50 Yrs Ago Today - Mullinnix Crosses The Line (Again)

(Excerpt from “The Last Gun Ship - History of USS Mullinnix DD-944” - A Historical Novel By Frank A. Wood

But to be alive for 25 February 1959 meant everything to a Navy man. The crew that celebrated their crossing last July was going to get to invoke their lessons learned on yet another group of mangy pollywogs. With the sun covered by rain clouds, the wind flecked with salt, the rain held off for a time. A black cloud moved across the sun, dropping the Mullinnix into shadow. As the sun went behind this rain cloud, it burned a purple hole through its center. When the sun finally broke through a cloud, the tops of the mast and stacks lit up as though they had been touched by fire. It was time. The ship’s log described the day as:

• 0800 Mustered the crew on stations.
• 1115 Shifted all pollywogs into the uniform of the day. Stationed the Equator lookouts. Commenced making all preparations for receiving King Neptunus Rex and his court on board.
• 1303 Maneuvering on various courses and speeds to enter the realm of Neptunus Rex.
• 1330 Davy Jones came aboard.
• 1331 His majesty Neptunus Rex and members of his court came aboard for the purpose of converting all Mullinnix pollywogs into trusty shellbacks. Broke the flag of Neptunus Rex. Entered the realm of Neptunus rex and commenced the initiation ceremonies.
• 1537 Completed the initiation ceremonies. No pollywogs remain on board. King Neptune left the ship. Hauled down the flag of King Neptune.
• 1538 Maneuvering to rejoin formation. Set course 110T and speed 18 knots.

Dry thunder pealed slowly across the sky which was the color of a day-old bruise. As the heat went out of the day, the summer light seemed to ascend higher in the sky, so that the sea itself became a flat silver plain, mirror like. Flying fish sailing diagonally from the bow like sparkling metallic grasshoppers fleeing from an approaching mower.

To be continued...
Cheers,
Woody

50 Years Ago Today - Mux Steams Towards Rio

(Excerpt from “The Last Gun Ship - History of USS Mullinnix DD-944” - A Historical Novel By Frank A. Wood

On 21 February at 1645 Mullinnix stationed the special sea and anchor detail under a sky of purple streaked with fire, underway for Rio de Janerio, Brazil as flagship of Task Force 86. Steering course 270 at a speed of 20 knots, the crew’s emotions were thick with memories of Trinidad and they tried to keep an empty place in the center of their mind, not thinking the thoughts they were thinking. It to no avail, they were headed to Rio, the land of what sailor’s dreams are made of. Jimbo Larson’s head had cleared. His, with most of the crew, thoughts laid over the horizon, they were headed back to Rio.

As a reminder that this wasn’t just a milk-run, dawn broke over Mullinnix on the 22nd with a sky a shade of azure blue only seen in airline magazines. As the crew looked across the sea at the sun it appeared molten and watery, wrapped in vapor. Task Force 86 was steaming in column open order in company with USS Van Voorhis DE-1028, USS Lester DE-1022, USS Taussig DE-1030, and USS Spikefish SS-404 on base course 102 degrees T at base speed 16 knots, Mullinnix was guide in station 1. The next several days were filled with exercises in preparation with much larger and more sophisticated exercises with the Navies of several South American countries.

On the afternoon of the 23rd, USS Van Voorhis was detached by COMSOLANT to proceed independently to Recife, Brazil. The following day the weather took a turn for the worst. The barometer noise-dived and the sky turned a chemical green. The swells were smooth-surfaced and rain-dented, the wind flecked with salt. To remind the crew just who’s Navy they were in, Admiral Stephan held an inspection with the crew mustering at quarters in foul weather parade. On the eastern horizon, a line of storm clouds shot forks of white lightning, probing the sea here and there as if searching for sailors. Mullinnix started to dip and dive as the swells increased.

For some of the crew this was there first time in rough seas and experiencing the effects of seasickness. At first many thought they were going to die but then they reached the stage where they feared they may not.

But to be alive for 25 February 1959 meant everything to a Navy man…

To be continued…
Cheers,
Woody

50 Years Ago 16th Feb, Mullinnix Visits Port of Spain, Trinidad, BWI

(Excerpt from “The Last Gun Ship - History of USS Mullinnix DD-944” - A Historical Novel By Frank A. Wood)

Shortly after sighting Chacachacare Light on 16 February, Mullinnix stationed the special sea detail. Steaming passed Diegos Island abeam to port, then Five Islands abeam to starboard, she slipped into the port side of Pier 2, US Naval Base, Port of Spain, Trinidad, British West Indies (BWI). The engineers let the fires die out under Boiler 1B and Mullinnix began receiving fresh water and telephone services from the pier.

At 0801, Rear Admiral E.C. Stephan, Commander South Atlantic Force, US Atlantic Fleet, called informally on the Commanding Officer of the Mullinnix. Later that morning Commander Anderson departed the ship to pay a formal call on Admiral Stephan as well as Capt D.A. Sooy, Commanding Officer, US Naval Station, Trinidad, BWI.

BT1 A.J. Bell, MM3 A.R. Alterio, and BM2 D.P. Cutlip were the unlucky mates that were elected to temporary duty as shore patrol. Trinidad’s cornucopia-like offerings to stimulate a sailor’s many senses made shore patrol duty hard to appreciate let alone accept.

Trinidad has all the things you’d expect from a Caribbean island — sun, rum, sea, sand, plus friendly locals, rum, music, parties, and ample opportunities for relaxation in rich natural surroundings with rum-based drinks. Did I mention rum? The city is bordered by the Gulf of Paria on one side and the Northern Range on the other, providing both mountain and sea views. The mish-mash of architectural styles can seem rather ugly at first sight, especially downtown, but look closely and you can spot many fine nineteenth-century buildings along with quaint "gingerbread" houses, so named because of their intricate fretted woodwork.

Thanks in large part to its natural harbor, Port of Spain was made Trinidad's capital in 1757. The downtown area is the oldest section of the city, and despite its run-down appearance is the shopping and entertainment center of the capital. Within the compact grid of streets surrounding broad Brian Lara Promenade/Independence Square and bustling Frederick Street, shops jostle for space with old Spanish warehouses, bars, shops and the paraphernalia of the docks.

The city was preparing for the annual carnival that celebrates the beginning of Lent. 'Caribbean' carnival's principal components were calypso, steelpan and playing mas (masquerade). In Port-of-Spain these elements were harmoniously structured to form a five day ritual pageant beginning with the King & Queen Contest, followed by Panorama, Dimanche Gras, J'Ouvert and finally the Parade of the Bands.

On a candle-lit terrace overlooking Trinidad’s bay, and where, in the cold smell of broken ice stained with rum and bruised fruit, weeks at sea could disappear with the ease of raising a glass to your mouth.

To be continued…
Cheers,Woody

Mullinnix National Museum Survives Lone Grove Tornado

At about 7:25 PM, a tornado ripped through my home town last night (Tuesday, 10 Feb). The body count stands at 15 and could rise. Lone Grove is a small community of about 3,000, 5 miles west of Ardmore, OK and is the location of the Mullinnix National Museum (http://www.ussmullinnix.org/MuxMuseum.html). Rest assured, that 100% of the Mullinnix memorabilia is safe and sound – and its curator, yours truly.

So keep those donations, artifacts, and photos coming. See you at the reunion – God willing and the creek don’t rise!

Cheers,
Woody

50 Years Ago 3rd Feb, Mullinnix Experiences 1st Collision!

(Excerpt from “The Last Gun Ship - History of USS Mullinnix DD-944” - A Historical Novel By Frank A. Wood)

The 3rd of February was witnessed to two collisions. The first, shortly after 1AM, in Albert Juhl’s corn field northwest of Mason City, Iowa, pilot Roger Peterson flew his plane into the ground, killing himself, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. "Big Bopper" Richardson. The viscous Iowa weather was to blame.

The second, on this day the music died, witnessed Mullinnix moving, with the aid of YTB 380, 533 and 500, from pier 23, berth 233 to pier 20, berth 205, D&S Piers, Norfolk. Shortly thereafter at 1620, sister ship USS Bigelow DD-942, as sisters tend to do, gave Mullinnix a small kiss in the form of damage to her port screw guard while coming alongside. The Engineer Officer and damage control assistant inspected for further damage within the ship and found no evidence of interior damage.

To be continued…
Cheers,Woody