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Stratford WI | I was on tugboats at Norfolk for a couple of years. Destroyers always had at least one tug made up when pulling into the dock.
However one day we were assigned to the Arleigh Burke as she came in from sea trials and the captain waved us off. He was headed in at such a speed, we all thought "Oh my God, he's gonna end up in the drive through at McDonalds" That thing stopped and slid to starboard just as sweet as you please and they tied up without a bit of help from us. It was truly the greatest thing I had seen.
Along with radar there should be a full complement of watchstanders on the destroyer. My wife was in deck department and she says on her ships the lookouts were rotated every half hour so there would be no nodding off. I can't imagine anything getting close to that ship without her crew being made aware in some fashion. | |
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USS Fitzgerald
