OK - I'm going to rant - the support he had - or lack of it was a carrier group armed with only NUKES on the deck!
Kind of like the Japaneese a/carriers caught with the wrong bomb load during a decisive battle in WWII - Ooops.
How in the hell did the Admiral in charge go for 100% Nuke on deck?
And LBJ took Cmdr Butcher to task? What an @ss.
Ahhhhh - whatever - Those who know - Know!
Thanks for the opportunity to vent - hung up inside for a long time ...
As in on the flight deck? Nukes stayed below with a USMC sentry guarding the hatch. In general at least one interceptor sat hooked up on a catapult and a pilot usually at the island if Flight Ops weren't going on. There should have been one loaded conventional with cannon rounds {for the aircrafts onboard guns} as well in the aircraft. The only reason I can think of for a nuke being topside was a GQ drill. {They have to practice sometime. But it doesn't take that long to get a weapon up from the magazine to the flight deck.
How in the hell did the Admiral in charge go for 100% Nuke on deck?
If you mean Commander Carrier Group it's not even his decession as to what weapons are loaded in the magazines. That one comes down from the Pentagon.
And LBJ took Cmdr Butcher to task? What an @ss.
Agreed. He sent that ship into what was determined to be a hostile enviroment and armed the crew with a 50 caliber afterthought and side arms. Not much of a defense against out numbering patrol boats and Migs circling like vultures.
I just can't quite figure out what you mena by only nukes on deck. Not disagreeing just doesn't sound Kosher.
I have some weapons handling experience myself. I was in a nuke capable Army NG unit and I was an ammo hauler. Uncle isn't happy about exposing too much for all the world to see as far as where nukes appear. Every time we moved nukes on the ship it was GQ or modified GQ especially during onload and off loads.
Another possibility as well. Training generally involves a disarmed round. IOW a dummy. It is treated as an armed round during training. That's bout all I can say on that :>}
I do remember some Navy Cold War protocol I was in from 76-80. In general though like I said if they were moving nukes it was likely a GQ drill and not a day to day operational posture.
Airedales and AVORD guys know a lot more about this than me. When we went to GQ I was usually baby sitting the air-conditioning plants below the waterline.