U.S.S. Walton (DE-361)

Son of a WWII Walton Vet

Hello Ed,

First off Sir, Thank-you for Replying to my request.
Dad never really talked much about his time on the Boat. Maybe I never really asked that many questions.

The one story that I do really remember is that when he got his first cooking duty, it was making Corned Beef. He puts the Beef in the ovens and goes about other duties in the Kitchen. Well, it was quite a few hours later and the CO came in the kitchen and asked Dad what the hell was going on. Sailors were waiting to eat and there was no food. Dad told Him that the Meat was still pink inside and didn’t think it was done yet. The CO said that it was Corned Beef and that it is always pink when cooked. He preceded to tell Dad that it would be Tougher then shoe leather, but at the time there was nothing else they could do.

Guess the Mates ate it but probably were not to happy about it.

Bill

Playing with the Subs by Tom Loftis, 1958

Hello Shipmates,

One of the things we did week in and week out was leave Pearl Harbor on Monday along with submarines from the sub base Pearl and practice ASW for a few days and then return back to Pearl on Friday.  Thursday, May 7th. 1958 was not routine.  We were steaming with the USS Silverstein (DE 534) and the others of our squadron exercising ASW with a sub named USS Stickleback (SS415) when at 13:15 the Sub fired a dummy torpedo at the Silverstein then went into a steep dive.

Racing at 17 knots, the Silverstein headed for the sub’s position to simulate depth charging. At 100 feet the sub’s main power unit failed, throwing the diving planes out of control. Raising swiftly the sub surfaced 200 yards from and directly in the Silverstein’s path. The DE could not stop in time to avoid a collision and struck the sub’s port side just forward of the conning tower. The DE cut about half way through the sub and miraculously no one was seriously hurt.

The USS Walton along with the other DE’s were standing by to assist and take the sub personel aboard. The sub rescue ship Greenlet arrived and attempted to take the sub in tow but as soon as the Silverstein backed out of the hole the sub sank bow first in two miles of water. 

I stil have the article I cut from the Honolulu news paper with pictures.  All in all it was a successful day at sea considering we lost no sailors. It was a much quieter evening that night at the old Block Arena over at the Sub Base where we all hung out rather than going down town.    

Tom Loftis,  SF2  USN.

See also Wikipedia history of USS Stickleback   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Stickleback_(SS-415)

Walton survives typhoon….in 1945! by Al Banks

Hello Walton Shipmates,

I served on the Walton from 1944- as an electrician and an 18 yr old kid.—we operated out of Subic Bay, Philippines with the submarines –and we escorted convoys into the Philippines. I remember we escorted a freighter from Shanghai to Hong Kong in a typhoon.   There were mountainous waves I heard that a DE capsized in one of those storms.

That was quite an adventure for me—I am 83 now –I wonder if there are any of the original crew left? That was our home and it stood the test it kept us alive and we were proud of her. There is still a restored DE at Albany, NY called the SLATER.  – Al Banks

U.S.S. Walton: Witness to History: A-Bomb Test, by Tom Loftis

Hello Walton Shipmates,

In 1956 I was on board the Walton as a young E3 / Shipfitter striker, home ported at Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii. All of a sudden a group of scientists came aboard and supervised the installation of what they called a water wash down system. We had never heard of such a thing before this.

After installing the wash down system we deployed to the central Pacific (Marshall Islands). We spent a couple of weeks there anchored off an Island called Eniwetok.  While the construction crew was working under the guidance of the scientists building a large platform on the beach we were taking shore breaks by duty sections playing ball and exploring the Island.  Then in May 1956 the Walton, along with other ships, took our station around the Island and observed the detonation of a 20KT Atomic Bomb.

Many of us, including the scientist, were standing on the main deck with purple goggles on watching this explosion.  As they were counting down I felt like I should not be exposed like that so, at the last minute, I stepped behind mount 51.  I did not get the full effect of the Gama radiation like the others did but I did get enough to peg out my DT-60 and Film Badge.

We all ran inside and dogged the doors closed as the base surge was approaching. We had our water wash down system energized. Afterward those of us in Repair Division (SF / DC) suited out and took our AN-PDR 27 Radak instrument out on deck to monitor hot spots. We scrubbed down hot spots for a couple days until the DCA and scientist thought we were at a safe level. You can read all about the “Operation Redwing” of 1956 at http://nuclearweaponarchive.org/Usa/Tests/Redwing.html .

I reported aboard the Walton in late 1955 and remained there until April 1959. In 1958 the Walton transferred to San Francisco, Treasure Island as a Reserve Trainer. I still have many fond memories of the West Pac cruises and all the good friends.   

Tom Loftis, SFFN, A & R Division.

Thanks for the story Tom.  You were indeed, a witness to history.  Since you didn’t mention any health problems, we are all glad you survived the radiation exposure.  – Ed

“Apple Pie Caper” by Tom Loftis, 1957

Hello Walton Sailors,

About mid 1957 the Walton was once again deployed to West Pac and during that cruise we had a Commodore on board for two weeks. He was trying to be remembered for some unusual saying in all his messages to the rest of the squadron so he would use the phrase “Apple Pie Order” a lot. 

On the eve of his transfer to another of the group…(Foss,  McGinny, or Edmonds) The CO thought it would be nice to have Apple Pie as a desert in the ward room before he left the ship.  The galley was sending out the wonderful smell of baked apple pie all down the passageway and we could all smell it. What the cooks and bakers did not know was that there was an uptake in the forward fire room that had a water tight door on it and it led to the galley where there was another WT door. Well after hours that night one of the engineers slipped up the uptakes and took all three of the apple pies. Needless to say the mid watch along with the sounding security watch enjoyed apple pie. The pans were thrown over the side.

The next day there was no small rampage on board the Walton as a systematic search of the ship was conducted by some of the officers looking for evidence such as pie pans. All of the 20-24 and mid-watches were interrogated. But no one knew anything.  A couple weeks later while reporting to the OOD on the bridge that all was secure the sounding and security watch replied that all was in apple pie order sir.  The OOD made a double take and ran this poor watch stander through the mill with questions but was unable to get him to confess.

Thus ended the apple pie caper…….Tom Loftis, SF3, A&R Division.

Boy, talk about shades of “The Caine Mutiny” and strawberries.  Great story Tom!   – Ed

Bud Brickell and the Monkey… 1962

Here is an email exchange between Paul Naples, Bud Brickel, and Herb Mesler concerning a monkey in Siagon.  I’ll let you decide who the monkey is in this story.     – Ed

Hi Herb:

Got your E-mail regarding Bud Brickell.  Looked for him in the cruise book, but I didn’t find his picture.

Let me diverge for a minute to set up the rest of this E-mail.  When the Walton was in Saigon, Bob Borak (RD3) and I bought a monkey in a downtown bar.  We might have been drinking.  When we came back to the ship, the O.D. wouldn’t allow the monkey on board.  Borak tied the monkey’s leash to the pier.  The monkey was still there the next morning.

I have slides of the monkey on the “next day”.  I can’t find the slides right now, but they are here somewhere.  If  am correct, I have a slide of Bud Brickell holding the monkey on the pier.  Bud — if this rings a bell, let me know and I will redouble my efforts to find the slides.

If anyone wants to know what happened to the monkey, that would be the subject of another E-mail.

Paul
 
 
Yes, I think that was me because I was restricted to the ship that weekend,,,,,,,,  I remember that real well !!!!
 
Bud

The “Bar Room” monkey!

Ditto!  

There you have it Walton sailors.  Paul Naples and Bob Borak get drunk and buy a monkey.  Bud Brickell is restricted to the ship and makes a bond with the monkey.  Doesn’t that bring a tear to your eye?