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UNDERWAY NORFOLK, VA

Underway Routine

0600 reveille
0615 morning watch routine/ mess gear
0630 breakfast for the crew
0700 up all late bunks
0745 muster on station/relieve the watch
0800 turn to: commence ship's work
1000 executive officer's inspection
1145 relieve the watch/mess gear
1200 dinner for the crew
1300 turn to: continue ship's work
1545 relieve the watch
1600 knock off ship's work
1745 mess gear
1800 supper for the crew
1930 eight o'clock reports
1945 relieve the watch
2100 sweepers
2155 tattoo
2200 taps

AND NOW (borrowed from Victory At Sea), "A-O-T-U." Or Six Weeks Of Amphibious Operations Training.

"PROBLEM TIME PLUS ONE..." And so it began. We were operating off the coast of Norfolk, where the Clarke underwent six weeks of a grueling shakedown cruise. Our days were filled with special evolutions--beach landings, replenishment at sea, gunnery, damage control, first aid, navigation, maneuvers, boat operations, and war games. It sucked all right, unless you got killed so you could lie down on the deck while the "living" humped. As BMOW during general quarters drills, I was shot 3 times--once with recoiless rifle fire (in both legs) and twice mortared. Now ain't that funny? Simulations: "This man is bleeding from the chest and he's not breathing," said the AOTU instructor. "What you gonna do about that? Hurry lad, the man is dying." "Helmsman, you're dead. Let go of that wheel, son." "Nudet! Nudet! Nuclear detonation bearing zero nine zero. Standby for shock wave." "Problem time plus one...there will be no eating, drinking, or smoking. Hot spot, mount 41.The maximum permissable radiation dose is 200 roentgens. The casualty dose is 400 roentgens."

HARD AS YOU CAN AND TWO TIMES MORE The first weeks found ship's company faltering and unable to put it together. We'd never worked the ship, had to find our way around and settle into our niche. The boat crew missed a call, the sea painter wasn't attached, a winch didn't work, or a new line had a kink. We knew what to do, but we were yet to become a team. So we buckled down, learned from our mistakes and began to think ahead of the AOTU instructors. By Week Four, we were acing every evolution. When the ordeal finally ended, the Clarke's score was the highest awarded by the AOTU team during the previous 10 years. "The difficult we do right away..." We're satisfied. "Shift Colors!" Set course and speed for Charleston, S.C.

BOUND FOR WESTPAC

A few hands on liberty in Charleston, S.C.
Front (l-r): S. Laguitan, W.Wise, A. Clexton, R. Berger; Second row: D. Totten, A. Deschenes, R. Bryce, J. Acord; Third row: E. Blair, D. Sprague; Fourth row: J. Tehan, W. Van Dyk, R. Farley, J. Lightbody
--Photo Bill Stute


Next stops: Panama Canal Zone, San Diego, Pearl Harbor, Guam, and Saigon.

"Beat me silly with a handy billy."


LCU On Board..."Rootin Tootin Raspberry"


It was in Charleston that an LCU, a big fucking boat with 6 trucks inside its loading deck, was fitted onto the Clarke's main deck. In addition, tons of relief cases, supplies stowed for transport to Saigon, filled our tank deck. Among these so-called "Operation Handclasp" goodies were giant boxes of powdered drink packages. Soon, these red menace, Kool Aid imitations were everywhere aboard ship. And red-lipped sailors used the expression "Rootin Tootin" in response to our harm's-way destiny.