Historic VHS Format Videotapes For Sale

The following items are available from Ray Bailey (USS Franklin, CV-13 Veteran) at  raycbailey3.2.1@juno.com . Ray quoted a price is $19.99 each (plus shipping and handling) and he would probably transfer them to CDs if requested to do so.

 

• Title: USS O’Callahan (FF-1051) Last Port of Call, San Diego, CA. Commanding Officer: CDR Gary W. Schnurrpusch; Date of event: August 24, 1988.

Run Time: 60 minutes

 

• Title: USS O’Callahan (FF-1051) Decommissioning Ceremony, San Diego, CA. Commanding Officer: CDR Gary W. Schnurrpusch;

Date of event: December 20, 1988.

Run Time: 56 minutes

 

• Title: USS O’Callahan (DE/FF-1051) “Faithful and Brave” First Reunion, Ramada Plaza Hotel, Culver City, CA. Host/Chairman: Tom Morrison (Plank owner)

Date of event: July 14-16, 2000.

Run Time: 120 minutes

 

• Title: USS O’Callahan (DE/FF-1051) “Faithful and Brave” Second Reunion, Holiday Inn on the Bay, San Diego, CA.

Hosts/Chairman: Michael and Letrell Cuff

Date of event: August 9-10, 2002.

Run Time: 94 minutes

 

Posted by Tom Morrison

 

 

 

 

Ship Crest Patches

ACCURATE REPRODUCTION OF THE ORIGINAL EMBROIDERED PATCH,  MADE IN THE USA AND USING THE ORIGINAL ARTWORK WITH AN APPROX. SIZE OF 4" X 4". THIS PATCH WAS COMMISSIONED FOR AND APPROVED BY THE PLANKOWNERS OF THE REUNION COMMITTEE AND JUDGED TO BE BETTER IN COLOR AND APPEARANCE THAN THE ORIGINAL PATCH ISSUED IN 1968. (Note: each patch costs $7.50 plus  $0.50 shipping; contact Tom Morrison).

 

EXPLANATION OF THE SYMBOLS ON THE SHIP'S INSIGNIA

THE CENTRAL CROSS IS DERIVED FROM THAT OF THE US NAVY CHAPLAIN CORPS, IN WHICH THE SHIP’S NAMESAKE, FATHER JOSEPH T. O’CALLAHAN, CAPT, SO FAITHFULLY AND BRAVELY SERVED. THE SERPENT WRAPPED AROUND THE SWORD AND CROSSED WITH THE TRIDENT, SYMBOLIZES WISDOM AND STRENGTH AND THEIR EFFECTIVE APPLICATION TO SEAPOWER THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. THE SHAMROCK WHICH FORMS A FIELD FOR THE OTHER DEVICES DENOTES FATHER O’CALLAHAN’S IRISH ANCESTRY AND IS TRADITIONALLY ASSOCIATED WITH GOOD FORTUNE OR LUCK. THE GREEN BAND WHICH ENCIRCLES THE INSIGNIA SYMBOLIZES THE UNITY OF YOUTH, STRENGTH AND HOPE. "FAITHFUL AND BRAVE" MOTTO OF THE USS O’CALLAHAN IS AN ANGLICIZED VARIATION OF "FIDES ET AUDAX" FOUND ON THE O’CALLAHAN FAMILY COAT OF ARMS.

Posted by: Tom Morrison

 

Former Commanding Officers

CDR R.L. Brown, USN………….13 Jul 68 – 12 Dec 69

CDR J.A. Coiner, USN…………..12 Dec 69 – 13 May 71

CDR M.G. Smith, USN………….13 May 71 – 21 Jul 72

CDR W.C. Dunham, USN……….21 Jul 72 - 18 Jan 74

CDR F.W. Bailey, USN………….18 Jan 74 - 06 Oct 75

CDR C. McRight, USN…………..06 Oct 75 - 11 Oct 77

CDR J.C. Strasser, USN…………11 Oct 77 - 19 Oct 79

CDR R.T. Brunnell, USN…………19 Oct 79 - 10 Oct 81

CDR F.M. Frick, USN…………...10 Oct 81 - 15 Jul 83

CDR M.C. Skoog, USN…………15 Jul 83 - 16 Aug 85

CDR L.W. Hewett, USN…………16 Aug 85 – 15 Aug 87

CDR G.W. Schnurrpusch, USN…..15 Aug 87 - 20 Dec 88

Faithful and Brave / Ship’s Crest

A RadiomanSN just out of “A” school, reported for six weeks of USS O’Callahan DE1051 Pre Commissioning Detail in Newport, RI, May 1968. Just before the 4th of July, the PreCom nucleus crew shipped out by bus to Boston for the commissioning of the O’Callahan, (July 13, 1968), sea trials, shakedown exercises, and then sailed to our homeport in San Diego.

Before the commissioning of the O’Callahan, our first Commanding Officer, Cdr. Robert L. Brown, had the original carving of the ship’s crest in his stateroom. Day after day he applied layer upon layer of rubber latex to make a rubber mold. After the initial use, the rubber mold was passed to me for additional use. HM1 “Doc” Bradley in sickbay supplied some plaster of paris. Enough for five or six castings, a couple coats of paint, mounted on a wooden shield and the end product, a ship’s crest/plaque. A couple of our 1st Class POs, plankowners, promoted to Chief Petty Officer received a ship’s crest. There was an extra crest which proudly hangs in my hallway.

While deployed on our first WestPac cruise in 1970, a tour of duty as gunfire support off the coast of south Viet Nam and Cambodia provided a number of spent brass shell casings. The only spent shell casings to disappear from storage were the brass casings. They must have fallen overboard while we were taking 33 degree rolls on rough seas in the Sea of Japan. All was not lost, somehow solid brass ship’s crests surfaced in the Weapons’ Officer’s stateroom. The scuttlebutt from a reliable source; said there was an exchange of spent brass shell casings along with a few cases of frozen steaks and in short order appeared two dozen brass ship’s crests.
A few weeks before departing Japan for our return to San Diego, an All Hands personnel inspection and promotion ceremony was held on the fantail. Along with the various shipboard promotions, the first brass plaque was presented by our CO, Cdr J.A.Coiner, to Lt M.J., US Naval Hospital, nurse stationed in Japan. The Lt. was acknowledged as a “WestPac-Super Steamer” and a honorary crewmember.

The rubber mold was nolonger needed and once again ended up in my possession. The mold is in a suitcase in a storage locker under the Hollywood Freeway. After 37 years, it’s probably no longer flexible enough for additional use. Guess that's what happens when we get older. - Peace!
Submitted by:
Richard E. Settle, RM2
USS O:Callahan Plankowner

Ship's Cigarette Lighters

The only lighters we have remaining are in the configuration shown here. Tom Morrison designed this lighter for thefirst reunion in 2000 and only 7 remain from the original buy of 50 pieces. The red wording on the front of the lighter says Y2K Reunion (at the top) and July 13, 2000 (at the bottom); the red wording on the rear of the lighter says Vietnam. Cost per unit is $30.00 plus ($1.21 for one lighter and $1.75 for two lighters). (USA ... exUS please email first). Note: these lighters have never been used. As far as Tom knows, there are no other lighters available except for the ones found periodically on ebay. Send Check or Money Order to Tom Morrison after email to him for address. (86buggy@comcast.net).