Comments

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  Pat Henderson May 2, 2011 at 6:48pm

     My first "Persian Excursion" was in 1972 with VP-4 to Bandar Abas when the shaw still held power in Iran. The barracks we were in had what were called "Persian bombsights" for toilets. (Very similar to the old style Japanese type.) We were olny allowed to use one square of toilet paper or it would jamb up the sewer pipes. An new barracks was being built nearby with western-style comodes, but wasn't open yet when we were there.

     You can still see that airstrip east of town on Google Earth. We used the big red hanger at the northwest end of the field.

     We mainly existed on "K" or "C" rats back when they still included the three-packs of cigarettes. I carried one of those "John Wayne" can openers from the rats on my dog tag chain for years. (Until someone pointed out that they could be dangerous worn there.)

   

     Didn't get back to the gulf until we deployed to Saudi Arabia in the summer of 1988 during the Iran-Iraq war. Quite an adventure flying all those MAP flights while those two countries were duking it out in an air war overhead. Kept us RADAR operators busy with IFF and ESM.

     Got fired on by an allied ship once because they didn't get the word about us being in the area. (This was when P-3s started being painted flat grey. We tended to blend into the gulf haze.)

     There has been a lot going on in the gulf prior to 1991.

     I'm surprised that we weren't recalled to serve there during Kwait war, since we already had experience in the gulf.

   

     I'm glad I had the experience of goimg there.
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  Joel Michael Anderson April 12, 2011 at 4:16pm

  Served in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm as a pilot in HSL-49 Detachment ! aboard USS Ford, FFG-54
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  John M Andresen April 9, 2011 at 3:55pm

  
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  James Slayton April 9, 2011 at 3:07pm

  My name is Jim Slayton I was in the gulf twice once on the USS Cochrane (DDG-21) and once for the war on the USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19).
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  Martin Brown December 13, 2010 at 1:59pm

  My name is Martin Brown and I went aboard the USS Greenwich Bay AVP-41 in 1961 as a Seaman. Made three trips to the Persian Gulf and was discharged in 1964 as a Postal Clerk Second Class. We presently have 368 Shipmates listed on the active roster and continue to search for missing men to be added. If you know anyone that served on the GB from 1945 to 1966 please ask them to contact me by E-Mail:  ussgreenwichbay@gmail.com  so we may get them up to course and speed with our great crew. See Shipmate Jerry Packer's comment below as we served together and you will enjoy his web site also.
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  M E Leclerc December 9, 2010 at 1:58pm

  Wow that's some lobster!
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  Andrew Carter December 9, 2010 at 11:41am

  MEF 3-86!
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  Jerry Packer December 4, 2010 at 6:58pm

  I was aboard the Flag Ship for the Commander of the Middle East forces and spent two tours (16 months total) in the gullf (at Bahrain a British navy Base) Back in 1961>1964 time frame.. We also did some very long runs around to calcutta India with a bunch of ports like Karachi , Bombay, Abadan, Aden, Jidda, Etc.. for about 10 more Ports at least. those years aboard the "Galloping Ghost of the Arabian Coast" was quite an adventure for a young farm boy from Cadillac MI.
  I was the liberty Launch engineer so was required to ride the 50 liberty launch in and out when ever we anchored out. pulling into a new port in a strange country and tieing up to the jetty was incrediably exciting. as you can see I am extreamly happy to have joined the USN.
  a picture collection of the ship is a www.picturetrail.com/jerrysplace after a medical retirement I missed the Ocean so we sold everything went to Florida purchased a sailboat and sailed off to the Bahamas & Carribean for 20 years.. Thats another story Dudes.... We need more beer.
  

  

  

  PictureTrail - Gallery
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  John M Andresen December 2, 2010 at 7:49pm

  I was aboard the USS Midway CV-41 for Desert Shield | Desert Storm.
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  Timothy Adams October 9, 2010 at 12:16am

  I did 4 Indian Ocean Deployments, but only three in the Persian Gulf because on the second deployment in 1985 the ship I was on USS Jack Williams FF-24 didn't have CIWS capability. Everyone of those deloyment sucked!