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| 20 Jan 2002 Came aboard in 1959 as a Fireman. Changed rating to radar after cleaning firesides in Engine room. Aaron Martin, RM2 was his teacher. LCDR Wooten, XO, talked him into taking USAFI courses and attending RM "A" School in San Diego, Ca. Duty stations: USS Black (DD666), USS Lyman Swenson (DD729).and Rota, Spain. Would like to hear from Martin and Coy Scoggins, RM3. Jim Taylor RM3 Jim Taylor's Pictures 1959-60 |
| 19 May 2002 Dear Shipmates, As this reunion approached I began mulling over that 10 year period from the mid 50s to the mid 60s when the ships we were on “were out there” on the ramparts watching and waiting. Waiting for something that, thank goodness never came. In retrospect you always wonder if you really had much effect in the big picture, especially since the Navy was never enthusiastic about the barrier program. Our tours were in what was termed a “cold war” although there were “hot areas” like the Cuban crisis, recon planes shot down, Vietnam, etc. Some have labeled the cold war, and I believe appropriately so, as WWIII. It was world wide and covered a span of 40 years. We were out there on the barrier waiting for WWIII to begin, not realizing we were in WWIII. How significant were we in keeping the cold war cold? Who knows? Perhaps in the future as the Russian archives become more open and available we will learn exactly where we were on their priority list. Because we were early warning, I suspect it was near the top. I would like to think we were a big deterrent at the time. Anyway we can claim it. To my knowledge no Russian aircraft got through undetected. Out there on those lonely patrols and endless night watches you could do some serious thinking. When it came down to it, I think deep down most of us knew we were expendable. If we disappeared, you knew the war was on. You realized just how vulnerable you were when on a mid watch a surface radar contact would come close aboard and couldn’t be seen and then disappear. You soon learned that those mysterious contacts were probably submarine snorkels . . . whose, we never knew. I think it is appropriate that the exhibit be on a battleship. A battleship is at the other end of the ship spectrum from a cargo ship and as such, the exhibit will be exposed to more people. The purpose of the exhibit has several purposes. One is to let people know how critical radar was and still is. Radar was the most powerful and persuasive weapon in WWII and crucial in the Battle of Britain. The exhibit also pays tribute to those men who were the lonely sentries in the back waters of the Navy and whose purpose was to sound the first alarm. The space also allows those sailors and officers who served aboard these ships to share memories and efforts and to acquaint others with the ships and the cold war warriors that manned them. Additionally, I hope it serves as a “Bravo Zulu” (well done) testimonial to those men who stood those long and lonely vigils on the Pacific and Atlantic barriers between 1955 and 1965. It also allows us to pass on a legacy and be remembered. Hopefully we have earned the right to be remembered. Lee Doyel Engineering Officer 1961-63 Editor's Note: May 29, 2002 The YAGR Associatoin, at their annual reunion in Newport, RI this year, is dedicating a YAGR exhibit aboard the battleship. USS Massachusetts at Fall River, MA In the future you can visit this location in Fall River, Ma at Battleship Cove. |
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