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
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
posted by Frank A. Wood at 11:13
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