USS DEYO DD 989

[nggallery id=22]I was going through some boxes of old stuff and came across a ballcap I purchased while serving aboard the USS Deyo DD989 back in 1983 just after her return from the Persian Gulf. I was almost flown out to the ship but was delayed until her return back to Charleston South Carolina, where I met up with her for my new assignment right out of boot camp.

That got me searching the web for USS Deyo and found this article.

http://www.navysite.de/dd/dd989.htm

In the article, it reads: ” DEYO has been an active player in numerous JCS special operations in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific, where she received a second Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation.”

I remember those trips. Twice we were on these special ops. wow, what an adventure. I remember days and nights of pure excitement. For example, on our first visit, my first trip, we went through the Panama Canal and stopped in Rodman Panama for supplies. We were offered liberty but we had to stay on base and return to the ship my midnight. Yea! I shower, dress in civies and hail a cab. To the spanish speaking cabbie I say, “bring me to the beer” and in broken english he tells me he knows a good place. What feels like 30 minutes later, I saying, I just want beer and did not want to be driven to who knows where. I”m by myself, young and dumb. We arrive at some place and when I walk in there must have been like 20-30 guys from our ship. Phew! I feel safer now and obviously not the only one that didn’t not respect the order to remain on base.

It’s almost midnight, I have a good salors buzz going and it’s time to head back to the ship before the midnight curfew. I jump into the cab with another sailor, who decides to bring two females along. Why I don’t know but the four of us head back to the base. I get out of the cab and the other sailor decided to leave with the girls. I make it back on board with minutes to spare.

The next day, the XO approachs me, while I am on watch and orders me to stop by his cabin when I get off duty. I head to the XO’s cabin and he describes the gentlemen what decided not to return to the vessel before midnight was arrested. The XO then proceeded to try and scare me with the Panamanian jails, just pits in the ground where you fight for your food, etc.. He told me the dude squealed on me. The XO wanted to know who else was off base. “No one sir, just this sailor and myself.” I ended up in Captains mass for that stint.

On the same trip, we almost collided with a fishing vessel. It was around 2 or 3 in the morning. I was a deck ape while waiting for Hospital corpman school. I joined the Navy to save lives and not take them. While serving on the USS Deyo, I manned the controls that managed the propulsion and the steering of this over 500 foot vessel. The Officer of the Deck, OOD was telling stories that night, funny ones too. I was looking out and noticed lights that kept getting closer. I walked over to the CICS area, radar and asked them to check out this object.

Using a track ball, they move the ball over the object and click a button. I ttells us the direction and speed of the vessel. Their path crosses ours at the point we will be at, meaning collision. I watch this vessel for awhile and it’s getting closer and closer. I walk back over to radar and ask them to check again and yep, they confirm a collision course with Deyo. I inform the OOD and the bridge perks up. He orders me to lock the shafts, which will stop the screws from turning. Now during training, I remember these two bottons (one for Starboard shaft, one for Port shaft) and was told never to press them. I was being commanded to pres them. Proceedure dictates I repeat the order to confirm I heard and understand, usually followed with Ey-Ey sir but I end my reply with “Are you sure sir?” which I could have gotten in trouble for and his reply was yes. So I pressed them and OMG. The alarms started going off and a minute later the Captain of Deyo barges on the bridge yelling WTF is going on? You could have heard a pin drop. What I was just commanded to do was put the brakes on. Callipers that grab hold of the shaft and stop it from turning. Of course the engine just doesn’t stop immediately either. Now we have no propulsion and we are coasting, with momentum towards this fishing vessel. Collision in 3 minute! OMG! I can’t steer the vessel, were only doing 3 knots. Right then the fishing vessel turns and crosses our bow. Phew, that was a close one.

Another night, I was watching the missle and their red stream of fire off its tail fly through the sky. Boats would approach our vessel at night, no lights on. They would come all the way up to the side of our boat. I remember a night I was on lookout up above the bridge. My job was to the watch and listen for anything in the upper half of the vessel, 180 degrees. 90 to my right, 90 to my left, 90 upwards and all forward from there, like 1/4 of a ball. I am hearing this constant rumbling, like an engine. So I grab the Big Eyes (Binoculars so strong and big you can see every moon of Saturn, I know I use to look at them and got in caught one night doing it instead of looking out for the vessel). Using the BIG Eyes, I scan the ocean in the direction I hear the sound and then, there in the dark is a dark boat, no lights and it’s maybe 100 yards off our port side and approaching. I also see a man with a heavy weapon attached to the boat manning the weapon. I radio down to the bridge and immediately we had out machine guns out and ready. Nothing happened, they just floated down the port side of our vessl land the aft lookout continued monitoring them.

Another day, It was on a Sunday. I remember because something like 75% of the crew gets time off. So we bring out the man grill and set it up on the fantail cooking burgers, dogs, lobster, etc.. I picnic on Steel Beach. I was the aft lookout during this incident. I took my mouthpiece off. I taped the mic button open and let it hang down in front of a radio or a tape player so those on duty inside may listen to some music. No one complained or ask for it to stop, so I kept it going. Then I hear in the headset, HOLY SH_T. I pick up the mic and say, what? I hear in response, “Look up!” and I find a helicopter hovering above our boat. Ooops. Fortunately it was the Canadians. At least the flag was.

One day, a hot,  a very hot day, we move closer to shore to pickup some Navy Seals. I was on  the bow when they board. I didn’t know what a Navy Seal was. What I did notice was about 30 minutes later, they were leaving our vessel and they have 5 gallons of ice cream with them. I was mad. They wouldn’t even serve ice cream to us and these guys board the ship and take our ice cream! To show you how small this world is, I think I worked with a guy, recently, who was one of those Seals. Wow!

On our trip back to Charleston a couple of cargo plans flew over us, circled back, opened the doors and threw toiled paper from the back. It came streaming down from like 3000 feet in the middle of the ocean. It was cool and nice to see.

There are more stories from the DEYO, but thats all for now.

I still have the award packed and remember the day I received it. I was in Hospital Corpman School, Great lake, Illinois, when the Captain, his Master Chief and a few others walked into our room. We all stood at attention of course and were instructed to sit. I remember thinking to myself they are going to present an award to this young woman, Hoppie (sp) who was, at the time the highest scoring graduate of the US Navy Corp school. Instead, they called out my name. I was stunned. I didn’t know what to do. I walked up to the front podium and the master Chief told me to stand at attention. So I turned to face the audience and stood at attention. He whispers, turn around and face the Captain dummy. Thats when the award was read to the class and the ribbon pinned on my chest. Wow, what a day. My first award. I went on to receive many wards and accomodations during my 6 years in the Navy, which at that time I received my honorable discharge.

Larry

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