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Some Words About Destroyers
By: E.A.
Hughes, FTCM (SS), USN (Ret.)
If you are, or were, a Sailor and never rode a Tin Can, you
still have some life to live.
The seas set Her mood and on a good night you can’t beat the comfort She will
give.
The gentle sea swells provide the sweetest rest that most Sailors will ever
want, or know.
You hear and feel the sea as it brushes the hull, you’re close to it and its
soothing flow.
Many was the
occasion after some time tied up to a pier, and having to sail once more.
The Destroyer Sailor finds that those same gentle seas will lull him as they did
before.
He would much rather take a little nap than partake of the typically good noon
chow.
I am reminded fondly of days when I rode those Destroyers, yes, I was just
learning how.
Also in the
fore mind, are the times, when the seas were resigned to be wicked and mean.
The Can seemed to fight for Herself, to stay on an even keel, to manage each
swell clean.
But in sea states, as most Tin Can Sailors have seen. It could be over one and
under two.
A shutter of the bow was felt throughout the ship, as was the worrying slap of
the screw.
Those seas
molded mere recruits into Navymen, that could fight in any sea condition.
They’d prefer to ride gentle seas, but it was the high seas that formed the Cans
tradition.
The tasks of the Destroyer were many and varied; sea state did not present a
real worry.
Steaming from Mayport past Burmuda at max turns into heavy seas, that was quite
a fury.A lot of green water came over the bridge during that 900 mile ride, but
we made it there.
In position as a replacement Can, for locating astronauts, who might hit the sea
anywhere.
ASW was a
thing we did, we listened every day, in that Sonar Shack we forged our place.
We found that speed was not a friend, it made us lose contact; and that was hard
to face.
The thermal layers of those seas we had to understand, reading those layers was
up to us.
The BT was used in that effort, there was science, but the mulehauling could
make us cuss.
Plane guard
for Carriers at 32 knots or more, was not exactly a Tin Can Sailors dream.
At night or darken ship it was a nightmare, for the Tin Can crew, and jets that
did scream.
The Carrier headed straight into the wind to launch her planes, we must keep the
pace.
If a jet went into the sea, the Carrier continued on its way, and the rescue we
must face.
We did this job knowing just how important it was, we were at times their saving
grace.
We refueled,
replenished stores and took on ammunition too, while we were underway.
If we were in foreign seas that was the rule, and it still should be that way,
to this day.
It would have meant 17 Shipmates from the USS Cole, would still be with us at
this time.
They deserved our nations full protection; to provide anything less seems a real
crime.
While
manning the blockade of the Cuban missile crisis, we had to maintain our
station.
Radio received the word; Soviet warships were ordered to protect this Communist
nation.
One of our planes was shot down while on a photographic mission, of the missile
sites.
We were ordered to be battle ready with Soviet ships, be on guard both days and
nights.
It all ended in 13 days, the warships each headed home. And all the Sailors were
relieved.
No battle took place, as we felt was due. We Destroyer men were ready; and we
believed.
It is a most
important job to man that Greyhound of the seas; to be ready for our nation.
To be part of the screen for a Carrier Group, or to be on the firing line at
Yankee Station.
Destroyers were credited with saving many lives at the D-Day invasion, back in
WWII.
The accurate fire of the nervous darting Destroyer, were tactics the enemy never
knew.
When a
tyrant from the Middle East, Africa, Central America or any place in this world,
forces unjust ways on people. He knows a US Destroyer will come with flag
unfurled.
It will be manned by young Sailors; these Tin Can Sailors will know what’s
.required.
They man the Bridge, CIC, Sonar, the Guns and Missiles, or keep those boilers
fired.
There are
Cooks, IC Men, Sonar Techs, or Fire Controlmen, and Ship Service Crew.
Electricians, Storekeepers, Mess Cooks, Quartermasters, Signalmen and Radiomen
too.
There would be the Gunners Mates, the Boatswains and the entire Deck Force as
well.
Electronic Technicians, Radarmen, Machinists Mates and Damage Control Personnel.
Yeoman and Personnelmen are on battle stations, as are the leaders of this ships
crew.
The CO, XO, Officers and Chiefs give guidance that coordinates what these
Sailors do.
I spent my working life as a Sailor, I am proud that I
could be one of those selected few.
To spend time on Destroyers, I cherish the Ships, the steaming and those
Shipmates too.
It was not all smooth seas, but they were mostly good, and I prefer those to
remember.
Could it be done again, my choice would be; ride that Can and be that old Crew
Member.
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