I have a lot of fond memories of my time on the Cochrane. One of my not so fond memories is the time we went to (Forget the port name, Chenhay?) Korea for the second time (while I was on board). The commander Desron 15 was on board, the port only had room for two ships to tie up (other ships had to anchor out). Because we were flying the Desron 15 flag we were able to get one of the pier side mooorings. Our captain at the time declined this and we anchored out (not sure what his reasoning was?). This was typically a libery port, but the captain make it a working port with cinderella liberty. I had liberty the first day (even though I had to get back by Midnight). On the beach I was in a bar (imagine that), and ComDesron 15 (Commander of Desron 15) sat next to me at the bar and ordered up a beer. In talking with him I whined about the cinderella liberty and he chimed right in, he too had to get back by midnight, even though he outranked the captain of the ship, he too was subjected to the cinderella liberty the captain had set for the ship.

BTFN '82-'85

I remember that. It really sucked. I remember being on the pier waiting for the last boat back to the ship. Someone started singing u s s c o c h r a n e to the tune of the micky mouse song. I think it was HT3 drexler who started it. I was pissed off because I couldn't go to pusan and go window shopping on green street.

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by gironpaul</i>

I remember that. It really sucked. I remember being on the pier waiting for the last boat back to the ship. Someone started singing u s s c o c h r a n e to the tune of the micky mouse song. I think it was HT3 drexler who started it. I was pissed off because I couldn't go to pusan and go window shopping on green street.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">I remember that too. I think that landing craft we took to the pier had been previously used to haul garbage, because my civvies stunk after that. I remember a near-brawl erupting in a bar called the atlantic ocean when someone from another ship hit LTJG Velez in the back with a cork from a freshly-popped bottle of Oscar. I greatly preferred Pusan to Chinhae, especailly when the Midway wasn't in port.

Paul, how could you not remember? I must take full credit for being the "author" of the Cochrane Mickey Mouse song. We were all standing on the pier waiting for the last liberty boat, pissed off as all hell at the cinderella liberty deal. I was standing with Nurney and he commented on what "mickey mouse" bullshit this was. Then the words just started flowing:

Who's the leader of the ship from the pineapple fleet?
U-S-S, C-O-C, H-R-A-N-E
This ship sucks, really sucks,
I can't believe I volunteered for this.
Hey hey hey
Haze gray and under way, hope we don't go to war,
cause if we do, I'm sure we'll end up on the ocean floor.

Nurney started cracking up and we sang it again louder and other guys started joining in. I'm not sure if Drexler did, but BT1 (later became Chief) Canterbury joined in big time and actually gets the credit for adding the "Hey, hey, hey" line.

I remember officers and chiefs alike laughing because they were just as mad. Then on the liberty boat, I think it was LTJG Zajic
(obviously under the weather and also pissed off) who started singing "Midnight Special" filled with various expletives. Funny how 20 years later certain events just stay etched in your mind....I can barely remember what day it is anymore.

Rick Gray, EM2 (Cross decked from the Midway)
1983-84[8D]

Sorry Rick. To many Oscars or OB beer. Probably both. Out of all the ships that I have been on the memories of the Cochrane are probably the ones that I remember the most. I was young and had more brain cells then.

Hey Rick the Midway is sitting over here in Bremerton. I pass it about once a week,