I had always heard that it was the painted gold because we were the longest in her class. Must be true.

Seems to me when I was aboard Cochrane 69-71 she was referred to as the "Golden Nose Ghost of the Vietnam Coast", but being a Engineering Ensign at the time, I guess I never ventured to ask anyone why...as I was to be seen, but not heard. Later, I just accepted the slogan as gospel.

My Dear Shipmates,

Here is the real story about the Gold Bullnose. Puget Sound B&DD printed the brochures for the commissioning of the Goldsborough and Cochrane. In the Cochrane brochure, she was listed as being inches longer than Goldsborough. PSB&DD was a privately owned yard and the owner was a reasonable person -- an old time ship builder. He and Captain Benson decided the extra inches should be painted Gold so the First Lieutenant did just that.



James M. Fones

As a member of deck force I often pondered that question, "Why do I have to paint this friggin Bull nose gold?" Just like most things in the Navy, there must be a reason. So, one day while I was presenting a request chit to be dischaged from the US Navy to my division chief and as he was reviewing my request, I asked him "why is the Bull Nose painted gold anyway." He responed as I thought he would..."Because I said so, thats why!" An indepth knowledgable bold statement from a man with tatoos of anchors on his ear lobes, hindges on his elbows, a permanent cigarette wedged between his teeth and a cup of coffee that hadn't been washed since he bought it from the ships store.

And the part about it being inches longer, I don't know anyone who ever measured the ship, but that was the other reason the Chief finally told me when I departed for transfer.

One night while on watch, BTC Wallace asked me to get him a cup of coffee. It was in one of those white ships mugs and I decided to wash it for him. I got it spotless back to new. HE WAS PISSED. I had to listen to him the rest of the watch. But he never asked me to get coffee anymore.

Thats a good one only I wish I had thought of it because Sr. Chief had me running for coffee at least three times an hour.

RUSSELL SEAMAN MMFA X2 '78 TO '80