photo page from 67 cruise book

Carrier based US Navy helo being refueld from USS New. New was equipped for refueling Air Force and Navy SAR Helos. This photo was on station in north Tonkin Gulf 1967. New also refueled US Air Force helo's. New was the first US Navy ship to refuel Air Force helo's in flight..

Pratt's SAR helo could land on our flight deck by placing the front wheels on the deck and the rear on the gun mount. Mail. personell and movies could be transferred in this way.

Refueling was an ongoing thing. This was in the Tonkin Gulf during a tropical depression. When on the gunline it was refueling one night , rearming the next and replenishment the next. Most were scheduled at night unless we had night fire. Even then we would have to leave station to meet with the AE. There was a period where we didn't see an AE for a while and we were running very low on ammo. Picture was taken from the port bridge wing.

Swift boats were used extensively during the Vietnam war and New had occasion to operate with them. They were dangerous duty. At right is a view of the business equipment of a small swift boat.
Photo ctsy Rich Bashlor QMSN 66-68

All in a days shooting. Any sailor that has spent some time on a destroyer can appreciate the amount of work taking on stores and ammo can be. These are the empty casings that hold the shell. Just a small portion of what we actually used there. Below is a cartoon that depicts the time when we were so low on ammo that another days shooting we would be out. This cartoon was in the 67 cruise book.

It was all loaded by hand. No wheel carts, conveyors or elevators on a destroyer. Each man had a place and passed it along. From the crate that was sent over on line from the AE, along the line of men on the deck to inside and down the vestibule ladder thru the compartments and down the hatch to the ammo hold. Then it had to be racked by the GM ( Gunners Mate) and seaman there.Shell and projectile, hand to hand.

These pages were taken from the 1967 cruise book and some private photographs sent in by other crew members and some of my own. One thing we did a lot of was gunfire support missions. We used a lot of ammo and were constantly having to rearm and refuel as well replenish food and stores supplies. Mail was also an important thing and mail call was always a welcome time. New was an East Coast based destroyer so many of the ports we visited were new to us.

If you would like copies of any photos from these pages EMAIL RICK PALMER
I will be happy to send them. You can copy them from the web page but I think the quality isnn't as good.
If you have anything from that cruise or any other time on New I would be happy to add them. Thanks

Docked at the main pier in Pearl Harbor. William V. Pratt DLG 13 next to pier. DuPont DD 941 and New DD 818. This was December 1967.Ford Island can be seen across the harbor directly in background. Arizona Memorial is the bright light above bollard. The lights of Pearl City can be seen at waters edge further north in the harbor and line of lights above that are from Waipahu.
This pier was constructed in 1943 and they used whatever they could find for fill. Some scrap from the damaged ships went in plus one of the five mini jap subs that was sunk or washed up is buried in there also. Another is at the small Sub Base Museum just around the corner from this pier.
The USS Arizona is still in commision and the flag is raised and lowered daily. All ships that pass pay honor with traditional salute.