A pair of Navy F-4 Phantoms of VF-84 prepare to recover aboard the carrier U.S.S. Independence, after a combat mission in 1965.
A pair of Navy F-4 Phantoms of VF-84 prepare to recover aboard the carrier U.S.S. Independence, after a combat mission in 1965.
I read Valin's calendar yesterday and saw the USS MADDOX anniversary listed.
We were in Yokosuka when that incident occurred or didn't occur. There were probably 20 plus ships in port at the time. Mid-day, all liberty was cancelled. By nightfall, all ships save about 5 had weighed anchor and headed for what would later be known as Yankee Station. The next day, we were underway for Subic Bay, PI. Subic was closer to Vietnam than Yokosuka, so we set up shop there offering tender availabilities (repairs) to the fleet from our new digs.
The MADDOX and C. TURNER JOY came along side for a tender availability within the next few weeks. Scuttlebutt at the time stated that you could see areas where they had taken enemy fire but I never saw any of it. All the talk going around was scuttlebutt. No one was talking with any authority. Nonetheless, the subsequent build-up of ships to the area over time, meant more work and longer hours for us in the repair dept. on the tender while ship's company on the tin cans were able to take advantage of the R&R period in Subic.
Our later WESTPAC cruises ('65 and '66-67) would place us in Subic and Kaoshiung, Taiwan for most of the tender services. Yokosuka and Sasebo Japan became R&R ports-of-call for us as was Hong Kong.
Thanks for the Tonkin Gulf thread. Another trip down memory lane. What amounted to a peacetime enlistment became a wartime enlistment for me. Not complaining at all. I'd do it all again.