50 Years Ago Today –Mullinnix Participates in 2nd Fleet’s LANTFLEX
Excerpt from “The Last Gun Ship - History of USS Mullinnix DD-944” - A Historical Novel By Frank A. Wood
The ship left on 16 January for a brief Second Fleet LANTFLEX in the Virginia Capes Op-Area with her ever-present sailing partner USS Laffey DD-724 in accordance with COMCARDIV 4 OP-ORDER 1-61. Other ships present for these exercises included the heavy cruiser USS Newport News CA-148 (hi-lining GM2 Southerland to Newport News), USS Little Rock CLG-4, USS Forrestal CVA-59, USS Shangri La CVA-38, USS Northampton CLC-1, USS Canberra CAG-2, USS Mitscher DL-2, DESRON 8, DESRON 32 less USS Lowry DD-770 and USS Stormes DD-780, DESRON 4 less USS Gearing DD-710 and USS Vogelgesang DD-862, USS S.B. Roberts DD-823, USS Purvis DD-709, USS Triton SSRN-586,USS Sailfish SSR-572, and USS Pawcatuck AO-108.
Mullinnix, like any ship, was a microcosm of society – virtually every state, region, social class, and religion represented. This diversity made even these predictably boring LANTFLEX exercises seem almost tolerable. Exercises for what many wondered? Since the end of the Korean War, the world was at peace. Would the formidable firepower of the Sherman Class ever see action – real action? With a Med Cruise staring them in the face, 1961 appeared it was going to be a non-event. Wonder what ’62 would bring? With exercises completed, the ship returned to Norfolk on the morning of 20 January.
Minus SR Rothwell, Tegtmeier, and Fireman Morley, the ship got underway for anchorage FOXTROT, Newport News Channel, VA to unload hedgehogs on 1 February. It had to be 20 degrees outside and ten inside the steel-cold locker known as the MK68 Director, the wind-chill on the fantail toying with -15F. FTG3 Brian Smythe was half-frozen and numb sitting on the operator’s station inside the Director. Circulation in his extremities had stopped eight smokes ago. A freezing mist, turning to snow, was fast making his buddy (and boss) McGhee, Fire Control 2nd Class, an asshole.
Old man winter, with salt in his hair from the high seas or with snow in his beard from the Russian steppes, either can be your enemy or your ally. It's very much up to you. Even with only one E-6, the ratio ‘from petty officer to seaman’ was unfair. Smythe felt like he’d been screwed standing watch in the Director during ammo detail. Unbeknownst to Smythe, the man that assigned him to the Director, Howard McGhee, was standing watch on the fantail.
McGhee took a sip of his coffee and swallowed most of the enamel from his teeth. “Fuck its cold”, he thought. Glancing up, he watched as Signalman Glenshaw waved his flags, which he did in a way all his own, like a man very carefully drawing a diagram in the air. “Shit, how cold is it up there?” mused McGhee as the flags crackled in the snowy wind.
Snow began to fall heavily, coating Mullinnix like a soft white blanket. By 0902 visibility decreased to one mile. His foul-weather gear barely breaking even with the wind, he blew out great clouds of steamy breath. With the bitterly cold wind flapping the legs of his dungarees and pinching at his nostrils, McGhee stomped his booted feet to keep warm, thinking how he wished he was warm and toasty in the Director with Smythe.
Smythe was freezing his marrow. His self indulging laughter was silvery in the cold air, his breath a frosty puff, sitting in the director, the metal seat cold as the grave.
Mucus from McGhee’s nose had frozen in twin lines on his upper lip. His eyebrows were white with frost, as where his eyelashes. His cheeks were an unnatural red, and some drool was frozen to his chin. Finally, the ship came to a stop and McGhee could hear the anchor chain play out as the anchor crashed into the icy water. Once anchored, US Navy YTF-294 and YTF-328 came alongside port and off-loaded 188 service hedgehogs. By 1544 Mullinnix was back at Pier 20, moored port side to USS Sierra AD-18 - one last chance for crew members with families to make it home early to say goodbye to loved ones.
To be continued...
Cheers,
Woody
The ship left on 16 January for a brief Second Fleet LANTFLEX in the Virginia Capes Op-Area with her ever-present sailing partner USS Laffey DD-724 in accordance with COMCARDIV 4 OP-ORDER 1-61. Other ships present for these exercises included the heavy cruiser USS Newport News CA-148 (hi-lining GM2 Southerland to Newport News), USS Little Rock CLG-4, USS Forrestal CVA-59, USS Shangri La CVA-38, USS Northampton CLC-1, USS Canberra CAG-2, USS Mitscher DL-2, DESRON 8, DESRON 32 less USS Lowry DD-770 and USS Stormes DD-780, DESRON 4 less USS Gearing DD-710 and USS Vogelgesang DD-862, USS S.B. Roberts DD-823, USS Purvis DD-709, USS Triton SSRN-586,USS Sailfish SSR-572, and USS Pawcatuck AO-108.
Mullinnix, like any ship, was a microcosm of society – virtually every state, region, social class, and religion represented. This diversity made even these predictably boring LANTFLEX exercises seem almost tolerable. Exercises for what many wondered? Since the end of the Korean War, the world was at peace. Would the formidable firepower of the Sherman Class ever see action – real action? With a Med Cruise staring them in the face, 1961 appeared it was going to be a non-event. Wonder what ’62 would bring? With exercises completed, the ship returned to Norfolk on the morning of 20 January.
Minus SR Rothwell, Tegtmeier, and Fireman Morley, the ship got underway for anchorage FOXTROT, Newport News Channel, VA to unload hedgehogs on 1 February. It had to be 20 degrees outside and ten inside the steel-cold locker known as the MK68 Director, the wind-chill on the fantail toying with -15F. FTG3 Brian Smythe was half-frozen and numb sitting on the operator’s station inside the Director. Circulation in his extremities had stopped eight smokes ago. A freezing mist, turning to snow, was fast making his buddy (and boss) McGhee, Fire Control 2nd Class, an asshole.
Old man winter, with salt in his hair from the high seas or with snow in his beard from the Russian steppes, either can be your enemy or your ally. It's very much up to you. Even with only one E-6, the ratio ‘from petty officer to seaman’ was unfair. Smythe felt like he’d been screwed standing watch in the Director during ammo detail. Unbeknownst to Smythe, the man that assigned him to the Director, Howard McGhee, was standing watch on the fantail.
McGhee took a sip of his coffee and swallowed most of the enamel from his teeth. “Fuck its cold”, he thought. Glancing up, he watched as Signalman Glenshaw waved his flags, which he did in a way all his own, like a man very carefully drawing a diagram in the air. “Shit, how cold is it up there?” mused McGhee as the flags crackled in the snowy wind.
Snow began to fall heavily, coating Mullinnix like a soft white blanket. By 0902 visibility decreased to one mile. His foul-weather gear barely breaking even with the wind, he blew out great clouds of steamy breath. With the bitterly cold wind flapping the legs of his dungarees and pinching at his nostrils, McGhee stomped his booted feet to keep warm, thinking how he wished he was warm and toasty in the Director with Smythe.
Smythe was freezing his marrow. His self indulging laughter was silvery in the cold air, his breath a frosty puff, sitting in the director, the metal seat cold as the grave.
Mucus from McGhee’s nose had frozen in twin lines on his upper lip. His eyebrows were white with frost, as where his eyelashes. His cheeks were an unnatural red, and some drool was frozen to his chin. Finally, the ship came to a stop and McGhee could hear the anchor chain play out as the anchor crashed into the icy water. Once anchored, US Navy YTF-294 and YTF-328 came alongside port and off-loaded 188 service hedgehogs. By 1544 Mullinnix was back at Pier 20, moored port side to USS Sierra AD-18 - one last chance for crew members with families to make it home early to say goodbye to loved ones.
To be continued...
Cheers,
Woody
posted by Frank A. Wood at 09:00
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