Richard Penn USAF (Ret.) - email to the webmaster

I was a visitor on your ship August 13, 1966. The North Vietnamese gunners had a good day (or rather, night) which eventually resulted in my visit with you. Throughout all these years, I've never said "thank you" for what you did for me. I remember especially that the helo pilot had difficulty coming aboard (third try), your medic who sewed me up, and quite a few crewmen who spoke to me the next morning. (What a beautiful, calm, sea that day!) Your ship was air traffic control in the Gulf of Tonkin that night and arranged the rendevouz with a tanker plane. (I ran out of gas four feet short). The OOD, or someone, plugged the radio into the loudspeakers (woke everybody up, I guess) so that all could hear the drama. Several shipmates said that they had bet on me, won ten bucks, etc. There must have been an equal number who had bet against my longevity - but none of them mentioned it.

So, if there's a way that I can reach some of your shipmates to pass on my belated gratefulness, I'd like to do so.

I have a picture of your ship right in front of my face as I write. I'd like to consider myself a shipmate!

Richard (R L) Penn
USAF (Ret)

	Author	Topic: Richard Penn USAF (Ret.) - email to the webmaster (Read 1669 times)
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