1

USS BRISTOL DD 857VETERANS ASSOCIATION

Spring 2011 NEWSLETTER

Editor’s correction:

In my contribution about reporting aboard Bristol in June 1966, I erred. I reported aboard June 1964. I guess the years are catching up to me. Sorry about that.

Editor’s Note:Please be sure to update your email address. When I published the Winter edition, I received many rejects from aol members. Be sure to put my email address (edwardclynch1@verizon.net) in your directory s o t h a t a o l d o e s n ’ t r e j e c t m e .

Do you have any memorabilia that we can use for our newsletter. My wife found this Liberty Card in her “Memories” box. I can still remember Ray Soto standing outside the Ship’s Office in his whites waiting for his Liberty Card. In this issue, we are going to continue with some stories about the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge during the construction phase. Here’s a sample called “The Tower to Tower Swim” contributed by ?

the newspapers from the duffle bags and filled them with life jackets from the overhead storage. We only took the ones in better condition and only enough for those manning the rowboats and swimmers in case of getting into the boats.Equipment at the ready we needed the right time to do it. A Saturday would be ideal with no one having to play hooky from school or work. We of course needed weather with calm seas and of course we watched the schedules for ships leaving the Narrows harbor. The day was here. All systems were a go. All were notified. This was before cell phones and cb radios and the like so changing a plan wasn’t so easy. Sandwiches’ were being made for the picnic afterwards. Swimmers were at the ready. Loading the boats was on schedule. The plan was to go to the Staten Island side tower get into the water and swim the two miles to the Brooklyn tower. We watched from the hillside in Brooklyn with enthusiasm. It was a clear, calm day. They made it to the other side, the swimmers were in the water and coming our way. Movement was slow and no ships were in sight, preparations were good. It seemed like an endless wait as they approached closer and closer. We did not know at the time that one of the swimmers had cramped up almost immediately after getting in the water. He refused to get in the boat but with help at the ready he was still able to continue. As they were getting near the Brooklyn tower the excitement of completion was overwhelming. This was planned and prepared almost all winter and now it is almost accomplished. All of a sudden we noticed there were boats in the water of various sizes and description, one, two, three ……, before we knew it there were seven boats coming towards the swimmers. Yes sirens were whaling and they were moving. Police, Coast Guard and Harbor patrol were on their way. I don’t think they had fifty yards left to touch the tower when they were reached by the first emergency boats. We could hear the loudspeakers telling them to get back in their boats. They hesitated at first but quickly boarded the rowboats when the voices were clearly not joking. They did not touch the tower so bragging rights were halted, but the memories and discussion of the event went on and on whenever we would meet and have a few beers. I still see and meet with a bunch of the guys annually. Next year I will bring it up again, I am curious how my story has changed from those actual moments after some 45 plus years. I am sitting here with a large grin on my face as it all comes back to mind. JoeEditor’s Note: Joe (Nameless) served with the 27th Infantry (Wolfhound) Regiment in Vietnam. Thanks for this great tidbit Joe.

I’ll leave out the names to protect etc….. We were planning a swim from tower to tower. I not being much of a swimmer was in charge of a picnic lunch and hanging out with the gals on a hill near the Brooklyn tower. The plan was to go to Sheepshead Bay early that morning and rent a couple of powered row boats. We would load up the necessary safety equipment upon the boats arrival from Sheepshead. The safety lines were appropriated from the bridge construction by one of the guys who worked there as an iron worker. We shortened the lengths and taped the ends to prevent unraveling then recoiled them readying for the excursion. We then took rides on the 69th Street ferry to Staten Island with duffle bags filled with newspapers crumpled up. Upon leaving Staten Island on the return trip we emptied

2

USS BRISTOL DD 857 VETERANS ASSOCIATION

The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge (continued)

In the last edition of our newsletter, we showed the opening ceremony of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, 21 November 1964, USS Bristol DD 857, at the sounding of the ship’s whistle, signalled the New York City Mayor, Robert Wagner, to cut the ribbon opening the upper deck.Some of the trivia associated with the construction relates to the brave men of Iron Workers Local 40. Bristol passed beneath the bridge many times during and after its opening. Some of those passages were not so pleasant. I was fantail phone talker during Special Sea Detail. This meant standing on the main deck after mount 53. Passing underneath the Verrazano could be hazardous. Many times, we were “bombarded” with rivets, nuts, and bolts falling from the bridge above. You may wonder how small is the world. Many years later, while working at the phone company, one of my coworkers told me a tale that you may find hard to believe. During the construction of the bridge, the fellow was an apprentice iron worker in Local 40. Most of the time, his job was to keep the beer cold and go for lunch for the journeymen. Rich Xxxxx told me that, when the guys had a few too many beers, they would start tossing stuff down on passing vessels. It’s amazing that there weren’t a lot of “on the job” deaths as a result of all the drinking. Our Captain wanted to kill those guys throwing stuff down on us. He even had the guns raised on the forward mounts just to scare the

On June 28, 1976 the largest American flag in the world was placed on the Verrazano. It lasted a few minutes before winds tore it apart. (Technology wasn't quite as advanced then). Since then a bigger flag was produced in Thailand, but we're told an even larger flag was produced in the USA. Help me out, Forgotten fans!

U n d e r t h e baleful eyes of c o n s t r u c t i o n supervisor John " H a r d N o s e " M u r p h y , t h o u s a n d s o f " b o o m e r s " o r i t i n e r a n t c o n s t r u c t i o n workers along with native NYC bridge workers, erected the iron and s teel and strung the cables. I n t h e s e t w o p i c tu r e s f rom 1963, the center o f the b r idge deck was put in place first. The deck, which was placed beginning in October 1963, consisted of 60 separate 400-ton pieces, lifted into p l a c e f r o m b a r g e s . E a c h piece was one of a kind and were alike down to the millimeter.

3

USS BRISTOL DD 857 VETERANS ASSOCIATION

A Christmas Story Contributed by Ray Storey (Ray’ s Father served in USS Utah BB31)

Here's a 'today' Yule story that occurred 3 weeks ago ~ AND NOW, in time for the holidays, I bring you the best Christmas story you never heard.

It started last Christmas, when Bennett and Vivian Levin were overwhelmed by sadness while listening to radio reports of injured American troops. "We have to let them know we care," Vivian told Bennett. So they organized a trip to bring soldiers from Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Bethesda Naval Hospital to the annual Army-Navy football game in Philly, on Dec. 3. The cool part is, they created their own train line to do it. Yes, there are people in this country who actually own real trains. Bennett Levin - native Philly guy, self-made millionaire and irascible former L&I commish - is one of them. He has three luxury rail cars. Think mahogany paneling, plush seating and white-linen dining areas. He also has two locomotives, which he stores at his Juniata Park train yard. One car, the elegant Pennsylvania , carried John F. Kennedy to the Army-Navy game in 1961 and '62. Later, it carried his brother Bobby's body to D. C. for burial. "That's a lot of history for one car," says Bennett. He and Vivian wanted to revive a tradition that endured from 1936 to 1975, during which trains carried Army-Navy spectators from around the country directly to the stadium where the annual game is played. The Levins could think of no better passengers to reinstate the ceremonial ride than the wounded men and women recovering at Walter Reed in D. C. and Bethesda , in Maryland . "We wanted to give them a first-class experience," says Bennett. "Gourmet meals on board, private transportation from the train to the stadium, perfect seats - real hero treatment." Through the Army War College Foundation, of which he is a trustee, Bennett met with Walter Reed's commanding general, who loved the idea. But Bennett had some ground rules first, all designed to keep the focus on the troops alone: No press on the trip, lest the soldiers' day of pampering devolve into a media circus. No politicians either, because, says Bennett, "I didn't want some idiot making this trip into a campaign photo op" . And no Pentagon suits on board, otherwise the soldiers would be too busy saluting superiors to relax. The general agreed to the conditions, and Bennett realized he had a problem on his hands. "I had to actually make this thing happen," he laughs. Over the next months, he recruited owners of 15 other sumptuous rail cars from around the country - these people tend to know each other - into lending their vehicles for the day. The name of their temporary train? The Liberty Limited. Amtrak volunteered to transport the cars to D. C. - where they'd be coupled together for the round-trip ride to Philly - then back to their owners later. Conrail offered to service the Liberty while it was in Philly. And SEPTA drivers would bus the disabled soldiers 200 yards from the train to Lincoln Financial Field, for the game. A benefactor from the War College ponied up 100 seats to the game - on the 50-yard line and lunch in a hospitality suite. And corporate donors filled, for free and without asking for publicity, goodie bags for attendees: from Woolrich, stadium blankets: Wal-Mart, digital cameras;Nikon, field glasses;and, GEAR, down jackets. There was booty not just for the soldiers, but for their guests, too, since each was allowed to bring a friend or family member. The Marines, though, declined the offer. "They voted not to take guests with them, so they could take more Marines," says Levin, choking up at the memory. Bennett's an emotional guy, so he was worried about how he'd react to meeting the 88 troops and guests at D. C.'s Union Station, where the trip originated. Some GIs were missing limbs. Others were wheelchair-bound or accompanied by medical personnel for the day. "They made it easy to be with them," he says. "They were all smiles on the ride to Philly. Not an ounce of self-pity from any of them. They're so full of life and determination." At the stadium, the troops reveled in the game, recalls Bennett. Not even Army's lopsided loss to Navy could deflate the group's rollicking mood. Afterward, it was back to the train and yet another gourmet meal - heroes get hungry, says Levin - before returning to Walter Reed and Bethesda . "The day was spectacular," says Levin. "It was all about these kids. It was awesome to be part of it." The most poignant moment for the Levins was when 11 Marines hugged them goodbye, then sang them the Marine Hymn on the platform at Union Station. "One of the guys was blind, but he said, 'I can't see you, but man, you must be beautiful!' " says Bennett. "I got a lump so big in my throat, I couldn't even answer him." It's been three weeks, but the Levins and their guests are still feeling the day's love. "My Christmas came early," says Levin, who is Jewish and who loves the Chris tmas season. "I can't describe the feeling in the air." Maybe it was hope.

As one guest wrote in a thank-you note to Bennett and Vivian, "The fond memories generated last Saturday will sustain us all - whatever the future may bring."

God bless the Levins.

And bless the troops, every one

4

USS BRISTOL DD 857 VETERANS ASSOCIATION

Left: Gun crew man quad 40mm starboard side; Center: Photo of USS Purdy (DD734) taken from port 40mm quad

gun mount; Right: USS Bristol DD 857 takes a “greenie” over Mount 52 during operations off Korea.

Bristol’s Korean War Duty

Left: Harry Thomas, "Blinky" Johnson, Dick Szulczewski R.I.P. (carrying a case of beer), "Rags" Carl 1951, before joining the fight in Korea.

Right: Frank Allen, Blinky Johnston, Bill Gail, Curtis Marsh, George Riel, Jerry Johnson, and Harry Thomas at the beer hall on the base at Gitmo before deploying to Korea, the first “stop” on the Round the World Cruise 1951-1952

On 2 October 1951, Bristol started a round-the-world cruise which took her, first to Korea, where she served from 31 October 1951 to 27 February 1952. Bristol, then returned to Newport via the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean, arriving 21 April 1952. Bristol received one battle star for her World War II service and two battle stars for her Korean service.

5

USS BRISTOL DD 857 VETERANS ASSOCIATION

The Chinese Offensive, 25 November 1950 - 25 January 1951-Overview and Selected Images

November 1950, a day after United Nations and Republic of Korea forces began the offensive they expected would complete the unification of Korea, Communist China countered with a terrific, and very successful offensive of its own. Within a few days, the Chinese onslaught reversed the UN/ROK northward drive in central and western North Korea, devastating several South Korean divisions, badly tearing up the U.S. Second Division and forcing the rest of the UN command to rapidly withdraw southwards to escape destruction. On 27 November, near eastern North Korea's Chosin Reservoir, the Chinese fell on the First Marine Division and a nearby U.S. Army task force, almost wiping out the latter and provoking a Marine response that ranks as one of history's greatest feats of arms. Over the following two weeks, the Marines battled their way to the port of Hungnam, from which they would be evacuated by sea. In their wake were the ruins of the opposing Chinese divisions, which suffered so many casualties from combat and the bitterly cold weather that they were out of action for months. In the new year, a renewed enemy offensive captured Seoul and drove the UN/ROK armies into new defensive lines in central South Korea. With no prospect of significant reinforcement, facing what appeared to be a total commitment of China's almost inexhaustable manpower, and fearing Soviet air and naval involvement, it briefly seemed that the UN forces might have to evacuate Korea to avoid unacceptable threats to Japan and, perhaps, to Europe. However, the UN still had complete control of the sea, which had just a l lowed rapid and thorough redeployment of troops and materiel from threatened positions in North Korea to reinforce the defenses in the South. Control of the sea allowed effective employment of ships' guns, greatly enhanced the effectiveness of air power and held open the prospect of another amphibious assault in the enemy's rear. Through the cruel wintery months of China's November 1950 - January 1951 offensive, Navy ships and Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps planes helped the UN/ROK armies cut through the enemy's ambushes, hammered his troops at and behind the front and badly eroded his supply lines.

USS English (DD-696) A 40mm gun crew prepares to bombard enemy installations along the Korean coast, circa October 1950 - February 1951. Photograph was received by the Naval Photographic Center on 21 February 1951.Note radar antenna on this quad 40mm mount and ammunition loaded in guns. Another 40mm mount, pointed in the opposite direction, is in the upper left background.

Evacuation of Inchon, December 1950 - January 1951. Port facilities at Inchon, South Korea, are destroyed as U.N. forces evacuate the city in the face of the Chinese Communist advance.Photograph is dated 4 January 1951. The final evacuation of Inchon took place on 5 January.

USS Saint Paul (CA-73)

Fires a salvo from her forward eight-inch gun turrets at enemy troops closing in on Hungnam, North Korea, during the evacuation of UN forces from that port.Photograph is dated 21 December 1950.

USS Missouri (BB-63)

Forward turret fires a 16-inch shell at enemy forces attacking Hungnam, North Korea, during a night bombardment in December 1950. In the background, LSMRs are firing rockets, with both ends of the trajectory visible.This is a composite image, made with two negatives taken only a few minutes apart.Photograph is dated 28 December 1950, but was probably taken on 23-24 December.

USS Buck (DD-761),USS Wisconsin (BB-64) andUSS Saint Paul (CA-73)

Steaming together during operations off Korea.Photo is dated 22 February 1952.

By 25 January 1951, the Chinese and the reconstituted North Korean forces had been so badly depleted that a new UN offensive was possible. If the great Chinese offensive had shown the United States and its allies that there would be no easy victories in mainland Asia, their response gave the

Communists a painfully expensive lesson in the vulnerability of their manpower-intensive armies to the vast mobile firepower of Western ground, air and naval forces.

6

USS BRISTOL DD 857 Leonard Roy Harmon, Mess Attendant First Class, USN

Poster featuring Mess Attendant Harmon and USS Harmon (DE-678), which was named in his honor. He was killed in action on board USS San Francisco (CA-38) during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, 13 November 1942. For his heroism in that action, Mess Attendant Harmon was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross. The poster also features the text of his award citation and a representation of the Navy Cross medal.

USS Harmon (DE-678)

Photograph taken in about August 1943, when the ship was first completed.This view was retouched by the censor to remove radar antennas, adding the pennant at the masthead in their place. It was then released for publication in March 1944.

USS Harmon, a 1400-ton Buckley class destroyer escort, was built at Quincy, Massachusetts. Commissioned in August 1943, she conducted her shakedown in the western Atlantic and was then assigned to the southwest Pacific area for escort duties with the Third and Seventh Fleets. As war fronts moved northward, Harmon participated in the January 1945 landings at Lingayen Gulf, Leyte. In March, she operated off Iwo Jima.

Beginning in mid-1945, in preparation for further invasion services, Harmon was modified to increase her gun firepower. World War II ended while this work was being done, and, upon completion of the overhaul, the ship was assigned to training duties in the Pacific and the Atlantic. Decommissioned in March 1947, Harmon remained inactive until she was sold for scrapping in January 1967.

USS Harmon was named in honor of Mess Attendant First Class Leonard Roy Harmon, a hero of the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal.

7

USS BRISTOL DD 857 VETERANS ASSOCIATION

Bravo Zulu (Well Done) ShipmateThis is the section dedicated to shipmates who are still “fighting” the fight. They are still giving of themselves to their shipmates, neighbors, community, and current active duty military.

Donald “Seaweed” Marcus still giving:

The Toledo Chapter started in 2008 and I went on the first flight as a guardian helper to the veterans. A guardian helper goes with an assigned Veteran and if they are handicapped you push them around in their wheelchair and see that they get what they need or any souvenirs that they may want. This is the first time back to Washington for some of them. I have met many great WWII Veterans through this endeavor, talking to them and listening to there stories. One of the things about the Toledo Chapter is that it is done by charter airplane (GrandAir). We use the airplane hangar at Grand Air and we serve breakfast to everybody before getting on the plane and tell everyone the last minute instructions. The plane usually leaves between 8 and 9 in the morning and usually gets back between 9 and 10 pm. I help out in the morning by trying to talk to all the veterans, about where they will be going. They go to the WWII Memorial and then go over to the Korean War Monument and then The Viet Nam wall and then we go to Arlington Cemetery to see the Changing of the Guards and also stop at the Marine Iwo Jima Memorial. I try to do whatever I can for them. As they are boarding the plane we have a line going to the plane holding flags and the veterans pass under the flags as they board. We also do that with the flags when the plane comes back in the evening. When the plane comes back we have a little reception inside the hangar and have the Genoa American Legion band that plays patriotic and WWII songs. Then we have mail call for everyone which consists of a package of goodies for for them. Then it is time to go home and I usually wait to the very end in case someone doesn't have a ride home. I volunteer to take that person home wherever he lives. So far I have not have to do that . I look forward to going down to Toledo Airport each time they have a flight. The plane usually holds 60 people but this year we are using a bigger plane that will hold 160 people. We still have over 400 Veterans in the Toledo area to take this wonderful trip to Washington D.C. I hope to continue doing this all through this year. We usually have 6 or 7 flights a year throughout the summer.P.S. when I talk to the veterans whether Air Force, Marines, Army, Coast Guard I always make sure I talk to the NAVY

GO NAVY

In Honor of Our VeteransHONOR FLIGHT Network is our way of paying a small tribute to those who gave so much—a memorable, safe, and rewarding TOUR of HONOR!!!

The inaugural Honor Flight took place in May of 2005. Six small planes flew out of Springfield, Ohio taking twelve World War II veterans on a visit to the memorial in Washington, DC. In August of 2005, an ever-expanding waiting list of veterans led our transition to commercial airline carriers with the goal of accommodating as many veterans as possible. Partnering with HonorAir in Hendersonville, North Carolina, we formed the "Honor Flight Network." Today, we continue working aggressively to expand our programs to other cities across the nation. How a Dream Became a Reality.

The Honor Flight Network program was conceived by Earl Morse, a physician assistant and Retired Air Force Captain. Earl wanted to honor the veterans he had taken care of for the past 27 years. After retiring

from the Air Force in 1998, Earl was hired by the Department of Veterans Affairs to work in a small clinic in Springfield, Ohio. In May of 2004, the World War II Memorial was finally completed and dedicated in Washington, D.C. and quickly became the topic of

discussion among his World War II veteran patients.

8

USS BRISTOL DD 857 VETERANS ASSOCIATION

Bravo Zulu (Well Done) Shipmate(Continued)

Contributed by Bruce BurnhamEd, I am Chaplain for the Vietnam War Veterans Association of Nassau County. I have the normal duties of a Chaplain within any organization would have and few extra because I am ordained. Each year about twenty of us from the group go out to Kokomo, IN for the annual Vietnam Veterans reunion. This past year marked our 28th year of coming together. A little info about the Howard County Vietnam Veterans Org. that sponsors this event each year. The Howard County Vietnam Veterans are now over 1500 members strong from all over the nation. Our mission goes beyond staging this reunion. We give year around support to the patients at the VA Hospital in Marion Indiana, support all veterans and have an out reach program for Desert Storm Veterans forward especially Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait Veterans.

The Howard County Vietnam Veterans Organization is open for membership to all who are interested and who agree to abide by the organization's by-laws (regardless of the era of service or whether or not you are a Veteran). This organization is the largest grass roots Vietnam Veterans Organization in the United States and was the only grass roots organization to lay a wreath at the dedication of the Wall. We were the only grass roots organization in the 80's to have a representative on the Indiana State Agent Orange Commission. If you would like to consider joining, please read our current by-laws then contact us at 765-628-0297 or email us at The Howard County Vietnam Veterans Organization was established in 1981. The organization’s sole purpose at the time was to raise funds for a Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Howard County for the Vietnam Veterans who lost their lives in the Vietnam War. With the support of a lot of good people in Kokomo and Howard County Indiana and the approval of city and county officials the funds were raised, the memorial was built on the downtown square of Kokomo in the courthouse.

After that enormous project was completed, the officers and members were trying to decide what project the organization could do next. Someone said half jokingly, “lets have a hog roast for Vietnam Veterans”. Everybody agreed and that was the beginning of the now famous Annual Vietnam Veterans Reunion held for the last 27 years. The reunion is the oldest annual Vietnam Veterans Reunion in the country and most say by far the best! The organization owns 40 acres 8 miles east of Kokomo Indiana on State Road 26. Our nickname for our property is the Healing Fields. Many of veterans have found themselves on our property. We are open 12 months a year, and have 1500 members nationwide. vveterans@aol.com. Or fill out a membership form and mail or fax it to us. This reunion is held the third weekend in September each year. The numbers keep growing. Last year over 55,000 attended over the 4 day period. Ed, this is the greatest place to be for those four days. You can spend a whole day just walking the site and every few minutes you are invited in to another groups site to have a beer or something to eat. The camaraderie is the most special thing about the event. Once you go, you have to return. This is the website for HCVVO http://www.hcvvo.org/index.html I have attached some pictures from the reunion for you to look through. Our next reunion will be Sept. 16th - 19th. By the way I have run into some of my shipmates at Kokomo.

Editor’s Note: I asked Bruce for this

input. Thankfully, Bruce responded. We are responsible to take care of each other.

God Bless!

9

USS BRISTOL DD 857 VETERANS ASSOCIATION

From left, Rae Wilson, Edwina Barraclough and Katie Foust greeted servicemen during the early days of the canteen.

From December 25, 1941 until April 1, 1946 more than 6 million servicemen and women who traveled through Nebraska during World War II fondly remember the hospitality of the North Platte Canteen where every troop train was met by volunteers who prepared and served sandwiches, coffee, cookies, cakes, and other homemade ‘goodies’ during stops there. This site is in honor of those servicemen and women, the Canteen and its volunteers as a reminder of its proud past; an opportunity to look back in time.

Canteen Duties

George Wilson, a Union Pacific carpenter, did janitor duty at the canteen under the a p p r o v i n g e y e o f h i s daughter, canteen originator Rae Wilson.

The Volunteers

Women from the North Platte V.F.W. Auxiliary prepare treats atop one of the canteen’s serving tables. Union Pacific later replaced the saw horses with solid wooden counters.

A Morale Booster

Daniel Holzhauer (second row, 3rd from left with wavy hair) was identified by his family after seeing t h i s p h o t o i n P a r a d e Magazine.

Entertainment Inside the Canteen

B e n e a t h s o u r p u s s e d caricatures of Adolph Hitler and associates, a sailor demonstrates his canteen keyboard talents to comrades in arms. Sampling coffee or milk as they listen are U.S. Army and Navy servicemen and

For their few minutes of relaxation, the canteen offered service personnel with entertainment from a donated piano, jukebox and radio. The former had its ivories pounded by both service personnel and canteen volunteers in informal jam sessions. At Christmas and Easter, local church groups held join-in song choruses around the piano. Those who visited the canteen on their birth dates got an appropriate chorus of “Happy Birthday.”

The idea for this article contributed by Jim Masarik

10

Citation

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a Hospital Corpsman attached to a company in the 1st Marine Division during operations against enemy aggressor forces in Korea on 5 September 1952. When his company was subjected to heavy artillery and mortar barrages, followed by a determined assault during the hours of darkness by an enemy force estimated at battalion strength, Petty Officer Benfold resolutely moved from position to position in the face of intense hostile fire, treating the wounded and lending words of encouragement. Leaving the protection of his sheltered position to treat the wounded when the platoon area in which he was working was attacked from both the front and rear, he moved forward to an exposed ridge line where he observed two Marines in a large crater. As he approached the two men to determine their condition, an enemy soldier threw two grenades into the crater while two other enemy charged the position. Picking up a grenade in each hand, Petty Officer Benfold leaped out of the crater And hurled himself against the onrushing hostile soldier, pushing the grenades against their chest and killing both the attackers. Mortally wounded while carrying out this heroic act, Petty Officer Benfold, by his great personal valor and resolute spirit of self-sacrifice in the face of almost certain death, was directly responsible for saving the lives of his two comrades. Petty Officer Benfold's exceptional courage, personal initiative, and selfless devotion to duty reflected great credit upon himself and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for others. He leaped out of the hole and pushed a grenade to the chest of each soldier, an act of certain death.! The grenades exploded, killing the two Chinese and Benfold.! By sacrificing his own life, however, the gallant corpsman saved the lives of his two patients.

On 16 July 1953, Rear Admiral John H. Brown Jr., Commandant of the 4th Naval District, presented the Medal of Honor to Benfold’s son, Edward Joseph. Guided missile frigate U.S.S. Benfold, named in honor of the corpsman, was launched on 12 November 1994.

Medal of Honor Awardee

USS BRISTOL DD 857 VETERANS ASSOCIATION

EDWARD CLYDE BENFOLD, HM3

15 January 1931 - 05 September 1952

Hospital Corpsman Third Class Edward Clyde “Ted” Benfold was eighteen when he joined the U.S. Navy on 27 June 1949. He enlisted as a Hospital Recruit at the U.S. Navy Recruiting Station, Philadelphia, PA. He subsequently advanced to Hospital Apprentice in 1949 and to Hospitalman Third Class on 12 August 1950.

His training began at the Naval Training Center, Great Lakes, IL,

where he remained until December 1949. After completing the basic course at the Hospital School, he was assigned to the Naval Hospital, Newport, Rhode Island. In August 1950 he reported for a four-month course in Neuropsychiatric Nursing Technique at the Naval Hospital in Philadelphia, graduating as a Neuropsychiatry Technician. After leaving the hospital in June 1951, he had combat infantry training with the Marines at Camp Lejeune, NC,

and was ordered to duty with the Fleet Marine Force in the Pacific.

11

USS BRISTOL DD 857 VETERANS ASSOCIATION

Roger Valentine, CS1, remembers 1963 Med Cruise…….Editors Note: When a shipmate communicates with me, I enter the communications without changes. I use the italic fonts to show that the following is a direct quote from the letter that I received. Roger refers to the Big “E”, which is the USS Enterprise CVN 65. Thank you, Roger, for this snippit.

Jan 16-11

Hi Ed! Hope all is well with you & family. I got your letter with the mtg. Thanks, I hope the shipmates will get a kick out of it." I wanted to write about something that happened on Bristol. We made our 1963 Med Cruise & escorted the Big “E” on her maiden voyage." Before we left out, someone got the idea, they took a “GI” can or 55 gl drum, [welded] to pieces of pipe on each side, then attached two 5 gl empty paint cans, put padding on the thing & mounted it to the main mast. It looked like some new radar & they did a good job on it." Anyway, we were on our way just short of the Suez Canal, out of overcast skies dropped a Russian spy plane. It was a surprise. They shot pictures of the Enterprise & some of the painted GI can on our mast. I don’t think they know today what it was, it looked so real.! Maybe someone will remember. My hat off to whoever dreamed it up." Oh & Ed, when this Russian plane came out of the cloud cover, the Enterprise, & 7 DDs did not pick it up on radar. We had a port lookout. Big tall guy, we called Arke. He was the 1st to spot & report the plane. Later on, the Admiral on Big “E” had him brought over by chopper & was decorated.! Just something interesting & fun. Take care & God Bless.

ShipmateCS1 Roger C Valentine, Ret

These items taken from Big E’s 1963 Cruise Book The following pages show UNREP of USS The Sullivans DD537 being resupplied starboard side to.

I have a copy of the USS Bristol Engineering Department Watch List for 17 June 1963, David Olsen was listed as FN on that date. I don't remember him for some reason related to age. Others on that 1963 list that we know. W. Marczak BT2,. Kaberlein BT2, G. Snell MM2, R. Conley EN3,D. Marcus FN, C. Weaver MM3, M. Walsh MM3, R. Hernandez EM3, G White BT3, J Latyak BT3, F.F. Touchstone LTJG The Bristol made a spring 1962 Med Cruise and another in the spring of 1963.We were at the Isle Of Capri, Italy on May 21 1963. On June 14 1963, my birthday, we pulled into the U.S. Naval Station, Rota, Spain. No Liberty for me as usual. We went back out to sea at 1700 hrs June 15 1963 and headed home the long way. September 26 1963, we were in Newport R.I. Roger Lemelin BT2, Peter Giordano SN and myself were drinking at the Kings Row Cafe, 51 Marlbourgh Street, R.I. At 2210 hrs the shore patrol came in and harassed Lemelin who was sleeping in the b o o t h a s G i o r d a n o a n d I e n j o y e d o u r r e f r e s h i n g beverages. Giordano and I objected to the treatment given to Lemelin, as he slept, so the Shore Patrol deployed their night sticks on our heads and then hauled all three of us off in "The Wagon".

Naturally we objected to the transportation and were treated to another round of nightstick diplomacy before being driven back the the ship. I can verify the above tale as I have in my hand at the moment a copy of the "Personnel Custody Receipt" from Shore Patrol Headquarters, signed by Meathead, J.M. Riles SMC. The form detailed the listed personnel " for too much to drink and Lemelin asleep in a booth". I think that whomever received the report from the Shore Patrol as we boarded the ship threw it overboard as soon as the Shore Patrol left because we never heard another word on the subject.

Editor’s Note: Now this is a great little piece! Thanks go to Marty Walsh for this one. Tony Molnar sent out an email notifying of our newest member, David Olsen, MM3, 62-67. This triggered Marty Walsh’s those “sleepy” brain cells for his contribution this month.

Good one Marty!!!!!

12

USS BRISTOL DD 857 VETERANS ASSOCIATION

Contributed by Janice Brennan (Janice’s Father, James E Powers served as an Able Seaman in the Merchant Marine during WWII) James “Jim” Powers had been torpedoed by U703 and survived to be rescued by First, there was a ship called SYROS [SYROS was subsequently torpedoed by the same U-boat] then a British ship, HMS HAZARD, picked him up and was on that for a couple of weeks. That was torpedoed and then a Russian trawler picked him up, does not know the name. That ship took him to a refugee camp 27 miles from the Finnish border, he stayed there for 6 weeks. Then a free French ship, Corvette named ROSALIE took him to another camp. From there, he boarded a ship named SEBONEY and that took him to Alaska and he made his way back down to the lower 48. He gave a date of July 3, 1941 [PW16 actually left Hvalfjord, Iceland, 21 May 1942] somewhere in the story and a convoy name of PQ16 also somewhere in the story. He said he knew a woman named Olive Kelly in Glascow and stayed with her sometime throughout this mess.Editor’s Note: I could not substantiate the HMS HAZARD piece of the story. It was part of PQ16, but was sold by Royal Navy in 1949

The following account from Imperial War Museum (excerpt of HMS HAZARD log)

When I got to the ship we had orders to return to Scapa Flow, and then it came, Orders to go to Iceland and wait. And the night we got into harbour a storm blew up and our ship drifted into another sweeper and made a 6 ft hole in our ship’s side. I thought that would be the end of us going on the convoy but the next day we were told to go alongside the Repair Ship and they welded a new plate over the other one and we were ready once more. Ships were coming in from all over the place full up with planes, tanks, ammunition, food and clothes. Well the day came and away we went up the Denmark Straits right over as far as Greenland. After a few hours an Icelandic trawler went through the lines of ships and when we were out of sight we heard him getting in touch with the Germans in Norway, how many ships and how many escorts. The captain told the crew that we would have company after another two days, and we did. A German flying boat going around the whole convoy but keeping out of gun range and he would get relieved every four hours. It was no good keep on changing course, if we did he would report our position.

After two days the raids started. High level attacks every 20 minutes. That night there was a submarine attack and the ship at the back of the convoy got a hit right in the bows where there was stored 250 ton of explosives. We heard the lookout shouting torpedo but it was too late. A ship there one minute and the next none. We had to pick up survivors, there was 28, they lost 10 men with the captain. On that day the crew requested with the captain if they could move their sleeping quarters in the bows to one in the stern as they had a queer feeling which turned out to be true. All the survivors were on a raft, some hanging on the side. One chap

felt himself sinking so he drove his hand on a large nail so he wouldn’t sink.

The next morning with another seaman went below decks to get ready. Two crew who had died, we put them each in a blanket and a heavy weight and sowed them up all ready to be buried at sea by their own crew between air raids. There was a ship in the middle of the convoy who had the latest radar gear and she could tell us when the planes were even leaving the ground bases and that gave us a good chance to be ready for them. That day they had a torpedo attack on the convoy..

There were nine planes, each with three torpedoes and at the same time there was a low level attack on us. And god we were lucky to of had a good captain on board. He turned the ship to run in between the torpedoes and miss the four bombs, two dropped on either side of the ship which nearly turned us over While all this was going on the ship with all the radar gear had an aircraft on a catapult, a hurricane fighter which could fly off but could not land again. He flew off after the torpedo bombers and shot three down and then came across the convoy which was the quickest way to get at the other ones above the convoy. But the Yanks opened up on him and shot him down. He was wounded in the leg. He came down alongside the Polish Destroyer who picked him up. And that afternoon his ship was hit quite a few times and was sinking. One of our trawlers went alongside and was taking off as many crew as she could. And while she was doing that the big ship alongside of her blew up and we all thought that was the last of the trawler and the brave men. But when it all cleared away she was alright loaded up with men. That was our worst day. We lost five ships, one of those was ablaze from end to end. One of our subs was alongside of her shouting for the crew to jump, which a lot of them did. Their clothes was on fire but the sub picked them up. And while this was going on the bombers were still bombing the ship but the sub, the Seahorse, would not give in until it got too bad for her and she just sank and came up behind the convoy having picked up the men of the ship’s crew.

Well during the night the cruiser left us, a signal had come through saying part of the German Navy had come out from Norway and were heading towards the convoy, but we did not see any of them. Perhaps it was just to take part of the escort away, well that was six ships we had lost. The following day during a raid a Russian ship was hit in the bows but she still carried on. We went over to her and asked if he wanted any help but he said he would be alright. His lifeboats were lowered to just above the water, there was women in them. She got into harbour OK. The next day we lost two more ships and we shot down a bomber which landed in the sea close to our ship. The German crew got out onto the wings. They were waving their arms. We just left them as one of their flying boats would pick them up. If we had stopped the American survivors would of killed them.

Scragg

13

USS BRISTOL DD 857 VETERANS ASSOCIATIONRUNWAY ABLE Contributed by Ray Storey

Tinian Island, Pacific Ocean. It's a small island, less than 40 square miles, a flat green dot in the vastness of Pacific blue. Fly over it and you notice a slash across its north end of uninhabited bush, a long thin line that looks like an overgrown dirt runway. If you didn't know what it was, you wouldn't give it a second glance out your airplane window. On the ground, you see the runway isn't dirt but tarmac and crushed limestone, abandoned with weeds sticking out of it. Yet this is arguably the most historical airstrip on earth. This is where World War II was won. This is Runway Able. On July 24, 1944, 30,000 US Marines landed on the beaches of Tinian. Eight days later, over 8,000 of the 8,800 Japanese soldiers on the island were dead (vs. 328 Marines), and four months later the Seabees had built the busiest airfield of WWII - dubbed North Field - enabling B-29 Superfortresses to launch air attacks on the Philippines, Okinawa, and mainland Japan. Late in the afternoon of August 5, 1945, a B-29 was maneuvered over a bomb loading pit, then after lengthy preparations, taxied to the east end of North Field's main runway, Runway Able, and at 2:45am in the early morning darkness of August 6, took off. The B-29 was piloted by Col. Paul Tibbets of the US Army Air Force, who had named the plane after his mother, Enola Gay. The crew named the bomb they were carrying Little Boy. 6Â! hours later at 8:15am Japan time, the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima . Three days later, in the pre-dawn hours of August 9, a B-29 named Bockscar (a pun on "boxcar" after its flight commander Capt. Fred Bock), piloted by Major Charles Sweeney took off from Runway Able. Finding its primary target of Kokura obscured by clouds, Sweeney proceeded to the secondary target of Nagasaki, over which, at 11:01am, bombardier Kermit Beahan released the atomic bomb dubbed Fat Man. Here is "Atomic Bomb Pit #1" where Little Boy was loaded onto Enola Gay. There are pictures displayed in the pit, now glass-enclosed. This one shows Little Boy being hoisted into Enola Gay's bomb bay. And here on the other side of ramp is "Atomic Bomb Pit #2" where Fat Man was loaded onto Bockscar.

Continued on next page

14

USS BRISTOL DD 857 VETERANS ASSOCIATIONThe commemorative plaque records that 16 hours after the nuking of Nagasaki , "On August 10, 1945 at 0300, the Japanese Emperor without his cabinet's consent decided to end the Pacific War."

Take a good look at these pictures, folks. This is where World War II ended with total victory of America over Japan. I was there all alone. There were no other visitors and no one lives anywhere near for miles. Visiting the Bomb Pits, walking along deserted Runway Able in solitude, was a moment of extraordinarily powerful solemnity.

It was a moment of deep reflection. Most people, when they think of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, reflect on the numbers of lives killed in the nuclear blasts - at least 70,000 and 50,000 respectively. Being here caused me to reflect on the number of lives saved - how many more Japanese and Americans would have died in a continuation of the war had the nukes not been dropped.

Yet that was not all. It's not just that the nukes obviated the US invasion of Japan, Operation Downfall, that would have caused upwards of a million American and Japanese deaths or more. It's that nuking Hiroshima and Nagasaki were of extraordinary humanitarian benefit to the nation and people of Japan .

Let's go to this cliff on the nearby island of Saipan to learn why:

Saipan is less than a mile north of Tinian. The month before the Marines took Tinian, on June 15, 1944, 71,000 Marines landed on Saipan. They faced 31,000 Japanese soldiers determined not to surrender.Japan had colonized Saipan after World War I and turned the island into a giant sugar cane plantation. By the time of the Marine invasion, in addition to the 31,000 entrenched soldiers, some 25,000 Japanese settlers were living on Saipan, plus thousands more Okinawans,

Koreans, and native islanders brutalized as slaves to cut the sugar cane.There were also one or two thousand Korean "comfort women" (kanji in Japanese), abducted young women from Japan's colony of Korea to service the Japanese soldiers as sex slaves. Within a week of their landing, the Marines set up a civilian prisoner encampment that quickly attracted a couple thousand Japanese and others wanting US food and protection. When word of this reached Emperor Hirohito - who, contrary to the myth, was in full charge of the war - he became alarmed that radio interviews of the well-treated prisoners broadcast to Japan would subvert his people's will to fight. As meticulously documented by historian Herbert Bix in Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan, the Emperor issued an order for all Japanese civilians on Saipan to commit suicide. The order included the promise that, although the civilians were of low caste, their suicide would grant them a status in heaven equal to those honored soldiers who died in combat for their Emperor. And that is why the precipice in the picture above is known as Suicide Cliff, off which over 20,000 Japanese civilians jumped to their deaths to comply with their fascist emperor's desire - mothers flinging their babies off the cliff first or in their arms as they jumped. Anyone reluctant or refused, such as the Okinawan or Korean slaves, were shoved off at gunpoint by the Japanese soldiers. Then the soldiers themselves proceeded to hurl themselves into the ocean to drown off a sea cliff afterward called Banzai Cliff. Of the 31,000 Japanese soldiers on Saipan , the Marines killed 25,000, 5,000 jumped off Banzai Cliff, and only the remaining thousand were taken prisoner. The extent of this demented fanaticism is very hard for any civilized mind to fathom - especially when it is devoted not to anything noble but barbarian evil instead. The vast brutalities inflicted by the Japanese on their conquered and colonized peoples of China, Korea, the Philippines, and throughout their "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere" was a hideously depraved horror. And they were willing to fight to the death to defend it. So they had to be nuked. The only way to put an end to the Japanese barbarian horror was unimaginably colossal

destruction against which they had no defense whatever. Nuking Japan was not a matter of

justice, revenge, or it getting what it deserved. It was the only way to end the Japanese dementia. And it worked - for the Japanese. They stopped being barbarians and started being civilized. They achieved more prosperity - and peace - than they ever knew, or could have achieved had they continued fighting and not been nuked. The shock of getting nuked is responsible. We achieved this because we were determined to achieve victory. Victory without apologies. Despite perennial liberal demands we do so, America and its government has never apologized for nuking Japan . Hopefully, America never will.

Oh, yes... Guinness lists Saipan as having the best, most equitable, weather in the world. And the beaches? Well, take a look:

Semper Fi!

15

Happy Brothers Day Contributed by Bruce Burnham

Be the kind of man who, when your feet hit the floor each morning, the devil says, "Oh Crap, He's up!" Brother, life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right. Forgive the ones who don't just because you can. Believe everything happens for a reason. If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands. If it changes your life, let it. Take a few minutes to think before you act when you're mad. Forgive quickly. God never said life would be easy, He just promised it would be worth it. Today is Brother's day. Happy Brothers Day!

I LOVE YA BROTHER!!!

To the cool men who have touched my life. Here's to you!! A real Brother walks with you when the rest of the world walks on you.

THE POW/MIA FLAG I am the flag of thousands, which never came home! I am the empty face of the comrade in arms, which you have left behind. My colors are Black and White, for there is no gray area with me. I am behind a barbwire fence, with a watchtower over me. I am either imprisoned or lying in a shallow grave in a foreign land. There was a time when I was flown throughout this country, but now you hardly ever see me. I fly at Veterans Halls, Memorials, and the houses of those that still Remember me. I am quickly fading from your memory. I am the Forgotten One! I was spawned out of WAR, I should NEVER have been born! Is it because of that, most of you turn your head out of shame when you see me? Or is it because you are trying to forget me? Is it that easy to forget a friend, a comrade, a loved one? Tell me what I did that was so wrong, that I might know why you have left me here all these years after my Brothers have gone home. Why must I labor for my captures Day after Day? Why do I lie in a shallow grave in a foreign land, where No One comes to visit me? Why has my country FORSAKEN ME, and the people I fought for FORGOTTEN ME? What did I do to deserve this from MY COUNTRY? TELL ME WHY! I just want you to know! I AM STILL HERE! Bring me HOME to the land I was born in, and the Country I so PROUDLY Served! Dear GOD bring me HOME!

“BRING THEM HOME or SEND US BACK”

Contributed by Earl “Charlie” Weaver

16

USS BRISTOL DD 857 VETERANS ASSOCIATION

Photo left: ‘If they think I’ll pay 30 cents for a hair cut, forget it.‘ Elvis Presley in boot camp. This is the army Mr Jones.

My first car was a 1966 VW Beetle.

When I first started driving, gas was $.30 per gallon.

We had an A&P store that we could just walk up the block. Those were the days,

Contributed by Leland Philips Editor’s Note:Photo at right looks like the ward that I

spent 3 months in at the Naval Hospital,

St Albans, Queens, NY

Contributed by Earl WeaverPhoto below: The Sierra Club was presenting an alternative to the Wyoming ranchers for controlling the coyote population. It seems that after years of the ranchers using the tried and true method of shooting or trapping the predators, the Sierra Club had a "more humane" solution to this issue.

This was ACTUALLY proposed by the Sierra Club and by the U.S. Forest Service.

All of the ranchers thought about this amazing idea for a couple of minutes.

Finally an old fellow in the back of the conference room stood up, tipped his hat back and said;

"Son, I don't think y'all understand our problem here . . . these coyotes ain't f*ckin' our sheep . . . they're eatin' 'em!"

The meeting never really got back to order . .

What they were proposing was for the animals to be captured alive. The males would then be castrated and let loose again.

Contributed by Joe Guchek

Guess what this is. It’s an IBM hard disk drive of 5 Mega Bytes. It was part of the RAMAC super computer. Now you can appreciate the 8 GB memory sticks.

17

USS BRISTOL DD 857 VETERANS ASSOCIATION

Great Lakes Cruise(continued-contributed by Ed Lynch)

The photo on the left

shows the destroyers

from left to right: USS

Hank, USS Barton; and,

USS Purdy visiting

Cleveland, OH, in the

Summer of 1965. Of the

six ships, which took

part in the Great Lakes

Cruise of August -

September 1965, 3

visited Detroit (Bristol

visited Detroit) and the

other 3 visited Cleveland.

H e r e I s t a n d ( l e f t )

waiting for the next

group of visitors to tour

Bristol. Right photo

taken at Cobo Hall next

to the Detroit River.

I didn’t hit any of the

bars in Detroit because I

wouldn’t be 21 until the

next month.

Photos left: Some of the rich

and famous homes located on

islands in the St Lawrence

River. You may want to visit

this area. It’s quite beautiful

in the Summer.

18

USS BRISTOL DD 857 VETERANS ASSOCIATION

Panorama view of Quebec City skyline. Bristol and

five other destroyers made a port call at this beautiful and historic city in the Summer of 1965. Everyone who

comprised the Liberty Party were “ordered” to appear at a Royal Canadian Navy Ball in the evening. When Liberty Call went over, John Koltes (our Disbursing Clerk) and I

sojourned to the RCN facility where the ball was to be held.

As I remember it, we were invited in for a couple of beers before the event got underway. The sailor attending the bar told us that the visit had been announced on radio, TV, and all the newspapers for months before our arrival. In

those days, the ratio of single women to single men was 4:1. So, to say the least, there were plenty of girls with whom you could dance.

The party did get started and it was quite a nice time. I wasn’t a good dancer back then. I hand’t met the right

dance partner yet. We junior petty officers had to be back to the ship by midnight. I didn’t think that was a good idea back then. However, looking back I agree that it was a wise idea to keep the “young” folk out of harms way. I

can’t remember anyone from our ship getting into trouble.

The next night I was on Shore Patrol with LCdr Carr. We

patrolled some of the night spots and met many of the young ladies whom we had met at the ball. Mr. Carr’s rule was, if we encountered anyone from our ship who

appeared to be getting himself in trouble, we would escort him back to the ship (no other action taken).

In 2001, we visited Quebec City. We stayed at the famous

Chateau Frontenac, which you can see above just to the

Chateau Frontenac, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, sits atop

a palisade overlooking the St Lawrence River. When we

visited the city in the Summer of 2001, the QEII was making a port call at the same time. A wall surrounds the old city. We walked everywhere in the walled

city. We did our best to speak French, but the shop keepers spoke English (well we tried). It was just great trekking through memory lane. One of the things I did on this visit was to visit the Shrine of St

Anne De beaupre. In 1965, I didn’t even know that the shrine existed. When I got home and told my Mother about where we had been, my Mother promptly chastised me for not being sure that I visited the shrine. There are many artifacts left by pilgrims who had received

cures for ailments after making the pilgrimage to the shrine. I was sure to visit the shrine in 2001.

The Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré is a major Roman Catholic place of pilgrimage and has the only copy of Michelangelo's Pietà.

It is located 22 miles northeast of Quebec on the St Lawrence River.

19

USS BRISTOL DD 857 VETERANS ASSOCIATION

Do You Remember the Pueblo?

Can you believe there was a time when we caved to the communists of North Korea and let them capture, beat and torture some of our sailors? This weekend marks the 42nd anniversary of one of the most shameful episodes in recent United States history. And I doubt if the mainstream media will contain a single word about it.Several years ago, my youngest son and I were watching a program on the History Channel when the program’s narrator mentioned the capture of a U.S. Naval vessel by Communist North Korea back in 1968.“That didn’t really happen, did it, Dad?” my son asked me. When I replied that it had, he was stunned. “Do you mean to tell me that North Korea seized one of our ships, beat and tortured the crew for most of a year, and we didn’t do anything about it?”I was shocked that my son had never heard of the USS Pueblo before and embarrassed that the answer to his question was “yes.” Somehow, that whole sorry episode had been blotted out of the history books. I wonder how many of you reading these pages now know the story. How about your children or grandchildren? Do any of them remember the Pueblo?Happily, I could do better than just issue a mealy-mouthed reply about how this country “protested vigorously.” At the time, many of us did everything possible to get our leaders to act. When the sailors were finally released I helped arrange a nationwide speaking tour for one of them, radio officer Lee R. Hayes. Lee gave hundreds of speeches and participated in thousands of media interviews. Here’s part of the story he told.

The ship that became the Pueblo was originally launched in 1944 as Army cargo ship FS-344. In 1966 it was transferred to the Navy and renamed the Pueblo. It began service as a light cargo ship, but in 1967 it was redesignated GER-2 and was converted into an intelligence-gathering ship. (GER stood for General Environmental Research, a euphemism for spying operations the ship would conduct on behalf of the National Security Agency.)In January 1968, the Pueblo was ordered to patrol off the east coast of communist North Korea to conduct surveillance of Soviet naval activity in the Tsushima Straits. The ship was also ordered to eavesdrop on any electronic transmissions it could intercept that originated in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, as that communist captive called itself.Within hours of reaching its destination, the Pueblo was harassed by Soviet or North Korean vessels. On Jan. 21, the ship reported that a modified Soviet-style sub-chaser passed within two miles of its bow. The next day, two apparent fishing trawlers from North Korea (which were probably Soviet spy ships) passed within 25 yards of the Pueblo. Any seaman reading this will know that this dangerously close encounter had to have been intentional.On Jan. 23, a sub-chaser accosted the Pueblo and demanded to know its identity. In response, Commanding Officer Lloyd M. Bucher ordered that the U.S. flag be raised. The North Korean vessel then ordered the ship to stand down or be fired upon. Instead, the Pueblo followed the orders it had been given back in Japan and tried to leave the area. It could not outrun the sub-chaser, however. Shortly thereafter, three torpedo boats appeared on the horizon and joined in the chase. The attackers were subsequently joined by two MiG-21 jet fighters. Soon, a fourth torpedo boat and a second sub-chaser appeared on the horizon.The North Koreans pulled alongside the Pueblo and tried to board the ship. When Bucher ordered the Pueblo to take evasive maneuvers, two North Korean vessels opened fire on the ship. Suddenly, cannon fire and machine-gun bullets were raking the vessel.The Pueblo was ill prepared to withstand such an attack. Its armament consisted of two Browning .50-caliber machine guns — hardly a match for rockets and missiles. Moreover, the machine guns were wrapped in cold-weather tarpaulins and the ammunition for them was stored below decks.As the cannon fire continued, Bucher gave the order to “stop engines” and signaled the North Koreans that he would comply with their orders. He also ordered his own crewmen to begin destroying as much of the sensitive materiel as possible that was on board the ship.The North Koreans ordered the Pueblo to follow them to the mainland. At first, the ship complied. But again — following orders it had been given in Japan — the ship stopped before it crossed the 12-mile limit into North Korean waters.When this happened, the North Koreans once again opened fire on the ship. This time, one sailor — Fireman Apprentice Duane Hodges — was killed. North Korean soldiers from a torpedo boat and sub-chaser boarded the Pueblo. Our sailors were blindfolded and had their hands tied behind their backs. Once they were helpless they were beaten and prodded with bayonets.In a subsequent inquiry we learned that the Pueblo had been in radio contact with Naval security back in Japan throughout the incident. The Seventh Fleet command told Bucher that help was on the way. It turns out this was a lie; no jets or ships were ever dispatched to come to the aid of the ship.No one at Seventh Fleet headquarters was willing to give the order to try to rescue the Pueblo. The decision was bucked back to Washington — first to the Pentagon, then to the White House. By the time then-President Lyndon Johnson was informed of the situation, the Pueblo was in North Korean waters. It was decided that any rescue attempt would be too dangerous. So the world’s most powerful military kowtowed to one of the weakest. I’m still ashamed of our leaders’ pitiful response.

Continued on next page

20

USS BRISTOL DD 857 VETERANS ASSOCIATION

!

sending help.Secretary of the Navy John H. Chafee rejected the Naval Court’s recommendation, saying that, “They have suffered enough.” Bucher was never found guilty of any malfeasance and remained on active duty until his retirement. He died in 2004, partly as a result of complications from the injuries he received while he was a prisoner of war in North Korea.During the inquiry there was some debate about whether or not Bucher acted within his orders. He admitted that part of his orders were “not to spark an international incident.” But he and his officers were adamant that they had not come within 12 nautical miles of the Korean coast. (Today, of course, global positioning satellites could have confirmed the ship’s location within a matter of inches.)Some critics argued that the ship should have left the area after the first incident. But such encounters were considered routine at the time. U.S. forces frequently tested the territorial limits of Cold War opponents. If such actions caused the enemy to mobilize its military, there would be even more information to gather.In October 1999, the Pueblo was moved from Wonsan on the east coast of North Korea to Nampo on the west coast. The trip required moving the vessel through international waters for several days, as it was towed around the coast of South Korea. Although the U.S. military had to have been aware of the Pueblo’s location, no effort was made to capture or sink the ship. To the best of my knowledge, there was never a court of inquiry — or any embarrassing questions at a White House press conference — about this failure to act.The Pueblo subsequently was taken to Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, where it is now the most popular tourist attraction in the city. Thousands of visitors have been shown the ship’s secret communications room, still in a partially disassembled state from when the ship was seized. A popular souvenir of a visit, I’m told, is a photograph taken while a tourist stands behind the machine gun mounted at the rear of the ship. Yes, the same guns that remained wrapped in a tarpaulin during the attack and seizure.To this day, the USS Pueblo remains a commissioned vessel of the United States Navy. It is sad that it has been abandoned by our leaders. But it would be tragic if its story was forgotten by our citizens.

There is considerable controversy about where the Pueblo was when it was captured. Bucher and the other ship’s officers subsequently testified under oath that at no time did the Pueblo enter within 12 nautical miles of the North Korean coast. This is the generally accepted limit of claims for territorial waters. At the time, however, the North Koreans claimed a 50-nautical-mile sea boundary. No one disputes that the Pueblo was within 50 miles of the Korean coast.In any case, once the ship was within 12 miles of North Korea, the Pueblo was boarded again — this time by some high-ranking North Korean officials. (Interesting that they waited until they could be certain the ship would not be attacked by U.S. forces. They undoubtedly were aware that, if the situation were reversed, Korean dictator Kim Il-Sung and his minions wouldn’t hesitate to blow one of their own ships to smithereens, killing all hands on board, rather than suffer the embarrassment of capture.)They took the Pueblo into port at Wonsan on the eastern coast of North Korea. Then they took the 82 surviving U.S. crew members to a prisoner-of-war camp somewhere in the interior of the country. The men were starved and repeatedly tortured. (Their treatment got worse when someone realized that crewmen were secretly giving them “the finger” in staged propaganda photos.)Bucher was singled out for particularly harsh treatment, including facing a mock firing squad. He refused to buckle when faced with his own death, but finally relented and agreed to sign a confession when his captors threatened to murder his crewmen, one by one, in front of him.Since his captors couldn’t read English, Bucher was ordered to write his own confession. None of the North Koreans picked up on a play on words that Bucher included in his “confession.” He wrote, “We paean the North Korean state. We paean their great leader, Kim Il Sung.” (Read aloud, “we paean” sounds remarkably like “we pee on.” Get it? Good for you, Commander.)During the course of 1968, the men were moved to a second prisoner-of-war camp, while negotiations for their release dragged on.Finally, in December of that year — 11 long months after the Pueblo was captured — the United States issued a written apology to North Korea, acknowledged that the ship was spying and promised that it would not happen again.On Dec. 23, 1968, the crew of the Pueblo was taken by bus to the demilitarized zone separating Communist North Korea from the South, where the men were permitted to walk across “the Bridge of No Return.” Bucher led the long line of crewmen, with his second-in-command, Executive Officer Lt. Ed Murphy, bringing up the rear.Once the officers and crew reached safety in South Korea, the United States retracted its admission, apology and assurance.In the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union we learned that the capture of the Pueblo was instigated by the Soviet Union, which very badly wanted a cryptographic machine that was on board. John Anthony Walker, an American traitor who provided the Soviets with thousands of secrets, had given them a key to deciphering our ciphers; now they needed to get their hands on an actual machine. Seizing the Pueblo provided that opportunity.Bucher and the 81 other surviving officers and crew were ordered to face a Naval Court of Inquiry, which concluded by recommending that Bucher and Lieutenant Steve Harris (the officer in charge of the intelligence equipment on board the ship) be court-martialed for their “dereliction of duty.” As far as I can determine, there was no action taken against the Naval officers in Japan who lied to Bucher about

21

USS BRISTOL DD 857 VETERANS ASSOCIATION

Plank Owners Corner:

! This is a repeat of the same message as I entered in the January issue. This includes the mailing address of the VA Home." Wallace Dann reports….Tony - I received a Christmas card from George and Lois McDermott in Ingleside, IL. Lois wrote: George wanted to come to Philadelphia but for health reasons was unable to do so. His Parkinson's has advanced so that Lois can no longer care for him at home. George is now living in the Illinois Veterans Home, Manteno, IL. George says they treat him like a king. He has been there since December 1. Lois goes in for hip surgery on January 11. The address of Illinois Veterans Home is 1 Veterans Drive, Manteno, Il 60950 - telephone #815-468-6581. George is one of our few surviving plank owners. I'm beginning to feel a bit lonely.Best wishes, Wally Dann

Syd Goldsmith...News from Taiwan The tiger year has been an auspicious one for Ann, Syd, Harrison (17) and Jessica (12). With the arrival of 2011 still fresh and the Year of the Rabbit soon here, we Taipei Goldsmiths share our headlines and wish you a happy, healthy and successful year ahead. Ann has created more new art than our walls will hold, and has participated in exhibitions on both sides of the Pacific. Now she is collaborating with her two artist sisters in a recently opened gallery. Ann also translated for self-growth workshops in China and Bali, and she has become a superbly imaginative gourmet cook. Syd’s second novel, “Two Musicians and the Wife Who Isn’t.” is with a well known literary agent, looking for a home in a publishing industry rocked by tumultuous change. Lifelong passion for the flute leads to intense practice. I’m working toward recording several CDs as evidence that I really did play it my way. Harrison walked into drama class late; the teacher pointed at him and said, “You’re dead,” leading him to being murdered twice in the Taipei American School’s production of “Animal Farm.” He’s an avid movie critic, and his rock guitar easily out-decibels all the other instruments in the house. Jessica is marching towards teendom with flying colors; purple, red green and blond, all on display at various times of the year. When she isn’t dying her shoulder length hair, she plays classical guitar and piano, enjoys many friends, and has been known to pay attention in class … sometimes. It has been a colorful year for all of us. We hope it has been and will continue to be so for you.Ann, Syd, Harrison and Jessica Goldsmith

Syd Goldsmith

Next Issue:

In our next edition, let’s look back at the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Shopping at Costco… We happened to be in

Costco one day. I had been wearing my Bristol cap and another shopper approached me and gave me a business type card, which read:

A veteran, whether active duty, retired, National Guard, or reservist is someone who, at one point in

his or her life, wrote a blank check made payable to The United States of America for an amount up to and including their life.

Thank You for Serving!I asked his name so that I could give him credit for contributing to the newsletter. He declined. Thanks

anyway fellow Veteran.

22

James W Donlevy, 16 November 2010

James J “Mickey” McDonough, Jr,

12 December 2010

Ronald C Hart

Garland Dalton, 26 December 2010

Carl Philipbar, 20 February 2010

USS BRISTOL DD 857 VETERANS ASSOCIATION

Garland Dalton (1917 - 2010)Garland Otis Dalton, 93, of Arlington died peacefully in his home surrounded by family on Sunday, Dec. 26, 2010. Funeral: 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Thompson's Harveson and Cole. Interment: Graveside services will be held immediately afterwards in Dalton-Grimsley Cemetery, located in the 1100 block of East Debbie Lane, Mansfield. Memorials: The family requests memorials be made to a charity of the giver's choice. Garland was born June 22, 1917, in Fort Worth, the third child of Jessie Otis and Mildred Melinda Dalton. Affectionately known by close friends and family as "Son," Garland joined the United States Navy and served aboard the USS Bristol during World War II, from 1944-1945. Upon returning from service, he joined his family's food manufacturing business in Fort Worth, and eventually became the president and CEO of what is known today as Best Maid Products, Inc. His career at Best Maid was immensely rewarding as he often spoke of how lucky he had been in life to do something he loved. "I'll take luck any day" was a favorite phrase he often uttered when things just happened to go his way. Garland found fulfillment for his spirit of service by maintaining memberships in the Freemasons and Shriners International organizations, and social fraternities, Rotary Club of Fort Worth, and The Petroleum Club of Fort Worth. The family wishes all to know that Garland was a faithful, kind and generous person. He embraced life to the fullest, and our lives have all been enriched and blessed because of him. Garland was preceded in death by his parents, Jessie Otis and Mildred Melinda Dalton; wife, Willie Julia Whitehead Cohen; sister, Margie Dalton Tarwater; wife, Ruth Green Dalton; son, Dan Dalton; daughter, Beverly Jean Dalton Briggs; sister, Juanita Dalton Koch; and loving and caring wife, Freda Chance Dalton.

TAPS

The Pease Greeters solemnly have learned that one of their longtime and dedicated Greeters, Ted Doan has past away.

Ted's services was held on Sunday, Jan 30th at Stockbridge Funeral Home in Exeter, NH.

A Memorial Service/Reception in his honor began @ 5pm promptly following the calling hours.

Tony Molnar received the following email from Carl Philipbar’s daughter, Lisa. Please remember our shipmate Carl in your prayers.

Good Morning Mr. Molnar..I am writing on behalf of my family. Recently we recieved a notification of dues for my Dad. Unfortunately, my father passed away on February 20, 2010 at the age of 75. He was buried in the Florida National Cemetary with full military honors. My father was SO proud to have served in our military, and to be part of the Bristol family. My whole family agrees that if there were one thing our Dad taught us is that we live in the BEST country in the world. My father was a true patriot and the proudest American I knew. We all hope you have a great reunion, and remember my father and all the men and women who serve our country when you are together. God Bless America, Lisa Holdsworth