Free Republic
Browse · Search
VetsCoR
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

The FReeper Foxhole Remembers the USS Forrestal Fire (7/29/1967) - Oct 14th, 2003
Naval Aviation News ^ | October 1967 | Senior Chief Journalist John D. Burlage

Posted on 10/14/2003 12:00:21 AM PDT by SAMWolf



Lord,

Keep our Troops forever in Your care

Give them victory over the enemy...

Grant them a safe and swift return...

Bless those who mourn the lost.
.

FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer
for all those serving their country at this time.


...................................................................................... ...........................................

U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues

Where Duty, Honor and Country
are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.

Our Mission:

The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans.

In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel free to address their specific circumstances or whatever issues concern them in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, brotherhood and support.

The FReeper Foxhole hopes to share with it's readers an open forum where we can learn about and discuss military history, military news and other topics of concern or interest to our readers be they Veteran's, Current Duty or anyone interested in what we have to offer.

If the Foxhole makes someone appreciate, even a little, what others have sacrificed for us, then it has accomplished one of it's missions.

We hope the Foxhole in some small way helps us to remember and honor those who came before us.

To read previous Foxhole threads or
to add the Foxhole to your sidebar,
click on the books below.

The Forrestal Fire


The day was a typical one for the 5,000 officers and enlisted men of the attack aircraft carrier USS Forrestal as the huge, 80,000-ton ship cut a wake through the calm waters of the Gulf of Tonkin. It was as typical as it could be, that is, for men at war. And the men of Forrestal were definitely in combat. For the first time since their ship was commissioned in October 1955, they had been launching aircraft from her flight deck on strikes against an enemy whose coastline was only a few miles over the horizon.

The ship in which these men served was the first U.S. carrier built from the keel up with the angled deck that enables aircraft to be launched and recovered simultaneously. For four days, the planes of Attack Carrier Air Wing 17 had been launched on, and recovered from, about 150 missions against targets in North Vietnam. On the ship's four-acre flight deck, her crewmen went about the business at hand, the business of accomplishing the second launch of the fifth day in combat.



Overhead, the hot, tropical sun beat down from a clear sky.

It was just about 10:50 a.m. (local time), July 29, 1967.

The launch that was scheduled for a short time later was never made.

This is the story of the brave men of USS Forrestal.

It is not a story about just a few individuals. Or ten. Or twenty. Or fifty. It is the story of hundreds of officers and enlisted men who were molded by disaster into a single cohesive force determined to accomplish one mission: Save their ship and their shipmates.

It is the story of the acts of heroism they performed-acts so commonplace, accomplished with such startling regularity, that it will be impossible to chronicle all of them. It will be impossible for a very simple reason:All of them will never be known.


This is what is believed to be the last photo taken of the Forrestal on the morning of July 29, 1967


Lt. Cmdr. Robert "Bo" Browning one of the pilots due for launch with many others, he was seated in the cockpit of his fueled and armed Skyhawk; the plane was spotted way aft, to port. Lt. Cmdr. John S. McCain III said later he heard a "whooshy" sound then a "low-order explosion" in front of him. Suddenly, two A-4s ahead of his plane were engulfed in flaming jet fuel — JP-5 — spewed from them. A bomb dropped to the deck and rolled about six feet and came to rest in a pool of burning fuel.

The awful conflagration, which was to leave 132 Forrestal crewmen dead, 62 more injured and two missing and presumed dead, had begun.

As the searing flames, fed by the spreading JP-5, spread aft and began to eat at the aircraft spotted around the deck, Lt. Cmdr. Browning escaped from his plane. He ducked under the tails of two Skyhawks spotted alongside his and ran up the flight deck toward the island area. Twice, explosions knocked him off balance. But he made it.



The fire soon enveloped all the aircraft in its wake. It spread to the fantail, to decks below. Bombs and ammunition were touched off in the midst of early fire-fighting efforts. Black, acrid smoke boiled into the sky. Other ships on Yankee Station sped to the aid of the stricken carrier.

As the fuel-fed fire licked at planes, ammunition and bombs, the heroes of Forrestal rushed to avert a total disaster; some died in the process. A chief petty officer, armed only with a small fire extinguisher, ran toward the bomb that had dropped to the flight deck. He was killed when it exploded as were members of fire-fighting teams trying to wrestle fire hoses into position. Shrapnel from the explosion was thrown a reported 400 feet.

"I saw a dozen people running . . into the fire, just before the bomb cooked off," Lt. Cmdr. Browning was quoted as saying later. He called very one of them "a hero of the first magnitude."

That was only the beginning.


This photo shows one of the bomb explosions at the rear of the ship, with smoke billowing.


"There was a horrendous explosion that shook 'Angel Two Zero.' It seemed as if the whole stern of the Forrestal had erupted. Suddenly there were rafts, fuel tanks, oxygen tanks, trop tanks and debris of every description floating in the water below."

The description is from Lt. David Clement, pilot of a rescue helicopter from the carrier USS Oriskany (CV 34), who had been asked to fly plane guard for Forrestal after completing a flight to that carrier. Soon, he and his crew — Ens. Leonard M. Eiland, Jr., Aviation Machinist's Mate (Jets) 3rd Class James D. James, Jr., and Airman Albert E. Barrows — would be on a far different mission. They would be rescuing Forrestal crewmen who jumped, fell or were knocked from the carrier — no less than five times within an hour. Later, they would be shuttling medical supplies to the stricken ship. The continuing explosions on Forrestal's flight deck would rock their helo, leaving the ship's aft end, in Lt. Clement's words, "a mass of twisted steel, with holes in the flight deck, a vacant space where there had been many aircraft and a towering column of black and gray smoke and flames."


As the Forrestal burned, a huge black cloud rolled off the Tonkin Gulf. Note how small the carrier looks in relation to the smoke plume. (It is just barely visible on the extreme lower left.)


At 11:47 A.M., Forrestal reported the flight deck fire was under control.

At 12:15, the ship sent word that the flight deck fire was out.

At 12:45, stubborn fires remained on the 01 and 02 levels and in hangar bay three. All available COD (Carrier Onboard Delivery) aircraft were being sent to the carriers Oriskany and USS Bon Homme Richard (CV 31) to be swiftly rigged with litters medical evacuation.



TOPICS: VetsCoR
KEYWORDS: forrestalfire; freeperfoxhole; michaeldobbs; usnavy; ussforrestal; veterans; vietnam
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 61-8081-100101-120121-131 last
To: quietolong
Fate has a strange way of working out doesn't it. One different decision and your whole life takes anothe course.
121 posted on 10/15/2003 7:40:01 PM PDT by SAMWolf (Where there's a will, there's an inheritance tax.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 112 | View Replies]

To: SAMWolf
Yes and it gets better.

I took orders to a VP squadron out of Moffett Field CA. ( which also means I did’t get to be in the Final Count down movie) And stayed out there after I got off of active to 1990

So I was out there when the Big One Hit in 89. at the time I lived north of San Francisco. And on that day I was down in the south bay installing some equipment. As I left to head back home. I go to my self “ what the heck why fight traffic let’s stop at St. James and have a beer & burger” ( a place right outside Moffett) ( I could kick back for two hours but only get home a 1/2 Hr. later)

Because I was more on the east side of the bay. If I would have went right home I would have taken the freeway that runs up the east side the bay.
And because of that decision I was playing a new sit-down race car driving video game. That as I rounded a corner to “fast” and started to run off the track. The game starts shaking. I’m going “ Cool” Then as the car begins to flip the game starts bang the wall. Wait a minuet here. Look up to see all the glasses flying off the shelves behind the bar. and go ops. it’s not the game
EARTHQUAKE!

So I grab my beer and head out the door. Only to see the need to time my exit between the cars in the parking lot. Which are rolling together and apart.

After it was all over. And get back inside, get a TV working. And see the reports of the large section of the double deck portion of 880 freeway had collapsed.
Now the timeing was that if I haden’t stopped. I would have been in the middle of it. ( And north bound traffic was on the lower deck) Or at best a mile either side!
And do you know what the name of the freeway was??
The Nimitz Freeway!
122 posted on 10/16/2003 2:16:03 AM PDT by quietolong
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 121 | View Replies]

To: SAMWolf
Yes and it gets better.

I took orders to a VP squadron out of Moffett Field CA. ( which also means I did’t get to be in the Final Count down movie) And stayed out there after I got off of active to 1990

So I was out there when the Big One Hit in 89. at the time I lived north of San Francisco. And on that day I was down in the south bay installing some equipment. As I left to head back home. I go to my self “ what the heck why fight traffic let’s stop at St. James and have a beer & burger” ( a place right outside Moffett) ( I could kick back for two hours but only get home a 1/2 Hr. later)

Because I was more on the east side of the bay. If I would have went right home I would have taken the freeway that runs up the east side the bay.
And because of that decision I was playing a new sit-down race car driving video game. That as I rounded a corner to “fast” and started to run off the track. The game starts shaking. I’m going “ Cool” Then as the car begins to flip the game starts bang the wall. Wait a minuet here. Look up to see all the glasses flying off the shelves behind the bar. and go ops. it’s not the game
EARTHQUAKE!

So I grab my beer and head out the door. Only to see the need to time my exit between the cars in the parking lot. Which are rolling together and apart.

After it was all over. And get back inside, get a TV working. And see the reports of the large section of the double deck portion of 880 freeway had collapsed.
Now the timeing was that if I haden’t stopped. I would have been in the middle of it. ( And north bound traffic was on the lower deck) Or at best a mile either side!
And do you know what the name of the freeway was??
The Nimitz Freeway!
123 posted on 10/16/2003 2:19:12 AM PDT by quietolong
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 121 | View Replies]

To: SAMWolf
Yes and it gets better.

I took orders to a VP squadron out of Moffett Field CA. ( which also means I did’t get to be in the Final Count down movie) And stayed out there after I got off of active to 1990

So I was out there when the Big One Hit in 89. at the time I lived north of San Francisco. And on that day I was down in the south bay installing some equipment. As I left to head back home. I go to my self “ what the heck why fight traffic let’s stop at St. James and have a beer & burger” ( a place right outside Moffett) ( I could kick back for two hours but only get home a 1/2 Hr. later)

Because I was more on the east side of the bay. If I would have went right home I would have taken the freeway that runs up the east side the bay.
And because of that decision I was playing a new sit-down race car driving video game. That as I rounded a corner to “fast” and started to run off the track. The game starts shaking. I’m going “ Cool” Then as the car begins to flip the game starts bang the wall. Wait a minuet here. Look up to see all the glasses flying off the shelves behind the bar. and go ops. it’s not the game
EARTHQUAKE!

So I grab my beer and head out the door. Only to see the need to time my exit between the cars in the parking lot. Which are rolling together and apart.

After it was all over. And get back inside, get a TV working. And see the reports of the large section of the double deck portion of 880 freeway had collapsed.
Now the timeing was that if I haden’t stopped. I would have been in the middle of it. ( And north bound traffic was on the lower deck) Or at best a mile either side!
And do you know what the name of the freeway was??
The Nimitz Freeway!
124 posted on 10/16/2003 2:20:06 AM PDT by quietolong
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 121 | View Replies]

To: quietolong
How did that happen?? My window locked up wouldn’t respond. Now I see it posted 3x???

Take 2 off
125 posted on 10/16/2003 5:19:06 PM PDT by quietolong
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 122 | View Replies]

To: SAMWolf
Well dammit Sam, Let's give it up for the FID!
126 posted on 10/16/2003 7:04:37 PM PDT by X-FID ( The police aren't in the streets to create disorder; they are in the streets to preserve disorder.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: quietolong
Me thinks you have a "charmed" life.
127 posted on 10/16/2003 7:07:24 PM PDT by SAMWolf (A day without sunshine is like night.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 122 | View Replies]

To: quietolong
That's ok, It happens sometimes. Don't worry about it.
128 posted on 10/16/2003 7:08:39 PM PDT by SAMWolf (A day without sunshine is like night.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 125 | View Replies]

To: X-FID
Those Sailors did a great job that day. A lot of them paid the ultimate price to save their ship.
129 posted on 10/16/2003 7:14:39 PM PDT by SAMWolf (A day without sunshine is like night.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 126 | View Replies]

To: SAMWolf
I saw the training films, it was horrendous. Ironically the 'Mighty O'was in the same film.
130 posted on 10/16/2003 7:25:04 PM PDT by X-FID ( The police aren't in the streets to create disorder; they are in the streets to preserve disorder.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 129 | View Replies]

To: Johnny Gage
This is an FYI kind of thing, I'm not trying to be a smart alec or whatever but what you have pictured there is an A-5A (A3J) A-5 is after congressional redo of military designation system. The A-5A had no reconnaissance capability, it was strictly a nuke dropper. The RA-5C was made to find a job for the aircraft after the subs beat out NavAir for the nuke strike roll. To my Dad who is still NAVY to the core after 50 yrs. it is still an A3J, (if congress couldn't figure out navy terminology that's no reason to change the system to him). One note that freepers might find amusing is that the Marines did hoodwink congress with navy terminology, during the Korean war they asked congress for more F4U corsairs and congressmen told them what they really wanted was neat new jets. The Marines went to Vought aivation and had them add new hard points to the F4U, called it the AU (Attack, Vought, first type) and the congressmen said "how many do you want?"
131 posted on 04/06/2005 12:00:55 AM PDT by super dave48
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 61-8081-100101-120121-131 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
VetsCoR
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson