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Fall 2015 October 21, 2015 USS BRISTOL DD 857 VETERANS ASSOCIATION ussbristoldd857.org Editor: [email protected] In This Issue USS LUCE DD522……………1 Anniversaries……….…………3 The Lady Plumber………………6 Thresher Burial at Sea…………..7 Battle Chronicles la Drang Valley……………………………7 The World That Wasn't Changed: Or Was It?……………………….8 A Minute With God……………..8 Keeping Older Pedestrians Safe……………………………..9 USS LUCE DD 522 ceremony on the signal bridge of the The Phrases We Grew Up With - Where Have They Gone?………10 Editor’s Note: I get my high and tight haircuts at Joint Battle Ship In Union Square…..12 Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst In Memoriam…………………..13 barber shop and had the fortune to meet a former Terry Clifford Remembers Mike Murphy…………………..13 crew member of USS Luce D D 5 2 2 . I g a v e t h i s Makin Raid…………………….13 g e n t l e m a n m y B r i s t o l business card and asked him aircraft carrier USS George 92 Year Old Preacher…………..15 to relate anything that he Washington (CVN 73). Wiser conducted the traditional flag raising encountered while serving in Snippets by Bob Lang…………16 ceremony after passing the location LUCE. So far, I have not where his grandfather died when USS Spikefish…………………16 heard from him. So, I am USS Luce (DD 522) sank during h o n o r i n g h i m a n d h i s World War II. George Washington For You Sports Fans……………19 and its embarked air wing, Carrier shipmates with this entry. Air Wing (CVW) 5, provide a The 40th Anniversary of Saigon's combat-ready force that protects and Fall……………………………..20 PHILIPPINE SEA (Nov. 29, 2013) Air-Traffic Controller 2nd defends the collective maritime interest of the U.S. and its allies and Bunk Bags (aka..Submarine Bags) Class Dustin Wiser, from Kansas partners in the Indo-Asia-Pacific …………………………………21 City, Mo., raises the national ensign during a flag raising region. by Mass Communication !1 Fall 2015 October 21, 2015 The Men Who Built ALCAN…….22 Specialist 3rd Class Ricardo fight to defend what is right. His George Carlin: Some Thoughts….24 R. Guzman/Released) legacy alone is stronger than any man I know. I vow to one Sociology of the Clothesline……..25 PHILIPPINE SEA (NNS) -- day be as brave as him. To do Thirty-one minutes past Vietnam Vet Dies And No One what it takes, to do what is right, midnight, as he stood a Claims Body… But 1 Facebook Post knowing it may be the ultimate Changes Everything……………..26 regular watch during his first sacrifice. My promise to him, he year aboard the U.S. Navy's will never be forgotten. -Me" NEW SENIOR EXAM………….26 forward-deployed aircraft Keep this in mind the next time you c a r r i e r U S S G e o r g e Wiser's grandfather was Thomas are about to repeat a rumor or spread Washington (CVN 73), Air Jewel Greathouse, a coxswain gossip. ………………………….27 Traffic Controller 2nd Class who manned the number one, Dustin L. Wiser, from Kansas five-inch gun aboard USS Luce How Do Court Reporters Keep Straight Faces?………………….27 City, Mo., recognized he was (DD 522) when it sank from close to the exact location "kamikaze" airplane attacks The Men Who Sail Below………29 that preserves the history of during World War II off of the Operation Ivey Blue…………….29 "the greatest man [he] never c o a s t o f O k i n a w a at t h e knew". coordinates of 26.35N 127.10E, America’s “Ace of Aces”……….30 at 8:14 a.m. on May 4, 1945. T h e d i m r o o m , o n l y illuminated by the glow of To remember "Lucky Luce", a the screens that displayed popular nickname given to DD the map of where history 522 after surviving so many took place, allowed Wiser to battles, Master Chief Michael sink further in his thoughts Ripberger, Operations and to begin to write a new Department leading chief petty testament based on his officer, coordinated to have a grandfather's actions that will flag raising ceremony aboard forever serve as a tattooed George Washington amidst the reminder on his forearm - unmarked historic site. "Here lies the greatest man I "[Wiser's] tattoo and family never knew. A man so brave history represents the same he stared death in the face pride I have toward my father's while committing the most service with the Marines during heroic and selfless sacrifices Vietnam and my grandfather's in American history. A man in the U.S. Army during WWII," that answered the call and said Ripberger. "I joined the gave his life to preserve the Navy to follow in their footsteps lives of so many. His blood and make them proud. The stains foreign water as he did honor to share a similar tradition what so many could not do. with people who I love and To turn and run, not an respect can't be measured." option as he stayed and fought until the bitter end. I According to Wiser, he is can only imagine the pain in collecting a few items to create his eyes as he continued to a shadow box to commemorate !2 Fall 2015 October 21, 2015 his grandfather for his father, record, one photograph of his families, many more did, but really didn't, as they left a part of Joseph Henry Greathouse, who grandfather, a photograph of themselves over there, as I have said served as boilerman for the U.S. his grandfather's name on the in past discussions on the topic. Navy. A Purple Heart and a Navy WWII memorial and a book When you read of the staggering Cross medal from the WWII era, called 'DD 522 Diary of a numbers cited by Webb, of a generation who of young men who and the flag that will be raised Destroyer' he found at a were lost, you might see why/how o n t h e m a s t o f G e o r g e Goodwill that mentions his this is still such a painful subject. Washington for his grandfather grandfather. And then there are some of you who lost loved ones, who still have a will be a few items he will difficult time reconciling your loss. include. Set aside a few minutes to read this "I hope that this piece of history article by Jim Webb, perhaps it will will forever be remembered," help you better understand yourselves, better understand those said Wiser. "As a kid, I never who served, and those who were wondered what it meant to have ready and willing but never the encased flag I saw everyday. managed to, or had the chance... I thought it was just a simple Jim Webb was a highly decorated decoration. After finding out Marine, became Secretary of the that it meant more than that, Navy & later a Senator from especially to my family, I Virginia. instantly gained a great amount Thought this appropriate on the 40th anniversary of the fall of of interest and have committed Saigon. a lot of time in the last 10 years "The military is a rich culture of into researching and finding out tradition, honor and sacrifice," “THE Vietnam GENERATION” by Jim Webb exactly what my family history s a i d R i p b u r g e r . " M y grandfather's traditions and contains." The rapidly disappearing cohort of values molded me in the person Americans that endured the Great "Lucky Luce" was a Fletcher- I am today. I believe that Wiser Depression and then fought World class destroyer that received would say the same.” War II is receiving quite a send-off from the leading lights of the so- five battle stars for its service …………………………………… called 60s generation. Tom Brokaw during WWII. It traveled and has published two oral histories of fought battles all over the Pacific "The Greatest Generation" that Anniversaries Contributed by from Pearl Harbor as a plane feature ordinary people doing their Charlie Weaver duty and suggest that such conduct guard for USS Enterprise (CV 6) In this year of "anniversaries", it was historically unique. in 1943, to Alaska, Subic Bay bears reading this excellent, informative article by Webb. I Chris Matthews of "Hardball" is and Okinawa, presumably with believe that we have all tried to get a Wiser's grandfather on board. fond of writing columns praising the better understanding of our time in- Navy service of his father while country. Many have chosen not to castigating his own baby boomer Wiser has now created a record remember & have locked those generation for its alleged softness of his family history. He has memories away, too troubling to let and lack of struggle. William those images, those times, see the B e n n e t t g a v e a s t a r t l i n g contacted U.S. government light of day; while some have officials and a handful of people condescending speech at the Naval chosen to do the opposite and A c a d e m y a f e w y e a r s a g o who may have had contacts with spoken of their experiences, their comparing the heroism of the "D- his grandfather in that era to pain & suffering, physically & Day Generation" to the drugs-and- emotionally, their small triumphs, sex nihilism of the "Woodstock build it.