When Music is Closer to Home Than You Think

[jkernitzki]

There’s no particular point to this, other than when hearing it again recently it brought back some very strong memories that I thought I’d share for better or worse.

Story Time…

The US Navy has an unofficial tradition following the at-sea, underway replenishment of fuel (UNREP) called the “breakaway song”. It’s a song chosen by the receiving vessel to play over the 6MC (loud hailer) as the hoses and lines are retracted by the delivering vessel and the receiving vessel “breaks away”, increasing speed and slowly steering away from the providing vessel. (Side story but unrelated directly, in the mid-1980's as a young OS2 (E-5) I was qualified as Conning Officer on a Perry-class frigate and performed the maneuver a number of times. Pretty much unheard of for a junior enlisted before or since, but our CO was pretty progressive. Also totally awesome when you’ve got a pair of LM2500 gas turbines and 41,000 horsepower at your command.)

In 95-96, I was on my fourth (and final) sea tour and tenth or so deployment, assigned as the Assistant Officer in Charge of the Military Detachment of a Kaiser-class fleet oiler. As we were the delivering vessel 99% of the time, we just listened to what our "customers" played. One time, though, we were taking on fuel from the USS Willamette (aka “We’ll Ram It”), so we would be the breakaway vessel.

With 12 years sea duty day-for-day over a 17-plus year career at that point, I had more time at sea than most of my detachment combined. So, taking the Old Goat's Privilege I ordered up for our breakaway song (which I hadn’t heard played by any other ship to that point) the only one a long-suffering sailor should ever play, expressing what we all felt but could never hope to state as perfectly during long and multiple deployments:

(with no disrespect to the Beach Boys, but the Fendertones do amazing covers)

Sponsored

 

[Dude]

Interesting history of that song

And I can’t find the fendertones version on Apple Music only the beach boys hit

 

[DWG]

Interesting history of that song

And I can’t find the fendertones version on Apple Music only the beach boys hit

I just checked also. Couldn't find it on Apple Music. Only on iTunes Store.

 

[DWG]

I was able to watch their music videos on Youtube.

 

[rootdoc]

There’s no particular point to this, other than when hearing it again recently it brought back some very strong memories that I thought I’d share for better or worse.

Story Time…

The US Navy has an unofficial tradition following the at-sea, underway replenishment of fuel (UNREP) called the “breakaway song”. It’s a song chosen by the receiving vessel to play over the 6MC (loud hailer) as the hoses and lines are retracted by the delivering vessel and the receiving vessel “breaks away”, increasing speed and slowly steering away from the providing vessel. (Side story but unrelated directly, in the mid-1980's as a young OS2 (E-5) I was qualified as Conning Officer on a Perry-class frigate and performed the maneuver a number of times. Pretty much unheard of for a junior enlisted before or since, but our CO was pretty progressive. Also totally awesome when you’ve got a pair of LM2500 gas turbines and 41,000 horsepower at your command.)

In 95-96, I was on my fourth (and final) sea tour and tenth or so deployment, assigned as the Assistant Officer in Charge of the Military Detachment of a Kaiser-class fleet oiler. As we were the delivering vessel 99% of the time, we just listened to what our "customers" played. One time, though, we were taking on fuel from the USS Willamette (aka “We’ll Ram It”), so we would be the breakaway vessel.

With 12 years sea duty day-for-day over a 17-plus year career at that point, I had more time at sea than most of my detachment combined. So, taking the Old Goat's Privilege I ordered up for our breakaway song (which I hadn’t heard played by any other ship to that point) the only one a long-suffering sailor should ever play, expressing what we all felt but could never hope to state as perfectly during long and multiple deployments:

(with no disrespect to the Beach Boys, but the Fendertones do amazing covers)

Enjoyed reading your unrep story. '89-90 time frame. I can't remember the name of the oiler that refueled us in the Med, but they had a San Diego Chicken costume that someone wore during every unrep.

 

[jkernitzki]

Enjoyed reading your unrep story. '89-90 time frame. I can't remember the name of the oiler that refueled us in the Med, but they had a San Diego Chicken costume that someone wore during every unrep.

Other than a brief embarkation from Portland, ME to ORF on a new Ticonderoga to conduct a team trainer, I was PACFLT my entire career, so I couldn't even begin to guess. What were you riding at the time?

Coincidentally, I was at Hoover HS in SD with Ted Giannoulas (my first year, his last) not long before the call went out from KGB-FM for a mascot. I'm guessing it was early '74 when he first donned the costume. The rest is history, as they say. A messy history, as well.

 

[rootdoc]

Embarked with the Marines onboard amphib USS Trenton, LPD-14.

 

[jkernitzki]

Embarked with the Marines onboard amphib USS Trenton, LPD-14.

Never rode an amphib, though if I hadn’t gotten the AOIC slot, I was going for LCAC Craftmaster. Probably would’ve been less stressful.

 

[TheX]

I sailed on Enterprise and Coral Sea. I miss the people and the places, but not the boat.

 

[ltcdwb]

In 1972 I was on the Inchon LPH 12 in the north Atlantic, Norway exercises. Then a MED Cruise in Fall 74 and Spring 75 on the GUAM LPH 9.

The refueling operation was really something to watch. during one operation we had a Navy officer ride the chair between the refueler and the Guam. I don't remember a song playing, but that was 50 years ago.

Interesting story on the Med Cruise. We were sitting in Rota waiting on the LPH that was coming to relieve us. They were refueling at sea and one of the ships steering had a failure and they ran into each other in a side swipe. The starboard elevator on the LPH got bent bad enough it was inoperable.

The Guam was scheduled for dry dock on its return to Norfolk so the decision was made to take our starboard elevator off and replace the bent one. It took around two weeks for the work to be completed.

As we departed Rota's docks all the MARINES in our squadron, lined up on the flight deck facing our relief. On command, we did an about face and mooned the other LPH as we left.

 

[Bill G]

Got orders to Medregal (SS480), just before she was to go on a Med cruise in ’67. Ireported aboard about 1900 and by 1910 was on my was to Pomfret (SS391) and three back-to-back tours of Nam — what a let down! Never heard any music; no on knew when we left, when we returned, or where we went. They even painted out our name & number so no one knew who we were — brass bands were for the carriers <lol>.

Sponsored