remember CAPT Olsen talking to me at some point about being too friendly with enlisted men on Biddle. I arrived on Biddle when I was 23 and left at 24. Many of the enlisted crew with whom I had contact were close in age to me. And, because of Vietnam and the draft, many of them were also college graduates who chose to be Navy enlisted rather than Army grunt. I did find it difficult not to engage them in conversation about matters outside the ship, etc. It probably didn’t help, though, when one of the enlisted DJs on the ship’s internal “radio station” played an antiwar song (of which there were many at the time) and dedicated it to me.
I actually had another FITREP on Biddle, from CAPT Collister, covering the period 23 May-30 June 1970, the end being my last day on the ship. Due to the brevity of the time period, however, he listed all the categories as “not observed.” His comments did say that I was “quiet, sincere, genial, and well-read,” but added that he was unable to make a more definitive evaluation.
Not technically the centerfold, but a two-page spread in the Cruise Book.
Here are images of Biddle‘s WESTPAC 1969 Cruise Book. They are presented in sections, but each page (except for the title page – ?) is included. Just click on the arrows to advance. If you click on any image, you’ll get a larger presentation.
Cover, inside front cover, the CO and XOs — through page 7
Engineering Department, pages 8-18
Supply Department, pages 19-23
Operations Department, pages 24-35
Navigation Department, pages 36 and 37
Weapons Department, pages 38-51
Departure, the Canal, “Then the Pacific,” pages 52-57
Helicopter operations, pages 58-62
Recovery of North Vietnamese fishermen, pages 63 and 64
Underway replenishment, pages 65-68
Embarked staff, USO entertainers, and special visitors, pages 69-73
Beards, Cookouts, and miscellaneous photos, pages 74-81
Pages 82 and 83 were the two-page spread at the top of this post.
More miscellaneous photos, pages 84-89
Ports O’ Call — Hawaii, Subic Bay, Manila, Japan (including Ship’s Party), San Francisco — pages 90-103
Arrival back in Norfolk, pages 104 and 105
Meritorious Unit Commendation for 1968 deployment, Advancements at Sea, Statistics, From the Ship’s Log, miscellaneous photos, and Cruise Book Staff, pages 106-112
Soon to depart Norfolk for my West Coast duty station 50 years ago, I needed a car.
A new sports car had just come on the scene and, like many others, I was smitten. I wanted a Datsun 240Z.
1970 Datsun 240Z
I went to a local Datsun dealer ready to lay out the $3,500 list price and was told they could put me on the wait list and I might get one in six weeks. “But I have to leave next week!”
Bummer. I still needed a car, so I decided to check out their used cars. I figured I’d get something to get me across country and maybe get a 240Z in California.
Fickle as I am, another car smited me. I drove off the lot in a 1968 Plymouth Barracuda Formula 340-S. I think I paid in the middle teens (hundreds, not thousands) for it.
1968 Plymouth Barracuda Formula 340-SBarracuda interior
I can’t find any pictures I took of the car, so what you see is from the web. My car was reddish-bronze and had a four-speed transmission with a Hurst Speed Shifter. The engine was rated at 275 horsepower at 5,000 rpm. The car could go 0-60 in a little over six seconds.
The previous owner had added an eight-track cassette player to supplement the AM-FM radio.
I figure this is when I first joined USAA. Back then, it was United Services Automobile Association (probably still is officially, but USAA is the marketed brand) and it sold car insurance only to officers in the armed forces. It’s a little bigger now. I still get my car insurance through USAA, as now do my kids.
The citation doesn’t bear a date, but at some point in 1970, I expect, Biddle was notified it had been awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation (MUC) for service during its 1969 WESTPAC deployment.
On Chief of Naval Operations letterhead, the letter said:
The Secretary of the Navy takes pleasure in presenting the MERITORIOUS UNIT COMMENDATION to
USS BIDDLE (DLG-34)
for service as set forth in the following
CITATION:
For meritorious service from 18 June to 25 November 1969, while participating in combat-support operations in the Republic of Vietnam. As Strike Support and Positive Identification and Radar Advisory Zone (PIRAZ) Ship, USS BIDDLE contributed significantly to the overall readiness posture and the responsiveness of “Yankee Station” forces. In the performance of assigned anti-air warfare missions such as friendly strike aircraft control and early detection of hostile forces, BIDDLE displayed an exceptional degree of proficiency and alertness which reflected admirably upon her entire crew. Instrumental in the implementation of the Southeast Asia interface, the ship contributed greatly to modernization and improved methods of operation within the United States SEVENTH Fleet. The outstanding performance and inspiring dedication displayed by the officers and men of USS BIDDLE throughout this period were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
It was signed “For the Secretary,” by T.H. Moorer, Admiral, United States Navy, Chief of Naval Operations.
My impression of this award was elevated today after doing a little bit of research on the Navy MUC. It is presented to a command that had performed service of a character comparable to that which would merit the award of a Bronze Star Medal to an individual.
By this time, 50 years ago, I had found out my new duty assignment. Biddle was about to go in the yard, so I looked forward to the “desk assignment” somewhat promised me at OCS.
I remember standing in the phone booth at the shore end of the pier where Biddle was berthed. I was talking with my detailer, the officer at BUPERS (Bureau of Naval Personnel) who pretty much decided my fate.
When he first told me my next duty assignment –Assistant Intelligence Officer, Commander Naval Special Warfare Group, Pacific — I was confused. I didn’t know what “special warfare” was. I had seen intelligence references to “special weapons” but not special warfare. I also recalled that the identity of “special weapons” was classified, which made my questions to the detailer very vague and general.
At some point, he asked, “Have you heard of the SEALS?”
WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT!
Yes, Commander, Naval Special Warfare Group, Pacific, was the staff overseeing Underwater Demolition Teams (UDT), Special Boat Units (SBU), and the SEALS, then less than a decade old.
Uh. Not what I expected. Hemming and hawing, I asked about other options, I think. After a while, the detailer brought the conversation to a quick halt by pointing out, “This is not a request.” Out.
I was not, however, displeased at the prospect of being stationed in Coronado, Calif., on the peninsula that forms the western side of San Diego Bay.
I was due to arrive at COMNAVSPECWARGRUPAC in late July. I had a little bit of leave accumulated as well as PCS time.
L-R: XO CDR Donovan, CAPT Olsen, Admiral Someone, and Ensign me.
In early February 1970, Biddle held an awards ceremony on the helo deck, recognizing those who received medals and commendations related to the May-December 1969 WESTPAC deployment.
In the photo above, which I believe was taken by an official Navy photographer, the admiral who presided is telling me that this honor is just the start of a brilliant career for me. Actually, no, I’m quite sure he did not say that to me. Though, I remember nothing about what he said.
I was given a Commander U.S. Seventh Fleet Letter of Commendation, “signed” by Vice Admiral William F. Bringle. Compared to the Bronze Star awarded to CAPT Olsen, and the various Navy Commendation and Navy Achievement medals, as well as Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet, commendations given other officers, my award was, to my mind, on the order of the “leg lamp,” the “major award” won by the dad in A Christmas Story.
Remember, too, I was the guy who had drafted all the award recommendations. I had no intelligence duties on our return voyage and, when the XO found out I had worked on my college and hometown newspaper, he assigned me that task.
UPDATE: I have the letter of commendation. I didn’t find my copy, but I was able to view the microfiche copy in my Navy records. The text of the commendation is: “The Commander Seventh Fleet takes pleasure in commending Ensign William Michael MCDONALD, United States Naval Reserve, for service as set forth in the following CITATION: For outstanding performance of duty while attached to and serving in USS BIDDLE (DLG-34) as Intelligence Officer from 18 June through 24 November 1969 during combat operations against the enemy. Ensign MCDONALD demonstrated exceptional initiative and ability in maintaining and disseminating to the command the vital information on the enemy naval and anti-air order of battle and the dynamic friendly air situation in the Gulf of Tonkin. Ensign MCDONALD’s skill and judgment contributed significantly and directly to the successful accomplishment of the ship’s mission and to the United States’ effort in the Republic of Vietnam.”
I have the commendation, but have not been able to find it. My daughter recently made my office much neater, but, in the process, removed the disorder on which I depended to find things. I’ve often been surprised at the number of times in my life that I have been able to tread into mess and find just what I was looking for. I’m still looking.
A shipmate, I expect, took the color picture of me that day. A little out of focus. This was back in the day when you didn’t know how a photo came out until it was developed, often days, maybe weeks, later.
Carry position
This was also likely the first time I ever wore my sword, which I had purchased while still at OCS. There was a particular sword length prescribed. When you had the sword in carry position, the point was to be at the middle of your ear opening. I was a pretty short guy at the time (shorter now) so my sword was at the low end, probably 28 inches. At times, especially when among taller officers, I had the feeling that my sword was more like the “sword” you would find occasionally holding club sandwiches together.
