My plan is to use this (these) page(s) as a place for members to share some of their memories that don't qualify as "stories".
From Jeff Koehler
The day I reported for duty on the USS Jesse L. Brown was the very same day that it arrived back to home port in Charleston from a Middle East cruise in 1976.
The JLB stayed pier side for two or three weeks after coming home from the Middle East. A lot of Plank Owners were getting discharged and there were also a lot of "short timers" with a little time left on their enlistment.
I remember Rick Peno. He was close to discharge when I boarded the ship. I am thinking he was from Texas. Rick if you read this, there was a HT that you were friends with and his name was Pete and also like you, a Plank Owner. Pete showed me around and what my jobs would be. I quickly became friends with him before he was discharged.
Does anyone remember a Hull Tech with the name Pete that was a Plank Owner?
Getting back to my story, we finally went to sea for 2 or 3 days. It was my first time to sea. Of course greasy chili was being served for lunch chow……(seemed like when ever several new sailors came aboard, chili was on the menu). Later on,that day, and the first evening at sea, I was in chow line with HT Pete when it came over the intercom "On the USS Jessie L. Brown, this is NOT A DRILL, I REPEAT, THIS IS NOT A DRILL, Fire! Fire! fire in the emergency diesel room! I grabbed an OBA that was in a small locker in the passageway close to the chow hall. The fire was just on the other side of the chow hall across from the Chief's lounge. I remember all the black smoke and the orange flames as we entered the compartment manned with the fire hoses. We got the fire put out with no problems or injuries. What a memory of the first time out to sea. Does anyone else remember that fire?
"RAMBLINGS"
Bill Blackmon
JLB from 1975 -1977.
I can say that I don't have a lot of memories of my time on the JLB, but the one's I do have I can still visualize them as if it was yesterday.
Med. cruise of 76. Someone posted that their favorite port was Gaeta, Italy. I remember the hillsides of Gaeta were covered in roses. We anchored and they ran the liberty boats. The swells got extremely high and they didn't run the boats for 2 days so the mates that were already on the beach got to stay there. Was that why it was your favorite port?
I remember when we got the Battle "E" Ribbon.
We not only got close to the drone - we shot it out of the air.
We made our turn to take our shots at a freighter several miles away. The guys in Weapons did their job! Once they got their "target", they hit it dead center and it sank before anyone else got to shoot at it!
Another post talked about how cold it was in Maine. I was your YN Striker while in the yards. I typed and then printed your Plan of the Day. I think my XO was named Heinke. I tried to have it done by Liberty Call each day at 16:15 - but there were several days that I didn't catch the bus to the barracks. Guess who hitch hiked in that cold, cold Maine snow? I am thankful that I was allowed to wear my civilian brown snow boots while on duty! They were supposed to handle 30 degrees below zero and they were a lifesaver!
Remember right outside the gate at the yards, they had a sandwich shop that made the best cheesesteak sandwich I have ever eaten and it wasn't unusual for me to be carrying an order of 25 sandwiches back to the ship.
Do you remember heading to Newport, R.I. and going through Cape Hatteras? Bouncing like a cork! I think everyone got sick that day!
From Richard Peno
I was on board for the med cruise in '74. I remember "dropping the load" not long after we left Naples. It was strange when we were floating waiting for the tug to get us. I remember sitting in electric central (with battle lanterns lit) listening to the waves outside the hull.
I remember an English ship as part of the group we were with. At least it was in port while we were. Someone else and I (don't remember who) went over to that ship for lunch one day before the ill- fated cruise and enjoyed their hospitality. Their lunch consisted of the normal fare but also included 2 cans of beer per crewman. This particular day each British crewman would take their 2 beers (I believe it was Macgregor Scottish Ale) and give us one. I swapped hats with one British crew member. I gave him my "Dixie Cup" and he gave me his "Donald Duck". I still have the hat. The name of that ship was the HMS Jupiter.
I also remember the grenades in Port Said. That was part of the Middle East cruise in '75/'76. It was the night before we traversed the Suez Canal. I will always remember that trip. Burned and bombed buildings on either side of the canal with guns setup on the "mounds" lining the canal.
Other memories of the Middle East trip:
Playing a softball game in Pakistan against some folks that were living there Spending Christmas in Bandar Abbas Playing "tag" with a Russian cruiser Touring the game preserve in Kenya Visiting the ruins at Persopolis (spelling?) in Iran
Just a few of the memories of my time on board the JLB
Richard Peno
EM2 '73 to '76 Plankowner
