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Gurke Newsletter A newsletter for the sailors of the USS GURKE (DD-783) GURKE NEWSLETTER Volume 4 Issue 1 February 2010 OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE USS GURKE (DD-783) Special Points of Interest MY FIRST EXPERIENCE AT SEA Everyone had a “first experience” Editor’s Note: This story idea family, going back to WWI is nothing a 19 year old at sea. See if presented to all e-mail sub- (German and US Navy). I was sailor can’t screw up! Ad yours was any- scribers was to tell about your delighted to learn how to tie Mare Paratus. thing like those first time at sea. The following swabs to a line and toss them __________ in our cover sto- stories were submitted: over the fantail to be cleaned ries. by the wake of the ship. After Larry Fancher, YN2: Ken Masters, 1951-54: cleaning the swabs I needed After about 10 years in Four new mem- My first trip to sea was to get a bucket of salt water to the Navy, I experienced my bers are wel- aboard the USS Columbus rinse the deck outside of CIC first sea duty on the Gurke in comed on page three. out of Norfolk, Virginia. It was of some kind of gunk. Being a 1961 as we departed for a beautiful day, albeit a little natural sailor genius, I figured WestPac via Australia. On On page four you windy, thus rough. I was to tie a line on the bucket and my first trip to the mess will find Lt Phil- thrilled to look back and see dip it in the water over the decks, I thought I would ac- lip Sweet’s ac- the shoreline. We passed into starboard side, piece of cake. quaint myself with one of the count of the the open sea and many of I forgot one thing...at 25 knots members of the engineering change of com- those around me began to get speed, that bucket of water department. I sat down and mand in 1969. sick. The rail became thick became a 300 pound anchor tried to introduce myself and with seasick sailors. This was from the force of the water. It received the following re- Carroll Briggs my first midshipman cruise almost yanked my arms out of sponse: “Yeoman, I come shares a different and thus many were going to my sockets and being the down here for two reasons- kind of sailing sea for the first time. I sur- genius, I started running (1) to eat, and (2) to watch a story beginning vived watching others lose down the side of the ship as movie—and I don’t see them on page four. their breakfasts and never got fast as I could in order to beat rigging no movie screen.” I Ralph Humbert- sick, even in typhoons. out some of the force from the learned that not everyone son tells about a ___________ water. I only had about 40 was interested in my friend- special visitor to feet until I would hit a stan- ship. the Gurke during Randy Voepel, 1970-71: chion. After a Herculean effort ___________ the 1969 WestPac The first time I was under- and an Olympic sprint, I was Cruise. way on the Gurke, I was an just able to clear the bucket Dave Crowell SOG3 1958- eager 19 year old RDSN. I out of the water with 5 feet to 61): See pictures from loved being at sea and was a spare before the stanchion My first time at sea was the 1969 Gurke natural sailor coming from a would decapitate, line, on the destroyer Samuel Cruise Book on LONG line of sailors in the bucket, arms or head. There (Continued on page 2) pages 7 & 8. Volume 4 Issue 1 USS GURKE NEWSLETTER Page 2 (Continued from page 1) but water in the shot. After giving him E.R. “Eray” Honeycutt, SN USS Morse, while going to Fleet Sonar the slide, he was ecstatic and you’ll Gurke MSO 447-1960: School. I think the most eye-opening probably never convince him that I was the ripe ol’ age of 20 experience was not the rough seas, there’s not a line across the ocean out when we got underway for the sea-sickness or everyone on the ship there east of Hawaii! My only regret WestPac Cruise. I had never been smoking cigars, trying to get all of us about my two WestPac cruises on a boat larger than 20 feet and Sonar school kids sick, but it was the aboard the Gurke is that we never got had never lost sight of land, that’s salt-water trough head. That was to cross the equator, so I never got to for sure. In boot camp I was given truly a thing to behold. Luckily, when become a Shell-Back, but I spent 2½ the possibility of being an office I went on board the Gurke, the salt years aboard the USS Gurke and person, because (I guess) I had water trough was replaced while we wouldn’t trade them for anything! A taken typing in high school. Aboard were in drydock in San Francisco. great fighting ship with a consistently the Gurke I was assigned to Char- __________ great crew! lie King, YN2, in the ship’s office. I __________ was in for a lot of learning and ad- Ray Johnson, DK2: justing. Now at my tender age of My first ride on the Gurke was Bill Perry: 69, I remember events as if they from Mare Island Naval Shipyard to I had finished boot camp and happened yesterday, and the faces San Diego. I had reported aboard school about Christmas time 1949. I of all still remain in that picture while the ship was undergoing re- boarded the Gurke early Feb 1950 on frame. pairs for shell damage in Korea. The the way to Japan. I still remember the We were scheduled to head out thing I remember most is going past greasy port, Brussel sprouts, and in two weeks; our destinations: Alcatraz Prison and beneath the pineapple upside down cake. I was Guam, Midway Island, Hawaii, the Golden Gate Bridge. Seeing two fa- sick all of the way to Japan. I was Philippines, Japan, Korea and mous landmarks close up and for the over that soon after!! back home. Most of us newbies first time was awesome. When we Now the strange things do happen. were still wet behind the ears and got to San Diego, my first glimpse of About a month ago my wife Ann and I had no idea what was going to be sunny southern California was a were having breakfast at a local res- in store for us—not a clue. rather heavy rain. taurant and as I went to pay our bill, During those two weeks, I had __________ Ann came out and said a man in there to adjust to my new job and under- has on a Gurke hat! We went back stand what it was all about. The #1 and found Bill Strong and his wife. He priority was to type, print and dis- Mike Elliott, WestPac 1969&70: was on the Gurke almost the same tribute the daily POD (Plan of the My story is a bit different because time as I was. He was a storekeeper, Day). Oh, yes, that’s also when I I came to the Gurke after spending a out in July 1952. We are meeting next found out that Charlie (my new year on Midway Island fueling and Tuesday to get acquainted and have boss) had never liked filing loading/unloading planes, so seeing lunch at the local VFW. “things.” It seemed like there were nothing but ocean as far as I could __________ years of files to be categorized and see in any direction was not a new filed before we left Long Beach thing, but moving through it was! I port. So in two weeks I did get into reported aboard the same day a Chuck Newman OS3 1975-76: a successful routine and learned young seaman deuce right out of My first time at sea was when we my way around the boat, where I boot camp did in mid-1968, and were pulling out of port in Japan and it worked, slept and ate. while I ended up in the ET gang, he was something that I never will forget. Being homesick was never on was a cook striker. My favorite mem- Looking out at the seemingly endless my mind; I knew and accepted my ory is of this cook staying up all night ocean just mesmerized me and I fell new home. Everyone that cared a to see the International Date Line in love with it. Any chance I got, there little about me knew where I was: when we crossed it. When I asked I was again looking out at the ocean. The US NAVY. I knew I was in him the next morning if he’d seen it, No matter how hectic my day had good hands and felt comfortable. It he said he hadn’t. I accused him of been, just standing on the rail for actually was the first time I felt like falling asleep and missing it, al- awhile thinking about home, girl- someone really cared if I lived or though he swore he hadn’t. I told him friends or our next port just seemed to died; it’s a terrible thing to say, but I’d gotten a picture of it and when I make it all better.
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