I was there on the Ranger during the ‘89 Westpac. I was most likely watching the Camden from Ranger’s hangar bay. Such wonderful experiences from a time I did not truly appreciate until it had long passed. I was in the VF-2 as part of Airwing Two. Thank you so much for sharing.
I was attached to USS Camden AOE 2 with HC 11 Det 7 in 1979. We flew a lot of hours and vert rep a lot of cargo and munitions in the Indian Ocean and Persian gulf during the Iranian hostage crisis. I was an Airdale but I valued my time on board.
Funny story Robert Howard…I served onboard Ranger 1976-1981, was the CO’s ‘Command Classified Materials Custodian’ in the CO.’s office and was his talker on the Nav Bridge. One of my jobs up there was to be the Recorder of Man overboards/drills. The Exec during MOBs ran that whole op. That’s when I first met Captain Robert Taylor. Tough character but had a GREAT sense of humor. He later became CO of Camden, during at least part of your time aboard. When I vertreped off Ranger it was to Camden and we were enroute from Gonzo Station to Diego Garcia. My small transferring group were in the Galley having chow one early evening when suddenly we heard a BOOMING voice yell “Weeden! What the HELL are you doing here? I got up, walked over to him and told him about my transfer to Atsugi’. He then invited me up to the bridge and we spent about an hour remembering old times playing tricks on bridge teams - mostly JOODs. He was a great person, and Camden.’s chow was the best I EVER had aboard ship!
Good times. There's a chance I was standing next to the CO of the Camden as this video was taken. I most definitely remember a Howard, even if I didn't know you personally. I'll have to break out my cruise book.
We did about 98% of our refueling at night every 3 nights. No white lights, only different color 'greenie weenies.'About the only time we did daylight rigs was when we were doing unrep and vertrep. The rig personel were not allowed to wear gloves when pulling the rig across as a safety precaution. While all the while wearing kapok lifejackets.
It was a surprise to see the Camden again doing a double unrep in heavy seas. I served in Camden in 1970 & 1971 and spent a year in West Pac with the 7th fleet and refueled and rearmed the Ranger many times. The end of the video showing the the Signal Bridge and the Signalmen talking by semaphore with the guys on the Ranger brought back memories, good ones. When the Ranger broke away they played the Lone Ranger melody from the Willian Tell overture. The Camden would answer with our Elephant flag at the truck and we played Henry Mancini's Elephant Walk melody. SM2 JT Kelly. The Camden had the boilers and reduction gears from the unfinished Yamato size battleship Tennessee. When they were all lit off she could exceed thirty knots and did a few times when we broke away from carriers. It was a good and happy ship under Captain Russell. At the end of the cruise on the way to Sydney we stopped for a couple hours in Iron Bottom Bay at Guadalcanal near sundown. It was a great moment as the WWII vets talked about the place where both my father and uncle served.
Having gone on WestPac's on the Camden in '89 and '91, I can say that double unreps in heavy seas was a common occurrence at that time. During unreps, I manned the phone and distance line while standing next to the Captain. I'd let him know when the two captains wanted to talk. Those were always interesting conversations. We had our fair share of emergency breakaways, but things usually went as planned. I believe the above video was from '89.
Thanks for the comment. I remember the one time I went below to the engine spaces and saw the huge reduction gears, they had a big brass plate saying that they were the property of GE who made them so I guess when the Camden was scrapped in Corpus Christi Texas ten or so years ago the salvage people had to lift them out of the ship them back to Schenectady New York where they were made. @@murielsmith8922
I was on the camden '85-'87 & we were in the area when the stark was hit in the persian gulf & we unrepped & vertrepped everything that floated. Like a bunch of MAD DOGS. Good times.
Lots of great memories there, most of mine were working 20 hour days keeping the ch46’s flying or doing maintenance after flight quarters. Would do it all over again if I could. And you’re right the food was great until you were out for extended periods off the coast of Iran with enough munitions to end the world as we know it.😂😂😂
None on this '89 tour. I was in A School when the '87 crash happened. I'd join the Camden months later. near the end of '91, we lost one. Some of the guys in my shop talked to the crew from '87 (who returned in '89). They said they escaped out the large crack on the side of the helo, after it smacked the edge of the flight deck. Without that crack, they said, nobody would have gotten out. In '91 the helo crashed short of the flight deck and sunk almost immediately. It was later found in/around the Mariana trench near the island of Midway, I believe. I knew there would be no survivors.
I was there on the Ranger during the ‘89 Westpac. I was most likely watching the Camden from Ranger’s hangar bay. Such wonderful experiences from a time I did not truly appreciate until it had long passed. I was in the VF-2 as part of Airwing Two. Thank you so much for sharing.
My dad was on the ranger ☺️
My first ship was FF-1066, and second was CV-63..So there's a lot of fond memories sparked by this video. Thank you.
I was attached to USS Camden AOE 2 with HC 11 Det 7 in 1979. We flew a lot of hours and vert rep a lot of cargo and munitions in the Indian Ocean and Persian gulf during the Iranian hostage crisis. I was an Airdale but I valued my time on board.
Funny story Robert Howard…I served onboard Ranger 1976-1981, was the CO’s ‘Command Classified Materials Custodian’ in the CO.’s office and was his talker on the Nav Bridge. One of my jobs up there was to be the Recorder of Man overboards/drills. The Exec during MOBs ran that whole op. That’s when I first met Captain Robert Taylor. Tough character but had a GREAT sense of humor. He later became CO of Camden, during at least part of your time aboard. When I vertreped off Ranger it was to Camden and we were enroute from Gonzo Station to Diego Garcia. My small transferring group were in the Galley having chow one early evening when suddenly we heard a BOOMING voice yell “Weeden! What the HELL are you doing here? I got up, walked over to him and told him about my transfer to Atsugi’. He then invited me up to the bridge and we spent about an hour remembering old times playing tricks on bridge teams - mostly JOODs. He was a great person, and Camden.’s chow was the best I EVER had aboard ship!
love those cold war era cruisers... they were badass
Watching this video is like being back there again. I always liked refuelling the Danger Ranger
Was on the Camden from 82 to 85..BEST years of my Life!!
Amen shipmate! 84-88 on the Pachyderm
Good times. There's a chance I was standing next to the CO of the Camden as this video was taken. I most definitely remember a Howard, even if I didn't know you personally. I'll have to break out my cruise book.
We did about 98% of our refueling at night every 3 nights. No white lights, only different color 'greenie weenies.'About the only time we did daylight rigs was when we were doing unrep and vertrep. The rig personel were not allowed to wear gloves when pulling the rig across as a safety precaution. While all the while wearing kapok lifejackets.
It was a surprise to see the Camden again doing a double unrep in heavy seas. I served in Camden in 1970 & 1971 and spent a year in West Pac with the 7th fleet and refueled and rearmed the Ranger many times. The end of the video showing the the Signal Bridge and the Signalmen
talking by semaphore with the guys on the Ranger brought back memories, good ones. When the Ranger broke away they played the Lone Ranger melody from the Willian Tell overture. The Camden would answer with our Elephant flag at the truck and we played Henry Mancini's Elephant Walk melody. SM2 JT Kelly. The Camden had the boilers and reduction gears from the unfinished Yamato size battleship Tennessee. When they were all lit off she could exceed thirty knots and did a few times when we broke away from carriers. It was a good and happy ship under Captain Russell. At the end of the cruise on the way to Sydney we stopped for a couple hours in Iron Bottom Bay at Guadalcanal near sundown. It was a great moment as the WWII vets talked about the place where both my father and uncle served.
Having gone on WestPac's on the Camden in '89 and '91, I can say that double unreps in heavy seas was a common occurrence at that time. During unreps, I manned the phone and distance line while standing next to the Captain. I'd let him know when the two captains wanted to talk. Those were always interesting conversations. We had our fair share of emergency breakaways, but things usually went as planned. I believe the above video was from '89.
Nothing from the Tennessee. Came from the unfinished Kentucky.
Thanks for the comment. I remember the one time I went below to the engine spaces and saw the huge reduction gears, they had a big brass plate saying that they were the property of GE who made them so I guess when the Camden was scrapped in Corpus Christi Texas ten or so years ago the salvage people had to lift them out of the ship them back to Schenectady New York where they were made. @@murielsmith8922
I was on the camden '85-'87 & we were in the area when the stark was hit in the persian gulf & we unrepped & vertrepped everything that floated. Like a bunch of MAD DOGS. Good times.
Brings back great memories, was the Stream officer on that deployment.
I was on board during this!!
Lots of great memories there, most of mine were working 20 hour days keeping the ch46’s flying or doing maintenance after flight quarters. Would do it all over again if I could.
And you’re right the food was great until you were out for extended periods off the coast of Iran with enough munitions to end the world as we know it.😂😂😂
This is real cool. I was in third div.
Then weapons
I served on the Camden from 2003 to 2005 best ship I have ever served on good times!!
When was the Camdan a destroyer because in 1969 I was traveling on the Camden that was a supply ship to meet my new assignment ship in Portugal
Weird to see this and the signalmen standing where I stood about 10-12 years before me.
Chinese widow maker 🕷️
Was Onboard Ranger 87-90 1MMR MM3
Snipes rule…without you guys Ranger would have NO GO, PERIOD. NO GO, NO LAUNCH…!
Hello Jeff
Wonder how many helos Camden lost? I was aboard West-Pac '85 and '87 and we lost a helo on the 87 tour.
None on this '89 tour. I was in A School when the '87 crash happened. I'd join the Camden months later. near the end of '91, we lost one. Some of the guys in my shop talked to the crew from '87 (who returned in '89). They said they escaped out the large crack on the side of the helo, after it smacked the edge of the flight deck. Without that crack, they said, nobody would have gotten out. In '91 the helo crashed short of the flight deck and sunk almost immediately. It was later found in/around the Mariana trench near the island of Midway, I believe. I knew there would be no survivors.
They would never allow me to pull out a camera on or around ships.