30 June 2024

Wishing all a wonderful Fourth of July !!!

Chris

Just checking in. Wondering if any of the Ole shipmates remember me. One of the few USN members who did duty as a Merchant Marine while at sea.

1988...Great experience. Rio , Curacao, Panama Canal, Hawaii. White water rafting, Hang Gliding, interesting ocean geology, working with NAVO. Whale sightings, Flying fish, Bio luminesence! Climbing the A frames. Holiday routine which was just like any other day except there was cake ??? Volleyball madness. Good memories. Hard work.

Hola Shipmates, 28 May 2024

Since we honored the Michelson with a custom license plate we decided to honor the Bowditch with a plate of her own on our Dodge PU Truck. She now proudly wears a Navy Veteran plate with "TAGS21" commemorating her and all that served on her.

I probably wasn't clear when I commented "Only one in AZ". I meant we only have one plate here in Arizona, our vehicles only wear a rear plate. The front of our vehicles are clean. Texas insists on a front and rear plate. I refused to display a front plate on our Mustang and our Police interceptor. I was only stopped once and told the cop to look around, "No one" with a nice looking car puts an ugly plate on the front. He let me go w/o a citation.

Best Always
Chris Headley

Hi Shipmates, 19 May 2024

Got our cop car out of the shop yesterday. She passed the smog test here in Phoenix. Took the paperwork to the local AZ License office, transferred the title from TX to AZ. Ordered a custom Navy Veteran plate (only one in AZ) with a custom Plate ID: TAGS23 Since I spent the most time on the Mike thought her Hull number was most deserving.

If you ever see a black 2000 Ford Police Interceptor tooling down the highway with the Mike's # give us a Honk and wave. Maybe we can stop and have a visit and a snack.

Thank You All For Serving Our Country and God Bless You and Your Families.

Best Always
Chris Headley

I was aboard the USS Denebola AF 56, a converted VC2 Victory class ship (same as the TAGS) from 1967 to 1971. I was a Boilerman second class. I was also the oil king while I was on board ship. Our ship the USS Denebola AF 56 was based out of Norfolk VA. We made7 trips to the Mediterranean during my 4 yrs on board. I visited ports in Africa, Italy, France, Greece, Valletta Malta, Portugal Spain and Rotterdam Holland and 1 trip to Cuba. I also keep in touch with a lot of shipmates to this day . A great experience in my life.

Served as EMO. Picked up the ship in Port Melbourne FL, went thru the ditch, up the West Coast, hit Hawaii, and Japan then transferred out. It was a very enjoyable tour.

For the last 55 years since I left the Dutton I always remember the great times. Met my wife in Belfast and we married in May of 69 after I got off. Have been back to Ireland many times. Our kids have more family there than here in Vermont. Picked up the Dutton in Belfast and left in Bremerhaven. Best 2 years in the Navy. Would love to catch up with some of my old ship mates and I can't believe that that photo of the 4 of us is still around. I will have to look for mine but it is probably on a slide since that was the big thing then, One of my best in ports was Christianson Norway and the train ride up to Oslo. It was beautiful along the river with the logs in one town getting ready to float down. Swansi was nice because of the train to London. I had never seen a city as clean as Bremerhaven. Spent my 21st in Amsterdam and Rotterdam.
Was the youngest when I checked aboard at 19 and can't remember where the Salty came from but I think it was some remark I made in NIC and Joe Sabo gave it to me my first week aboard. I spent my first 3 days out of Belfast sicker than a dog and decided this wouldn't do for another 30 days so carried a bucket the next day and was never sick again on the Dutton. Can't say the same for the salvage tug the Hoist. Was sick ever time it got rough. Any way I thank my son Justin, who is headed home to Omagh to visit his aunts and uncle next month for findiing this site. I would love to connect with any one who was aboard during my time. Salty Dave
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My father Dave served aboard the Dutton, and I was shocked to find his picture on this site. He speaks fondly of his time on it and of those he served with. Thank you for your work on this.

Served on both the Dutton and Bowditch. Loved the life and travel and the many people I served with.