About Sixty Years ago . . .

[lowell holmes]

I pulled training duty on this ship.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFVwaZSIpzI

I was young and I was awe struck.

[Lee Schierer]

That was back when they had Hunter Killer groups that just did submarine warfare.

[lowell holmes]

I was a reservist called on active duty during the Berlin crisis.
I was Quarter Master/ Signalman on DE 252 The Howard D Crow.
Commander Ralph Childs was the Captain.
We were at Key West stationed at the training facility. I saw the USS Nautilus SSN-571 on the surface, and it was throwing a rooster tail way up in the air.
It must have been doing 30 knots.

I made E-5 and Captain Childs made Captain at the same time. It was customary to jump off the ship and swim to the dock.
I really did not want to swim, but when Captain Childs went in, I knew I had to and I did.

We had shipmates that were WWII veterans. We were on our way to GITMO steaming South down the East coast of Cuba and a plane flew out of the sun about 1400 hours. We were steaming with gun crews and ammunition in the gun tubs. With WWII veterans on board, the 3" guns with our WWII gunner mates and the nose of the rounds were in the breeches and the Captain told them to stand down. I always felt that he knew the plane was coming. We shot down three air sleeves during our ORI.

When entering port , we would receive flashing light messages to render honors because the other ships did not know the rank of our CO.
We would respond this number of the PUB that listed the ranks of the ships commanding officer. After a short time they would render honors.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

It was 2000 before I saw and rode an aircraft carrier, the USS Carl Vinson CVN-70. I had served 8 years, '68-'76 and been out 24 years. Like you, I was awe struck by life on that carrier. I rode it for 3 days with our youngest son who was ships company at the time. Carriers are impressive!

[lowell holmes]

With the cantilever deck, she could land and launch aircraft at the same time.
I was a quartermaster and the quartermaster shack had been moved to the bow of the ship with forward facing port holes.
I remember standing there when jet aircraft was launching. The planes were catapulted off the bow and you could look up the
tail pipe and see the flame as the plane settled a bit on take off.

[Jim Allen]

I was an IC tech on the USS Ticonderoga CVA-14, got out early (May 1961) to go to school. I remember being assign a buddy for a couple days just to keep us from getting lost, or wandering in Officers Country.

[lowell holmes]

Here is a picture of the ship I served on, The Howard D. Crow.
It was during the Berlin crisis.

411959