Personal Oral Histories by visitors
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Oral History is donated by: Ken "Jake" Jaccard
Email Address: jake@usshancockcv19.com
Entered on: Dec 20, 1998 at 20:41
My Homepage is: Jake's 'Yankee Station'
Subject: Jake and the Shore Patrol at Subic
My Oral History:
During my navy days I didn't do 'heavy' liberty, UNTIL we hit port in Subic Bay, sometime summer, 1963. Being a newby, my more 'seasoned' shipmates wanted to 'bust my cherry' and so took me to some of the raunchiest bars in Olongopo City. I found myself in the 'California Bar' on the main street. My shipmates later abandoned me and I was alone in this bar. I commenced to get my blackshoes full of whatever you call it. I was feeling pretty woosy and decided I needed some air so I went out into the back alley, which was exactly the wrong thing to do as this area was 'off limits' to all Naval Personnel. I was weaving back and forth out there, without my 'cover' on when along came the Shore Patrol in a jeep, and asked me what the 'f....' was I doing out there as it was not only off limits but dangerous for me to be there. I don't remember what excuse I gave them, but they could see I was in no shape to allow me back in the bar, so they sent me in to get my cover and hauled my little white butt back to the ship.. I am surprised I wasn't put on report, but then, these things happen all the time; why fill up the Captain's Mass log with all these breeches? My own breeches were full enough after that time, as I was sick for a quite a long time, with the dry heaves! Fair Winds! JakeReturn to Hancock Oral Histories
Oral History is donated by: Ken "Jake" Jaccard
Email Address: jake@usshancockcv19.com
Entered on: Dec 28, 1998 at 14:59
My Homepage is: Jake's 'Yankee Station'
Subject: Jake, CPL Keith and the Captain
My Oral History:
Regarding our MarDet. I tell you they all were a bunch of nice guys! (as all Marines are with a few exceptions, of course).. and since our compartment was adjacent to the MarDet Compartment, you'd find me over there shooting the bull with them a lot. I was Captain's Yeoman on Hancock so I got to be good friends with the Captain's Orderlies. I have one particular memory that stands out above all the rest.. the on duty Orderly for this particular day was a 19 year old Cpl by the name of H. G. Keith. He was a nice kid. On that day, we were steaming in the Gulf of Tonkin, and I had some pretty important papers to be signed by the Captain, who was in his at-sea cabin up on the Island. I walked up to the cabin, and there Keith was, standing at "Parade Rest". He told me, "Jake, I don't think you should give him that right now, the skipper is in a very foul mood.." I said, "I have to give it to him, these are papers from JAG that needs signing right away.." So he said, "well, ok, but you better not stand too close to the door..." He knocked on the cabin door, and you could hear a grumpy "Enter" and in he went, leaving the door ajar a bit.. a minute later, you could hear all kinds of cuss words and then out flies all the papers, folders and all, and soon behind, came CPL Keith, and the look on his face, told me to turn tail and get the heck off the Bridge! :o) Those papers all had to be retyped and sent up again the next day, when the skipper was in better spirits..Return to Hancock Oral Histories
Oral History is donated by: Dennis Spang
Email Address: Trble4me2@aol.com
Entered on: Jan 27, 1999 at 13:00
My Homepage is: No name
Subject: Life aboard Hanna
My Oral History:
Well, here goes. I was born in Montana, went to a very small school. My High School graduating class numbered eight. Five girls and three boys. So when I tell you that joining the Navy and seeing the world was a big thing for me, it was a REALLY BIG THING for me. I went aboard the Hancock the end of December 1961. We left for our first WestPac cruise I think in January or February of 62. Our first port was Yokosuka Japan. I fell in love with it. If I remember correctly, we spent most of that cruise in and out of Japan. The next two cruises I made however we spent in the South China Sea. The Nam thing ya know. I can’t remember very many bad times aboard the Hanna, I know there were a lot, but seem only to remember the good times. I know there were a lot of those. My worst memories aboard the Hanna were of my new wife I left in Alameda on the second cruise, missed her like crazy, and on my third cruise, I had my first daughter, Deanna Lynn born shortly after we left. Needless to say I hated not being able to see her. All kinds of things pass through my mind when I think of life aboard ship. I remember one incident that I am not very proud of. I remember one night that an F-8 Crusader crashed into the fan tail killing the pilot and I think injuring someone standing fantail watch. I had garbage detail that night and we were not able to dump garbage off the fantail because if the accident. I remember I was happy because I got out of some work. That night before taps the ships Chaplain said a prayer over the PA system for the pilot that died. I felt like an idiot for how I had felt earlier. I guess when you are young it is hard to think past the end of your nose. I think I have grown a bit since then. I hope so anyway. I recall another incident that maybe made up for my stupid thoughts about the F-8 crash. I was on the mid watch in CIC and my station was our air search radar. I remember it was real quiet, we were not at flight quarters. I had a couple of contacts on the screen, nothing important I thought, when I heard over my headset a pilot talking to one of our support ships, probably a destroyer. The pilot was lost. I can’t remember just what his problem was, but he didn’t know where he was. I had a contact on the screen about 180 miles out that I thought might be him. I either asked him to, or he told me he was squawking emergency IFF. I identified him, gave him a range and bearing back to Hanna. We went to flight quarters, turned into the wind and recovered him safely. I remember him coming up to CIC and shaking my hand and thanking me. Interesting note, he was flying an F-8 Crusader. I wish I could remember all the particulars. I don’t know if he was off the Hanna or off another carrier. I guess it didn’t seem important to me at the time. I also remember some wild liberties in Olongapo. I will spare you the details. My wife will probably read this and I don’t think she would think most of those stories were very amusing anyway. Does anyone remember the 7-11 bar? It was one of the first ones you came to just after the bridge. Not sure if I really liked the bar, or it was just because it just happened to be the first one I came to every time I went on liberty. Have lots of memories of Olangapo. Memories and scars. Does anyone remember Tennessee Ernie Ford coming aboard ship and taping two of his TV shows? We anchored out by Alcatraz. When the show was aired, I was with my new bride on our honeymoon at the Desert Sands Motel in Sacramento Calif. Nothing but the best for my lady… LOL… Well here we are, some 34 years, 4 more daughters, and 13 grandchildren later, and I’m still talking about my years aboard the USS Hancock. Wouldn’t trade um for nuttin…. TURN HER INTO THE WIND BOYS AND LAUNCH
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Oral History is donated by: JD Cooper
Email Address: Problema@flash.net
Entered on: Feb 4, 1999 at 14:40
My Homepage is: none
Subject: Visiting the real Navy
My Oral History:
I was ordered to the Hancock fresh from boot camp in or around August, 1966. I found her in dry dock, but we soon set sail for the Tonkin gulf and a tour of duty. My youger brother was Army Airborne in Viet Nam at the time and my older brother, Winston, was aboard the Strauss, DDG19. Sometime in Jan, 1967 (I think) I was surprised to see a new escort off to port that sported the number 16. Soon, we were unrep-ing our Cans and she came alongside. Because Winston was a skivy waver, I could clearly see him on the sig bridge. I found my way to our own sig bridge and convinced a fellow to say howdy to my brother. It was a surprise to him and caused a good chuckle for both of us. Later, I had the audacity to approach the division chief with an idea that rankled him. I asked what the possibilies were that I might visit Winston on the Strauss. He said nothing. End of audacity. Several 20 hour days later as we groggily mustered, my name was called out and, poof! I was quickly escorted to the flight deck and before I knew it I was strapped into a helo and was airborne. The timeline was no more than 5 minutes. I was still in my blue- shirt! (My buddies had no clue what was going on or if I was to ever return!) The helo-jockey had to be the meanest man in the world! Once over the Strauss, I was manhandled into the harness and swung out like a slab of beef! Swirling blades above me and the pitching deck below me! I saw it coming! The demon with the lever dropped me at mach 1 at the instant the deck was coming up! The impact left me in a crumpled ball now about 5'10" of my previous 6'1"! There was no doubt in my mind the guy did it for fun! through the fuzz in my eyes I looked up the 5" gun and wondered if it was loaded. I had a target! To further compound the issue, no one aboard Hancock had bothered to tell Strauss that company was coming and a bunch of sailors were standing there just looking at me! The 1MC blared something about "visitor report to bridge!" After getting there, the captain asked the question and I gave the best answer I could under the circumstances. He grinned a bit, obviously bemused at having an airdale aboard his ship, and simply said, "Welcome to the real Navy." (huh? I didn't know there was a fake one! ..Unless you are talking about the Coast Guard.. hmm!) Winston was still unaware of what was going on and the look on his face was worth every minute of the agony the deck impact wrought upon my body! We spent several hours shooting the breeze before the helo came back. I say "we" with tongue in cheek as that Can was tossing like a scared colt and I spent most my time clinging to anything I could find! I was beginning to learn what sailors called sea legs! For the first time in my short life I was truly glad I had been a bronk buster and knew how to "slap leather and hang on"! "Real Navy my ass!" This beast was a flared nostril, snorting, pitching, reeling, twisting, wobbling, jumping, wringing, denizen totaly devoid of the sense to get tired and quit! This aint "Real Navy"! This is a frigging rodeo! Between bouts of projectile vomiting and flurries of profanities, I had the rare treat of watching Hancock launch and retrieve a sortie. It was awesome! So much different than the grueling labor of a blue shirt pushing the planes around and never actually seeing the action! It gave me the first appreciation ever for the job I was doing. I felt remorse for my buddies in hanger deck three because they were a man short. But it was a sight they never got to see. (They also were sorta indifferent and unimpressed with my description of it. "Sea Stories"!) The helo returned and my suspicions about the demon in it were once again strengthened! The Devil-Incarnate he was! He yanked the up-lever at the exact second Strauss took a dive down. This action returned me to my previous height. I have despised all helo jockeys since that day but a series of chiropractors have loved me ever since! ...Weeks later Mom sent a letter each to her sons with a clipping from our local paper that sported a picture of Winston and me aboard the Strauss! Someone took our picture! Who the hell did that? I didnt see any PH's on board that Can!... Winston and I were to meet again on R&R in Sasebo and he returned the favor by attempting to kill his younger brother with a bottle of Ronrico 151! I surmised that my visitation had garnered him a little unwelcome ribbing from his shipmates. (Had I not been on Cinderella liberty, he might well have succeeded.) I never saw Strauss again. After the tour, I was given orders for PH "A" school and I never saw nor thought much about old Fighting Hannah again. Not until the Lexington, CV?16, was retired and became a museum in nearby Corpus Christi. I decided to visit her a few years ago and was startled at the profound similarities to Hanna. I found the galley, what I remembered as my berthing compartment, even the head! (sister ship) I stood in hanger bay three a few minutes, I called out the names of the guys I could remember, Hart, Broussard, Purvis... I wished this was the old Hancock one more time. What ever happened to her? I looked off the elevator and visualized Joeseph Strauss bobbing like a cork out there. "Smokin' Joe"! pitching and tossing and giving it hell! Like they say, "Black smoke and white water!" And there In 1967, I stood on a near rock solid luxury liner in comparison. "The Real Navy, uh, Captain? I'll take the fake one!" Suddenly I was awash with a feeling I have never experienced in my adult life: Melancholia. JD Cooper (PH2) Rancho Problemas, Texas.
