Thursday, June 13, 1968
Anchored in Da Nang. Warm, Sunny. 0815 — Flying Crane Removes Big Mother 73 from Helo Deck. 0900 — Underway for S. SAR Station. - Pay Day, $132.00. 1245 — G.Q. for Damage Control Drills.
Original Logbook Page
Video
Letters
Mike Ducy to HomeMike to Home
Thursday 9 PM
13 June, 1968
Tonkin Gulf
Dear Mother and Dad,
Our past three days up here have been quite active with more than the usual everyday happenings. It all started about 3 AM Tuesday when one of our planes was shot down overland. The search continued into the next morning and one of the helicopters got hit by some small arms fire from some VC troops on the side of a hill. They landed back here and one of it's crew was hit in both legs from the machine gun fire. They gave him some treatment here then sent him off to the carrier for futher aid. They finally gave up the pilot for lost and called off the search. Later in the day one of the helo's on deck couldn't be launched because of engine trouble. We then proceeded to an aircraft carrier to have it lifted off by crane. Well it got dark by the time we got there and it looked like too risky of an operation anyway so they called that off too. Yesterday we set course for Da Nang to have another helo lift it off our deck. We got there about midnight and stayed over night. At 8:00 this morning they brought out a flying crane and lifted it off. We then got underway and are now back here on SAR station. They had some Migs get in pretty close up here this afternoon while we were gone but there hasn't been anything happen yet.
I got your letter of the 4th, today on Tuesday the 11th. As you can tell thats rather slow. We didn't get mail for three days and thats probably why. I decided to wait till today so I could mail these money orders. Today was pay day. Put $130 in the bank and use the $10 for the stuff I had you get me and the postage to mail it. Since you have already sent the box there is a good chance I may get it during our next refueling from an oiler which may be tomorrow because of the trip to Da Nang. We cruised at 29 knots (49 mph) all the way there and back. The only time we do get packages out here is when we refuel from the oilers.
I suppose you have got the tape I sent a few days ago. I hope every one liked it.
Have you started getting the "All Hands" magazines yet? I forgot to ask you many times. I suppose you have though, because I mailed in the supscription about two months ago.
I'm glad to hear David got his cast off and can go swimming now. How's he doing in summer school?
Well thats about all there is from here. I'll be waiting to hear from you again. Bye for now.
Your son,
Mike
Original Scans
Vigilance Magazine
Vigilance — Page 16Cruiser-Destroyer Group, August 1968
COMMANDERS BRIEFED ON USS ST PAUL
Vice Admiral W.H. Baumberger, Deputy Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet and Vice Admiral
W.F. Bringle, Commander, U.S. Seventh Fleet, recently visited the USS Saint Paul for briefings
on current operations.
The heavy cruiser is currently deployed in Vietnamese waters near the Demilitarized Zone. Saint
Paul is the flagship of Rear Admiral S.H. Moore, Commander Cruiser-Destroyer Group, U.S.
Seventh Fleet. She is commanded by Captain Ralph A. Hilson.
[Photo: ARRIVING-(L-R) Vice Admiral W.F. Bringle, Captain Ralph A. Hilson, Vice Admiral Walter H.
Baumberger, arrive on board the USS Saint Paul for briefing.]
TUCKER RATES MUC AWARD
USS Henry W. Tucker (DD 875) was recently awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation by
Adm. T.F. Moorer, Chief of Naval Operations.
The award was for meritorious service while assigned to the Northern Search and Rescue Unit
of Task Force 77 from September to October 21, 1967.
ARMY RESCUES NAVY; REMOVES 'COPTER
If there was a ten-ton truck in your driveway with a broken axle and your car was in the garage,
could you go to work?
A similar dilemma occurred on the San Diego-based guided missile frigate USS Jouett (DLG 29) in
the Tonkin Gulf that was finally solved with assistance from the Air Force and the Army.
An 11-ton Navy helicopter landed on the Jouett's helo pad. Because of a malfunction that could
not be repaired on the Jouett, the huge 'copter could not take off again. The Jouett's own
helicopter was bottled up in its hangar and Rescue (SAR) station and as long as the disabled
helicopter remained there the Jouett could not perform her primary mission.
In an attempt to get the big "chopper" out of the way, the Commanding Officer, Capt. Robert S.
Hayes jockeyed his ship alongside the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown to see if they could lift the
stalled 'copter with their large crane. No luck. The two ships and the crane just didn't fit
together in the right places. Next, Commander Destroyer Squadron One, Capt. Arthur Emerson, also
on the Jouett, called the Air Force for assistance.
The Air Force responded quickly. They called the Army. The Army dispatched a noisy grasshopper-like
flying machine with a large crane that dropped a hook down to the stalled 'copter and flew away
with it dangling grotesquely like a chicken hawk with a chicken.
It took only a few minutes for the Army helicopter to solve the problem after it arrived. To the
exasperated men on the Jouett who had stewed and schemed for hours to be rid of the thing, it
somehow looked disturbingly simple.
[Photo: UP, UP AND AWAY-Army Sky Crane helo, CH-54A, lifts the incapacitated "Big Mother", SH-3,
helo clear of the decks of the USS Jouett (DLG 29) while she lies at anchor in the harbor at
Danang SVN.]
Page Scans
Cruise Book
Cruise Book — Pages 120-121USS Jouett (DLG-29) 1968 Cruise Book
USS JOUETT (DLG-29) 1968 CRUISE BOOK — PAGES 120-121
In a highly unique sequence of events, an SH-3 helicopter experienced mechanical
difficulty while on board, and was unable to fly off for needed repairs. Too large to
fit the ship's hangar, the SH-3 was moved forward on the flight deck, while flight
operations continued with the UH-2. JOUETT made a hurried voyage to the port of
DaNang, where a U.S. Army "Sky Crane" helicopter hoisted our disabled "Big Mother"
off the ship. In a matter of a few days, this very helicopter returned to duty, and once
again flew from the deck of JOUETT.
[Photo: U.S. Army CH-54A Sky Crane helicopter lifting the disabled SH-3A "Big Mother" off Jouett's flight deck at Da Nang, the SH-3 suspended by cables beneath the Sky Crane. USS Jouett (hull number 29 visible) seen from port side with mountains and Da Nang harbor in background]