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.