The Hawkins had been back in Newport for about a week, March 1968. It was time enough for a dinner at my apartment with my two friends stationed in Norfolk who had stayed there while attending training in Newport.

Doc Jarden, my OCS roommate, was one. My old brain cannot recall the other’s name right now. They brought the two coeds attending Salve Regina College they had met at The Tavern. During the meeting process, beer drinking went to be a bit too far, and Doc’s dinner date was a tad inebriated. She was Kathy McMahon. That evening, she earned the nickname of “Kathy the Drunk.” During our dinner, she did not drink too much, and was funny and engaging. The other coed was Irene Cruess, who was pretty and earned the nickname of “Irene the Siren.”

We had a good time, Doc and the other fellow left the next day. i, you might say, was occupied. But that dinner was important a little later.

i was occupied with the NWAI. That is not a Hawaiian village. It stands for Nuclear Weapons Acceptance Inspection.

This inspection was critical for the Hawkins to become fully operational. We were capable of carrying nuclear weapons, specifically Anti-Submarine Rockets (ASROC) with nuclear warheads. Whether we did or not i cannot confirm or deny – the required response to any questions about whether we had nukes on board or not. But to be capable, we had to pass the NWAI before loading our ammunition and operating with the fleet.

The entire process was brutal. First, i, as the “Nuclear Weapons Officer,” had to keep all of our publications relating to nuclear weapons up to date. There was a very small compartment, i don’t remember where, that had a safe with the secret nuclear weapons related publications were kept. Most took little upkeep. But one, Special Warfare Operational Publication (SWOP) 5-5 was a bear.

This publication was a thick, sophisticated, complicated, gobble of stuff i could not comprehend. Never used it. But changes came in bunches, several days each week, and required pen and ink and cut and tape changes to be entered, noted, and initialed. i would enter, notate, and initial the changes in the small space. It required an hour or two each week, sometimes more. But it had to be up to date for us to pass the NWAI. I am reminded of that arduous task today when i get another of the continuing updates to apps and programs for my computer and phone. It’s still not fun.

There was an added complication for us as we faced our NWAI. Commander, Cruiser, Destroyer Fleeet, Atlantic Fleet or CRUSDESLANT, or perhaps an echelon higher had come out with a standardized check sheet for operating, loading, firing, unloading, and maintaining the ASROC system. Before, each ship had created their own check sheet and were graded on the check sheet as well as the procedures. This check sheet was brand new and had a lot of errors throughout for loading. Loading the ASROCs into the launcher was one of the critical aspects of the NWAI.

Fortunately, i had help. The CRUDESLANT Nuclear Weapsons Mobile Training Team came aboard and went through the check sheet as we were loading mock ASROCs. They also were a great help in most of the other preparations.

One morning, i was going through a practice loading with my ASROC team consisting of ASROC gunner mates, torpedo men, and sonar technicians. The ASROC launcher and loader were located amidships on the 01 level. Captain Max Lasell came down from his cabin and walked over to me. He directed me to have my check sheet reader continue the practice and walked me over to the starboard lifelines.

The captain asked me how it was going. i was hestitant in replying. My boss, the weapons officer, kept interrupting, trying me to change the way we were doing things, putting things into play that did not work.

i finally said, “Captain, things are going okay. There are a few problems but we are working on them.”

The ever aware CDR Max Lasell looked around to ensure no one could hear us and said, “Jim, i know what your problem is. i’m going to have a meeting with him after the noon mess. i will tell him to stay completely out of your preparations, to leave you alone. This is yours now. All yours.”

The big affable man stopped and looked around before concluding, “Jim, you know how important this inspection is. You can’t just do your best. We have to pass or you and i may not have a job.”

He walked away with me staring after him feeling like i had a challenge larger than any i had ever had.

i was right.

…To be continued.

Newport, Rhode Island from April to July 1969 was magic for me.

The abrupt, unexpected ending of my very short marriage had left me devastated, but i learned of the end being legal at the last of the Hawkins trip to GTMO.

The trip back to Newport put me in a good frame of mind. We had the usual rough seas off of Hatteras when i was CIC watch officer. The radarmen to a man were losing the battle against the seasick monster. We illegally had the hatch on the starboard side open to get as much fresh air in the space as possible. It didn’t help much with the ventilation, but it did readily serve as immediate access to the side of the ship where the evening mess and midrats were being served to the sea.

After i had resisted my initiation to sea sickness on the USS Lloyd Thomas during my ’63 midshipman cruise, i apparently was unsusceptible to the seasick gods. i let my watch take turns at the rail while while myself and the ones left standing ran the four-hour watch. It was good thing we were steaming independently and no contacts were around.

i found myself proud of the way i ran that watch. It also taken me away from what i would face in Newport.

♦      ♦      ♦

Upon arrival, i went to the apartment i had rented. i leaned toward closing out my rental agreement and decide to do with my belongings. i did not relish living on the ship and the place was incredible. i didn’t really have time to decide as we were headed back to sea to Yorktown to load our ammo and our ASROC (anti-submarine rockets) in the launcher and magazines. Then, two classmates showed up from Norfolk to attend training and asked if they could stay with me. i told Doc Jarden, and marine whose name i will remember and replace here, they could stay in my place if they would help with the rent. They readily agreed and moved in as we got underway once more.

The saga continues…

Oh, let me climb those ladders again,
machinery gray steel ladders,
to the pilot house with an open bridge,
the enclosed pilot house holding
the large helm for steering her by
and
the engine order telegraph for the lee helmsman
to send the orders to main control
for speeds and engine revolutions
and
at the center gyroscope repeater
just below the portholes
looking out on the forecastle
shine the flashlight’s red light
on the captain’s night orders,
signing them as if in blood
to relieve the officer of the deck,
announcing
i have the deck and the conn,
and
when the off-going watch has struck below,
walk out to that open bridge
to scan the horizon to determine
if there are any contacts about,
undetected by combat information center,
with the olive-green foul weather jacket
zipped to the top,
with the cover pulled down
to face the wind,
feel it biting into my cheeks,
smelling the salt and the sea,
awed by the millions of heavenly objects,
take a breath, a deep breath,
and
say to myself:
when you are feeling the wind
on a ship at sea
you are alive.

The Hawkins was qualified in gunnery, but we had one more live fire exercise before heading back to Newport. We left our station off of Calibre and headed to Vieques. We arrived in the early evening, anchored off the range, and around 2200, began the exercise. i think in the world of Allied Tactical Publications it was designated as Z-49-G, a night time gunnery mission.

The key figure in this exercise was the Sky One Director, Joe McMakin, who had surprised everyone when his counter battery fire in the qualifying exercise at Calibre.

The ship would get a call for fire from a forward gunfire liaison officer (GLO) — on ranges, this would be the range director. To abet the vision of the GLO, the after-mount, 53, would fire rounds carrying white phosphorous we called “willy peter” into the sky. They were timed to off above the area for the call to fire. When they detonated they released the willy peter on a parachute, which would slowly descend to the range, lighting up the area for firing.

The after mount would continue this alternating with each of its two guns, coordinated by Sky One, the director officer. The GLO would would send the coordinates for the area target to the ship’s Gunfire Support Director — i sure i have erred in the names of some of the positions in the fire control system — which was now Ralph Clark, the new director in Combat (CIC). He would send the directions to the officers on the MK 1 computer below and then give the order to fire with forward mount 51. Sky One would coordinate the firing of “willy peter” rounds from the after mount.

At least that was the way it was supposed to go. But Joe got a little confused and not much was going right. i stood by the captain as his voice over the fire control circuit. Big but taciturn CDR Max Lasell was growing frustrated, very frustrated. He turned to me and told me to notify him in the best way possible if some emergency occurred. With that warning, he stepped back into the pilot house, strode across it, exiting on the starboard side. From there he headed aft and climbed the ladder to the O4 level.

i could see him again as he scaled the side of the Sky One director. Joe was sitting at the top frantically trying to get the guns coordinated without much success. He had on that ginormous sound powered phone battle helmet and completely unaware the captain was climbing up the outside of the director. It was noisy.

When Max reached the top and his yell could not gain Joe’s attention, he began to beat…er, tap, on Joe’s battle helmet with his binoculars.

i don’t know what Captain Lasell said to Joe. i wish i did. The conversation was short. The captain descended from his precarious perch and returned to the bridge wing where i awaited.

Miraculously, the gunfire became coordinated, we took the GLO’s spots and moved the rounds until we were on target and began firing for effect. The night shoot went from looking like a complete disaster to a success.

Standing by the captain is the primo spot for watching a night gun shoot on a FRAM destroyer. i was lucky. i wish everyone could have that opportunity, now vanished. i still have no need to watch fireworks. If i do, it’s because i’m being accommodating for someone else to watch.

They always pale in comparison to that night shoot off of Vieques about fifty-five years ago.

This installment has taken some time. i wanted to include names of friends who were part of the story. i have been partially successful, but i’m disappointed. Just a month or so ago, i ran across the USS Hawkins wardroom social roster from my two years on board, Now when i need it, i cannot find it anywhere. So, i guess i will add missing names later.

i planned to post this before Christmas. Oops. i’m still looking for that roster. Right now, i’m trying to remember the name of the Supply Officer in 68-69. his first name was Dave. Good guy and great wardroom caterer. If any old Hawkins sailor remembers his name, please let me know.

And may you all have a terrific 2024.

The Hawkins left GTMO in the first of March of 1969 if i remember correctly. We had done well except for gunnery. We could go operational if we did well in the gun shoots on the Naval gunfire range on the island of Calibre. A night shoot was scheduled afterwards off the Vieques Navy range.

Ralph Clark was now the Gunfire Support Director. Ralph was Ops and Senior Watch Officer. He was, in my estimation, an outstanding Naval officer. i don’t recall who was the officer in computer room. But Joe McMackin was the Sky One Fire Control officer. Joe had graduated from Weslyan and was as gentle a soul that ever lived. Super good guy, but he had not done well as the director of Sky One.

For those unfamiliar with Navy gunfire support at the time, Sky One was the director that sat on the signal bridge on destroyers. The officer in charge of Sky One sat at the top with a sight that he used to target incoming enemy aircraft and directly shoot at land targets. The sight could control each and all of the gun mounts. Joe’s job in the primary gunfire support exercise was to interrupt the calls to fire when the ship received fire from ashore. In the exercise (Z-48-G i think was the nomenclature for this exercise), the officer ashore in charge of the exercise would detonate a white phosphorus charge on the range to simulate an enemy firing at the ship. The proper procedure was the Sky One Officer would notify the other gunfire support stations (there was a term i cannot remember), take control of the guns and return fire at the enemy.

This had not gone well during GTMO’s non-firing refresher training. The captain, CDR Max Lasell expressed his concern as we anchored off Calibre and prepared for the critical exercise that would allow us to become combat operational if we passed. i continued to be the captain’s communication link with the gun fire sound powered phone circuit, standing by his side throughout any gun exercise.

The exercise was going well. Ralph Clark’s control of the calls for fire and adjustments were effective. Then, the white phosphorous charge on the range went off. Joe saw it, took control, and fired one round from the forward mount. It was a direct hit on the target and snuffed the willie peter (gunner’s mate term for white phosphorous) out.

The Hawkins passed the exercise with a 98% score.

We were operational.