USS Biddle – Blue and Gold 1968-71

Bye Biddle

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.

We had a missile shoot on that cruise

Finally, a couple of artsy-fartsy pictures

Th . . . th . . . that’s all, folks!

Fitness Reports

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.

WESTPAC 1969 Cruise Book

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

And here is the inside back cover.

BarraCUDA

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.

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.

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.

Mucky-MUC

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.

Bravo Zulu, Biddlemen!

A ‘major award’

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.

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.

Change of command

Back from the Caribbean since May 15, 1970, and, according to shipmate Jim Treadway’s Hard Charger! The Story of the USS Biddle (DLG-34), following weekday cruises, Biddle hosted a change of command ceremony on May 22, 50 years ago.

I don’t remember much at all about the event, but I kept a copy of the program. Here’s a gallery of pages from it. You can enlarge the thumbnails by clicking on them.

Shipmate then-LTJG Steve Curran chimed in with his recollections of the day: “I do recall the eventful day we were ‘encouraged’ to attend the Change of Command Ceremony. The uniform of the day was indeed full dress blues!

“I don’t recall ever before getting fully decked out that way, but I do recall checking with the more senior officers as to what made up ‘full dress.’ What I remember is that we had to wear medals — National Defense, Vietnam Campaign and Service — and the Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon, for our Vietnam Duty and 700 helo landings; needed to wear our sword (only time I ever had to use it); white gloves; and of course spit-polished shoes!” (Pre-corfam)

He also had fond memories of CAPT Olsen: “‘Jollie Ollie’ was fair and even tempered! I recall when I first reported aboard Biddle in May 1969, that he called me to his stateroom to “welcome me” aboard. He also gave me the following advice on how to be an officer on board his ship. He exhorted me to be consistent in my interactions with enlisted men aboard. To not try to be friendly with enlisted men one day and then be a ‘hard ass’ the next. Such inconsistent behavior from new junior officers would confuse the men and cause discord. I often reflect on his advice today, and have found it helped me in my interpersonal relations.”

Anyone else remember the 1970 Change of Command?

Movin’ on up!

(Sorry to be behind on trying to match the “50 years ago” timeframe. As are many of you, I expect, I’m a little discombobulated about the pandemic, lockdown, economic disaster we’re experiencing. But in Biddle tradition, I will try to “charge hard.”)

I hope you can tell how _salty_ the braid is on my Ensign shoulder board. 🙂

You can tell something is significant when you advance to a “junior grade.” On February 14, 1970, I received a “temporary” appointment to the grade of lieutenant (junior grade). The NAVPERS 1421/2 form was signed by CAPT Olsen.

As the form shows, I acknowledged receipt of notice of said appointment and, in what I consider now a very passive response (but the only one available), I signed off on “I do not decline this appointment.”

I had been commissioned an Ensign on February 14, 1969, so getting a promotion after only a year in grade must have meant I had done a good job. Nah, this was pretty much a done deal for all Ensigns at the time (I think time-in-grade for Ensigns now is two years). One year then without major screwing up and you got the promotion.

Not only did I finally outrank one officer onboard (Mr. Graham, but only briefly), but my paycheck grew by 16 percent. As a JG, I would make each month for the next few months (until the new pay scale in July), $449.70 a month (worth about $3,050 in today’s money).

LTJG would be the highest rank I reached on active duty, so this was a pretty major step . . . in a minor way.

Sailors of the Caribbean

Morro Castle, San Juan, 1970. Bill McDonald photo.

On this date in 1970, 50 years ago, Biddle returned to sea. The ship left Norfolk for a 32-day cruise, mostly in the Caribbean.

According to shipmate Jim Treadway’s Hard Charger! The Story of the USS Biddle (DLG-34), the cruise was for training and for evaluation of modifications to the SPS-48 radar that had been accomplished during the in-port stay.

Among the port calls were San Juan and Roosevelt Roads Naval Station in Puerto Rico and St. Thomas, one of the U.S. Virgin Islands. I remember the cruise as pretty much Monday-Friday at sea and in port on the weekends. I assume I stood CIC and in-port Officer of the Deck watches, but don’t recall anything of note in that regard.

Then-Ensign John Graham recalls that the departure from the Destroyer & Submarine Piers in Norfolk was his first as a sea detail Officer of the Deck. “What a power trip,” he says.

John also remembers a somewhat “exciting” entry into San Juan harbor when he had the deck and conn.

“We had a pilot aboard, but he spoke no English and my Spanish was limited to gracias and de nada.

“The tide was flooding, I believe at some four knots, as we came past El Morro on the port side. [That could well have been just when I took the picture at the top of the post.] Biddle’s steerageway was, I believe, six knots. Blowing past El Morro at 10 knots over the ground was like a roller coaster ride.

“The Navy piers were off our port bow and the channel made about a 120-degree turn east and then to the north for the piers. I brought her left, slowly. We found the channel and parked at the pier. The pilot never uttered a word, but our navigator, Bob Combs, did. After the lines were across, he pulled me aside and we looked at the chart of the harbor with our path neatly marked on it. Our turn to port was more of a loop than a turn.

“Bob pointed his finger at the southern-most portion of our path and said, ‘What’s the depth here?’ ‘Thirty feet’ I said. ‘And what do we draw?’ ‘Thirty-four feet with the sonar dome.’ ‘You know that means we were technically aground,’ he said. I thought of the paperwork and of the Captain being relieved of command and said, ‘Looks like a barnacle-cleaning evolution to me, Bob.’ ‘I agree,’ he said, ‘and now I’m going to clean these damn pencil marks off this chart.’

“My God that O Club rum and tonic tasted good!”

What I remember most from the cruise is a who. Whilst in a resort bar in San Juan, sipping on a glass of 150-proof rum, I spotted an attractive dark-haired young woman. Used as I was to spending time with “working girls” in Asia, I initially suspected that Margarita might be so “employed.” Wrong.

I believe ENS Curran was with me that day and he and I paired off with Margarita and her sister. They showed us some of San Juan and they joined us in the Biddle wardroom for lunch one day. This was a more “normal” relationship with a young woman, but it was still a brief and casual frolic. I remember her, however, and hope her life has been wonderful.

UPDATE: Found some more pictures from the cruise. Gallery includes a picture of me and Margarita.

There was Navy work, too, of course. Biddle conducted naval gunfire support exercises, firing onto Culebra Island, according to Graham and our fellow Ensigns Steve Curran and Jack Roberts.

“They dumped bags of lime on the cliffs of Culebra to make the targets,” John remembers. “Biddle steamed by, firing off the beam. As I recall, there were two exercises: one firing with the fire control radar and the ‘direct fire.’ Eyesight from the director: ‘Fire for effect.’ Then ‘Up five mils, left five mils. Fire.’ ‘Bingo. Target destroyed.’ Biddle scored 100 on both exercises.

“And, did I mention, I was the director officer for the shoot?” Yes, you did, John. 🙂

Our trip to the Virgin Islands may have had tactical and training purposes, but the purpose I remember was booze. One could purchase rum and other alcohol and bring it back to the States free of duty charges. Somewhere in my collection is a picture of a Biddle sailor laying on top of a few of many boxes of booze on the pier, soon to be brought aboard.

As Treadway’s book reports, Biddle spent the end of the cruise farther north. As a test of the radar’s ability to track multiple contacts, Biddle spent a couple of days in the New York Operating Area, with its multitude of airports and flights, before returning to Norfolk on 15 May.

Eclipse

By this time 50 years ago, I joined ENS Jack Roberts and ENS Steve Curran in renting a house in Norfolk, Va. I know that we were there by this date in 1970 because it was where we watched the total solar eclipse of March 7, also a Saturday that year.

Being a little “artsy.” Bill McDonald photo.

The total eclipse was only visible in the southeastern US, as shown in the map of its path below. It remains the only total eclipse I’ve ever seen.

The house was “modest” and I assume the rent was pretty low. According to Jack, it had two stories, with two bedrooms on the top floor and a kitchen, living room, and other room on the ground floor. I’m guessing one bathroom. Jack and I were roomies in one bedroom, with Steve and, sometime later, LT Frank Fox in the other.

The photo below may include the house. It probably looked much like one of these houses. I don’t remember the house from the outside, except I believe there was a porch. I took the picture to try to capture the unusual “light” during a portion of the eclipse.

The house, though modest, fulfilled its function. “It was great to be off the ship and feel somewhat ‘normal,'” Jack recalls. “I think we ate a lot of TV dinners.”

We hosted a party at some point, inviting the wardroom. The only person I remember specifically attending was the then-wife of LCDR Wentz. I know he and others were there, but my memory of the evening includes only her. 🙂

That spring, we also had the pleasant duty of hosting at the house a young lady and two of her college classmates on a “date.” Problem was she was the daughter of CAPT Olsen. You can consider the awkward position we were in. CAPT Olsen’s daughter, Fran, was attractive and also a source of potential danger. As Steve recalls, “We were so glad to drop them off early and get home safely.”