"Now hear this. Now hear this. Man overboard, starboard side. This is no drill". I don't remember
the rest of the announcement, but I think it was to have all hands lay topside to their fair weather muster stations; not
only to have a number of searchers, but also to determine who was missing.
Cool, I thought to myself as I headed topside with my new buddies; Barstrom, Dinderman, Myers, Wentworth, et al. My
first Med Cruise, 1960. We'll give this guy the business for falling off the ship when they haul him back aboard. Spirits
were high. This should be fun. I know there were cameras brought out to record that inglorious moment, also.
Hundreds of pairs of eyes scanned the grey rough ocean, under a grey rough sky. Where's he at?? Why don't we see him??
How far away could he be?? That's a lot of water out there. It's been a long time. We're giving up??
He was never found, but his untied life jacket was. He died.
I'm sure his name was announced at a memorial service. I don't remember it, and it's not on the Memorial Page, and
since this was pre-Viet Nam, it's not on a wall in Washington. I've never forgotten the incident.
At the last Memorial Day at my church, the Pastor asked all the veterans to stand and be recognized. The Pastor said
that not only those who had given their lives in service of their country in time of war should be honored, but also those
who were willing to give their lives in peacetime should be honored, also. I thought of that young man, then.
While driving to Florida on vacation in October, my wife got me talking about Navy days; boot camp, electronics school
at Great Lakes, and of course, the USS Newport News. She asked me if I was ever in any danger. I thought of this young man,
again, and told her the story. It could have happened to any one of us.
I was showing my USS Newport News model, over the holidays, to my grandchildren. One of them asked if anyone had ever
drowned. I thought of that young man, again.
I know it will stay with me, forever.
Williams, J L ETR2 OE Div '59-'62
hello
my name is lonny neiman and i was on the newport news when we lost shipmate
terrence francis mcgee. i thought we secured from g-q and he jumped out onto the net
that was hanging from mount-55 right after we secured from g-q that net hangs out over
the water and a wave came up swept him overboard. i was in mount 53 at that time. i
thought he was in 7th division.
Lonny Neiman
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