Welcome to the USS Wedderburn DD-684 Guestbook Forum

Years Served: 68-69…I met up with the Wedderburn while she was in dry dock at Long Beach. Copp BM2 checked me in, showed me the middle bunk in 1st. Div. He showed me ALL his tattoos the next morning. I was not impressed with him or the ship and I was thousands of miles from home. The journey had begun. Today, I am an active working member of the USS Wedderburn DD-684 Association promoting reunion activity. You may contact me at llanierdd684@gmail.com. Come to the next reunion and meet the guys from WWII through Vietnam. Your friends will be there too.

Years Served: 1959-1961…I reported aboard Dec. 59, was assigned to Aft. Fire room, Then Mess Cook then Fwd. Eng Room, Left the Wedderburn in 61 for Machinery Repairman Class A School in 61.

Years Served: 1961…I was a Radioman 2/c on the Wedderburn in 1961. Love to hear from old shipmates.

Years Served: 1966 – 1967…West Pac 1967. Served as Yeoman and #1-5 gun mount powder handler. Also during GQ as the Gun Boss phone talker…positioned on top of the bridge.

Years Served: Mid 1965 to mid 1969…I served my total naval career aboard the USS Wedderburn working in both fire rooms and advanced to BT2 before leaving. I have lots of good memories. :)

Years Served: 1967 thru 1968…I recall while off the coast of Nam the captain and MMC chief woke me up at about 3:30 AM and explained that the ship’s evaporator in the Fwd engine room was down because the saline pump ( pumps waste SALT WATER overboard) needed 4 new wearing rings. I asked if the ship was dead in the water? The chief said we had about 4 hours of fresh water left. I machined 2 new impeller and 2 new pump casing wearing rings as they all watched me. (clearance .008 total between the impeller and casing rings.) I recall that the Captain held a flashlight so I could see the tool bit tool cutting the brass. I believe we had the new brass pump rings made & installed in a couple of hours. Then they had to rebuild and install the pump back online. Not sure how long it took to get the evaporator back online and working. No one wanted to be dead in the water (drifting) off the coast of Nam. Of course we would not have any fresh drinking water either. I did not like all the attention I got that morning. I was the only MR on the Wedderburn then. Needless to say going dead in the water does not help Navy officers careers. We never went dead in the water and sailed onward….

Years Served: Sept 1955_may 1959…I was in the Aft fire room for a year or so then went to forward fire room then forward engine room,then deckforce,i love the Wedderburn ,but hated the fire rooms,i wasn’t mechanically inclined,so i fought it for years. To my shipmates displeasure,but when i finally got on the deck i loved it’ I believe i drove the snipes as crazy as i could. V C Vint our Exc.understood me,he was a good guy. I have a lot of tales i could share ,such as the time i was blamed for flooding officers country when we were fueling at sea,when in fact Hammond BT3 was the phone talker to the ship fueling us,and he walked away from his station as the fuel was rising in the starboard tank above the chow hall,so with no phone talker to the fueling ship,my tank ran over and into Officers country,that’s just some of the things i remember,and there are many . I very proudly have 2 sons currently serving in our Navy,one just graduated from boot camp,he’s in A school to be a PR,my other son is a SB 2 a SWCC who has made 2 deployments,and is getting ready to deploy again,can’t say when. Evan

Years Served: 6…A great ship, I was on board from September of 1963 until November of 1969. from RD3 to RD1. I just attended a reunion in Portland Oregon held September 9 – 14 2009. 40 men from 1944 until1969 attended, next reunion will be in Buffalo New York, June 2011.

Years Served: 1961 to 1965…Went from ICFN to IC2 on the Wedderburn, 2 WestPac cruises, trip to Portland Rose Festival and the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair, six weeks of underway training in Pearl. Worked in the Engineering Logroom most of the time and the IC gang. Showed hundreds of movies on the mess deck. Was a christian at the time but didn’t live like it.

Years Served: 1964…Lasting memory while aboard the Wedderburn was during refueling at sea we went alongside the USS Ponchatoula. They were alongside on the port side when we took cover for shot lines at the aft refueling station I stepped beside the 5 gun mount and it didn’t have the center pin locked and and the power was still on someone in fire control spun the mount and I was crushed between the gun mount and the bulkhead. Was later transferred to Balboa Naval Hospital because of hernia I received so missed the WesPac cruise. After discharged from hospital I volunteered for VietNam and spent remainder of service on a PCF operating out of DaNang and Chu Lai

Years Served: 1964…Regarding previous post about refueling accident anyone who was on the aft refueling station. If you would please contact me at willybill8485@att.net. I don’t remember any particulars except stepping behind the gun mount and next thing I remember I was laying on the starboard side when it spit me out the other side and the kapok life jacket I was wearing was ripped to sheds and then remember waking up in sick bay.

Years Served: …My father, Adrian Porras, served on the Wedderburn, during the WestPac tour, I believe. I lost him earlier this year, but I know he was extremely proud of his time on the ship.

Was a QM striker 1963-1965 on Wedderburn.
We covered a lot of territory while I was aboard.
Homeported in San Diego, but spent time in Pearl, Long Beach, Portland (Rose Festival), and, of course, Subic Bay. Plane guard for several carriers. Ships party in Hong Kong and brief visits to Yokosuka and Midway. A great ship with a great crew.

i have two cruise books 1958 and 1960 if anybody wants them let me know got on a auction

I was SHB3 your barber. Must of cut you hair

As an addition to a previously posedt comment about my,Dad,he was a Plank Owner and served about the WEDDERBURN from her commissioning until March of 1946.

Served from 1966 – decommission
Transfered to DDG 8 after.

Still remember the good old days on 684 in NAM

Denny Kessler,RD1 was in charge and made us memorize the CIC Manuals.

I also remembered Fred Goetz who was very supportive of O I division and helped mentor me in something I knew little about!

Bob Morrisette, Ray Sartor, TG Tucker ,Ken Peterson (a few more)
Would like to hear from you Fred if you get this!

MJGCOWS@yahoo.com
Al Gladwin

I was aboard the BURN as she was recommissioned in 1950 and left the ship in 1953. Our squadron was sent to tour with TF77 off the coast of Korea and saw action both land and sea. I was a FC Tec 3 range finder operator and proud of our little ship, officers and crew. I had heard that we were called the Ghost Ship as the N.Koreans claim to have sunk us three times. They tried, I will give them that. Any one left out there that remembers Wonsan harbor. When we played decoy and the wild sprint to get out of harms way. Yes, she was a good ship to all of us.

I was on the USS Wedderburn for 49 months. I left to attend IC “B” School at Great Lakes Training Center. Made Chief Petty Officer while stationed there. The tour of duty there was good. Retired after 20 years and 3 months of active duty. They are still paying me not to come to work. I really enjoyed my NAVY career and the training I got while in the Navy.

I served on the USS Wedderburn (DD-684) from 1967 to 1969. I was in the Supply Division as a Storekeeper. Many fond memories of the ship and crew. Unfortunately the ship was aging and had numerous operational problems during my two Westpac tours. I have been a member of the Wedderburn Association and attended a renunion in San Diego a few years ago.