As you know the DD950 had what is called a hurricane bow that swept up gracefully from the waterline and fanned out drastically as it reached the main deck.  This was great for smaller storms, but in the big ones it was a real bumpy ride.

Due to your knife edge bow, as you guys entered the giant swells, your ship stayed more or less on a level keel, and although you were seen to have your decks under a mound of water as tall as your flying bridge, fore and aft, while the midships section was completely out of the water and vice versa, the ride appeared to be fairly smooth and level..  I was a signalman, so I got to see the worst. During storms, we were they only ones on deck. Staying on deck was a challenge, between the winds that beat on you, and the blue water waves that tried to dislodge you from your place on deck, and the deck that literally jump out from under you. If I hadn't been so busy hanging on while I was strapped to the signal station on watch, I would have laughed my head off.  You looked like an old cartoon image, you know the one with the character swimming in a straight line from swell to swell, first in the middle of the swell and then in mid air, never missing a stroke!

In a regular storm our hurricane bow kept the screws in the water, and I guess that's a good thing.  But in really heavy seas, like in the typhoon, the bow cut into the swell scooping blue water up and over the bridge, and at times down our stacks, taking out three of our four boilers by the time the storms cleared. Then as the buoyancy of the ship finally overcame the forward inertia, he bow would pop up out of the swell like a cork.  As the bow proudly reached for sky the swell would move to amidships and like an off balance see-saw, the ship would fall, bow first, screws airborne, into the valley of the swell, a fall of 60 or 70 feet or more.  As the bow crashed back into the sea the ship would shudder violently and bury itself in the next swell, starting the ride all over again.  Several of our people were seriously injured as they were tossed about inside the ship, trying to get to their watch, or meal, with the deck pushing them violently upward, and then the overhead smacked them on the head and knocked 'em back to the deck which by now was once again rushing back up to slap them back into the air. 

I'm sorry that I have no pictures.  I would sincerely like to help you out.  We steamed with other ships during my three WestPac cruises, but the one that sticks in my mind was the DD681. We were a team, and a fine one at that.  You may want to go to our web site at www.DD950.com.  There are several ways to contact folks there, and many pictures exist, and I am sure that there are others that feel the way I do about our old destroyer squadron mates.

I remember that at times, we were tied up together in port, and the Hopewell always looked ship shape.  A ships appearance says a lot about the crew aboard her, and the Hopewell always looked clean, well painted, and squared away!  I can remember seeing some Tin Cans that looked terrible.  Chipped, missing paint.  The ships name board was weathered and beaten. The paint that was on them looked like a patchwork quilt, paint of different shades of the same colors all over the place.  Even the personal appearance of the crew is reflected in this.  It seems like the ships that were poorly maintained had officers and crews with stained, sloppy fitting uniforms and scroungy faces. The Hopewell crew always looked presentable, even when working their butts off, on deck.

Whenever I reminisce about the good old days, the Hopewell is there in my fond memories.  I was naturally happy when I found a website for the DD950, but believe or not I was almost as happy to find your website.  It was great to finally find out some of the history of a ship we sailed with.  I will visit your site regularly and look for new photos and information, not to mention more sea stories.  I many have not served on board your ship, but I did serve with you on my own and consider you guys part of the family.  If you should want to swap stories or need some help with something, you know my email address, don't hesitate to drop me a line.  If you would wish to post this message, in part or in full, on your site from this email, I would be proud to be on your pages.

I get kind of wordy when I remember the old times.  I would apologize, but I suspect that you do too!

Bravo Zulu; Hopewell DD681

Don Stine

SM3 USS Richard S. Edwards DD950

dstine54*mediaone.net