MT. RAINIER
The tallest peak in the Cascade Range, Mount Rainier towers at a dizzying
14,411 feet (4,392 M). The snow covered peak is blanketed by glaciers year
round. This mountain is known as Mount Tahoma to the Nisqually
Native-American tribe. It waits, dormant but not dead, unlike
USS Rainier, which lives on only in our memories..
Admiral Peter Rainier, Royal Navy (1741-1808),
After whom the mountain was named. He was a
British naval hero of the Revolutionary War-
and Captain George Vancouver's boss. He did much
of his naval career in the East Indies, appropriately enough.
He might not pass the modern Royal Navy physical fitness standards.
![]() | About Your Webmaster... | ![]() |
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![]() | Bill Freeman, former Quartermaster Third Class, at your service... | ![]() |
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We Deliver,You Fireis the title of a NEW BOOK about Rainier's operations in Vietnam waters, by Signalman, Artist, High School Teacher and All-Around Renaissance Man, Steven "Spanky" Temple of Vallejo, CA. Click on the Amazon.com logo to the left and buy a copy. You'll support this website by buying the book here. Buy several copies- put them in your local libraries and give them to the grandkids. And...do some good- Half the profits are donated to the children of those American servicemen who have fallen in the Iraq war. Make Rainier live forever! Show your relatives that those Sea Stories you've told are TRUE! Says Temple..."Thanks--and remember I am not responsible for making anyone look like a pirate, a degenerate or a war hero." (I'd say most of us were one (or all) of the above. -Webmaster.) |
"And the sea gave up the dead that were in it,
...and they were judged every man according to their works.
And Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire..."
Revelations 20:13-14
"Every man thinks Meanly of Himself for not having
been a Soldier or not having Been at Sea."
---Dr. Samuel Johnson
NEW !!! Rainier Action Videos !
Click on the Name of the Video to go to Vidilife.com to view the video. Then click "back" to return to this page. It might take time to load the video, depending on the speed of your connection.
Video One- Swinging Bombs and the Camden on Approach- 1968.
Video Two- A Destroyer Unrep and an Approaching Carrier- 1968.
Video Three- Unidentified Officer and EM on the Bridge- 1968
Video Four- At Sea- The View from the Bridge- 1968
Video Six- USS Davis DD-937 on Approach for Unrep Deck Crew- 1967- Vietnam
Video Seven- Rainier Unreps USS Laws DD-558 in the Sea of Japan, 1952
Video Eight- Holiday Routine- 1968- Barbecue on the Fantail, Baseball and a South China Sea sunset.
Video Nine- Unrep with USS Los Angeles C-135- Korea- 1952
Video Ten- Stages over the Side, Unrep Flag, Sailors, Forklift Driver at Carrier Unrep
Video Eleven- Corpsman, Minesweeper MSO-508, Whaleboat crew, Cook Newman, Various Sailors
All these videos are courtesy of "VIDILIFE.COM," who hosts the videos for us.
Videos shot by Chief Long and other
contributors. Do you have any Super- Eight movies of Rainier action?
Have them converted to DVD. We'd be glad to get them.
We'll even send them back after we copy them.
If you would like to borrow the full-length DVDs, email the Webmaster.
You just have to pay for the postage and you
are free to have them copied if you want to.
For detailed info about all those bombs you handled,try this "Dumb Bomb" website
and this Mark 82 500-pound Bomb website
All About Five-Inch Guns and Projectiles
All About The Three-Inch-Fifty Gun
All About The 16-inch Gun and Projectiles
All About Cluster Bomb Units (CBUs) - (The Cases Made Great Barbecues)
The View From Carrier USS Hancock Approaching Rainier for Unrep- 1964
Korea Era Rainier Christmas card-(Chas. Langley)
A Detailed Port Bow Shot of Rainier, circa 1962, Courtesy of Richard Ellis.
Photographer unknown.
A Magnificent Painting of Rainier Underway- by "Lloyd"- circa 1942
(Thanks to Patricia K. Anderson)
Korea- JAN 52 USS Wisconsin (BB64), USS Rainier (AE5), and USS Antietam CV36
Swim Call in Mid Pacific- 1961
Stbd Side Aft at Swim Call- 1961
Main Deck Forward, 1960
Rainier in Port- 1953- Where? by Dick Hemingway
At Sea- 1960
Rainier at Sasebo- 1953 Courtesy Bill Shelton (Over 1 mb)
Rainier At Guam- 1960 Swim Call-1961
(Thanks to GMCS Jacobs for these pictures)
The Main Boiler- 1952- Thanks to Mike Klein and Gene Chambers for The Engineering Pix
Rainier in Drydock- Closeup of the Screw by Bill Shelton
Pearl Harbor- 1969
Another shor of Pearl Harbor- 1969
Rainier was Decommissioned in August, 1970 at Mare Island, California
and was Transferred to the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility.
"A strong Norwester's blowing, Bill.
Hark ! Don't you hear it roar now ?
Lord, help 'em... how I pities them
Unhappy folks on shore now !"
-Read the entire poem by Charles Dibdin
LTjg Chris Seger (bearing an uncanny resemblance to a young JFK)
with ComServPac at the 5th Consecutive Battle Efficiency "E" Presentation to Rainier- about 1965.
First Line Over- 1965
Seaman (later Radioman)Brandy and Friends- 1969 (Photo by S. Temple)
RM3 Bill Abbott and RD3 Jimmy "Colonel" Stewart, Sasebo- 1969
GMG2 Phil Collier's Pics - '67 to '70.
LTjg(SC) Jim Allan Comes Home- 1967
Radarman Jim Conrod's Photos- 1968 to 1970
Tom Hauser's Memories- 67-68
Memories of Jerry Easter, SK3 (1961 to 1962)
Your Webmaster as a Legal Yeoman in Boot Camp, 1968, Great Lakes
Spanky Temple and "Friends" at an Olongapo Drinking Establishment- about 1968.
Bill Huffman SK3- (1956) And another of Bill- all Shined up and Ready for Liberty at Port Chi.
Three-Inch Gunfire- 1963- A Great Shot by LTjg Bob Langston, DCA,
who took it from the after porthole
of the space where his GQ station was located,
main deck aft. Bob caught the muzzle blast
of the 3"50 cal. at the exact moment it exited the barrel. Thanks to Chris Seger.
Radioman Ed Manion's Olongapo and Grande Island Bar Tableshots- 1967 Mostly Ops Dept.
Deck Ape and GMG3 Warren Macheledt's Pics of High Times at Grande Island and Elsewhere - '67 to 68
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LT Robert Ryland (with his signature coffee cup and saucer)
and LTjg Larry Butts- 1969- OPS and Navigator
The 1951 Electrical Gang
Plan of the Day- 1953
Charlie Brown, Boatswain (right)
The Mess Deck- Can You Guess the Date?
Mess Deck at Thanksgiving- 1952-by Bill Shelton
Bethlehem Steel Shipyard
The 10,000th Ton Transferred, 1968Photo by Ted Edge
Boatcrew 2nd Div. 1968) BM Smith was the boat coxswain,
Crevey was the bow line seaman. Clifford Ashley EN3 was the engineer.
The China Seas Club- Subic Bay
Sasebo, Japan Fleet Landing
SN Freeman, QMSN Layne and SN Zimmerman
at the New Happy "Stand" Bar, Sasebo- February, 1969.
Downtown Olongapo- 1968
BM2 Ernie Low. 1st Division- 67-70 - Back Home and All Grown Up.
Some Rainier Sailors- 1967 (From Frank Ushler BM2)
Some more Pix from Frank Ushler- mid 60's
A Filipino All-Girl Band
Rainier and USS Markab AR-23 and USS Pictor AF-54 at Alameda
Bill Shelton's Page of Korea Era Pictures
Ground Zero at Nagasaki- 1969
The Lone Ranger- on the USS Ranger.
Fantail, Ammo Pier, Subic Bay- 1968
Supply Division on Deck- 1950
A Cool Picture of an Unrep by John Simmons. Not the Rainier but it COULD have been.
Orville J. Hall and Friends- WW II Era- Who are the Pals?
Bob Merical's Pics of Dick Hemingway and Unreps
Another Page of Mike Klein's 1963 Era Pix
Oliver "Chi" Norwood's '67 to '70 Memories and Photos
Main Deck Forward Deckload
Port Side, Fwrd by Joe Lenz-'66 (Thanks, Joe)
Bridge- Port Side by Lenz
SMSN Joe Lenz- 1966"
Another Shot of a Deckload of Fins, Forward
Carrier Approach for Unrep (photo by Leonard Layne)
SN Lacey Sutherland and his wife Nita, Meet the Ship at Port Chi-April 1970(Thanks- D.Kelsey)
A Page of SN Richard Ellis' Pix From 1961-2
More of Ellis' Pics-
1961- Jimmy Pigron of Lafayette, LA and Barney Cruz, Hollister, CA
and...Richard Ellis and Ransom McLamb at Tiger Balm Gardens, Hong Kong-1962
Dick Hemingway's Korea Era Photos
RIP- Dick Hemingway's Obituary- 2007
POD from 12 MAY 1953 courtesy of Lois Hemingway and
some shots of the Mt. Fuji Lake District R&R Hotels, circa 1953, and the USS Valley Forge.
If you stayed there, tell us about it.
Dick Hemingway's Boot Camp Class at San Diego, April 1952. Hemingway is 2nd row from the back, third in from the right. (Thanks to Lois.)
SN Rudy De La Rosa- 1966 in Olongapo Courtesy of Classmates.Com
Three Deck Apes- 1968
A Scrapbook of Vietnam Era Goodies
(More coming up...soon.)
Feel free to e-mail your favorites-
We'll publish them all !
![]() HOLIDAY MEMORIESCHRISTMAS aboard Rainier was always an "event"... A few holiday memories... The tree they high-lined over from the "Camden"... they set it up in the mess decks just before the air conditioning went down- it lost every needle seemingly overnight. Here's a photo of that pathetic tree. And Father Gibney's Christmas Visit to Rainier was one to Remember. Merry Christmas Everyone!
Rainier's 1969 Christmas Card. Another card from some other time.
A Sailor's Christmas, from Don Nolan |
One of the Great Works of Naval Literature: "THE AMMO CREW"-- A Classic Poem in Honor of the Ammo Ship Sailor written by Archie Trader, one of
the few Survivors of the USS Mt. Hood explosion in 1943, updated a bit to reflect the continuing saga of the AE sailor of today.
Happy New Year !...Read the MidWatch QM Log entry for 1 JAN 69 by QM3 Leonard Layne ?
And- Read this View of the MidWatch from Another Perspective.
We Few, We Happy Few, We Band of Brothers
How Long Have you Been a Sailor?
The Old Answer to the Old Question
More Original AE Poetry-
USS Essex Sailors' view of the Life
of a Rainier Sailor- "Heaven and Hell"- c. 1951
The authors of "Heaven and Hell"
highlining from Essex into "Hell" Thanks to Gene Chambers for this old pic of a rare double personnel highlining.
The "Seniors" of the WW2 Generation Have to Learn to Sacrifice ! (A commentary)
NEW ! Ode to the Blackshoe Navy- "I Like the Navy"
Ever been taken in by one of those
Errands for Landlubbers ?
NEW! Naval Terminology Test- How many do you Remember?
Did you get an Invitation to this Working Party ?
Were you a "Real Chief" ?
Do You Miss the Joys of Navy Life? Recreate it at Home With these Guidelines.
One More Masterpece of Naval Literature...
"This is My Swab" by Alan T. Peto
Apologies to the Marines for That One...
Try Entering -We Deliver You Fire-
to find and order Spanky Temple's book about Rainier.
Your purchases help support the Rainier Website. Or, go the our
Amazon book store for some suggested nautical books.
Speaking of Naval Literature, why not create some yourself?
Get out those word processors (or typewriters for you WW2 guys)and
write us about yopur Rainier experiences, or whatever else you want
to talk about.
Your webmaster read that 3,000 (!) World War Two
veterans die each month. Their personal stories and the history of that
time are dying with them, and ought to be preserved for upcoming generations.
This is one place to do it. Write it all down. YOU may
not think your particular story is very important, but someone, sometime,
somewhere will be glad you did. If for no other reason, write it all down
for your own family. Then- send a copy to us. Your story might make the
next edition of the book "We Deliver-You Fire."
Do you want some ideas
as to how to write your story?
Check this website of the Memories of a Destroyerman in WW II
for some pointers. Just think what your memoirs
would mean to your great-grandchildren !
A Page of Chiefs and Capt Barnett -1964
Change of Command Ceremony- 1961
Passing Corregidor- 1968
Chief Gunner Neil Long in 1999- (second from the right) with his USS Roanoke shipmates.
An Interesting Page about the History of Corregidor
Ltjg Dennis Kelsey, SN Willie Williams of the Frozen North and BM3 Oblinger at the China Seas Club- Grande Island- 1969
More about the Legendary Willie Williams
"Happy" Sailor Returning From Liberty-
'69- Subic Bay
<
A Life Magazine Cover from 1965 Cruiser OK City Shelling the Vietnam Coast
Grande Island, P.I.-'69(SN
Flanagan, ENS Dave Little
of the USS Carronade (IFS-1) and QM3 Freeman
The Gentle Club, Olongapo City, PI-about '67
A Rough Unrep- The Tucker ?
Another Shot of the Gentle Club, complete with Shore Patrol and Jeepney- c.'67
And, Speaking of Propaganda...
1965 Chinese Poster- "Oppose the Invasion of the Democratic Republic
of Vietnam by the Reactionary Americans."
(Think about this one next time you shop for cheap electronics.)
More Vietnamese and Chinese Vietnam Propaganda Posters
WWW.City.Net's Great Map of Vietnam
Vietnam War Stories Hundreds of First Person Memories
(AE SAILORS ALWAYS GET THE GIRLS !)
Bill Shelton's Korea Pics- 1953
Rainier Rearms the Cruiser USS Los Angeles- 1950-photos by Fred Keeler, BM2
Orville Hall (Center)and Shipmates with Springfield Rifles. Who are the other guys?
A BIG Selection of WW II Memories of Rainier and her Crew
including the Sketches of Seaman 2c E.M. Parker
and the Remembrances of the late Dr. Mel Davis, Rainier's WW2 ship's surgeon-
Don't Miss this Page !
New!- Includes pictures of Dr. Davis,
courtesy of his son Rob Davis.
Map of Rainiers WW2 Cruises Courtesy of Dave Lenox
USS Mt. Baker's Fatal Collision with a Korean Navy Destroyer_ MAY 1952
Third Class Barber Pete Popoff's Rainier Experience- 1950's
Fred Flores' Korea Photos- 1952
Harold Bahr's Korea Era Pictures- War in Black and White
Memories of Rainier- 1961-63 from Chief Gunner Jake Jacobs
With Lots of Pictures from '61
Patricia Kenney Anderson's Memories of her Dad, Chief Charles Kenney- 1942
The WW2 Vet Page
The US Navy in World War Two
All About the Naval Armed Guard,
and a lot of WWII Merchant Marine
and Liberty and Victory Ship Links
Read the Fascinating History of Olongapo City During WW 2
George Sallet's Diary of a WWII Destroyer Sailor
with a reference
to Rainier at Savo Island/ Guadalcanal - 12AUG42-
Were you there ?
Your Webmaster Has Other Loyalties- I Had a Great Two Week Reserve Cruise in 1971 aboard the USS Gearing (DD-710) in Italy.
What a difference steering a destroyer at 35 knots compared to the
lumbering Rainier at 12 !
Gearing operated during the Mediterranean Sixth Fleet Cruise as a Reserve destroyer. Reservists rotated aboard every two weeks. My reserve group had a three day liberty in Rome featuring an audience with the Pope at Castelgandolfo, who gave a blessing to "officers and men of the USS Gearing." We engaged in Operations with SS-483 Sea Leopard (Guppy II class)and engaged in a mock invasion of Sardinia with amphibs, the MArines and the carrier Saratoga. Lt. Vernon E. Clark was Gearing's Engineering Officer. He eventually became Admiral Clark and became
CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS in July 2000!! (I guess that Papal blessing did him loads of good.) I suppose Capt. J.R. Sanderson was in command of Saratoga in '71 as well. Small world out there in the Med.
The Greatest Navy movie of all Times- "The Sand Pebbles."
Finally, Why Do They Call Ships "She" ???
Join the Rainier Reunion Association, MEMBERSHIP ANNUAL DUES still only $10.00 per crew member, each year, payable to the Treasurer of the Association. Pay your dues on or before 1st JAN of that year, but dues accepted any time. This entitles you to membership card and your copies of the ERUPTION plus any other pertinent mailing from the Association. This money helps with printing and mailing of the ERUPTION, needed help for the next Reunion & supports the bereavement fund-$50.00 sent to widow of the lost Xrainier Sailor in Good Standing. (Dues Paid.) We take membership dues anytime. ...
If you have some info/tidbits you'd like to share with the membership
in the newsletter or if you'd like to host a reunion in your area,
contact Bill Welch, president and editor, scrapped1@yahoo.com or (918)386-2449
The 2009 officers/board members of the Rainier Reunion Association are:
Bill Welch, Pres/Editor
Paul Summers, Treas.
Bill Balsley, 2009 Reunion Skipper(San Diego Oct 16-18)
Ted Smartt, 2008 Reunion Skipper
Bob Ridenour, Chaplain
Stan Miller, 2009 Reunion MAA
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The Official 2008 Reunion Group Photo
More 2008 Reunion Pix- Thanks to Gus Bilderback and
Corky Coker's Tire Company
2008 Reunion Pic #1
2008 Reunion Pic #2
2008 Reunion Pic #3
Official 2007Reunion Group Photo
The USS Rainier Memorial Plaque at the Nimitz Museum-2006.
Erected during the 2006 Reunion.
Official 2006Reunion Group Photo
Official 2005Reunion Group Photo
Official 2004Reunion Group Photo
Official 2003Reunion Group Photo
Official 2002Reunion Group Photo
Official 2001Reunion Group Photo
1985 ReunionNavigator Karl Holm, DCA Bob Langston and EOD/Gunner Chris Seger
We are informed by Gene Chambers that a good time was had by all at this year's Reunion in Chattanooga, TN. Be sure to plan to be at the next Reunion. 2009.
The scuttlebut says it'll be San Diego.
How About a GENUINE USS Rainier Ball Cap?
Only Eight Bucks... cheap
(Plus $2.00 for shipping, etc) To:
Gene Chambers
GENE CHAMBERS
23 ADAMS ST. CARLYLE
IOLA, KS. 66749
Telephone: 620-365-2535
Rainier T-Shirts now Available...But not for Long
For you "little" guys, sizes Small to XL- $10.00. For XXL and above- $12.00
Just a few left, and no more in the pipeline. Add $3.00 for Shipping and Handling
Contact Joe Appelt, 117 Deer Trail, Boerne, TX 78006-8959
Tel- 830-249-8575 or E-Mail to bfajpa@boernenet.com
Email Joe to see if your size is still available.
Finally, for just about anything in the
way of apparel, cups, etc. custom
emblazoned with the Rainier image and name, check out
Naval Shopping.Com A little pricey,
but good stuff.
Also check out "Cafe Press" (Google it) for other logo stuff. Search "USS Rainier."
What? Not a Rainier sailor, but want to find YOUR AE reunion?
Check these links...
The AE Sailors Association
For "AE Sailors Assn." information, contact: Jerry King, 1018 Calle Ortega,
San Dimas, CA 91773- Ph. 626-339-9793
Email dd694@adelphia.net
The "Blue Water Navy" Site
Careful, Boys...Don't Drop those Shells !
BUY SOME STUFF FROM AMAZON.COM AND HELP SUPPORT THIS WEBSITE
Click on the Amazon Logo to Find Other Stuff
or Go to Our Amazon Book, Video and CD Store
Here's another book for your consideration- It's not by a Rainier Shipmate but
the suthor promised us a copy to raffle off at the next reunion, so check it out
Visit the Other Members of the NavShips History Ring
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"Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the great waters.
They saw the deeds of the Lord, His wondrous works in the deep.
For He commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted the waves of the sea.
They mounted up to heaven, they went down to the depths,
Their courage melted away in their evil plight.
They reeled and staggered like drunken men, and were at their wits' end.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
And He delivered them from their distress.
He made the storm be still and the waves of the sea were hushed.
And they were glad because they had quiet
And he brought them to their desired haven.
Let them thank the Lord for His steadfast love
For His wonderful works to the sons of men !
Let them extol him in the congregation of the people
And praise him in the assembly of the elders."
Psalm 107:23-32