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Lost At Sea - February 7th, 1980


Salvage Sailor
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Salvage Sailor

IN REMEMBERANCE – USS KING (DDG-41)
OFF OF CAPE HATTERAS, VA, FEBRUARY 7TH, 1980


HT2 Richard Bilicek – Lost at Sea
SN Steven M. Campbell – Lost at Sea
SN Edwin L. Traylor – Lost at Sea

BM3 Billy Irby – Broken bones
HT2 Sam Callicoat – Broken bones
BM3 Winfred Morris – Bruised but alive

BM2 Bernard McGinniss – Swept Overboard - Recovered from the sea after 12 minutes
 

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Thanks for posting this story Salvage Sailor. It serves to remind us all that military service has it's risks to life and limb no matter what time period, peace or war. These shipmates deserve to be remembered.

I quit the American Legion years ago and one reason I did was because the organization refused to let people join that had only "peacetime", service.

Lee Ragan, (former Sgt. USAF and former BM3, USNR)

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  • 3 years later...
Salvage Sailor

Aloha Everyone,

 

I was thinking about this incident today & noticed that I hadn't posted the story in full, only a link to my old website (NOTE: Old Link Removed).  I originally wrote this in 1999 & then edited it in 2002 to add details after corresponding with several KING & LUCE shipmates.

 

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USS KING (DDG-41) "The King of the Fleet"

 

Those In Peril On The Sea

 

In the United States, today is Memorial Day. A time to remember and mourn the passing of men and women who have served America throughout the years since Independence. It is a day of parades & Barbeques, Air Shows & War Movies, Flag ceremonies & cemetery visits. On this day, I will note the passing of three shipmates, sailors of the United States Navy, on February 7th, 1980.

 

They were not lost in battle, nor in some faraway land, not victims of terrorism or international strife. Thus, they are little remembered nor their passing noted, but by those of us who were there. These three sailors were lost at sea while performing their duty. They served in ‘Jimmy Carter’s Navy’, at a time when our citizens reviled and disdained military service, in the wake of the Vietnam experience. We were appreciated & respected abroad, if not a bit feared, yet it was a time when we could not wear our uniforms in public in the US, lest we invite trouble ashore. It was the period of the Cold War, Afghanistan, the Iran Crisis, and terrorism, yet a veteran of this period does not qualify for VFW or American Legion membership. Even a peacetime draftee of the 1950’s qualifies or any ‘Reagan Era’ veteran who never left the States, but not a veteran of ‘Jimmy Carter’s Navy’.

 

It was the winter of 1980, February, Hurricane season off the Florida coast. An exercise, ‘Operation Safe-Pass 80’ was being conducted by a Cruiser/Destroyer Group in the Bahamas at the Andros Missile Firing range, en-route to Nova Scotian waters. The Navy has a policy of sending it’s ships to sea during the approach of rough weather. To a civilian this may seem odd, departing a port for the sea, when a storm approaches. But the Navy does not care to have it’s ships battered against the piers and docks, damaging their hulls & equipment. As our chiefs are fond of saying, “Sailors belong on ships, and ships belong at sea”, so my DESRON sortied from Mayport Naval Station, Florida, and joined up with the CRUDESGRU.

 

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USS STEPHEN B. LUCE (DDG-38) "Fighting Luce"

 

I was aboard USS LUCE (DDG-38), ‘Fighting Luce’, a destroyer-leader of the Coontz Class (ex-DLG), which had been redesignated as a Guided Missile Destroyer in the 1970’s. We were primarily an Anti-Air Warfare (AAW) & flagship vessel, often with a Commodore’s staff embarked. It was common for Coontz Class DDG’s to be the Flagships of Standing Naval Forces Atlantic Squadrons (STANAVFORLANT) when serving with NATO. But on this occasion, we were strictly a USN taskforce, attempting to evade the heavy weather. I was an OS2, working in the combat information center, (CIC), and thus was a witness to the enfolding events of those February days.

 

144796872_STANAVFORLANT1979.jpg.91202c7bfff4135bd42bef21fb860528.jpg

Flagship USS Luce (centre) accompanied on her starboard side by the Dutch frigate Isaac Sweers (F 814) and the Norwegian frigate Stavanger (F 303). Astern of Luce is the Canadian Nippigon. On Luce's portside is the RN frigate HMS Bacchante (F 69) and the West German frigate Karlsruhe (F 223). Picture taken during a Standing Naval Force Atlantic (STANAVFORLANT) Exercise in 1979.

 

Upon joining the taskforce, we took station aft of our sister ship, USS KING (DDG-41), the ‘King of the Fleet’, as she was known. KING & LUCE were well acquainted, having served for many years together in the ‘Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club’, NATO, and the Atlantic Fleet. The weather began to rapidly deteriorate, and we steamed North from the Bahamas, up the Carolinian coastline, and tried to clear Cape Hatteras before the brunt of the storm struck us. Neptune won the race, and for two days and nights, our ships were pounded and slammed by 80 MPH winds and high waves. Sailors do tend to exaggerate or embellish, that’s what sea stories are, but on this occasion, the seas were running from 20’ and higher, with swells up to 40’ or more (some say 60’).

 

To the Taskforce commander, a course is but a line on the navigation chart, but there’s a marked difference in storm evasion when steaming on station, and storm evasion when independently steaming. When you’re alone, you can adjust your course and ‘fly the waves’, skittering about the sea to lessen the pounding to your ship. When you’re on station, it’s more like flying in a bomber formation through the flak. If you deviate your course, you risk collision, fire, death, so on you go into the teeth of the troughs and waves. So you just hang on and take it.

 

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Heavy Seas

 

On the radar scope, it’s just one huge sea-return blob. You’re strapped into your seat with a belt, toes gripping the deck plates, knees tight to the console. You keep fiddling with the STC and other controls to lessen the bounce-back, and hopefully ‘see’ the other ships in the formation. Your eyes are glued on the compass rose, the repeaters, speed dials, wind direction, anything to avoid going ‘Bump in the Night’.

 

Having been through previous Pacific Typhoons & Atlantic Hurricanes on ships smaller than this, I and many of my shipmates, were prepared for the rough seas. I wouldn’t say we’re ‘used’ to it, but rather accustomed to it. But for our other shipmates, it was a miserable, and even terrifying experience. The heads were awash with vomit, the air inside is thick & dank, you can’t eat, you can’t sleep, you’re sore from bracing your body for hours on end, while the waves pound the ship. The wiser and more experienced salts rig mattresses in the ‘Bat Cave’, behind the air search consoles, rather than go below to the reeking berthing compartments. On the bridge the waves often wash completely over the pilothouse, all one can see is green water during the day, and spray at night. You can’t talk without shouting to be heard over the roar of the wind and waves.

 

We ‘old salts’ loved to have our fun in CIC. The mess decks were secured, except for comrats (bag lunches) and hand-to-mouth foods. It’s suicide to attempt cooking during a storm. So the guys on watch are literally green, hungry, terribly fatigued, and sick. That’s when the ‘Old Salts’ break out the storm rations, and with great pomp, put on a show for the seasick lads. Crackers & Sardines, Grey Poupon, perhaps some deviled ham? Watch, I can eat the whole sardine in one gulp. Hey, would you like some…Where ya goin? Hehehe, he didn’t make it, get him the bucket and swab…. We must be tidy.

 

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USS KING (DDG-41)

 

On the morning of the second day, even our fun was wearing thin. Just about everyone was sore and bruised, just wanting to lay down on the steel deck and crash. As we finally began to clear Cape Hatteras, the seas began to subside. They were still running high, but the skies were clearing, and the swells were down to 10’ feet or so.

 

On LUCE, we had taken tremendous damage, as had many of the other ships of the Group. We had damage to our masts, our aerials on the fantail were snapped right off at the base like twigs, our bilges were awash, most of our pumps and firefighting gear topside was swept away, and even the armor plate on the missile house was cracked (and that’s no sea story). With the seas still running high, we remained dogged down, running North. Such was not the case aboard the KING.

 

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USS LUCE (DDG-38) Note the radio aerials on the fantail, we lost them and had damage to the missile house & radar masts

 

She had also taken a tremendous pounding, suffered structural damage, and was taking on some water. Though she was in no danger of sinking, it was decided to send a repair party on deck to survey the damage. The liberty boat on the port side was damaged, as was much of her deck gear. On the main deck, starboard side, the bits for the mooring lines had been wrenched from the deck, which also left holes in the adjoining bulkhead, and water was entering the hull. A team of Boatswain’s mates and hull technicians was assembled, and clad in mae-west lifejackets, debauched onto the starboard side maindeck.

 

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USS KING (DDG-41)

 

There were at least seven sailors in the party including five BM’s, BM2 Bernard McGinniss, BM3 Winfred Morris, BM3 Billy Irby, SM Steven M. Campbell, & SM Edwin L. Traylor, along with two Hull Technician Petty Officers, HT2 Sam Callicoat & HT2 Richard Bilicek.

 

They went out onto the main deck via the starboard midships hatch, began to clear away the storm debris, and police up the damaged equipment. HT2 Callicoat was the ‘R’ Division LPO, and a high pressure pipe welder. He was on deck facing aft with BM3 Irby, when the first of several ‘freak waves’ washed over the starboard side in quick succession. “We were knocked off our feet due to the speed of the water,” said Callicoat, “After the water receded a little, we tried to work our way to the hatch, at the same time we were yelling at our crews to get back inside. The second wave was bigger and I did not even see it. Myself and Irby's lives were saved because we got hung up on the accommodation ladder that was welded on the side of the ship”.

 

The others in the repair party were not so fortunate. The same waves that had struck Callicoat, Irby & BM3 Winifred Morris, had washed the other four men over the side. Callicoat stated, “Myself and Irby were hurt pretty bad. I was cut and broke up all over, and Irby's shoulder was torn out of the socket.” Morris was clinging on for dear life, and only suffered severe bruises. The other four were gone, swept away into the raging sea.

 

Aboard LUCE and the other vessels in the taskforce, a ‘man overboard’ signal pealed over the guard frequency. In CIC’s aboard every ship, we immediately turned-to & executed a man overboard maneuver. We fired up the DRT (Dead Reckoning Tracer), plotted our position, KING’s position, calculated our set & drift, and recommended a set of course/speed orders to the OOD on the bridge. This would essentially haul us off of the base course and pull a ‘button hook’ turn about to steam up our reciprocal heading. A double set of lookouts was dispatched topside, with lifelines attached, and every set of Bausch and Lomb binoculars we had was searching the sea. The seas were still running high, though visibility was about 4 to 6 nautical miles. We also immediately calculated the sea surface temperature to judge the survival time of the men in the sea. The sea temperature was 49 degrees, and the air temperature was 37 degrees, without wind chill. We didn’t have much time.

 

As the tense seconds ticked away, we scanned the waves expectantly, searching for heads, arms, a flash of orange vest, anything at all…..After 12 long minutes, the guard frequency squawked. BM2 Bernard McGinniss was recovered from the sea by another Destroyer, the longest 12 minutes of his life. We went on, reversed course, searched, reversed course, expanded our pattern, but to no avail. The CIC watch officer looked at his stop watch, and said quietly, ‘Secure from man-overboard, set the watch’.

 

There was no trace of the other three men, and their bodies were never recovered. Aboard LUCE, we were angry, seething, who had sent the men topside? Were they crazy? We were dogged down, the seas were high, and yet, they were sent topside?

 

But there was no time for these thoughts aboard KING, they had wounded men aboard. Both Petty Officers Sam Callicoat & Billy Irby were severely injured, and a rescue helicopter from Norfolk was inbound. Callicoat recalls, “Myself and Irby had to be heloed off the ship, and I remember when they were trying to get Irby onto the helicopter, he almost got washed over the side again. I was strapped in a stokes strecher and I remember telling the guys not to drop me.” “The accident … changed my life forever …I lost a good friend and two shipmates that day.” BM3 Morris was battered, but alive & remained aboard, while his ever fortunate shipmate BM2 Bernard McGinniss was waterlogged, but lucky to be alive.

 

USS KING (DDG-41) detached herself from the group, and searched for her lost men for days, before heading for home at Norfolk. USS LUCE (DDG-38) and the Mayport ships, steamed south to Florida. On the following morning, a warm and beautiful day dawned, blue skies and painted clouds stretching to the horizon.

 

Just another day, during the Cold War.

 

IN REMEMBERANCE – USS KING (DDG-41)

OFF OF CAPE HATTERAS, VA, FEBRUARY 7TH, 1980

HT2 Richard Bilicek – Lost at Sea

SM Steven M. Campbell – Lost at Sea

SM Edwin L. Traylor – Lost at Sea

 

BM3 Billy Irby – Broken bones

HT2 Sam Callicoat – Broken bones

BM3 Winfred Morris – Bruised but alive

 

BM2 Bernard McGinniss – Swept Overboard - Recovered from the sea after 12 minutes

 

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The photographs below are of the USS LUCE (DDG-38) during the same time period (1979/1980). The midships ladder on the main deck is where Callicoat & Irby were clinging to dear life as their shipmates washed over the side further aft (second photo). The repair party was tasked with closing a hole where the mooring bits in the photo had been wrenched from the deck of the KING .

 

Starboard_Side_LUCE_fwd.jpg

 

Starboard_Side_LUCE_aft.jpg

 

DDG 41 002.jpg

 

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Cape Hatteras is off the NC Coast I believe. Still remembering their service no matter where they were at.

 

Chris

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  • 1 year later...
  • 4 years later...
Salvage Sailor

Memorial Day 2017 - There are no tombstones upon the seas

Copy of DDG-38_Luce6.jpg

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Thanks for posting, remember the incident as we lived in Tidewater Va. . Cape Hatteras is known as " The Graveyard of the Atlantic" for shipping, used to be the remains of wooden vessels along the beaches.

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  • 5 years later...
Salvage Sailor

Armistice Day - Veterans Day

 

There are no tombstones upon the Seas

 

210527-N-BX517-1055.jpg.a38407100d03308330e14ad186fb09b1.jpg

Fire Controlman 1st Class Daniel Thayer from Durango, Colorado, left, and Lieutenant Junior Grade Dwayne Williams from Pearland, Texas, participate in a wreath laying ceremony held in commemoration of the 63rd anniversary of the burial at sea in honor of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Truxton (DDG-103). Truxton is currently underway conducting Ready Five qualifications. (US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Mariano Lopez)


 

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Poignant story that tragically illustrates the hazards of sailors at sea, when it roils and rages.  I didn't know about the loss of these men at the time but I remember early February 1980 well.   They drowned in a sea tempest a few days after I'd celebrated my 21st birthday at "the" swank restaurant in Santa Monica at the time.   While I was having a celebration along the Pacific shore, they were  at sea serving on the stormy Atlantic in winter,   Most of them were within a few years of my age, give or take,  their lives ahead of them, unaware it would all be over in few days.  Now, I'm within a few years of collecting my SSI, and have had nearly 43 years of life that they didn't.   Life is precious and the sacrifice made by men like these, in war and peace, should never be forgotten and forever honored.  And the same goes for every single veteran that wore the uniform and honorably served this country. 

 

Veterans Day.jpg

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