 |
|
This was the period now known as the Cuban Missile Crisis. We were in San Francisco when President Kennedy made his famous October '62 speech. I had less than 2 months until my enlistment was up and hearing I had been extended for the duration was not welcome news. Still, we had a job to do so the whole crew went to work tweaking all systems to bring us to our highest battle readiness. Then we steamed south to be ready to head through the Panama Canal and on to the Caribbean if called. We were in a very loose convoy with several assault ships combat loaded with Marines and their equipment. One of our young officers actually said he was sorry we weren't already off Cuba in the blockade as he "wanted to be the guy who fired the first shot." Given the fact we were dealing in possible nuclear war, his wish was damn low in my list of priorities.
My joy upon hearing the news of the cancellation of Russian enlistment extensions around the end of November was tempered by the thought that the Navy bureaucrats couldn't possibly move fast enough for me to make it home for Christmas. Imagine my surprise when my orders to report for discharge came through on the first of December. As a result of all the cancelled extensions, there were a lot of people all trying to get home at the same time. I often tell friends the discharge physical consisted of making sure you were healthy enough to get on the bus, train, plane, or whatever and out of town. My discharge became effective on December 7, 1962 and that was the last I saw of the Preble but I kept hearing of her over the years and the news was unfailingly good. I've always been proud of the ship and I believe the Navy felt the same.
In 1992 I read of Preble's decommissioning in an issue of Sea Classics. It was almost as if I'd received an official message from the Navy saying, "You've grown old." I simply didn't think it would affect me the way it did. However, good things have come of that article. There is now a move to put together a reunion of the Preble plank owners and I've become re-acquainted with several of the crew. Simple sentimentalism? Maybe, but unless you know the full meaning of the word "shipmate" you'll never understand and I couldn't explain it.
We held a mini-reunion in September at Bill Calhoun's home (a Chief Radioman on DLG-15) at Indianola, Washington which was attended by 12 plank owners and families of the Preble in her evolutions as she was commissioned DD-345 in 1920 and was redesignated DM-20 in 1938, and our Preble, DLG-15, later redesignated DDG-46. The "sea stories" flew fast and furious and were the source of both laughter and a few tears. I had to leave early but I heard the tales went on until the wee hours. I would encourage anyone who has the chance to attend either the large, formal or smaller gatherings of former shipmates to do so. You'll never regret the chance to tell your stories that only bore your non-Navy friends to an audience just dying to hear and embellish those tales.
Bruce J. Ruckman, FTG-2
[ Quarterdeck | Sea Stories | Page 10 ]
Please send comments/questions gmm1@usspreble.org
Copyright 1997 - 2026 Tom Bateman
This page was last updated on 01/03/05.