Deployed on the USS America with VA 147

This is a picture of a postcard that I sent to Jackie from the USS America. I was actually able to call up quite a few memories from reading the postcards I sent to Jackie on this cruise. As I said in my previous post I left Lemoore on Jackie's birthday. I picked up postcards wherever the bus to Travis Air Force Base stopped and sent them to when I found a place to mail them from. I actually sent five one each from Fresno, Modesto, West Sacramento, San Francisco and finally Travis. One of the notes that stood out was on the very first card that talked about how bad it stunk on the bus. 

When I arrived at Travis for a flight to the Philippines where I was supposed to catch up to my new squadron VA 147 that was deployed on the America. A friend of mine Bill Curtis who had been in VA 23 with us was in VA 122 with me and then when I was assigned to 147 he was assigned to VA 146 and we would both be sent to the America. When my bus dropped me at Travis I could hear his plane taking off. Mine wouldn't leave until the next day. 

On the flight over we stopped in Anchorage, Alaska to refuel, so I was able to check another state off my list of states visited. I arrived at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines on July 11th and the next day was bused to Subic Bay Naval Base. I still hadn't caught up to Curt (never called him Bill) but knew that eventually I would have to since we were going to the same ship. I stayed at Subic in transit barracks until my ship arrived on the 14th and I had to report aboard. 

While in Subic Curt and I finally caught up to each other and got to hang out. One really interesting thing happened while we were there as well. Randy Theleman a good friend from home was in port on the ship he was serving on and somehow knew that I was there at the same time. He came over and they called me to the gangway to meet him. We got to go into Olongapo City with Curt and spend some time catching up. I'm sure it was just luck that he knew where I was serving because his sister Debbie knew where I was in a general way. 

We stayed in Subic until the 19th when we departed for the Tonkin Gulf. This would actually be the ship's third time online in Vietnam for this cruise. They had actually deployed from Norfolk, Virginia on April 10th and sailed through the Caribbean and stopped in Rio before traveling around the Cape of Good Hope through the Indian Ocean and then arrived in Subic on the 21st of May. The America served a total of five periods on the line during this cruise and I missed the first two.

VA 146 and VA 147 were the first to fly the A7E into combat. 

May 24th - June 16th    June 28th - July 13th    July 20th - August 4th    August 24th - September 18th

October 13th - November 9th.

Shipboard service on the America for me was mush different than the Oriskany. On the Oriskany I worked mostly in the repair shop for electronics equipment but on the America most of my work was done on the Hangar deck and Flight deck working on the planes. Troubleshooting, pulling and replacing gear. I worked out of a shop below deck but that was usually if I had to work on equipment that could be fixed without sending it to Intermediate Maintenance where I had worked on the Oriskany. 

Working on the flight deck was extremely dangerous being around planes, especially during flight operations when planes were launching and landing. Just a minute of inattention could be deadly if you walked to close to a jet intake or a plane turned and you were behind it when it throttled up. More than one sailor was blown off the flight deck. With the long hours that we worked during flight operations fatigue made it even more dangerous. Because of the risks we received an extra $65 a month for hazardous duty pay if we worked the flight deck. That was in addition to the $65 a month that we received for combat pay when we were online in the Tonkin Gulf. 

If a plane was going to land without being able to lower his hook or his landing gear they would have to raise a net across the deck to "catch" the plane so it wouldn't crash off the deck. This was only one of the many dangers on the flight deck.

Here is a description from the Navy Site on the internet: "Working on the Flight Deck - According to Lloyds of London, working on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. On the flight deck is loud, crowded and the whole atmosphere is often referred to as 'controlled chaos'. Jets are catapulted into the air while others are landing, bombs and missiles are transported from the 'bomb farm' to parking aircraft while other are taxiing to the catapults or to their parking locations. Even a little mistake can result in accident: One can be blown off the deck or be sucked into one planes' engines. Dangers are everywhere on the flight deck and that is why the people who are working there have to be in perfect physical and mental condition."

After my first and the ship's third line period we had almost three weeks before returning to the line. Our first stop was in Hong Kong here is a description of that time in the words of our ship's Captain. We arrived on the 5th of August.

"After successfully concluding another line period in the Gulf of Tonkin, our third, your worthy Americamen were rewarded with a South China Sea excursion with all the trimmings...the fabled city of the Orient, Hong Kong ... our home away from home "Po City" (Subic Bay)...and finally a completely new experience for most on board, Manila. Our first class warship was converted into a deluxe ocean liner and headed for the British Crown Colony of Hong Kong - the first stop of our three week voyage"

Not to disrespect the Captain's words but there was no deluxe ocean liner experience. We still had our regular work hours and duty assignments it just wasn't as hectic because we weren't flying daily combat flight ops.

While in Hong Kong we did some shopping for clothes that were inexpensive and could actually be tailored while we were there. I don't remember getting any to be honest but some guys went crazy. After my visit to the floating restaurant when I visited with the Oriskany I can guarantee I didn't go back there for seafood. We took some organized tours to visit places like Tiger Balm Gardens, Victoria Peak and other tourist sites. We ate at the Seven Seas Club and the China Fleet Club where food was inexpensive with the conversion rate and beer was cold. We always drank local beer when we were in foreign countries because beer from the U.S. tasted like it had formaldehyde. These pictures are of Curt and I at the Seven Seas Club doing something we seldom did overseas drinking beer from a glass. The other picture is John Fiorella and in our sleeping area. You can see how crowded it was.    

We spent a lot of time going to the beach when we were off ship, It was nice to swim and soak up sun somewhere besides a steel ship. At one point during the stay we had to pull up anchor and go out to sea so we wouldn't be in the harbor when Typhoon Violet hit. We stayed out for two days and when we returned the admiral extended our stay an extra day to partly make up for the two we lost. We next went to Subic Bay for a couple of days before next moving on to Manila. I had been to Manila before but on a tour from Subic this time our ship would actually be anchored at Manila.

It was about this time, August 16th actually that I but in a special request to grow a beard you can see from the picture how that went. 😛. I had initially put in a request in June but was told to wait until I reported to my squadron and request again. (Eventually the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Elmo Zumwalt allowed beards and obviously I grew one as soon as allowed).

On the 17th we left Subic and arrived in Manila Bay. I'll let the Captain's words describe our arrival in Manila.

"As we came to anchor, in the wide expanse of the Bay, we announced our arrival with a 21 gun salute to the Republic of the Philippines, which was then returned by a saluting battery ashore. At times like this we are reminded clearly of the special influence that a great man of war has upon the friendly relationships of twp sovereign nations... in particular, when one is named AMERICA. We are proud of the opportunity this visit presented to us."

While in Manila we toured a lot of the area and again I took a ton of pictures but mostly slides. When we left Manila we headed back for the ship's 4th and my 2nd online tour in the Tonkin Gulf and right back to long days keeping our planes maintained so they were available to fly whenever required. The last two pictures in this set are of me talking to the pilot and checking out his systems right before he was getting ready to fly off for a bombing mission.

When we left Yankee Station in the Tonkin Gulf we headed to participate in special operations off the coast of Korea and subsequently the Sea of Japan for 5 days. We participated in three different exercises: Blue Sky with the Chinese Air Force of Taiwan; Commando Tiger with the Republic of Korea Air Force and Autumn Flower with the Japan Air Defense and the United States Air Force. After completing the exercises we headed to a 10 day stay in Yokosuka, Japan.

Highlights of our stay in Yokosuka were an overnight trip to Tokyo. A train took us there in about 90 minutes. Japan was really clean and the trains were amazingly fast. We also took a train for another day trip to Kamakura Beach. Curt, Dave Grimes (Grimey) and I just hung out on the beach all day. It was so relaxing to get away from the ship. We had a Frisbee with us and that opened the door to meeting locals who were fascinated by it. We were in Yokosuka from September 29th to October 9th. 

Our final online period for this cruise was from October 13th to November 9th. I received my performance evaluation for the previous six months on November 1st.

"Petty Officer ANSTEY is assigned to the Fire Control Branch of the Avionics/Armament Division. Utilizing line test equipment and troubleshooting procedures, he performs scheduled and unscheduled maintenance on the A7E aircraft fire control systems. His military duties include shore patrol and squadron Petty Officer watches.

Petty Officer ANSTEY demonstrates excellent knowledge of electronics theory. Through determined personal initiative, he has gained considerable experience in the accurate troubleshooting, detection, and repair of discrepancies associated with the complex A7E fire control system. Although reticent in the assumption of management and supervisory responsibilities, he ensures the efficient and effective completion of assigned tasks when specifically detailed to them. An amiable individual, he generates harmony and cooperation with his contemporaries and contributes directly to overall morale. He expresses himself clearly, concisely and understandably in oral and written communications. He is recommended for reenlistment and advancement."

It was sometime before our final stay in the Tonkin Gulf that we were granted permission to grow beards. You can see from pictures going forward that many of us took advantage and started growing them immediately. Shaving was just one less thing to worry about doing to avoid grief at inspection.

When we were between flight ops and didn't have planes to work on on the hangar deck we spent time just hanging out in the shop. In some of the pictures below you can see how casually we worked around planes loaded with bombs prior to launching. It was just part of the routine of working on the deck but it was also a reminder of the daily danger we faced.

One of the interesting things to watch was an UNREP, underway replenishment. There would be as many as three ships sailing side by side taking on supplies from a supply ship. We did replenishment almost every other day especially for bombs and missiles. It was amazing how much armament we went through. 



It was on this line period where I took the photo that I used for my Christmas Card in 1970.

On November 11th we were back in Subic for the last time of this deployment and then it was time to head for the United States. Because we were returning to the America's home port of Norfolk, Virginia it was going to be a much longer trip than returning to Alameda or San Diego on the West Coast. And once we arrived back in the states it was a long plane ride rather than a short bus or even car ride after leaving the ship.

On the 13th of November we received the following letter from our Commanding Officer W.T. Majors:

From: Executive Officer, VA-147 (A SHELLBACK)

To: All VA-147 Pollywogs

On the 16th of November you will be transferred from a slimy pollywog into a Noble Shellback. I know you are looking forward to this high honor with great anticipation. During the ceremony you will have occasion to have a slight coating of sea oil - commonly called grease -- applied to your lowly head and body. Here I would like to issue a word of caution. To remove this substance use only soap and water. In the past, painful injuries were inflicted to the eyes of several pollywogs when the used solvent and other strong detergents to remove grease from their heads. To make your clean-up shower more enjoyable the following is suggessted:

1. Wipe as much off with a towel as you can prior to taking a shower.

2. Use only soap and water -- several washings will be necessary, but it will come off.

See you on the 16th,

Being initiated into the Royal Order of Shellbacks was a long standing tradition in the Navy and took place whenever a ship crossed the equator. The ship would be transformed into one flying the Jolly Roger and Pollywogs would be subjected to torment for several hours by the Shellbacks. The ship felt like it could break out into a full scale riot of pollywogs were follish enough to fight back. For our particular initiation there were only about 500 of us from a ships crew of about 5000 because they had crossed the equator on the way out on the cruise whereas the rest of us flew to join the ship in the Philippines. So we probably got worked over more than normal with the odds almost 10 - 1 and the fact that so much of the crew was getting to do the initiation for the first time after going through it themselves on the way over. The picture below is my card that I received after my initiation.

The next day was a really unique experience, as a matter of fact it was the only time it ever occurred during my three deployments to Westpac. The ship was stopped and swim call was announced. We were allowed to jump from the ship to swim in the ocean. It was about 40 feet (I think). While we swam Marines with rifles circled us in boats to watch for sharks and hopefully scare them off if they approached. To return to the ship we had to climb up cargo nets. It was quite an experience.

Next we were going to stop in Sydney, Australia and I still have the orders for me to be part of our squadron that had to line the flight deck in our Tropical white long sleeve uniforms. The nice thing was that I was already in uniform and just had to change into a short sleeve shirt to take a launch into town. 

 We enjoyed our visit to Sydney and toured much of the area we were allowed to request one overnight stay and several of us did as a group so we could see more. Some of the highlights were the Koalas at the zoo, the Sydney Opera House, the Sydney Harbor Bridge and the beautiful beaches. The low point was when we made the poor decision to go to a waterfront bar full of dock workers. The beer never stopped being poured and one of the things that still stands out in my mind was all of us, sailors, Australian sailors and dock workers with our arms around each others shoulders swaying and singing to the Beatles' song "Give Peace a Chance". The next thing I remembered was waking up on the ground outside the door with a bump on my head. I had been knocked out. I thought I had been mugged but I still had my wallet as well as my camera that was hanging around my neck. To this day I don't know what caused the altercation but I'm glad it was just a bump on the head it could have been much worse. Maybe someone didn’t like sailors from a warship singing about peace. 🤷‍♂️ Where were my friends? If memory serves me right I had gone outside to pee behind the bar in the alley. Whatever I know I didn't go to any more waterfront bars full of dock workers.

 


We departed Sydney on the 24th of November at 0700 and had to be back aboard ship no later than 0400. We were back way before then because we wanted to be sure to leave when the ship left and go home.

We crossed the International Date Line on November 26th so we actually had two Thanksgivings and the ship went out of the way to see that we had great meals to enjoy and celebrate on both of them since we couldn't be with our families. Here is a copy of the menu.

On December 5th we rounded Cape Horn on the southern tip of South America and turned north. We first had another stop for fuel, this time in Rio. Since it was such a short stop we took a tour bus to see the most that we could in a short time. One of the highlights was a trip to the summit of Mount Corcovado where the statue of Christ the Redeemer overlooks the entire bay. It stands 2310 feet above Rio and is 98 feet tall. Another highlight was visiting the beautiful beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema. 

Ten days later we finally docked In Norfolk. We were loaded onto airplanes and flown back to Travis Air Force Base in California. 

On this cruise we were awarded the: Meritorious Unit Commendation - 26 May - 8 Nov 1970

One fact about this cruise that I had no knowledge of until doing research to try to get some of my dates right for this post is that Pilot Randy "Duke" Cunningham who was an F8 pilot was on this same cruise. He went on to first become famous and then infamous but I'll write more about him when I write about my deployment on the Constellation a cruise that he also made.