I won't forget my first experience with #21 either. Leaving a small town in Indiana to bootcamp then to Pearl in search of COCHRANE in 1975. When I arrived at the airport, I could have sworn the duty driver said he was from COCHRANE, so I got a ride. Arrived at Hickham (sp?) AFB, to the mine sweep piers and boarded one of the mine sweeps at midnight. The quarterdeck personnel didn't even check my orders, just got me a rack for the evening. This was a Thursday, the sweep was leaving the next morning for a dependent cruise to Maui. I was excited. Any hoot, after getting up the next morning and checking in with the Personnel office, a PN1, later being introduced to the BM1, I took a very short tour of the ship. Low and behold the name COCHRANE wasn't the name being so gracefully viewed from the lifeline plaque. It was some other name. I then went to the BM1 and asked in concern, this isn't the COCHRANE? The BM1 was in awe and all hell broke loose, I must have been the quickest transfer from ship to ship in the mine sweep history. I never heard the end of it for six months after I got aboard COCHRANE from 1st Division personnel. The thing was, I forgot what a destroyer looked like from the pictures at boot camp. We don't have ship's on the Ohio river in southern Indiana, ya know. I have more memories of being aboard her and will share at other forums for yours and mine enjoyments.

Make it a Great Day!
YNC(SW)Kris Ewing, USN (RET)