USSVETERANS BRISTOL ASSOCIATION DD 857 Spring 2011 NEWSLETTER Editor’s correction: the newspapers from the duffle bags and filled them with life jackets from the overhead storage. We only took the ones in better condition and only enough for those manning the In my contribution about reporting aboard Bristol in June 1966, I rowboats and swimmers in case of getting into the boats. erred. I reported aboard June 1964. I guess the years are catching up Equipment at the ready we needed the right time to do it. A to me. Sorry about that. Saturday would be ideal with no one having to play hooky from school or work. We of course needed weather with calm seas and of course we watched the schedules for ships Editor’s Note: leaving the Narrows harbor. The day was here. All systems were a go. All were Please be sure to update your email address. When I published the notified. This was before cell phones and cb radios and the Winter edition, I received many rejects from aol members. Be sure to like so changing a plan wasn’t so easy. Sandwiches’ were put my email address ([email protected]) in your directory being made for the picnic afterwards. Swimmers were at the so that aol doesn’t reject me. ready. Loading the boats was on schedule. The plan was to go to the Staten Island side tower get into the water and swim the two miles to the Brooklyn tower. We watched from the hillside in Brooklyn with enthusiasm. It was a clear, calm day. They made it to the other side, the swimmers were in the water and coming our way. Movement was slow and no ships were in sight, preparations were good. It seemed like an endless wait as they approached closer and closer. We did not know at the time that one of the swimmers had cramped up almost immediately after getting in the water. He refused to get in the boat but with help at the ready he was still able to continue. As they were getting near the Brooklyn tower the excitement of completion was overwhelming. This was planned and prepared almost all winter and now it is almost accomplished. All of a sudden we noticed there were boats in the water of various sizes and description, one, two, three ……, before we knew it there were seven boats coming towards the Do you have any memorabilia that we can use for our newsletter. My swimmers. Yes sirens were whaling and they were moving. wife found this Liberty Card in her “Memories” box. I can still Police, Coast Guard and Harbor patrol were on their way. I remember Ray Soto standing outside the Ship’s Office in his whites don’t think they had fifty yards left to touch the tower when waiting for his Liberty Card. they were reached by the first emergency boats. We could In this issue, we are going to continue with some stories about hear the loudspeakers telling them to get back in their boats. the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge during the construction phase. Here’s They hesitated at first but quickly boarded the rowboats when a sample called “The Tower to Tower Swim” contributed by ? the voices were clearly not joking. They did not touch the tower so bragging rights were I’ll leave out the names to protect etc….. halted, but the memories and discussion of the event went on We were planning a swim from tower to tower. I not being much of a and on whenever we would meet and have a few beers. I still swimmer was in charge of a picnic lunch and hanging out with the gals see and meet with a bunch of the guys annually. Next year I on a hill near the Brooklyn tower. The plan was to go to Sheepshead will bring it up again, I am curious how my story has Bay early that morning and rent a couple of powered row boats. We changed from those actual moments after some 45 plus years. would load up the necessary safety equipment upon the boats arrival I am sitting here with a large grin on my face as it all comes from Sheepshead. The safety lines were appropriated from the bridge back to mind. construction by one of the guys who worked there as an iron worker. We shortened the lengths and taped the ends to prevent unraveling then th Joe recoiled them readying for the excursion. We then took rides on the 69 Editor’s Note: Joe (Nameless) served with the 27th Infantry Street ferry to Staten Island with duffle bags filled with newspapers (Wolfhound) Regiment in Vietnam. Thanks for this great crumpled up. Upon leaving Staten Island on the return trip we emptied tidbit Joe. 1 USS BRISTOL DD 857 VETERANS ASSOCIATION The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge (continued) Under the baleful eyes of c o n s t r u c t i o n supervisor John "Hard Nose" M u r p h y , t h o u s a n d s o f " b o o m e r s " o r In the last edition of our newsletter, we showed itinerant the opening ceremony of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, c o n s t r u c t i o n workers along 21 November 1964, USS Bristol DD 857, at the sounding with native NYC of the ship’s whistle, signalled the New York City Mayor, bridge workers, Robert Wagner, to cut the ribbon opening the upper deck. erected the iron and steel and Some of the trivia associated with the construction relates strung the cables. to the brave men of Iron Workers Local 40. I n t h e s e t w o Bristol passed beneath the bridge many times pictures from 1963, the center during and after its opening. Some of those passages were of the bridge not so pleasant. I was fantail phone deck was put in talker during Special Sea Detail. This place first. The meant standing on the main deck after deck, which was placed beginning mount 53. Passing underneath the in October 1963, Verrazano could be hazardous. Many consisted of 60 times, we were “bombarded” with separate 400-ton pieces, lifted into rivets, nuts, and bolts falling from the place from bridge above. You may wonder how small is the world. b a r g e s . E a c h Many years later, while working at the phone piece was one of a kind and were company, one of my coworkers told me a tale that you alike down to the may find hard to believe. During the construction of the millimeter. bridge, the fellow was an apprentice iron worker in Local 40. Most of the time, his job was to keep the beer cold and go for lunch for the journeymen. Rich Xxxxx told me that, when the guys had a few too many beers, they would start tossing stuff down on passing vessels. It’s amazing that there weren’t a lot of “on the job” deaths as a result of all the drinking. Our On June 28, 1976 the largest American flag in Captain wanted to the world was placed on the Verrazano. It lasted a few minutes before winds tore it apart. kill those guys (Technology wasn't quite as advanced then). throwing stuff down Since then a bigger flag was produced in on us. He even had Thailand, but we're told an even larger flag was the guns raised on produced in the USA. Help me out, Forgotten fans! the forward mounts just to scare the 2 USS BRISTOL DD 857 VETERANS ASSOCIATION A Christmas Story Contributed by Ray Storey (Ray’ s Father served in USS Utah BB31) Here's a 'today' Yule story that occurred 3 weeks ago ~ AND NOW, in time for the holidays, I bring you the best Christmas story you never heard. It started last Christmas, when Bennett and Vivian Levin were overwhelmed by sadness while listening to radio reports of injured American troops. "We have to let them know we care," Vivian told Bennett. So they organized a trip to bring soldiers from Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Bethesda Naval Hospital to the annual Army-Navy football game in Philly, on Dec. 3. The cool part is, they created their own train line to do it. Yes, there are people in this country who actually own real trains. Bennett Levin - native Philly guy, self-made millionaire and irascible former L&I commish - is one of them. He has three luxury rail cars. Think mahogany paneling, plush seating and white-linen dining areas. He also has two locomotives, which he stores at his Juniata Park train yard. One car, the elegant Pennsylvania , carried John F. Kennedy to the Army- Navy game in 1961 and '62. Later, it carried his brother Bobby's body to D. C. for burial. "That's a lot of history for one car," says Bennett. He and Vivian wanted to revive a tradition that endured from 1936 to 1975, during which trains carried Army-Navy spectators from around the country directly to the stadium where the annual game is played. The Levins could think of no better passengers to reinstate the ceremonial ride than the wounded men and women recovering at Walter Reed in D. C. and Bethesda , in Maryland . "We wanted to give them a first-class experience," says Bennett. "Gourmet meals on board, private transportation from the train to the stadium, perfect seats - real hero treatment." Through the Army War College Foundation, of which he is a trustee, Bennett met with Walter Reed's commanding general, who loved the idea.