A newsletter for the sailors of the USS GURKE (DD-783) GURKE NEWSLETTER Volume 1 Issue 2 August 2007 OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE USS GURKE (DD-873) Special Points of Interest A TALE OF THE SEA • Do you remem- ber your first By Byron Lott, FT3 (1960-61) cruise? Byron Lott does. Read What’s it like to be a mesmerized by the ballet of Should they hold on to that his account in young seamen aboard a US men shouting orders, others line from fear, from just hav- the cover story. destroyer partaking in his hauling hoses, shot lines be- ing something to hang on first cruise to WestPac? ing fired, men scurrying to to, or whatever, their hands • Be sure to read Well, for this young 19 year and fro, and finally the con- and arms would ultimately Ed Ellis’ column old having just come aboard nection of the hose to the be dragged through the on page two. two weeks ago, fresh from ship’s fuel intake. Equally block with catastrophic con- There is some FT “A” school, and right off captivating was the action of sequences.. Lose your grip important infor- mation for you. the farm before that, it was a large wave as it snaked be- and be swept down the to be an adventure. The tween the two ships buffeting deck and possibly over the • Please welcome year was 1960 and the USS first one and then the other. side, or hang on for dear life the five newly Gurke, DD783, was at sea On the destroyer, having a and risk major injury. For located shipmates refueling from a tanker lower deck than the tanker, me, the scene was hypnotic under Welcome named the Hauseompa (sic). the wave would come rushing in its ability to command my Mat on page I had been assigned to the aboard and wipe the men complete attention. The three. bridge as a port lookout dur- hauling on the line off their moment passed and all ing refueling. It was one of feet, and for a few moments I were safe - until the next • Memorable those beautiful days for smiled as they resembled a wave came aboard. Then Events and Char- which the Pacific is noted; no stringer of fish madly sloshing came the order to discon- acters begin on clouds, azure blue sky, and this way and that. But this nect, and a new scenario page three. Some highlights are: temperature in the 80’s. I ballet was fraught with danger emerged that I was to wit- trips to Tijuana, faced the wind and occa- as the men below fought to ness far too many times. Gurke sailors sionally was greeted by a regain their balance and con- After numerous transfers of who comman- spray of sea water flung up trol of the line to which they messages over the head deered a Japa- by the bow. What a sight – so desperately clung. This sets, numerous gestures nese train, the where was my camera? particular line ran from one back and forth by crewmen, great food on the What a life! Since we were ship to the other and the roll- there came the signals from Gurke, George refueling on the port side I ing of the ships would cause both ships to stop pumping, Dewey Nelson, had a bird’s eye view of all them to be dragged, cursing, to blow out the hose with Capt. Radel, Capt Edgerton, and an that was taking place below wriggling, stumbling, unre- air, and to prepare to dis- E-3 who had me, and I was somewhat lentingly toward a deck block. (Continued on page 2) many medals. Volume 1 Issue 2 USS GURKE NEWSLETTER Page 2 (Continued from page 1) into the churning blades of two high- connect. Then came the order to speed propellers. I had witnessed it COORDINATOR’S disconnect. At once a member of the all! I had had the best seat in the black gang released the connecting house – front row center. Oh glori- COLUMN ring that held the hose to the inlet ous day, oh the joy! If this was to be BY ED ELLIS, PRESIDENT pipe and away the hose flew like a my life in the Navy where I was to black viper spewing its black venom, claim a kinship with those mates of Greetings from hot, steamy Ne- gooey fuel oil, all along our side and yore who hauled yardarms aloft, braska, down the main deck into the sea. climbed rigging to loosen sails, stood I hope everyone enjoyed the first The main deck, now covered with on the fore mast top yardarm and edition of “The Gurke Pepco” and will licorice colored oil, had become im- waved their arms to the sky with the want to continue receiving it. My last possible to stand on and men let go wind whistling in their face, then let sentence contains one problem and of their line and with sometimes gro- me sign now my shipping-over pa- one solicitation. First, there seems to tesque and sometimes gymnastic pers to stay for life in this wondrous be a dispute among various crew- contortions they tried to grab any- thing called the Navy. members about using the name thing – a stanchion, a fire hose, a __________ “Pepco”, so until a vote on the official buddy- anything, before they would name is taken at the 2008 business be swept overboard by that relent- meeting in San Diego, we are simply less wave. It was pandemonium as going to call it “The Gurke Newslet- the men on the deck struggled for 2008 USS GURKE ter.” Secondly, this will be the last their lives, the black gang members issue sent to all Gurke crewmem- yelling obscenities and shaking their REUNION bers. This is due to rising costs of fists, gesturing with their hands to the publication and distribution fees. If men on the tanker, our officers show- you wish to continue receiving the ing their frustration as they shouted APRIL 3—6 Newsletter and have not paid your to their counterparts across the short dues yet, you need to get those distance between the ships. Slowly SAN DIEGO, CA dues sent in. The dues are $10 a order was restored and wet, bat- year or $50 for lifetime. Send you tered, and weary men retired to their checks to: quarters to clean themselves and or Frank Hickam, 25 Harleck Dr, Wil- put on clean clothing. A vain attempt RESPOND TO STORIES mington, DE 19807-2507and was made to wash as much of the After you read the “Most Memo- PLEASE make your checks out to fuel oil stain off the ship as possible, rable Events and Characters” on USS Gurke DD-783 Reunion Assoc., but the oil had become almost a liv- pages three thru six, please send us Inc. ing thing as it congealed into a mass any recollections that they may trig- We should give Frank Hickam a and dared the bosons to wash it over ger for you. Do you remember any of round of applause for finally getting the side with their hoses. The bos- the people or events mentioned in the Reunion Association incorpo- ons attacked with a fury. This was the stories? If so, please send your rated as a nonprofit organization. We their ship and the oil was an unin- stories to the e-mail address now have official by-laws and are the vited intruder that would eat through [email protected] real deal. Now no one can steal or paint, leave a stain, make them ap- or to the mailing address below. misrepresent our name. pear, for all to see, to be slackers. Keep those stories coming! I hope you all have responded to High pressure water slammed into Karen Hoyle’s request for memora- the congealed mass of oil which ble characters or events and any promptly shattered into a million rain- Published by: special items you wish to share. Will bow colored bubbles and recombine Military Locator & Reunion Service, Inc make for very interesting reading and somewhere else. The slippery resi- PO Drawer 11399 memories. Please fill out the ques- due would take up residence along Hickory, NC 28603-6402 tionnaire about the tours you are in- the deck waiting for an unwary sailor terested in taking at San Diego and who would tread along its glistening 828-256-6008 (voice) send them in. This will help MLRS deck. Unwary until he saw his feet get the upcoming reunion in order so 828-256-6559 (Fax) we can have as much fun as we did go flying skyward, and slamming onto the deck on his back he sud- [email protected] in Colorado Springs. denly became a pinball bouncing off [email protected] Looking forward to seeing every- stanchions, deck hatches, and bulk- one in San Diego and hope you like heads twirling round and round with www.mlrsinc.com/gurke our changes and we get many new arms flailing against the sky in an subscribers to our Newsletter and attempt to stop his mad rush toward Our Reunions Work So You Don’t Have attendees at the 2008 reunion. the fantail and possibly over the side To. __________ Volume 1 Issue 2 USS GURKE NEWSLETTER Page 3 our other buddy for our beach time was Aaron Work, radioman or rather signalman, from Rapid City, SD. We always went skating to- gether, unless Aaron got on the re- WELCOME MAT TAPS stricted list, which was often.