Click to listen to ANCHORS AWEIGH!
I had opted for boot camp training at the San Diego Training Center, but at the time of my induction an outbreak of spinal meningitis caused the base to be quarantined. I ended up at Great Lakes . . . 60 miles from my home. So much for seeing the world!
I began boot camp training as a member of Recruit Company #435 on 09/24/63. Our "graduation" was to have occurred on 11/22/63. As we prepared to march to the drill hall for the ceremonies, news of the gunshots in Dallas filtered to us. After we were fully assembled, the announcement of President Kennedy's assassination was made to us and the guests and family members who had come to attend, and we marched out of the hall. A dubious beginning to my naval "career".
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The USS Mullinix (DD 944) was my first assignment after bootcamp; an interim assignment before attending "A" school.
My life aboard the "Mux" alternated between the deck force and later the sonar gang (when we were at sea). It was my experience here as a "deck ape" that made the value of education and training crystal clear to me. It was no coincidence that it was also during this tour that I obtained my high school diploma!
Since I was attached to the Mullinnix for only 7 months, my travels were limited to Hamilton, Bermuda and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The Mullinnix was decommissioned on 8/11/83. After decommissioning, the Mux was used as a target ship and is now a reef off the North Carolina coast according to Carl Ross M.M.C.M., U.S.N. RET. who served on her from 1/74 to 9/76.
You can listen to
the tune we blared from the ship's 1-mc system at the completion of every at-sea replenishment by clicking the link here:
I attended the six-month Fleet Sonar "A" School here which was followed with orders to stay on an additional four weeks to attend "B" school on the then-new, state-of-the-art SQS-26 sonar system.
If you want to here the "ping" of a sonar transmission, click here: HERE.
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I reported to Newport, RI as part of the pre-commissioning detail for the Josephus Daniels in 02/65. On 04/29/65, the "JD" was delivered from Bath Iron Works to the Boston Naval Shipyard and boarded by her crew for the first time. After the commissioning on 05/08/65, we remained in Boston until 07/65 for the final fitting-out.
Originally slated to be home-ported in San Diego, the JD was ultimately assigned to Norfolk, VA for her home port after our initial shake-down cruise in the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba region.
As a member of ship's company, I traveled extensively on the JD, reaching every port of call in the Carribean and many ports in Greece, Italy and Spain. I was separated from active duty while the JD was in the midst of a "Med Cruise", and returned to the states by air.
On June 30, 1975, the Leahy/Belknap class DLGs were reclassified as CGs and the Josephus Daniels had her designation changed from DLG 27 to CG 27. She was decommissioned on 1/22/94 and was transferred to MARAD (Maritime Administration) 7/18/94.
I can't think of any particular sounds or music associated with the Josephus Daniels, but if you'd like to listen to "The Navy Hymn", you can click HERE.
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