Page 242 of 252 FirstFirst ... 142192232240241242243244 ... LastLast
Results 2,411 to 2,420 of 2512

Thread: well, the darn thing is out

  1. #2411
    Super Moderator LarrBeard's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Location
    Ft. Wayne, IN
    Posts
    2,482

    Decommissioning YOUR Ship

    Quote Originally Posted by pelago View Post
    SADDEST TIME REMEMBERED, Was just toolin around in my boat and all of a sudden in Morehead City NC there sits the USS SAIPAN, but wait somethings wrong. HELL IT WAS BEING DE COMMISSIONED LHA CLASS, AND DAMN I WAS A PLANKHOLDER
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Saipan_(LHA-2)
    SOMEWHERE I HAVE A PHOTO TAKEN DURING GRENADA.F ME ESCORTING (WELL SORT OF) WITH A 12 GAUGE SHOTGUN TO THE GUYS NECK, ACROSS FLIGHT LINE, HAD A BATTLE DRESSING ON MY *** DUE TO THIS SOB SHOOTING ME. NO DID NOT SHOOT HIM, WANTED TO THOUGH
    Ira: We Hijack your threads so often, but they make starting points for so many good stories. Thanks.


    There is a special pain associated with seeing a ship in which you have served being scrapped. I think some of it is how it reminds us that one of these days we are going to the scrapper as well.

    In the late summer or early fall of 1967, after I had reported aboard the USS Shasta, we were tied up alongside a tender, USS Amphion, having repair and maintenance work done after the return from the WESTPAC deployment and circumnavigation of the globe. There was a ship moored between the Destroyer and Submarine piers and the main Naval Station that was obviously an inactivated ship awaiting her fate. I did some looking and I found out that she was the USS Franklin (CV-13). The USS Franklin was damaged in a Japanese air attack in March of 1945 and to this day is the most severely damaged aircraft carrier in Navy history; the USS Forrestal and USS Enterprise fires included.

    I was standing the Quarterdeck watch one morning with an old Chief Boatswain’s Mate. At that time he seemed older than the Ancient Mariner – he might have been fifty years old(!).. In his dress khaki uniform, left arm loaded with service stripes with the Officer-of-the-Deck’s spyglass under his arm, I was in awe of him – I was still fairly new to the command. He was a REAL sailor to me.

    As we watched, a tug came in from seaward with a ship in tow, heading up the river towards the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. It was time for the Franklin to make her final trip up the river to Portlock Salvage in Portsmouth, VA. I don’t remember who noticed her first, but I remember I asked the old Chief; “Is that the Franklin?”

    He replied “Yes son, that’s the Franklin. The last time I saw her was 1945 off Japan and I was just a kid. She was on fire, she would blow up and s**t would fly off, she would burn a while and blow up again and people and s**t would fly everywhere again. We spent a lot of the day looking for people who had been blown off. We found a lot but most of them were dead when we found them”.

    It was a sobering time for a 22-year old to see a crusty old sailor stand there with tears running down his cheeks – I shed a few tears too. One of his last comments was; “Well, she’s gone now and I won’t be far behind”.

    Now, fifty-plus years later as the ships of my youth have been scrapped – I fully understand the Old Chief that morning.

    For more information – I am providing this link:

    https://www.history.navy.mil/researc...ranklin-v.html

    I disagree with some details at the end of the Wiki. I suspect Red Star Towing delivered the USS Franklin to the Naval Base at Norfolk where she was picked over for about a year before she was towed up river. I know that some of our engineers and electricians salvaged gear from her since much of her gear was of the same vintage as ours with a LOT fewer hours of operation.

  2. #2412
    Super Moderator bmorgil's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
    Location
    Northwestern Ohio
    Posts
    3,557
    The history you guy's capture is vast by definition!

  3. #2413
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2019
    Location
    Oklahoma
    Posts
    447
    Almost every man I knew growing up was a WWII vet. My dad and all his friends were vets. Most of them didn't mind talking about it. None of them said it was good.

  4. #2414
    Senior Member pelago's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2016
    Location
    easter north carolina
    Posts
    1,261
    I have the chance to get a complete door right and left, here is the rub the steel is for a early model 3CJA wont that steel work on the m38a1, this is new steel and new canvas

    here is the place, already have winter top and sides ordered

    https://www.newlifecanvas.com/

  5. #2415
    Senior Member 5JeepsAz's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2019
    Posts
    577
    Did he just admit to taking by hand another man who had shot him? Outstanding.

  6. #2416
    Senior Member pelago's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2016
    Location
    easter north carolina
    Posts
    1,261
    Quote Originally Posted by 5JeepsAz View Post
    Did he just admit to taking by hand another man who had shot him? Outstanding.

    heck no told the sob if he moved i would take his head off with the shotgun i had

  7. #2417
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2019
    Location
    Oklahoma
    Posts
    447
    Were 12 gauge shotguns standard equipment there?

  8. #2418
    Super Moderator bmorgil's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
    Location
    Northwestern Ohio
    Posts
    3,557
    I am betting it was a Remington M870 Trench Gun?

    Nice find on the Canvas Shop! They even have a Campsite!

  9. #2419
    Senior Member pelago's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2016
    Location
    easter north carolina
    Posts
    1,261
    back to the question
    will a cj3a (early) door frame complete, work in a m38a1

  10. #2420
    Super Moderator gmwillys's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2017
    Location
    Alabama
    Posts
    3,570
    After looking around the interwebs, I could not come up with a solid answer. My gut reaction is no, the 3A door openings are smaller then the A1's. I found a couple of mentions that the M38 and the M38A1s doors are interchangeable, but nothing concrete. Kaiser sells the 3A door frames, but says that they were not designed to fit either of the 38s.

    https://www.kaiserwillys.com/usa-mad...ts-49-53-cj-3a

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •