VOLUME XXVI Issue 2 Apr-May-Jun 2012

1. VOLUME XXVI Issue 2 Apr-May-Jun 2012 The Quarterdeck 2 REUNIONS THIS YEAR ! CHICAGO WEDNESDAY OCT 3rdto SUNDAY OCT 7th SAN DIEGO WEDNESDAY SEPT 5TH to SUNDAY SEPT 9TH details on page 2-3 Superfast, 5600 mph, Navy gun 200 + mile range A gun, known as an electromagnetic rail gun, (EMRG) , using a magnetic field and electric current, instead of chemicals, to generate energy to fire the rounds, is being developed by the U.S. Navy. The projectile, about half the weight of a 5“/54, currently used on today’s destroyers, will have a muzzle velocity of approximately 2500 m/s (meters per second) and will leave the Earth’s atmosphere on its way to the target making it less susceptible to jamming or interception, and will have twice the destructive force on a direct line of fire against a surface ship. A long range integrated system demonstration is planned for 2015. A fully functioning weapon system aboard a deployable ship is planned in the 2020-25 timeframe. For more information go to: “globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/system” Shipmates: In March JoAnn and I took a fantastic cruise from Fort Lauderdale through the Panama Canal to San Diego where we stayed an extra 4 days (it rained on 3 of them with temps in the 50s)! We checked out several hotels and decided on the Kona Kai for the reunion in September. I felt that the time was right to have a reunion for our shipmates west of the Mississippi, before we all get too old to travel. Gas prices have skyrocketed over the past year and this may have an impact on reunion attendance. To put things in perspective; if you travel a total of 2000 miles and your vehicle gets 20 mpg you will use 100 gallons of gas: last year – $4 a gal. this year – $5 a gal. extra cost – $100. This may not seem like much to some but unfortunately this may be the difference between attending the reunions or not. This being an election year every political hack is pointing the finger at every other political hack trying to build themselves up in accomplishing nothing. I hope to see you all at the reunion and that for everyone’s sake gas prices will be more reasonable before long. Tom The “BIG E” --------------------------- the first and longest nuclear carrier takes her final cruise page 5 Dues List page 3 Death of a Destroyer page 4 The Young, the Virile, etc. page 6 Letters to the Editor page 7

2. The Quarterdeck PAGE 2 ISSUE 2 2012 REUNION CHICAGO Hot Breakfast Included $99.00 a NIGHT + tax WEDNESDAY OCT 3rdto SUNDAY OCT 7th HILTON HOTEL LISLE NAPERVILLE 3003 Corporate West Dr, Lisle, IL 60532Phone: 800-741-5072 wednesday 3 PM Hospitality – registration Thursday 9 AM U505 tour/ photo ops/Navy pier $65 per person # attending _____ $____________ (lunch on your own at Navy pier) Friday 7 AM Great Lakes Naval training base $65 per person # attending _____$___________ (lunch included) Saturday 2 PM Crew Meeting 6 PM Cash Bar 7 PM Dinner/ Dance $45per person # attending _____ $____________ TOTAL $____________ Plated Dinner Menu -- PLEASE INDICATE YOUR CHOICES: ________ Marinated Chicken with Mushrooms and Madeira Cream Sauce ________ Crab Crusted Tilapia with Lobster Sauce ________ Sliced Roast New York Strip Loin with Rosemary-Port Demi-Glace RETURN THIS PORTION OF PAGE WITH YOUR CHECK NO LATER THAN AUGUST 15TH payable to - USS BACHE or Tom Blaszczyk 2012 REUNION SAN DIEGO Hot Breakfast Included $109.00 - NIGHT + tax WEDNESDAY SEPT 5THto SUNDAY SEPT 9TH KONA KAI RESORT, SPA, MARINA 1551 Shelter Island Dr. San Diego, CA 92106 For Reservations phone: 800-566-2524 Continued on next page

3. The Quarterdeck ISSUE 2 PAGE 3 2012 REUNION SAN DIEGO wednesday 3 PM Hospitality – registration 7 PM Crew Meeting Thursday 9 AM Fort Rosecrans – USS Midway $60 per person # attending _____ $_____________ (includes lunch at Bali Hai restaurant) Friday 9 AM city tour includes Mt. Soledad + $60 per person # attending _____ $____________ VA memorial + 1 hr. Harbor excursion (includes lunch at Tom Ham’s lighthouse restaurant) Saturday 2 PM Crew Meeting 6 PM Cash Bar 7 PM Dinner $45per person # attending _____ $_____________ TOTAL $____________ Plated Dinner Menu -- PLEASE INDICATE YOUR CHOICES: ________ Grilled Filet of Salmon with Balsamic Glaze & Chive Oil & Rice Pilaf ________ Chicken Piccata (Pan Seared Breast) with Lemon Caper Sauce & Roasted Potatoes ________ London Broil with Wild Mushroom Sauce, & Roast Potatoes RETURN THIS HALF OF PAGE WITH YOUR CHECK NO LATER THAN payable to - USS BACHE or Tom Blaszczyk JULY 15TH Dues $20 per year Make check payable to - USS BACHE or Tom Blaszczyk Shipmates Current With 2012 Dues Lifetime Members Remember to pray for our shipmates and their families whose health may not be as good as yours

4. The Quarterdeck PAGE 4 ISSUE 2 DEATH OF A DESTROYER by C W Distelrath BT1 64-68 We were anchored in the Mediterranean seaport of Rhodes, Greece, on a beautiful sunshiny day, the 5th of February. None of the crew had any idea what tomorrow would bring. My thoughts were of my family back home in Norfolk; for tomorrow was my wife's birthday, and with it, another year away when I should have been with her. About 100 of our 238 man crew were on liberty in town. The engineering crew was having a party for our departing chief engineer. It was a good excuse for the crew to get together and have a little fun, and relaxation, after long and trying hours of hard work. By 0200, the following morning, all of the crew was back on board the ship with the exception of the beach guard, which consisted of one officer and two enlisted men. With the dawn came the sea, building in the face of an oncoming storm. But, as usual, with the break of sunrise, the crew went about their daily routine of maintenance and cleaning. Storm or no storm! For this was a destroyer, a fighting ship of the U.S. Navy. She was one of the oldest still in commission, and being one of the oldest she required a lot of maintenance. USS Bache (DDE – 470), having served the Navy for over 25 years, was still a capable fighting ship. She had managed to come through all of her experiences, including her latest in Vietnam, and was still going strong and proud. Not even she knew that this quiet peaceful island would see her die. By three in the afternoon the seas calmed somewhat, but it was still too rough to operate our small liberty boat, so all hands remained on board waiting for calm seas and their turn ashore. The evening meal came and went in routine fashion. After the meal, a good deal of the men were sitting in the mess deck, relaxing or studying for the tests that were due to be taken for advancement later in the week. Suddenly, without any warning, the ship leaped and pounded violently, as if it were in a terrible storm at sea. The crew knew that the ship was in danger and immediately started for various stations. Going through the door, leading to the after part of the ship, I could hear the loudspeaker system ordering "ALL HANDS MAN YOUR SEE DETAIL STATIONS." In a dead run, coming through the door leading out to the main deck, I was hit by a wave and knocked down. Getting up, I ran up the ladder to the next deck and started for the after boiler room. Twice again I was hit and knocked down by the onrushing waters that broke on the ship. Again I got to my feet and finally made my way to the hatch leading down into the boiler room. Descending down into the bowels of the ship, I found that my crew of 12 men was already on their stations and in the process of changing the last of the four burners, in #4 boiler, to the largest burners we had available. Sept28 ~ Oct2 Each man there knew, that since #4 boiler was the only boiler of the four in the ship that was operating, it was up to them to do everything possible to get the ship underway and out of danger. Everything was ready, all that was left to do was open one valve and then it was up to the after engine room to get one of our shafts moving and the ship underway. Over the sound powered phones we heard that the men in the engine room could not disengage the locking device on the shaft. The locking device is essential, whenever the ship is stopped, so the shaft will not turn in the water's current. To unlock this device a motor, geared to the shaft, turns the shaft and enables the crew to disengage the lock. But now the motor could not turn the shaft, we are up against the rocks and the shaft was being bent. In a fruitless effort the first-class in charge of the engine room ordered the valve open that would send 600 pounds of steam into the turbine. Still, to no avail, not even this action would break the locking device. To add to the peril, huge holes were being punched into the bottom of the ship with each movement that the ship made. Struggling and straining, the ship fought against the sea. The bulkhead in the after end of the engine rooms split, sending black engine fuel oil rushing into the room flooding with both water and fuel oil; the crew tried desperately to get the shaft turning. The pump in the engine room and the pump in a fire room were both trying to control the flooding. Then the report came over the phones that the turbine reduction gear casing lifted from it’s foundation and when it came back down the casing split apart, spilling more oil into the space. In the forward engine room and fire room the crew were desperately lighting off their machinery and another board. No sooner was the forward boiler being brought into use, when the forward bulkhead broke open sending fuel oil cascading into the fire room. The men then secured their boiler and evacuated the fire room. The last man had no more gotten out of the fire room when it became flooded under 15 feet of black oil and water. The after engine room was flooding fast, the oil and water was getting dangerously close to the electrical generator. The crew back there held on until the last possible minute, then secured the generator, when the water was less than 6 inches under it. Had the flooding gotten to the generator water was running, it would have short-circuited, sending sparks everywhere, and with all the oil that was present a devastating fire would have resulted. Water and oil were lapping at the knees of the men as they evacuated the after engine room. see “Death” on page 6 “without any warning, the ship leaped and pounded violently”

5. The Quarterdeck ISSUE 2 PAGE 5 the ‘Big E' makes final voyage When the makers of "Top Gun" were filming on board the USS Enterprise, they donated a set of black fuzzy dice to liven up the ship's otherwise drab interior. A quarter-century later, the dice will still be dangling inside the tower of "the Big E" as the world's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier sets sail on its final voyage Sunday. The trinket is a reminder of the ship's storied 50-year history that includes action in several wars, a prominent role in the Cuban missile crisis and serving as a spotter ship for John Glenn's historic orbit of the earth. "To serve on this ship, certainly in this capacity, you certainly have to be a student of the ship's history," said Rear Adm. Walter Carter, commander of the Enterprise strike group. "Fifty years of service, in our nation's history, we've never had a warship in service that long." The Enterprise is the longest aircraft carrier in the U.S. fleet. It is also the oldest, a distinction that brings pride as well as plenty of headaches for the ship's more than 4,000 crew members. The ship is effectively a small city that frequently needs repairs because of its age. It was originally designed to last 25 years, but a major overhaul in 1979 and other improvements have extended its life. The ship largely looks like any other carrier on the inside and has modern amenities like gyms, a coffee shop and a television station with dozens of channels. It even produces its own daily newspaper while at sea. But even the best-maintained ship faces challenges as it ages. "It's kind of like when you get older and you know it's harder to get out of the bed in the morning. It takes you a couple hours to kind of really get up and then you're fine. Well, it's the same sort of thing here with Enterprise," Capt. William Hamilton, the ship's commanding officer, said days before the ship was set to deploy from Naval Station Norfolk. Hamilton acknowledged all aircraft carriers have problems they're supposed to anticipate, but he said the Enterprise is more likely to have "unknown unknowns" than newer ships. Machinists in charge of fixing unexpected problems say the things that can break down range from critical air conditioner units to elevators that lift fighter jets from the hangar bay to the flight deck not working. Moreover, the Enterprise has eight nuclear reactors to maintain - six more than any other U.S. carrier. The problems are so notorious that sailors reporting to work aboard the Enterprise are often given joking condolences by their colleagues on shore and on other ships. The ship regularly has to make its own parts from scratch when something breaks down. Spare parts for much of the ship, which is the only one of its class, simply don't exist. "Life is hard on Enterprise," Hamilton said. "But when they leave here, they leave knowing if they can do this, they can do anything.“The challenges aboard the ship and the need to keep spirits up were highlighted last year, when former commanding officer Capt. Owen Honors was fired for airing raunchy videos that he said were intended to boost morale. During a hearing in which Honors was trying to avoid being kicked out of the Navy, he and his lawyers frequently referenced the difficult conditions on board.Honors was found to have committed misconduct, but ultimately allowed to stay in the service. He is retiring in April. Hamilton acknowledged that maintaining morale on the ship, which has unofficial mottos like "There's tough, and then there's Enterprise tough" and "We eat pain like candy" - is still vital. "As much as anything, it's just telling them face to face that you appreciate, the Navy appreciates, the nation appreciates what they're doing and then that goes a long, long way," he said. There's also the added bonus of the ship's crew members feeling particularly proud to serve on a ship whose name has a distinguished place in naval history and pop culture. Crew members who weren't even alive when "Top Gun" was in theaters in 1986 use the film to explain what it is they do on the ship, as well as exactly where it is they do it. For Petty Officer 1st Class Brian Dennis, there's also pride in his ship having the same name as the ship featured in the "Star Trek" series. He's from Cairo, Ga., the same home town as "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry. "In a way I wanted to be part of this ship, to be on the last deployment, to be a part of that. Being from Cairo, that's real huge," he said. "I always wanted to be a part of history, so being on this last deployment it'll be something I can definitely tell my children and grandchildren." The Enterprise is heading to the Middle East on its seven-month deployment, where it will be on standby in case of conflict with Iran or piracy threats off Somalia, among other things. The ship has experience with both scenarios, participating in a retaliatory strike against Iran for mining the Arabian Gulf in 1988 and responding last year to the hijacking of a sailing vessel by Somali pirates, during which all four Americans on board were shot and killed. The deployment will be the ship's 22nd. Following its return to Virginia in the fall, tens of thousands are expected to be on hand for a deactivation ceremony Dec. 1 that President Barack Obama has been invited to attend. But if "Top Gun" producer Jerry Bruckheimer wants to film a sequel, he'll have to find another ship. The following summer, Enterprise will be towed to the shipyard where it was built in nearby Newport News so its nuclear fuel can be removed, a process that will take until 2015. What remains of the ship after that will then be taken to Washington State so it can be scrapped. The ship, among the first to respond after the Sept. 11 attacks, won't be turned into a museum like some other carriers. Crews have to cut large holes in the vessel to remove the nuclear fuel, and it would be too expensive to repair, said Lt. Cmdr. Sarah Self-Kyler, the Enterprise's public affairs officer. Instead, many of the ship's alumni want another carrier to be named Enterprise in the future, which is not uncommon, she said. This is the eighth ship to bear the name Enterprise, and there's a room on board dedicated as a museum to past incarnations. The preceding USS Enterprise was the most decorated ship in World War II, while the first Enterprise joined the U.S. fleet after it was captured from the British in 1775. If a future carrier is renamed Enterprise, it's unclear if the fuzzy dice will make journeys on board that ship, too, or remain in a Navy museum. Editor’s note : This narrative was taken from an e-mail sent by Bob Stepnowski RD2 61-62

6. The Quarterdeck PAGE 6 ISSUE 2 ---“Death” - continuedfrom page 4 --- Tom, First off, thanks so much for the certificate. I really appreciated the recognition on Don's behalf. Don was always proud of his USN service and especially his service on the Bache as a "Tin Can Sailor." Don, Joe and I went to Hawaii in 2002 and toured Pearl Harbor and Don wore his Bache cap. All the young officers and sailors saluted him. I was teary-eyed and deathly proud, especially in front of our son. Don's DOB was 8/23/30; DOD 10/30/11. Thanks to you and the Bache crew for all the great times we had with all of you, May God bless you. Betsy Mettee When the generator was secured the emergency diesel generator was started in a forward part of the ship, but there too, havoc was taking its toll. The diesel had just started when the fuel line ruptured, sending oil spraying upon the batteries and they exploded with the roar. Thus the ship was completely darkened, but for a few emergency battle lanterns that the crew managed to find. While all of this was going on, in the after fire room, we were having our share of problems. We had opened the cross connection steam valves sending steam to the forward engines, and they in turn had gotten the other shaft turning. The main feed pressure to the steaming boiler was lost when the after engine room was secured and our emergency feed pump could not handle the tremendous output of steam and strain that was being put on the boiler. The water level in the boiler gauge had dropped out of sight and the fires had to be secured, otherwise the tubes in the boiler would have overheated causing them to rupture and fill the boiler room full of steam. No sooner had we secured the fires when the water jumped back up into sight in the glass gauge of the boiler, so the fires were relighted. This steam pressure had drained off the boiler, from 600 pounds to a mere 100 pounds in this short period of time. We brought the output pressure of the fuel oil service pump from the normal operating pressure of 300 pounds to 1000 pounds in an effort to once again build up the pressure on the boiler. Finally, main control came through with main feed pressure, but it was very unstable, varying from 300 pounds to over 1000 pounds! The normal pressure is 750 pounds. Both the fuel oil service pump and the main feed pump were operating dangerously, but if we were to keep the boiler going and the engine turning, it had to be that way. Suddenly one of the fuel oil lines leading to one of the burners ruptured, spreading fuel oil everywhere.Fires were lighted in number three boiler but it had been cold too long and the steam pressure would not come up fast enough. With the rupture of the fuel lead to #4 boiler, and it being secured, the output of the boiler was reduced and the steam pressure dropped to 450 pounds. Steam leaks were developing in the engine room on their lower level. Deck plates began to rise and twist, making movement a hazard. Still, the men went about performing all the tasks assigned them with as much speed and ability that they were capable of. Holes were being punched through the bottom of the ship, even in the fire room, and we too started to flood. Shortly after reporting that we were flooding, we were told to secure the boilers and with the exception of the securing detail to evacuate the space. After ordering most of my men to their abandoned ship stations, the rest of us went about the task of securing the boiler and machinery. . Then came word over the sound powered phone to relight the boiler! The Young, Virile & Lots Of Hair Series Bill Jenkins BT 3 56–59 Left Don Osterland GM 3 51-52 Right Bill Hennessy QM3 51-52 Yours truly graduating Key West Sonar school ‘58 TAPS Day is done, gone the sunFrom the lakes, from the hills, from the skyAll is well, safely restGod is nigh.Fading light dims the sightAnd a star gems the sky, gleaming brightFrom afar, drawing nearFalls the night.Thanks and praise for our daysNeath the sun, neath the stars, neath the skyAs we go, this we knowGod is nigh. --- to be continued --- A perk of being over 70! In a hostage situation you are likely to be released first!

7. The Quarterdeck ISSUE 2 PAGE 7 Dear Tom, I apparently have forgotten to send dues therefore I'm enclosing a check to cover the dues for 2011 and 2012. I never signed up for a lifetime membership because I never thought I would live this long!! Thank you for printing my "ships log". I hope that other members enjoyed the sea story. Al Everett and I correspond frequently and I saw his picture on the front page of "the Quarterdeck" receiving his medals. The only thing I got when I was discharged was the "Ruptured Duck" lapel button-so I sent away for mine and bought them from the "Medals of America". I contacted the Philippines Embassy to get the Philippine liberation medal – WWII and they requested payment for it! I'm a member of the "Universal Ship Cancellation Society" which collects Navy covers (envelopes) that have a ships cancellation on it. I have covers of almost all of the ships in Pearl Harbor on 12/7/1941, including the USS Arizona. If any of the "Bache" members want to sell any covers they can contact me at (210) 688 – 2399. Sincerely yours, Jeremiah A. Tuttle FC2 43-45 Letters to the editor Tom: Here is a check for dues for Christian "Charles" Dutch" Bauer, plus a little extra to help with the postage etc. I also enjoy reading “the Quarterdeck" and I am very happy to see the Bache and its assorted crew are still "afloat". I only attended one reunion – it was in Dayton and I think I had a better time than he did!! Best to all – especially Kitt Hall, and have a great time at the next reunion. As you can see, I've relocated to Buffalo and I am slowly getting used to it – it sure is different than Long Island. Thanks for all your good work. Joan Bauer Joan, thank you for your generous donation. Tom Tom, So I'm sure I sent my dues in, but I checked the checkbook and sure enough, I was delinquent. We made out on all that interest, ha. Take care of yourselves and thank you for all that you do. The newsletter is outstanding. Smooth sailing, Bob and Mary Hinebaugh PN 3 54-56 Hi Tom, What a surprise to see my picture in the quarterdeck. It makes me proud to be a BACHE sailor. I can't thank you enough. Hope to see you in Chicago. Give my love to JoAnn. Thanks again for all your hard work. Sincerely Al Everett Jr. SN1 42–46 Dear Tom, Enclosed is my check in the amount of $20 for 2012 dues. Hopefully, Avis and I will see you at the 2012 reunion. Sincerely, Arthur D Gandy Ret. GMG 2 67-68 I was on the Bache from 1942 to 1945 I'm 89 years old and have many memories of a great crew. My eyes are bad and I cannot drive or make trips. I was a TM 1 at that time and retired in 1963 as a TM chief. Joe Cristadore TM 1 42–45 Tom, I remember Mr. Dull vividly, he loved his hot roast beef sandwiches. Whenever we were serving roast beef at the general mess, he would always manage to walk by the galley door and ask if we had any samples . Walter Ridge CS3 51-53 Dear Tom, Congratulations on a great quarterdeck!Sorry about having to miss you at the reunion. Best regards, Chuck Boos LT 61–63 “Fair Winds and Following Seas”

8. The Quarterdeck PAGE 8 ISSUE 2 Here he lies where he long'd to be; Home is the sailor, home from the sea, In Memoriam Our Sincerest sympathies goto the bereaved families as we share with them the loss of these good friends and shipmates. Henry N Guthrie 3/7/2012 BM3 1951-1954 Jefferson M Golden Jr 1/25/2012 LT 1942-1945 • . “Your expressions of sympathy will always be remembered” Henry and I appreciate all the cards and letters that he received. Henry could not see them very clearly but, I read them to him. I cannot thank you enough for your support for the last couple of months. It really did my heart good to know how well he was liked. Thanks so much, Doris Guthrie Dear Sir, It is with sadness that I inform you of the death of my husband, Jefferson Monroe Golden Junior, after a short illness, at the age of 92, on January 25, 2012. He served on the Bache from 1942 to 1945 and was one of the plank owners. His tours of duty included both North and South Pacific and North and South Atlantic. He was very proud to have served his country during those years and was honorably discharged with the rank of Lieut. Cmdr. We were happily married for almost 65 years and have four grown children, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Your newsletter was of great interest to him and he enjoyed keeping up with its activities. You're doing a great job! I will be looking forward to hearing some more of Bucky Walters's history. Enclosed is a check for his dues because I know he would have wanted to be up to date. Sincerely, Louise Golden May 30, 1930 March 7, 2012 51-54 Boatswain Mate 3rd Class Hi Tom, I just read the last latest newsletter. Another well done. I discovered I had not paid my 2012 dues so enclosed is my check for $20. The date for the Bache reunion conflicts with another project here so I may not attend after all. I'm glad to see my old supply officer Stanley Horovitz is a member. You should treated me fair. I was the 1st SK (only the Seaman without any SK training) to take over the ET parts storeroom and set up an inventory all while we were stationed in the Red Sea – ported at Aden. When I left Norfolk on the Bache I was at PN striker! The temperature was almost unbearable. We slept on the main deck and were issued a strip of canvas lay our wool blankets and sheets on to sleep. Canvas was rigged for shelter roofing. We were sure glad to go through the Suez Canal and enjoy the Mediterranean seaports! Ahoy Jim Henry SK3 56–58 OK - Several of you supplied the dates for the DesRon patches shown, now how about the DesRon patches or numbers for the other time frames? ? ? 42-46 51-56 56-62 62-64 64-68 TOM BLASZCZYK 18201 PATRICK AVE. COUNTRY CLUB HILLS, IL 60478 708-798-8782 tblasbache470@sbcglobal.net ussbache.com Hi Tom Here are my dues for the 2012 year. Looking forward to attending the reunion this year since it is so close. No excuses! Wish you and all shipmates a wonderful 2012. Jim Eager YN 3 63–66