War Documentary hosted by David Robb, published by History Channel broadcasted as part of HC Battle Stations series in 2001 - English narration -- All DVD Extras joined to the film --
It’s a shame we have to watch the finest shows about WWII from the history channel on you tube, and not on the history channel itself. Our Republic is fading fast!
My dad was a Fletcher Class sailor and a Gunners Mate! He was on the 5 inch 38. The USS Harding, DD 625, was at D Day off Omaha Beach and Point du Hoc. I am so proud of him. Rest In Peace dad, fair winds and following seas.
@ Ryan Morgan: My dad died seven years ago of pneumonia. He gave lots of talks to school kids, civic groups and veterans on his experiences. He also has an entry of his diary in the Naval Institute Press book, “Neptunis Rex”. He was very proud of his service. He is greatly missed and was a honorable man.
My father was on the DD664, the Richard P. Leary. He was a 1st class gunnersmate on the rear 5 inch gun. He rests with most of the other heros now. I'm extremely proud of all our WW2 heros who fought to keep us free. God rest them all.
I was all the heroic deeds done by ordinary people thrown into war while put in positions that didn’t have anything to do with their civilian life. My father in law on a sea going tug in Pacific, my dad was a shot down pilot behind German lines over Belgium , my uncle had legs blown off at Normandy from a land mine. They came back and rarely spoke about it but we all knew!!! RIP
I was Fire Control Technician on the USS MULLINIX DD944 in 72'. One of the last All Gun Destroyers in the Navy. We went everywhere, haze grey and underway...18yo and seeing the world. Chow was good, good ports, swim call, but it was the Tattoos, Bad Breath, and Foul Language that made us Tin Can sailors.
What a fine documentary this was. God bless all the men who served in the Pacific. Mv old Dad served on the famous USS Yorktown carrier during the China Sea first engagement. His knee was shattered in a million pieces so I know how he suffered all his life. Once she was patched up in Pearl Harbor she returned for battle & was finally sunk by torpedo. The men have a deep affection for their ship, calling it home and knowing how precious it is for survival. Im sure that was a sad day indeed. They will fight w/ all their might to save their ship and fellow sailors. I can only hope Im nearly as brave as those men.
YES I BELIEVE THAT IT WAS BEING TOWED IN THE 2ND TIME AFTER IT WAS HIT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS GOING TO MAKE IT BECAUSE OF THE LOYAL GAILLENT CREW BUT WAS ATTACKED AGIAN BEING TORPEDOED.SO CLOSE TO BEING SAVED AS WAS THE BIG BEN FRANKLIN. MY UNCLE WAS GOOD FRIENDS WITH LT. JOHN FINN A WWII PEARL HARBOR SURVIVOR HERE IN SANDIEGO,CAL. WHO GOT ON THE 50CAL.HIT MULTIPLE ZEROS. HE PASSED AWAY FEW YEARS BACK.HE WAS ONE OF THE LAST 10 STILL ALIVE.JAMESJ.DEVITOIII;GENERAL DYNAMICS,ELECTRONICS DIVISION
I was so tense watching this that by the end of the documentary I had stomach cramps, and that by just watching an hour of it!!! I can't imagine what all these heroes went through, I feel the utmost admiration and respect for all of them.
I was on a Knox class frigate in 88-92, and thought it wasn't great living conditions, but we were on a cadillac compared the Fletcher class. Hat's off to these brave men, and RIP to all that were lost. Another good docu series is battle 360 season 1 is what I have been watching, it's great too.
@JK I never thought about it that way, but it makes total sense to me now. I survived a very bad earthquake, and a tsunami 20 minutes later, it was horrible and many people died, but we were all trying to help others, I felt then what you are talking about, I had just not realized it until now, and this happened to me in 2010 in Chile!
Going through the Straight of Gibraltar I watched an American destroyer, it's bow went under the water then it's bow came up and it's stern went under the water. Those guys must have been bouncing off the celling.
My father, USNA42 went straight to the Pacific as gunnery officer on USSMonhegan, then USSGillespie.during Coral Sea Midway Alleutions etc. Years later asked what it was like to be in those battles, he replied "The mind of an ensign is a wonderful thing." He had an impressive career and achieved much in his life with his attitude and is now in other realms.
My dad served on USS Thatcher DD514 (Fletcher-class destroyer) in the Pacific during WWII. He was a low-level sailor but his diary described some incredible events.
"Low-level sailor is incorrect. Every man had his job to do and without that ships would not have survived. When "battle stations" rang out everyone from the cook to the lieutenants turned out to fight. Between engagements the ship had to be kept clean and orderly, very tight quarters and you don't want to be tripping over things, torpedoes readied, guns manned and ammo loaders ready and so on. No one man was indispensable but every man mattered. Be proud.
@@FloozieOne I bet he is proud of his dad, he most likely didn't mean anything disrespectful with that, just bad wording... I just love the technology of it all.. the ships, planes, torpedoes, 9 mm to 45 cal, pistols, just love it all.. R. I. P. To all those great men that gave so much for us & the world.. ✌️🕊️
My Dad served on the USS Waller DD466 during WWII. He served for 36 months and had one sip sunk, the Aaron Ward, in Iron Bottom sound. My son and I were in Boston and went to view Old Ironsides. Next to the old ship was a Fletcher class destroyer. It wasn't open for tours, but we got to see a Fletcher.
After thought. I was working on campers a few years ago and was in a campground in Gadsden, Alabama. The owner of the camper war wearing a Navy cap the said USS Waller. I told him my dad served on the Waller during WWII and we had a good talk. He served on the Waller during Vietnam.
My Father was on USS South Dakota also known as battleship X. Most hit battleship and most medals. He was a proud WW2 vet. He just passed away a year ago.
My grandfather entered as O-1 in 42. 42-44 was on DD501 and was on DD877 VJ in Tokyo Bay. Very proud of him and the brave men who chased evil. Bravery unfathomable.
Mountainryder more and more it is forgotten every time we have an election or give corporate tax cuts or refuse to raise minimum wage. We are slowly destroying what they gave everything to build.
9/11wasStaged you do realize that fighting/killing is a part of this world right? Doesn't matter if you are a human or a wolf or a fish in the ocean. When territorys are infringed fighting will follow. Human are one of the only species that will do it in defense of other humans/animals. So war and killing is not going anywhere if up to people to decide why and is it worth the lives.
I hope you ever lose your freedom .. You have not a clue as to how lucky you are to live in a country with a history fighting for freedom .. Just educate yourself on China , Russia and many other Banana Republic countries ..
I cant stop thinking about those young men - many between 17 and 19 years old - so commited to their duties at a such sofisticated operation of war and the Destroyed itself. They gave their lives to us! I have so much respect, admiration and gratitude by them.
My Dad and Uncle served on the USS McKee 575 which received 11 Battle Stars. She received a letter of appreciation from the Commanding General of the Third Marine Division by lying close enough offshore to see enemy occupied pillboxes and trenches, and delivered close support fire and destroying them and making it safer for the landing. I wish they hadn't scraped her, I would have loved to walked her deck's.
My old sub, Guavina SS362, was torpedoed as a target by another US submarine in the 1960s. It was a strange experience to watch the video of her sinking as seen through the periscope of the sub that sank her. I still think of her lying at the bottom of the Atlantic. She served well in the Pacific during WWII and was such an important part of my life as a young sailor. I understand that we can't preserve all of our old warships but it's still sad.
I feel for you. I believe every sailor who loved his ship, wishes she could have been saved. Neither of the two ships I was on survived the cutting torch :-(
@@vm-snss4910 I wasn't prepared to see my Destroyer DDG 34 sunk for practice off Pearl Harbor. It punched me in the gut emotionally to see her hit repeatedly and then disappear under the surface. I, too, think of her laying on the bottom. It is a very strange feeling, and it is still 10 years later now.
Here on Veterans Day, from one vet who really didn't see much action, I have to salute all of you who served, especially those who had to give so much more than myself. We are still the land of the free, home of the brave.
Service is service brother. If you were there and action started, you woulda been knee deep in spent shells just like any Patriot in times of war. Thanks for your service.
Salute to everyone in the service; every one of you took the chance of finding yourself directly in harm’s way. My Dad never fired a shot in anger in WWII, but he had to sit in a liberty ship out in the Pacific with depth charges going off around the convoy, trying to destroy a Japanese submarine that had been spotted, never knowing when a torpedo might hit them.
@@kpd3308 My dad also served on a Liberty Ship and my mom worked as a welder in a shipyard that built them. Everybody who answered the call deserves respect.
Thanks..As a navy cadet in my youth, this doco’ touches on some of the best moments of comradery and amazing adventure on the battleship Cerberus (Australia). You guys are the tops !!!
What the hell are you talking about? HMVS Cerberus was a breastwork monitor that served in the Victoria Naval Forces, the Commonwealth Naval Forces, and the Royal Australian Navy between 1871 and 1924.
I Served as a Boiler Technician on DD-890, U.S.S. Meredith, the last of the Gearing Class, the immediate successor to the Fletchers. They were slightly bigger, but still shared a lot of the basic design, especially in the Engineering spaces.
My Grandfather was a career merchant marine captain with a rating of all ships and all oceans in 1939. When war was declared he was called into Houston port off the oil tanker he was on and received his coast guard captains commission. He command was on a destroyer..
I was an Aviation AntiSubmarine Warfare Technician. I did one day shy of ten years and I’ll always call myself a Sailor. The Navy gave me a purpose in life. Almost every one of my friends I grew up with are dead from drugs and violence. The Navy gave me an education. These days I’m a USN/USMC flight test engineer and 40 years later still work with many I started my career with.
I went into the Navy in 1955 as a "Kiddie Cruiser" at 17yrs old in order to take advantage of the GI Bill. I only served 3yrs, 9months but those few years had a lasting impact on my life and to this day I still think of myself as a diesel boat Sailor, rather than what I later became in my LE profession (SAC USCS) . I was always fascinated by WWII, especially the battles fought by our Marines in the Pacific. Some of my shipmates were WWII veterans. I'm 84 and I still recall minor details of my time aboard ship. I never talk about it (nobody cares :)) but it seems to be in my blood.
@@williamjones7851 My Grandfather was a hero. He joined the Royal Navy in 1916 aged 14, using his brothers birth certificate. He was also a marine for a while (Before the green beret and SF stuff), but didn't like it and went back to the Navy. I think he was a Chief Petty Officer, I belive he was a stoker. A very tough man, even in old age. So fought at sea in both World Wars.
I served on two Knox Class DE's in the years following Vietnam. It was a great experience and I was fortunate to go on both SouthPac and WestPac cruises during my enlistment.
My father was a radio man and then the exact on the Craven, and then the exec on the Butler. He was also the decommissioning officer on the Butler. A true hero!
My father will turn 94 in January 2020, God willing, he served in the USN during WWII on the USS McDermut DD-677, later peacetime and finally in Korea on a transport. Headed for college on the GI Bill in 1952. Tin Can sailors!
I served on the Coast Guard Cutter Campbell, from 76-78, built in 1936, and it wasn't all that different from its WW2 set up, but more modern. I can't imagine living/serving on one of these ships during WW2. God bless all who did...
I designed and built the taffy 3 memorial in SD.......they ceserved a bigger one!! I was fortunate to have met a few of the survivors. One of the most memorable events of my life just working w them.
When filming this interview Coit Butler - the CIC Officer who appears at 41:06 - described being sent ashore during the battle for Iwo Jima to coordinate naval gunfire support. All he had ever been able to remember of two days on the island was landing under gunfire and struggling to climb the steep slope of volcanic ash at the top of the beach - the next thing he could recall was being back aboard his ship. It seems likely that what he saw was so horrific that his mind simply couldn't process it.
@@marbleman52 I was incredibly lucky to work on this series and others for History Channel 20 years ago and have the opportunity to meet and interview so many veterans. It was always frustrating that because of limited time in a 50-minute show we were unable to use most of their stories.
@@tobermory8341... It must be very difficult to have many, many hours of interviews and actual footage and have to choose which few stories goes into the final edit....!! My father was an enlisted young man and served aboard the Escort Carrier CVE-94, the USS Lunga Point. His Carrier had two distinct achievements: 1: To receive more hits by the Kamikazes than any other Escort Carrier and make it back to a safe port under it's own power, 2: To lose no ship's company from the attacks...incredible. There was one death when a sailor walked into the props of a plane being readied to launch. I am 70 and it wasn't until I was in High School in the late 60's, did Dad show me the Journal ( very similar to a school 'year book'), from the Lunga Point. Sadly, there was no clear picture of him from the group pictures of the various divisions. He was on one of the anti-aircraft gun crews. I never saw the Journal again. He died in 2006 and it wasn't until perhaps 10 years ago that I found a Navy site where you can look up the journals from the ships. And there it was. I remembered the outer cover and how the pages looked with all of the black & white photographs. After Japan surrendered, the Navy implemented a massive evacuation of Allied POW's throughout Japan and also of the sick Japanese. The Lunga Point was just one of many carriers and other ships involved in this evacuation. My question is why there not more documentaries about this very important event? It wasn't until perhaps the last 10 years of Dad's life that with specific testing, it was found that Dad had absorbed some of the radioactive fallout from being there. That is not what ultimately killed Dad; lung cancer from cigarettes is what did him in, but it may have been a contributing factor.
@@marbleman52 What struck me about many of the veterans I interviewed was that in the last years of their lives they really needed to talk about what they had experienced as young men - not to brag but to finally come to terms with it. A former US Marine who had taken part in one of the WW2 Pacific island battles and agreed to film an interview was oddly ill at ease throughout the filming. It was only after we finished the interview and were quickly packing away our equipment as we had to catch a flight that he explained why. During a nighttime banzai charge by the Japanese he had been a machine gunner and had shot down dozens of men as they ran screaming towards him. It was only the following morning when they went out to inspect the Japanese dead that he discovered some of those he had killed were Americans from a unit that had been overrun by the charge and had been running ahead of the Japanese trying to get back to their own lines. There was no way he could have known this but he felt so guilty he had never told anyone. He had wanted to reveal what happened in his interview but wasn't able to do so. Part of me was disappointed that I hadn't been able to include the story in my programme but as both my father and godfather were Normandy veterans (my godfather was paralysed from the chest down after being wounded in the spine in August 1944) at the same time I was glad that I had provided the opportunity for him to open up about something that had haunted him for decades.
@@tobermory8341 ....You have done a good thing with your interviews and giving the veterans a way to get those horrifying images and events up to the surface where they can be purged. We who have not been on the front lines where the battles are up close and personal; hand-to-hand, have no real idea or comprehension of how brutal and inhuman war can be. I think about what the Civil War General William Tecumseh Sherman is credited with saying: "War Is Hell". Those three words embody everything that is horrible and brutal and "Hell On Earth" about warfare and particularly ground warfare. And then there is the term "Fog Of War", which sounds like what this young Marine experienced when he unknowingly killed some of his fellow Marines and any other Americans/allies who were part of that incident. Another term "Collateral Damage" is a nice almost antiseptic way of saying innocent civilians; especially women & children and also non-combatant men, who are just in the wrong place and wrong time. Yep...War Is Hell.
DE 01 USS CHRISTOPHER was named for my Father's cousin, a Ensign who was killed December 7th 1941 while serving on a BB IN Pearl Harbor. I was a QM ON DDG12 USS ROBISON For just over 3.5 years.
Destroyers were originally "Torpedo Boat Destroyers." A class small enough to be relatively expendable, fast and maneuverable enough to mix it up with Torpedo Boats, and well enough armed to engage several of them at once. The were the counter of the Torpedo Boat, not an outgrowth or extension of them. As time went on they became more multi-mission and better armed.
I will definitely make that trip. Thanks for the heads up! I served on the U S S Somers DDG 34. We were on the gunline in Nam too in my 2 West Pac deployments. Didn't have a cool name like Grey Ghost but we were called the Super Somers! WE NEVER missed a firing mission, and we put the 76 lb projectile from the rapid-fire (1 per 1.5 Seconds) 5" 54" on the target. Every time. Those were super accurate guns and the hurricane bow made it look really bad ass too.
At 10:18 the destroyer Samuel Moore, DD747, show up briefly. This was commissioned toward the end of WW2, and my brother in law served on it. Years later, in 1967, I began a six-month tour of duty on it in the Viet Nam era. We were fired on by the North Vietnamese, and could hear explosions nearby, but were never hit.
Served on a Fletcher Class, USS Philip DD498, out of Pearl Harbor. We did gun fire support in Viet Nam, '63 to '65 . 5" 48s . 2 single mounts foward, 1 single mount aft and 2 twin 3" 50s aft. My first time shareing a head with a dozen others and no stalls.
My uncle James (Bud) Comet was on the Samuel B. 5 men were pulled from his arms. Yet he survived. And became a great mentor for me. I miss you Uncle Bud. 🇺🇸♥️🍻
My last duty station was the USS Twining, DD-540, a Fletcher Class destroyer. It was a Reserve training ship at the time and I was only aboard for a few weeks while waiting for my 4-month extension to expire before my discharge;
Thank you for sharing this here. Very interesting documentary. Shame history channel changed it's programming from these quality docu's to what it is now...
The phrase built different was created for men like these. They are on a whole other level. The courage and human spirit to survive and overcome on both sides. The bravery of these young men is a tell for the ages.
As a merchant marine I worked on foreign ships sometimes. On one ship my American group was 7 men and we were treated very badly when it was time to eat. The ship said it had no American fair so one morning I had enough; went to the captain's mess and saw American cereal on a table. I grabbed as many boxes I could and this got the notice of the captain who then looked into food for us.
My grandfather(mothers side)was a cook and cooks teacher on British and Canadian ships throughout the back end of the war I imagine it was good eating because I remember in his late 70s due to diabetes in a wheelchair scooting around in his own kitchen he designed in his home going through his routine making Christmas dinner alone for us maybe 18 of us and somehow taking the time to kill me and my uncle in a snooker game while keeping his fireplace blasting at the same time he hand peeled everything all scratch recipes and fresh bread and cinnamon rolls.Im proud he never fired a weapon he did his job too and made it through 3 tours his last ship is sitting in my hometown on display in Hamilton Ontario= HMCS haida
My wife’s father was at Pearl Harbor 12/7/41, serving aboard a DD. In the Solomons his ship was torpedoed by a plane which came out of the blue. The pilot smiled and waved politely as he passed astern. The ship never even fired a round. The crew were rescued by marines in landing craft from Tulagi island.
As superior as the Fletchers were, it's often overlooked, the classes she replaced. Even the old American four-piper ships from WWI contributed significantly to the war effort, especially in the early years. Some served the British even before the war. One of them was the first ship attacked in the Atlantic. Another fired the first shot, and scored the first kill on Dec. 7, 1941, even before the fateful air attack.
I served aboard the carrier USS MIdway CVA 41 on Yankee Station Vietnam and our plane .were destroyers. During typhoons when a tin can would go under the waves I often wondered if they would come back up. They always did.. Simply Amazing. Great ships.!!
USS Yorktown CV-5 sustained extremely heavy damage. But her crew managed to save their ship. A small number of her crew kept Yorktown afloat. Unfortunately, what they did not know was that Japanese Imperial Navy Submarine I-168 was in perfect firing position. And Yorktown was struck by two more torpedoes. She listed turned turtle and Sank On June 7, 1942.
"The Battle Okinawa Was A Devastating Battle Too!" "My Uncle Eugene N. Sanzi s Ship, "The USS Bush 529 Was Sunk After A Two Day Period of Battles & Having Been Struck By Several Camakaizis & My Uncle Thomas Conlon Whom Died At The Battle of Casino." My Uncle Jim Was A Pilot Whom Flew Many Missions & My Father Whom Surved On The USS Sullivan's Destroyer During The Korean War." "THANK-YOU All For Your Service!" "My Brothers & I Worked At The Submarine Base Years Later And Still Have One Brother & Cousins Whom Served in Different Branches of The Military & Are Still Serving & Working For Different Branches of The Military Today Including My Brother & Son One Time Or Another!"
They gave there lives for a future of freedom of peace and of hope. We should never forget. It is for these brave, selfless men we owe so much. We thankyou!!
I worked with a WW ll Navy veteran, many years ago, who served on a 'tin can' which was torpedoed. He survived, his name was Al Feoli from Rhode Island. Wish I had asked him about it back then but we were not chums. God Bless him...
Tin Can Sailor myself. I often used to wonder if we would roll all the way over.. hearing and feeling the props come out of the water and slap back was something I vividly recall 35 years later. By the way. The seas outside of San Francisco were the most intense of the close to half million miles I traversed at sea.
My dad served on the USS Picking-DD685, a Fletcher class destroyer. His ship saw much action in the Pacific, but the worst was at Okinawa when his ship was part of the radar picket screen, where Japanese Kamikazes caused so much damage.
Its got to be a favourite if that's the right word for historians/military enthusiasts..for me it could do everything and seemed so versatile.. ..defence/attack/convoys/sub killers/covert operations....what a role they played
There are four Fletchers still in existence; USS The Sullivans (DD-537), in Buffalo, New York USS Kidd (DD-661), in Baton Rouge, Louisiana USS Cassin Young (DD-793), in Boston, Massachusetts USS Charrette, now Velos (D16), in Palaio Faliro, Greece.
Fletcher's were built tough. Part of the reason was they use STS steel instead of mild steel. While I wasn't armor plate it was much harder than mild steel. If you look at the recently found wreckage up USS Johnston you will see how much of a pounding those ships could take before they went down.
@24:00 sonar man Ralph Corley talks about his skipper hesitating. I was told once: "What is the difference between a good combat Navy Officer and a bad Navy officer? Answer: About 10 seconds."
FYI the three lost during the typhoon had pumped out all of their sea water ballast for refuling ops. As the seas got worse ops couldnt continue and they only had 10-15% fuel on board, so they were riding super high. Other destroyers in the TF pumped sea water back in for ballast and survived relatively unscathed.
One of my uncle's was on H.M.S Isis which was a Destroyer, during World War Two, stationed in Malta and Gibraltar. it was sunk by a submarine off dunkirk in june 1944
My father was also on HMS ISIS when it was sunk by a submarine off Dunkirk in June 1944. My father survived but a large number of the ships crew were lost,mostly young men. I have a copy of the paperwork(more a book then a few pieces of paper)of the interrogation that was carried out with the survivors after the sinking,it makes an interesting read.
Thanks for the video. Aye Aye. Cheers!, When I put Cheers! and when I say Cheers! it for them, those who gave so much for the rest of us. Cheers! to all of the brave men and women.
One of the greatest generations of people. If I could be a percentage as brave and great as those men I'd be beyond lucky! Thank you to every man and women who sacrificed!🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
I was on the fast Frigate USS BADGER FF 1071 from 81 to 85 and it's a little smaller than a destroyer but like the man said, the best damn ship in the Navy!
I served 29 years in the Royal Canadian Navy on 4 DDE's a DDG and two minesweepers and always loved the DDE's. The DDE's were small, nimble and great at handling heavy seas. I served in the first Gulf War and also in Kosovo. Once a Matelot always a Matelot. Matelot for my American comrades is sailor in French.
I was Air Force ready reserve air police for 6 years upon call we were.able to get everybody to the reserve base and load all our 14 cargo planes with equipment and personnel in about 10 hrs ready for takeoff with one aircraft for stragglers We did several of these calls to duty while I was a reservist. Never was told if it was a drill or the real thing. Was on call for 6 years. The air force was a good experience Got my honorable discharge as a staff sgt. in 1972
Capt. Evans was absolutely amazing in his attack. He was a full-blooded Cherokee. He was last seen directing the evacuation. He was never seen again...
He fought that ship with everything he had. I can't see his name without a chill going up my spine. he was a ferocious warrior that showed one man can turn the tide of a fight if their will is strong enough.
He was a hero that didn't flinch, he went straight in without fear. A true great American Patriot and a natural Cherokee Warrior. This country needs more men like him now more than ever.
35-40 years later, on a Knox class Frigate, there was much more electronic equipment onboard and the spaces needed to be air conditioned. This benefited the crew as well, but was an after thought. The first time we were into Subic Bay in the Philippines, we lost power for half a day. I already had a lot of respect for the sailors of WWII, but much more after enduring 10 hours of the environment they call normal ops.
I think there should be a series dedicated solely to noteworthy WW2 destroyer actions (eg St. Nazaire Raid, Leyte Gulf, etc). Plenty of material that involved the RN, Kriegsmarine, USN, and IJN....destroyer captains tended to be the bravest, boldest, and reckless, making the ship type the most interesting.
Great documentary highlighting some very, very brave men. Although serious and perilous in nature I still had tears in my eyes from laughter after the 'potato attack'.
My dad served on the USS Bullard.... now these were real "men" ...brave beyond belief! Thanks dad for your fearless attitude you carried throughout your life!
DAM! I don’t even know what to say about this. These stories are incredible! The heroism is just Impossible to measure or imagine! This courage of these men cannot be measured!!! “ One of my friends from about half up his arms were still movin” JESUS CHRIST!!!!!!!🫣
I was on the first class of DDG's Guided Missile Destroyer Charles F. Adam's Class. I was on USS Lynde McCormick DDG-8 1979-81 there were 24 of this class. We were the Tin Cans during the early 60's to early 90's. There were a few of the Fram Cans, The U.S. built some Destroyers for Iran but when the Shah of Iran got ousted by the Ayatollah Khomeini the Navy kept them we called the them the Ayatollah Class. They were large they used the same hull for the Aegis Cruisers.
I was on the USS Buchanan DDG-14. 1972-77. Was on board about 3 weeks when we took a round killed 1 wounded 7 of North Vietnam. Served for 10 years. They were the most memorable years of my life.
A good friend of mine was on the USS. Robley Evans, DD-552. They were posted on radar picket station 15 at Okinawa. They were involved in what was described as the most violent battle of a ship their size and a force of Kamikaze's. Their record for planes shot down in one engagement by a destroyer still stands today. He recently died and I was sure hoping to see his hull number on this video. Keep searching I guess.
This was what they called a "Tin Can" if I remember correctly from my sailor friends. We had a ship in the U.S. Coast Guard which was 378 feet long and it probably cruised a little bit like a destroyer. The destroyer was built for war though and had much more armament than the Coast Guard ship which was built for search and rescue. We trained with the U.S. Navy and were prepared to function under their control in case of war. In some seas, you had to tie yourself into your bunk because of the pitching and yawing. It could get very bumpy. When that bow slammed down into the water during high seas it was quite shocking. You get in the lee of a big wave and that bow might crash down more than 30 or 40 feet.
@@johnerway7255 Wow, only 1/2 inch, huh. I think the Panzer tanks had something like 106 mm of armor, which is probably more than a 1/2 inch and that's just a tank, not a destroyer!
@@thomaspearson4012 You must recall the forward fire room boiler fired without water. That occurred in October or November 1962. I reported aboard out of boot camp, between Christmas 1962 and New Years 1963. I was a FA assigned to the after fire room. Left the Stoddard September 1966 as BT2. Worked as a stationary engineer (boiler operator and maintenance) at Eastman Kodak. Retired December 1997.
@@johnerway7255 Yes, remember that fire well. Still have the newspaper clipping. I worked engine room, mm3, evaporators. was aboard for the cubamissle crisis and got to see Panama. After the fire, we went to Long Beach and I was separated Feb 63. I read Stoddard was used as a target and sunk we probably met.
My father was a Gunner's mate on a destroyer he got hit buy a kamikaze him and his mate we're going over board I'll never forget my father who didn't speak much because of what he'd seen he told me that don't don't come back for you he spent two days in Pacific with 12ft tiger sharks swimming around him till they came and picked him up two days later that man taught me a lot
@@chriscrocker5369 Dad never talked about his time in WW2 nor how long he was in the Navy. He joined the Air Force in late forties and retired as a senior master sergeant in 67.