I remember Christmas either 65 or 66 or both. Very lonely time even though I was with people I liked. It wasn't home.




Richard Cooper
HM3 65-67

It happened in the weapons department office on the O1 level below missile radar. Dave Melges was aboard when it happened. To the day she was scrapped the dent in the bulkhead where the .45 cal round hit remained. I saw it April of 2001 when we boarded her last

FTG1(SW)DDG-21 80-84 / FC1(SW) NRFF-1091 USS Miller 85-87
Major, Field Artillery, 32D Army Air and Missile Defense Command

The best Christmas on Cochrane had to be the one in 1968 when the
ship crossed the Equator as back-up ship to an Apollo Recovery. Not only on Christmas Day did the Gally put on the best meal while on the Cochrane, all the Pollywogs became Shellbacks. Captain Addams had the
ship ready for a fun and great day. The seas were calm and low rolling
and the sun was HOT by noon. There was a very early Twilight and it
caused all kinds of problems getting the Stars for the 0800 Posit make-up....Uniform of the Day was varied from Skivies turned backwards to just plain who knows what it was???? The only negatives to a fun filled, and great great food day, was the 5-54 round that got hung up in MT #1 as a salute to the DAY, and the clean-up. Cochrane was never a dirty, messy ship, but it qualified
on 12-25-1968!

tom mills/QM2 66>>>>69^

Aye Quartermaster Mills, you are so correct. You reminded me those two events I have remembered both happened on that very same day off South Sea Christmas Island on Christmas Day. All we poor Pollywogs faced the ceremony with much anxiety, the day was especially Hot, and the feast shall we say...odiferous. The Wardroom also had a fine meal that day, and I remember the personal difficulty of remaining at the table as the festive odors of the ceremony wafted over the holiday repast. I also remember Captain Addams allowing us to stand down for the remainder of the day and how I was struck with a deep loneliness, as it was my first Christmas away from home. Looking back over the remaining 21 years of Active/Reserve service, that was my only Christmas underway. Again, that was part of the Cochrane experience…seasoning if you will.
I had a word from our Captain last month. He seems to be well and enjoying a much deserved and wished for retirement.

Ens/Ltjg Long (Engineering)