Saved the SASS

Between November 1983 and July 1984 the Dutton and Hess were both working the same area south of Hawaii and inporting together at Pearl Harbor and Guam. In April or May, 1984 the SASS on the Hess died. The Dutton had the part needed to restore the Hess SASS. The Hess steamed toward the Dutton to collect same part. Picture shows ET3 Mark ("Mort") Morton and me holding a message for the Hess crew reminding them that the Old Lady saved their ass. The Hess sent over a boat and when I looked over the rail to see the handoff I heard "Hey Bill'! I saw 3 guys I had sailed with on the Hess in 1982. This was common during the last 5 years of my NAVO career. No matter what ship I went to I was always running into people I had sailed with on another ship.

Dutton Pig Roast

When the Dutton docked in Guam in early 1984 I rented a car and ET3 Mark Morton, RM3 Larry Letofsky and started exploring. In walking distance to the ship was a beach with two concrete tables, volley ball nets, and a fire pit with a large grate. I immediately thought pig roast! Since I was a civilian and not allowed in the Commissary, Mort and Larry went and secured a pig. The entire Dutton crew was invited and since the Hess was parked next to us, they were also invited. Night before Mort, Larry, and I stayed up all night feeding the fire and slathering the pig with barbeque sauce. We were unable to get a keg so in a giant trash can we iced down 25 cases of Budweiser. Next day crews of both ships ate, drank, and played volley ball well into the night. It was a fun day!

This photo shows Bill Truslow, ET2 Mike Librizzi, ET3 Mark Morton and ET1 Pat Duggan.

Dutton Pig Roast in 1984

Bill Truslow, Megan Hughes and ET3 Dick Williams.

Streaming the Magnetometer in 1984

Gravity Rep Jerome May, Bill Truslow and ET3 Mark Morton.

ET3 Mark Morton.and RM3 Larry Letofsky

Guam 1984.

LTJG Mary Kay Copper

Competing in the Dutton olympics in 1984.

In Survey Control

Jean Lambrect, RM2 Bobby Earl Woodell, ET3 Mark Morton, Bill Truslow, RM3 Larry Letofsky, ET3 Travis Culp and ET3 Val Walmark.

Sailors Three

ET3 Julian Cole, ET3 Charles Ripple and ET3 Curtis "Spike" Milligan in 1985.

Ashore

ET3 Mike Anderson and RM3 Phil Botsford about to hit the beach in Barbados in 1985.

Dutton in Drydock

ET3 Scott "Seb" Sebastian surveying Dutton in dty dock at Port Arthur, Texas in 1985.

Ashore

ET3 Charles Ripple and ET3 Scott Sebastian during yard period at Port Arthur, Texas in 1985.

Shellback Initiation

ET1 Lee Johnson at shellback initiation as Dutton crossed the equator in 1985.

Shellback Initiation

Shellback initiation in 1985. SK2 David Tiddy is standing at left.

Ashore

ET3 Pat Evans and ET3 Julian Cole in 1985.

Party in Bill's Room

ET3 Mike Anderson, Megan Hughes and Tom Sandidge in 1985.

Barbados

Dutton crew having a good time at the Ship Inn during Barbados inport in 1985.

Pictured are ET3 Pat Evans, Megan Hughes, ET1 Lee Johnson, ET3 Spike Milligan, Dale Klemm, Karen Headley and ET3 Dusty Traill.

Pool Party

In the summer of 1987 while Dutton inported in Hawaii, ET1 Kelly Winegarden went out and bought a blow up kiddie pool. During the next two survops from Pearl Harbor to Diego Garcia, those of us on the 3-11 watch cooled off in the pool before work.

Pool Party

DS3 Janet Nemenic and Bill Truslow in pool with ET2 Jim Manning in background.

Frequent attendees were ET1 Mike Pearson, DS2 Gordon Foster and Hydro rep Dale Klemm.

Gravity Rep Tom Whitacre

At shellback initiation in 1987.

End of Dutton Operations

Dutton being docked at Gulfport, Mississippi for the last time, finishing distinguished 31 year career on September 4, 1989.

Final Phtoto

On Monday September 4, 1989 Dutton arrived in Gulfport to end final survop. This was Labor Day weekend and since Monday was a federal holiday, NAVO was not working. However when Dutton arrived the dock was lined with NAVO employees. The Customs agents didn't feel like working on a hoilday and quickly cleared the ship. This was great for those of us with cases of Barbados rum stored in the ship and didn't have to pay duty! The NAVOs that had sailed on the ship gathered for a final photo on USNS Dutton, the most reliable of the TAGS ships.