Liae Blog

My memories of the July 29, 1967 USS Forrestal Fire, an article published here which was sent via email to me from my friend Jimmy.

My memories of the July 29, 1967 USS Forrestal Fire. Very briefly, I’ll write about my memory leading up to that day.

I was a recent convert to my faith in Christ Jesus. Aboard the USS Forrestal I made a decision to turn my life over to Jesus and live for Him because I know through things that happened in my life. He was Real wad I wanted to live for Him.

This renewed faith took place on the way to South America, Rio Dejaneiro a stop in route.

The morning of 7/29/1967, I believe some time early in the morning about 3 AM the ship; Forrestal was in extreme north of the Golf of Tonkin, North Vietnam. Forrestal sounded the man overboard alarm and all the men that could, were called to look over the side for him. This happened the same day or no more than 2 days prior to the fire of July 29, not sure. This man was picked up by one of the ships Helicopters and he let go of the safety ring mat was lowered to him, about halfway to the copter. This man was never seen again only sea snakes that, according to the Ships Captain, may have taken him to the bottom.

Back to July 29, 1967, about 10:50 AM, I was hungry and started from the forward part of the Ship to aft. I was heading to the galley and wanted to be early in One to eat lunch because the lines most of the time were long and to eat took awhile. I was about half way past the forward elevator on the hanger deck and several bombs went off and the general quarters alarm sounded, “ALL HANDS MAN YOUR BATTLE STATIONS” and I think it was said, “This is not a Drill”. My battle station was forward at the focsle. I turned and ran forward of the hanger bay to the first ladder up to a birthing area that leads to my sleeping area and forward to the focsle. Half way up the ladder a 10001k Bomb went off and my feet were no longer touching the ladder for an instant the ship seemed to go vertical. When the Ship returned to its horizontal position, I jumped to the top of the ladder and noticed I was shaking on the inside. I had a New Testament, Psalm and Proverbs in my upper left pocket and took it out and read one verse, this one verse when completed, seemed as if someone invisible took their hand and swept through my body. From the top of my head, to my feet and I was completely calm at that moment. I instantly started for the focsle. On the focsle, wounded were being brought for medical attention. I helped to carry water and whatever was asked of me to do to assist.

I remember helping, also, with the wounded in the Ships hallways and one man with his face burned off or to a black char, asked if He could have a cigarette to smoke. He was given one in his mouth mat looked like a note below the chin This seemed to satisfy hint Later, the Captain wanted men to help aft hanger bay to put out fires. I went aft and helped put on OBA’s (Oxygen Breathing Apparatus), on men going in to aft compartments to extinguish Fires, plus the danger of thick smoke and chlorine gas from the burning floor tile One man was reported found dead with watches on both arms. This man had on an OBA but may not have heard the warning ding because of Ms taking watches from the dead sailors His acts do not reflect the overall heroism of the men who fought the fires that day. (The reason I told this is to show that not everyone had their mind on the fire – bet most of them did) One story that was told later by the chaplain was about a Christian man who, also, carried a small New Testament and went into the burning compartments and saved several men and in his last attempt, he did not return and was later found dead.

After the fires were out, it took about three days to get to the Philippians, Subic Bay, where we took off the dead men. Three days of seeing the slain men on the hanger bay while going to chow to eat was something that could not be avoided I remember the men in wire stokes or basket looking things that were used to transport men from ship to ship. The bodies were not lying neatly like one would see a body at home, these men were on their bellies, sides and backs; whatever way they were placed when retrieved from their place of death.

My memories of the July 29, 1967 USS Forrestal Fire
Very briefly, I’ll write about my memory leading up to that day. I was a recent convert to my faith in Christ Jesus. Aboard the USS Forrestal I made a decision to turn my life over to Jesus and live for Him because I know through things that happened in my life. He was Real wad I wanted to live for Him. This renewed faith took place on the way to South America, Rio Dejaneiro a stop in route.
The morning of 7/29/1967, I believe some time early in the morning about 3 AM the ship; Forrestal was in extreme north of the Golf of Tonkin, North Vietnam. Forrestal sounded the man overboard alarm and all the men that could, were called to look over the side for him. This happened the same day or no more than 2 days prior to the fire of July 29, not sure. This man was picked up by one of the ships Helicopters and he let go of the safety ring mat was lowered to him, about halfway to the copter. This man was never seen again only sea snakes that, according to the Ships Captain, may have taken him to the bottom.

Back to July 29, 1967, about 10:50 AM, I was hungry and started from the forward part of the Ship to aft. I was heading to the galley and wanted to be early in One to eat lunch because the lines most of the time were long and to eat took awhile. I was about half way past the forward elevator on the hanger deck and several bombs went off and the general quarters alarm sounded, “ALL HANDS MAN YOUR BATTLE STATIONS” and I think it was said, “This is not a Drill”. My battle station was forward at the focsle. I turned and ran forward of the hanger bay to the first ladder up to a birthing area that leads to my sleeping area and forward to the focsle. Half way up the ladder a 10001k Bomb went off and my feet were no longer touching the ladder for an instant the ship seemed to go vertical. When the Ship returned to its horizontal position, I jumped to the top of the ladder and noticed I was shaking on the inside. I had a New Testament, Psalm and Proverbs in my upper left pocket and took it out and read one verse, this one verse when completed, seemed as if someone invisible took their hand and swept through my body. From the top of my head, to my feet and I was completely calm at that moment. I instantly started for the focsle. On the focsle, wounded were being brought for medical attention. I helped to carry water and whatever was asked of me to do to assist. I remember helping, also, with the wounded in the Ships hallways and one man with his face burned off or to a black char, asked if He could have a cigarette to smoke. He was given one in his mouth mat looked like a note below the chin This seemed to satisfy hint Later, the Captain wanted men to help aft hanger bay to put out fires. I went aft and helped put on OBA’s (Oxygen Breathing Apparatus), on men going in to aft compartments to extinguish Fires, plus the danger of thick smoke and chlorine gas from the burning floor tile One man was reported found dead with watches on both arms. This man had on an OBA but may not have heard the warning ding because of Ms taking watches from the dead sailors His acts do not reflect the overall heroism of the men who fought the fires that day. (The reason I told this is to show that not everyone had their mind on the fire – bet most of them did) One story that was told later by the chaplain was about a Christian man who, also, carried a small New Testament and went into the burning compartments and saved several men and in his last attempt, he did not return and was later found dead.

After the fires were out, it took about three days to get to the Philippians, Subic Bay, where we took off the dead men. Three days of seeing the slain men on the hanger bay while going to chow to eat was something that could not be avoided I remember the men in wire stokes or basket looking things that were used to transport men from ship to ship. The bodies were not lying neatly like one would see a body at home, these men were on their bellies, sides and backs; whatever way they were placed when retrieved from their place of death.

To read more of this story and other works by Jimmy, please visit his site:
http://www.revski.org