Edward M. Burns – Unfriendly Fire
Edward M. Burns remembers his time as the naval gunfire support coordinator on the Orleck and recounts an incident of friendly fire.
Serge Alexander Chernay – From Russian with Love
Serge Alexander Chernay was born in Lithuania in 1938 and immigrated to the United States in 1948 to escape communism. His brother was an aviation fan, and Chernay himself became a pilot in the US Air Force. He recounts his pilot training and his first assignment flying B-52s. In Vietnam, he flew as a forward […]
Serge Alexander Chernay – Above and Beyond
Serge Alexander Chernay recounts the time he and his fellow pilots helped build a new village for lepers in Vietnam and reflects on the experience as an important act of kindness during a brutal war.
Gene Haukoos – They Called Me “Doc”
Gene Haukoos describes his time as a junior hospital corpsman aboard the Orleck.
Rick Butler – The Navy “Snipe”
Rick Butler, a former machinist mate on the Orleck, explains where the term “Snipes” comes from.
Bruce Alford – Navy Coffee Crunch
Bruce Alford recounts how sailors from the boiler room used to take extra coffee during underway replenishments, leading to a shortage of coffee on the rest of the ship
Larry McConnell – Guns & Goodbyes
Retired Captain Larry McConnell recalls his time as a gunnery officer on the Orleck in Yokosuka, Japan.
Homer Castille – “I Grew Up”
Homer Castille describes how the Navy helped him grow into the person he became.
Steve Davis – Rattle, Rock and Roll
Steve Davis, retired gunner’s mate, recounts gunfire during Vietnam and a typhoon near Hong Kong.