FINAL DAYS FOR USS ROBERT L WILSON DD847

Robert L Wilson Cachets Provided by Ron Reeves

Decommissioning Articles Provided by Ron Reeves

CDR CHARLES W TRUXALL USN

Commander Truxall was born in San Mateo, California on 23 May 1933. He was accepted to the US Naval Academy in 1954 and upon graduation and commissioning, reported aboard USS BON HOMME RICHARD CVA-31. He went on from there to a Long and Exemplary Career. He married the former Patricia Annette Canfield of San Jose, California and they have a son, Charles Bradley Truxall.

THESE ARTICLES WERE THE BEGINNING OF THE END FOR USS ROBERT L WILSON DD847

Decommissiong Photos on 30 Sept. 1974

PHOTO OF ROBERT L WILSON IN MOTHBALLS IN 1976 AT PHILADELPHIA

This Photo was sent to us by Bill Christian (50-51) and it shows the ship moored next to USS North Hampton CLC-1 In the Philadelphia Mothball Fleet

This Photo of Bill Christian and our ship, in 1976, shows her moored between the USS Argonaut AGSS-569 and the USS Northampton CLC-1 in the Mothball Fleet also in Philadelphia

AT THE DOCK IN ROOSEVELT ROADS AWAITING PREPARATION AND INSPECTION FOR SEA WORTHINESS

ATTRIBUTION In the summer of 1957, Bob Johannesen, Midshipman 3/c, U.S. Naval Academy, served in USS Robert L. Wilson (DDE 847).   That summer, DDE 847 steamed the Caribbean, crossed the line and earned the crew the title of Trusty Shellbacks, and pulled into Santos, Brazil, for some great liberty. Like all of us, he never forgot that experience nor his ship. Twenty-three years later (January 1980), Commander Johannesen, Commanding Officer of USS Steinaker (DD 863), was assigned escort duty for our "Willy Boat's" final mission. Stripped of identity, hull markings gone, and referred to as a hulk , ex-USS Robert L. Wilson (DDE 847) was delivered to Naval Station Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, for duty as a test target for the Harpoon anti-ship missile. Preparing for tow to the Atlantic Missile Range, she was boarded by Commander Johannesen one last time to check on her sea worthiness and to revisit the aft berthing compartment that he knew so well from those halcyon days as a Midshipman when DDE 847 was a proud ship of the line. In the yellow light of a hand held battle lantern we can but imagine what were his thoughts as he looked around one last time, switched off the lamp, then climbed the ladder. Here in pictures, thanks to him, we see her as she proceeds toward station in Davy Jones' Locker after completing her final mission. Our USS Robert L. Wilson (DD/DDE 847) served her country honorably to the end. Bob Johannesen is listed in our Ship's Crew Roster. These pictures with captions are part of a photo essay first exhibited in the Hospitality Room at the 2002 Reunion.

NAVY TUG MOVING DD847 INTO CHANNEL FOR MAKE UP TO DD863 USS STEINAKER

FIRST TURN OF THE ENTRY CHANNEL ENROUTE TO ATLANTIC MISSLE RANGE AND STANDING OUT TO SEA

TOWING THE LINE <<< Suddenly a Harpoon anti-ship missle comes over the horizen, flashes across the intervening miles, and dooms the faithful old FRAM to a final resting place 2844 fathoms downin the deep blue waters North of Puerto Rico. << Obviously the doomed Target Ship DD847 did not make it's last rendezvous on it's own. Getting there required the combined efforts of: << Naval Station, Roosevelt Roads, Surface Operations Department, headed by CDR George Stefencavage., and a COMSERVRON EIGHT detachment consisting of USS Recovery ARS 34, comanded by LCDR Mort Kenyon, and HCU-2 members BMC(DV) Forest S Morrison and BM1(DV) Donald R Adams. and finally USS Steinaker, commanded by CDR Robert E Johannesen. << Towing the target ship involved much more than simply connecting a line to it and heading out to sea. When directed to tow the hulk from Puerto Rico to the HARPOONEX target area, Steinaker was performing a destroyer's typical mission in READEX1-80. Proceeding to Roosevelt Roads, the destroyer found its prospective tow at Pier 2 where iT was down by the bow and sinking at the rate of two inches a day. <<< Rain had poured through openings above the water line, adding to the flooding from holes in the bow. These holes were plugged, water was pumped out raising the bow four feet, and watertight hatches were secured. On 22 January, Steinaker moved ino the channel and waited for the tug, Hauma YB811 and harbor pilot L.W. Robinson to guide the hulk for an underway hook=up. Lines were heaved over as the ships closed. << After some tricky maneuvering in beam-on winds, the hulk was under tow. Rigged to it for tandem tow was MK35 Septar...another target for the fleet to shoot at. Thus began 200 miles of steaming for Steinaker with the targets in tow. << It became an adventure in seamanship as the ex-FRAM refused to follow meekly. Instead the hulk took courses on it's own,erratically affected by winds and seas. It seemed like the former fightingship was battling it's fate and had to be hand wrestled all the way to the HARPOONEX target position. As if a Spirit Voice within Her was saying "I DON'T WANT TO GO!!" << This Story by RM1 Ron Burnworth, USS Steinaker (DD 863) and provided to us by the CO of Steinaker, CDR R.E. (Bob) Johannesen for the 2002 Ship's Reunion for USS Robert L Wilson DD847, and with much appreciation Commander!!

THE END OF A BEAUTIFUL FRIENDSHIP