50 Years Ago Today - Mullinnix Heads Home From Med (Headed to Norfolk)

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

The ship arrived at Golfo Di Palmas, Sardinia at 1649 on 14 August. The following morning at 0830 US Newport News CA-148, USS Intrepid CVA-11, USS DuPont DD-941, USS Henley DD-762, USS Ault DD-698, USS Putnam DD-757, and USS Keith DD-775 stood into the anchorage and anchored. In accordance with BUPERS Message 101629Z, Captain I. C. Kidd, Jr. relieved Captain J. H. Carmichael, as COMDESRON 32 and COMDESDIV 321.

Headed home, finally… At 1418, Mullinnix pulled up anchor and headed home to Norfolk, Virginia.

To be continued...
Woody

Last U.S. Ground Forces Withdraw From Vietnam – 39 years ago yesterday

With the deactivation of the 3rd Battalion of the 21st U.S. Infantry, the last American ‘ground’ combat units were pulled out of South Vietnam. The 1,043 man unit had been assigned to the U.S. airbase at Da Nang. However, sea operations continued and more than 40,000 U.S. servicemen remained in Vietnam.

Turn you sound on, and check out http://www.ussmullinnix.org/1972Vietnam.html to see if the war wa really over.

Also, this link will take you to about 10 pages worth of pictures from the coast of Vietnam, circa 1972: http://www.ussmullinnix.org/1972Pictures.html.

And of course, the crew of Mullinnix --- my shipmates: http://www.ussmullinnix.org/ShipCrew72.html

Drink one of us,
Woody

50 Years Ago Yesterday – Mullinnix leaves St. Jean

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

She left St. Jean on 7 August back to fleet operations. Where to? More firing exercises were conducted on 8 August, expending 52 rounds of 5”. Mullinnix engaged the replenishment group on 9 August, taking on fuel from USS Mississinewa AO-144 followed by ammunition transfer from USS Shasta AE-6. She commenced vertical replenishment from USS Altair AFS-32 at 1025 and by 1301 Mullinnix was transferring ammunition to USS Mississinewa.

She spent the next several days steam with USS Franklin D. Roosevelt CVA-42. The Roosevelt was the second of three Midway class aircraft carriers. To her crew, she was known as the "Swanky Franky," "Foo-De-Roo," or "Rosie," with the last nickname probably the most popular. Roosevelt spent most of her active deployed career operating in the Mediterranean Sea as part of the Sixth Fleet. The ship was decommissioned in 1977 and was scrapped shortly afterward.

At 1418 on 11 August, the ship lost the electrical load while shifting from 1 and 3 ship’s service generators to 2 and 4. She reshifted the load back to 1 and 3 but at 1428 a electrical fire broke out on the reefer decks. The ship immediately went to general quarters, setting material condition ZEBRA throughout the ship. The fire in the No. 2 reefer motor was quickly extinguished.

To be continued...
Woody