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"Fikes was there when I came aboard. Bordelon Reunion in Oct. in Charleston"
"We never had so much safety equipment to light off the boiler. Torch made of asbestos on metal rod, soaked in JP-5. Light it with your Zippo. Open the door, stuff it in the fire box, open the oil valve and air control, BOOM!!! making steam!!!! a…"
"USS Bordelon DD 881, 6/67-8/70 Forward Fireroom. A School 1/67-6/67. Best Years, Best Ship. An Amazing time of my life."
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Thanks, Phil. Did some checking, reunion dates: OCT 12-16 2017. Re: BTC Fikes. I came to know him when he was the pitcher on our ship's Fastpitch softball team. I was the catcher. Me being an RM, and him a BT, we'd most likely never have met except for the softball team. There wasn't a pitch he couldn't throw. We weren't a real good hitting team, but we were good on defense and "Pappy Fikes" (his nickname on the team, because he was 10-15 years older than us early 20's guys) was so good that we'd win games with just a few runs. In 1966 we won both the Crudeslant, and the Second Fleet Championships. Not bad for a little ol' destroyer ball team.
Phil, Have you heard about the upcoming (September) USS Bordelon reunion? If not, and you'd like info, contact me. You came onboard the month after I left back in 1967, so we might know some of the same shipmates. Did you know a BTC named Fikes?