USS SOMERS (DD-381/DD-947/DDG-34)
(Photos courtesy of Chas Murtomaki, David Anderson and Jack Grubb)

rope
 
 
Hello Bob,

Deleting unwanted files on my computer I found the following sent to me by Dave Anderson almost two years ago.  I don't know if he sent any of these photos to you, but might be something to share with other Somers crew.  

Hope all is well for you
signalman
Jack Grubb

rope

Hi Dave,
 
Here are some pictures which I know you will find interesting which I had collected at the time and kept in my cruise book copy.
 
The picture of the submarine periscope:  I was up on the focsle one afternoon in March '65 up in the gulf and heard we had a sonar contact.  I hot-footed it down and sure enough our sonar watch, it very well may have been you, had gained a strong contact classified as a possible submarine at 18,000 to 20,000 yards - great sonar conditions up there in the gulf that day - and we headed over to it.  After circling and prosecuting the contact for several minutes and trying to establish communications on Gertrude, they finally answered back in a disgusted manner something like, "this is the Redfish and we're on a mission", as if to say "leave us alone"!  They did then come up to periscope depth and this picture was taken.  For all we knew at the time, it could have been a Russian submarine or from some other foreign nation.
 
Awards ceremony, I don't remember where or when on the cruise:  Steve Miller, Bob Jones, Robert Long RD2, yours truly, and an RD I can't remember standing in front of Capt. Vereen.  The reason was the ASW Team performance at "Condition 1AS" out of Pearl Harbor when we got the ASW "A".
 
Stbd Hedgehog Mount:  Looks like you, Frank Parmater, and Bob Jones were putting the canvas cover over the control panel while I stood back and watched carefully!
 
The Sonar Gang photo in Yokosuka:  Bob Jones had been to the Navy Exchange and learned the Photo Shop there would take group pictures in a Japanese setting, so he talked us into it.  So we trooped on over, each donned our choice of kimono, got arranged properly and here is the result.  After my initial reluctance, I'm glad we did as it is a great remembrance.  The only one missing is John Harrington, STG-3 and I believe he had been transferred.  The two new fellows in the gang on either side of Paul Jacobs and yourself were Jackson Kent and James Scholtes.
 
So there it is, Dave; more memorabilia for you
 
Murt

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