Don Koch E-mail xldon@earthlink.net

Went aboard Waddell in Feb 64 as part of the precom crew at Todd Shipyard in Seattle. I came aboard as a MT1, missile technician and was promptly converted to a FTM1, missile fire control technician. That, becoming a fire control tech., put me in the gun director, on condition three, on the infamous night the Bass T boned us after the unrep. Stayed aboard untill my discharge in 68. Those were the days we learned not to ask "what else could possably happen?" because you would find out real fast. I was sailing my boat around San Diego harbor in 1987 when I said "that looks just like my old ship". It turned out that it was. I got myself invited aboard via the VHF radio and visited with the captain who, by the way, was only in the eighth grade when we comissioned her in 64. She looked great.