Rocking and Rolling, My Transit to Kaneohe

Comments

Joe Webb(Jack) - June 22, 2020

Spent a fair amount of liberty time at Fort DeRussy during ’61-’63.There was a large room near the back by the breezeway that several of us musicians would gather to play music, I have a photo taken in there. I seem to remember playing a graduation party for an island high school summer of ’62 in the auditorium there. Went by while on vacation in ’08, hardly recognized the area.

Cpl Doug Herrmann - June 22, 2020

The Point Defiance was LSD-31, spent a lot of time on that flat bottom rolling and rocking bucket

Terrence (Terry) E. Carbonara - June 22, 2020

From one Cpl to another, the name of the fort on Oahu was and may still be, Fort Derussy (phonetically correct…spelling not sure!). Stationed at K-Bay Jan.’61-Jan.’63, H & S Bn. MOS 2111. Note: also traveled below deck via USS Point Defiance-LSD (I believe its number was 47.

Sgt. James Norton, 2811, 1967-1971 - June 22, 2020

Left Camp Books and headed for Da Nang Harbour. This was April 1971. Tours were being cut short. Mine lasted 10 months instead of the usual 12. Boarded the USS Juneau, LPD 8. The harbour was quiet and departure was smooth as glass. Had a big ole breakfast to celebrate that famed Navy cooking. Had some of everything. Bad mistake!! When we hit the open water the ship starting going up and down from bow to stern and then back again. After awhile the side to side motion came into the equation. My wonderfully tasty and abundant breakfast didn’t taste the same coming up as going down. We had a boatload of Marines, and I had been proud of myself, up to the point that I lost it. I lasted longer then most of the grunts, but mother nature made pay for my smugness. I was sick for days. The swabbies did not appreciate our decorating their ship in multicolored, multi chunky, and ordorforus liquid. It took us over ten days to cross the Pacific to get to Long Beach. We did have a/c, hot (short) showers, movies. After getting over being sea sick, it was a boring ride. Semper Fidelis brothers,

Alan Burleson - June 22, 2020

left San Diego on some kinda boat 1963 don’t remember the name was off too Hawaii never been off the farm except boot camp so if the story is about puke then making a beach landing in a flat bottome boat with 6 and 7 foot sweels makes me laugh now but brings back memories wih my time with G-2/4

Cpl John W. DeStefano (aka duffle bag) - June 22, 2020

The puke stories seem to be a common denominator of all the deployments to the 3rd Mar Div and Hawaii prior to the days of jet transport. I was on the USNS General Daniel Sultan (civilian crew) with Marines and dependents. The very first day out of San Diego (approx late April of early May 1965) we were all initiated to the conditions of the Pacific. At least 2/3 of the ship were violently sick the rest were all just turning green and feeling like death was imminent. I was in this group. While trying to get up on desk to get some fresh air (the smell below deck was unbearable) some guy comes pushing behind me trying to get to the hatch before he loses it. He didn’t make it. He puked all over the Marine if front of him which set off a chain reaction. I was fortunate and avoided the “puke dousing”. At that point all I could do was turn around and head back to my rack to wait out the carnage. I crawled on the rack, sure that I would not survive the night. The next morning I felt a lot better and went down to the mess deck. No Lines, but the whole ship stunk from the prior days debacle. Arriving at Pearl we had one day of liberty before we were to continue to Yokohama. I was only 19 at the time so I couldn’t have any Men’s beverages. I walked to the Army base. I think it was Fort Durocher?? so I could have a Man’s beverage. I was old enough to go to Nam but not to have a beer. That was f—ed. Somewhere between Pearl and Yokohama we hit a typhoon. We all pretty much had our sea legs by then. I was one of the unlucky that caught a 4 hour watch ON DECK for any men overboard. I felt that was total bull$hit. If anyone did go overboard there would be no way to recover him. And besides who was going to watch for me? I tied my self to a beam and survived the watch. I was pissed. Well anyway that’s my 2 cents on the Good Ol Days.

Edward Dodd, 1st Lt USMC, forever - June 22, 2020

In 1961 I was in Okinawa and our usual 12 month rotation was prolonged two additional months because of Laos getting hostile. The Corps had already sent all our sea bags by air and it was decided we would return by AKA (forgot the name). We sailed out of Naha in mid-August and you all know what that means. The ship then headed WNW. We were carrying twice the number the ship was built for, and only the clothing on our backs. The ship went nearly to Alaska and, as the air cooled, the ship’s heating system went AWOL. Soon everyone was walking around the decks with a blanket wrapped around them, looking like the POWs in the movies. Finally, the crew got the heaters working, but by then we were in the waters of Northern California. Once started, for some reason they could not get the heaters to stop. Finally, by the grace of the Commandant we reached San Diego. Then came the final last straw. The Navy allowed all their dependents to come aboard while we were trying to disembark. It was utter chaos-is. The CO of embarked troops came up on the speakers saying ,”All Marines disembark any way you can, good luck.” It was the end of a memorable cruise.

Pete C. - June 22, 2020

Sailed with H-2-5 on the USS Bexar (pronounced Bear if I remember correctly) Jan ’66 from Long Beach to the Rock with a short 3 day stay in Hawaii. Nasty being just a PFC on the bottom bunk stacked 6 high down in the bowels of the Bexar. Most of us were sea sick second day out of LB. Bad enough that even most of our Navy hosts were likewise hugging the rail. Thank goodness for some savvy corpsmen who packed us with saltines!!! Saved the day or at least made the crossing more tolerable!! After training on the Rock, we boarded the George Clymer and headed south to Chu Lai. Fine old ship with wooden decks and for me a much more comfortable bunk!!!

john burke - June 22, 2020

Jan 1963 I sailed on the uss Mitchel from treasure island to kanehoe bay.If you think that the Clymer was bad the Mitchell was a bucket.and the in jan of 1965 we left Hawaii on the uss parrot on the return to treasure island.every body was sea sick both ways.

J. D. Hallford - June 22, 2020

I too sailed from San Diego to Honolulu in June of 61 for my two year duty with H&S 3/4. Don’t remember seasickness until another 23 day cruise to the Phillipines and Japan. Even the sailors got sick! After two years we sailed back to San Fransico. I will never forget going under the Golden Gate Bridge. When the ship touched the dock the Marine Band began playing California Here I Come! Great memories! Semper Fi!