A Sunday Afternoon.jpg
PO of the Watch in Drydock.jpg
USSVance01.jpg
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A Sunday Afternoon.jpg |
PO of the Watch in Drydock.jpg |
USSVance01.jpg |
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Dear Joseph Betters,
I served aboard the Vance between April 1962 and September 1963. I have all fond memories of that time. We were home ported at Pearl Harbor and provided navigational aid for the planes that were apart of the seaward extension of the DEW line. Of course the first time at sea on the Vance left me a bit apprehensive; a crack developed in the main deck going almost all the way across the ship causing us to return to port. And there were always the cracks that appeared in the sides where the aluminum was joined to the steel. I was in a berthing compartment on the port side. Then there was the patrol over Christmas that the Captain had negotiated for a in port period in Japan between patrols when the water evaporators did not work properly resulting in very little fresh water, no heat and two ham and cheese sandwiches for all three meals on Christmas day. Not only that there was ankle deep water in our berthing compartment so we were hot-bunking with shipmates in other divisions. Then there was the time we were headed to Midway Island to refuel prior to returning Pearle Harbor when we encountered a storm that toppled the large air search radar antenna and resulted in running out of fuel and requiring a tow to Midway Island. After that we refueled at Adak Island. I remember one time at Adak that it took two tugs over an hour to push us against the pier so that we could tied up there. Of course most times were not so eventful; in summer the sea was so calm the ship could just drift from one side of our station to the other and the crew could sun bathe or fish for shark during off duty hours. The attached photos are from my time on the Vance. I am requesting that you remove my name from your roster because I have not participated in activities involving the Vance Association and I do not anticipate that I will participate in the future. Wishing you all fair winds and a following sea. Warren Gillam wegillam@msn.com |