First Yokosuka

From Chief Nance:

I was onboard the USS Reeves (DLG-24)/(CG-24) starting in 1963 when I was assigned to the Nucleus Crew for Reeves at the Bremerton Shipyard. Of Course I continued on as a plank owner when she was commisioned in 1964. We went through the Ship Qualification Trials in '64. The trials were made memorable for those of us in Fox Division by having a clean sweep for missle firings. As I remember it Reeves was told to return to port because we had destroyed all the available target drones by ramming them with the exercise missiles. We returned to port with one of our allocated missles still in the missle house.

After the SQT our orders were changed from doing a leisurely South American cruise after operational training to hurry up and get ready you're going to Viet Nam! Where the hell is Viet Nam? Well we found out pretty soon where it was. About April of '65 we on our way. I remember one significant operation Reeves participated in was supposed to have been the first carrier air strike into North Viet Nam. A lot of pucker factor that night as we tuned radars and weapons systems. On that West Pac Cruise we got acquainted with North SAR, South SAR, Yankee Station, Delta Station, Subic Bay, Yokosuka and Hong Kong. Little did we know that North SAR was practically going to become our home in the future. So, we were back in the states for Xmas and somewhere in this time frame became aware that DESRON 9 was going to relieve whoever was the forward deployed DESRON in Yokosuka.

Speaking of operations, the last night in Yoko on the '65 cruise about a dozen of the Foxes gathered at a restaurant with the Silver Fox ( A mustang LT who was a former FT and our division officer). Well the night was progressing well with plenty of libations and steak until curfew time was approaching. We diligent young petty officers started gathering our stuff and getting ready to get through the gate before we were turned into pumpkins by the Marines. LT Lane said sit down order another round, you're with me! So, a couple of hours past curfew we formed up as a detail and the Silver Fox marched us back through the main gate of the Yokosuka Naval Base. He got a smart salute from the Marines at the gate and they probably thought that the rating insignia worn by that bunch of sailors really was a bar stool.

Read Chapter 2