<bgsound src="http://members.tripod.com/~JPKennedyJr_DD850/BOSNPIPE.WAV" loop=false> I joined the Navy and reported to boot camp on Valentine's Day, 14 February, 1968. I spent 16 weeks at the San Diego Recruit Depot, (Boot picture - brother Dan and me), (Boot camp friend, Calvin "Clyde" Deal from Cadillac, Michigan) , (Another boot camp buddy, Wayne "Flipper" Miller from Allen Park, Michigan) 14 weeks of which were in the Bluejacket Choir. Here's a picture of graduation from the Choir Company, 4007: Creed, Dan Helmboldt, Bruce Helmboldt, Scott, Sharp, Tilley, and Steve Van Zee. I had a one week leave and then spent six more weeks at San Diego attending Basic Electricity and Electronics "C" School. Then it was off to San Francisco and Treasure Island, where I spent another 16 weeks in Radar RD "A" school. Here's a picture of my graduating class - RD "A" Class 6825 on October 4th, 1968. It was great having a couple weeks off on the way to my first sea duty, especially since I was from Michigan, and was home to watch the Detroit Tigers win the 1968 World Series! When I reported aboard Warrington, she had just gone into an overhaul and repair period in the Boston Navy Yard and the South Boston Annex. I spent the next 5 or 6 months in Boston, until March 1969. Here's a picture of DD-843 in drydock # 1 next tothe U.S.S. Constitution in Charlestown, Mass. When we finally got out of our overhaul, we headed for Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for refresher training. It was hot, hard work, but we had several weekend liberties in Ocho Rios, Jamaica and San Juan, Puerto Rico. We also spent a couple of weeks operating out of Fredericksted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands for torpedo and ASROC training and testing. Here's a couple of pictures (taken from the starboard bridge wing) of a practice ASROC launch. That's St. Croix in the background. Here's the CIC mid-watch (in the ECM shack) sometime during that training cruise.TOP ROW: RD2 Schmidt & RD2 Andy Bodzak MIDDLE: RD3 Jack Loan & RD3 Chester Macy BOTTOM: RD3 Bruce Helmboldt (me!) We did a Naval GunFire Support shoot at Culebra Island, then headed back to Newport, Rhode Island. After a high-power run, where we supposedly hit 32.3 knots, we passed through the fringes of a hurricane off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and headed for home. I was transferred off the Warrington in October, 1969, to the U.S.S. Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., DD-850. In November, both DD-843 and DD-850 were assigned to an Escort / ASW Task Group departing on a cruise to the Med (and the Atlantic for the Warrington). The two ships were separated much of the time, but when we were nearby, occasionally at midnight, the radio voice net would resound to the call of "BIRDIE NUM NUM - BIRDIE NUM NUM". Here's a picture taken when the two ships ported in Piraeus, Greece, for the Christmas / New Years 1969/70 holidays.This is "Birdie Num Num" (Jack Loan) and me at the Athens Hilton on Christmas night, 1969. If you have any pictures of the Warrington or any of her crew that you'd like to share, please send me .jpg or .gif files at the email address below. I'll put them up here with full credit (no copyrighted material, please). Return to the Warrington Page Send email comments to: bruhelmboldt@hotmail.com This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page © 1996 - 1997 - 1998 - 1999 - 2000 . - . Last update - 21 FEB 00 Info
(Boot picture - brother Dan and me),
(Boot camp friend, Calvin "Clyde" Deal from Cadillac, Michigan) ,
(Another boot camp buddy, Wayne "Flipper" Miller from Allen Park, Michigan)
14 weeks of which were in the Bluejacket Choir. Here's a picture of graduation from the Choir Company, 4007:
I had a one week leave and then spent six more weeks at San Diego attending Basic Electricity and Electronics "C" School. Then it was off to San Francisco and Treasure Island, where I spent another 16 weeks in Radar RD "A" school. Here's a picture of my graduating class - RD "A" Class 6825 on October 4th, 1968.
It was great having a couple weeks off on the way to my first sea duty, especially since I was from Michigan, and was home to watch the Detroit Tigers win the 1968 World Series! When I reported aboard Warrington, she had just gone into an overhaul and repair period in the Boston Navy Yard and the South Boston Annex. I spent the next 5 or 6 months in Boston, until March 1969.
When we finally got out of our overhaul, we headed for Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for refresher training. It was hot, hard work, but we had several weekend liberties in Ocho Rios, Jamaica and San Juan, Puerto Rico. We also spent a couple of weeks operating out of Fredericksted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands for torpedo and ASROC training and testing.
We did a Naval GunFire Support shoot at Culebra Island, then headed back to Newport, Rhode Island. After a high-power run, where we supposedly hit 32.3 knots, we passed through the fringes of a hurricane off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and headed for home.
I was transferred off the Warrington in October, 1969, to the U.S.S. Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., DD-850.
In November, both DD-843 and DD-850 were assigned to an Escort / ASW Task Group departing on a cruise to the Med (and the Atlantic for the Warrington). The two ships were separated much of the time, but when we were nearby, occasionally at midnight, the radio voice net would resound to the call of "BIRDIE NUM NUM - BIRDIE NUM NUM". Here's a picture taken when the two ships ported in Piraeus, Greece, for the Christmas / New Years 1969/70 holidays.
Send email comments to: bruhelmboldt@hotmail.com
© 1996 - 1997 - 1998 - 1999 - 2000 . - . Last update - 21 FEB 00
