BROWN, John - CO 67-68 #1313 mail
*** ETR3 - I was an ET (OE Division) aboard the Okie City from November 1967 to November 1968 until I transferred to the Providence CLG-6 Yokuska Japan for the "ride" back to the states. I was a radar tech and also worked opn the repeaters on the bridge, flag bridge and CIC. I learned not only how to read backwards but to write backwards as well. It was my first duty station out of "A" school. I often look back on my time aboard ship and in the Navy. I am now retired from federal service and have started a new career (same type of work - electronics - only newer!) with the state of Colorado. I guess once on the gravy train - always at the trough. I first came aboard her when she had just come out of the yards and was tied to the buoys in San Diego harbor as all ships going through REFTRA. Oh how exciting that was and how scared I was. When I landed at the airport and took the taxi to 32nd St. pier to catch the "quarter snatcher" to the ship I also felt so proud and honored. I remember seeing her for the first time in the bright sun and tied to the buoys. Wow what a site for a young 18 year old. I miss the night when I was assigned the "mail buoy" watch. I knew that such a thing didn’t exist as I grew up as a Navy brat. But, I remember how clear the night sky was and the billions of stars. I've come close to seeing those stars in the bush in Alaska and on the mountain tops of Colorado, mostly I see them over and over again in my mind like it was yesterday.
GERINI, Philip E. - Craig, CO 60-64 mail
*** SM3 2nd Division then OS/CS Division
GREEN, Darrell - Lakewood, CO 68-70send mail
*** PO3 - Worked in Aft Generators
GULLETTE, Steven - Monument, CO 73-75 mail
*** FTM3 - SPG-49 (Dir 5), then to STERF working for Rick "The Eggs" Hammond. Good times with Robert Sanchez, Ed "Edo" Terrell, Doughboy Wilter and I still owe Donnie Slack for Wog Day '73
^^^ Retired from Navy as LT in '95. Now part owner of 2 real estate companies in CO. Still blissfully married to "D", Gary Kemmerling's cousin
HEADRICK, Joseph R "Bob" - Littleton, CO 71-75 mail
*** LTJG - MPDS Officer and DS Division Officer. Also attached to Com7Flt
^^^ Now an Electrical Engineer working with UNIX computers. Divorced with a son (Alex) who will be attending Boston U. in Sept 01
HEUSSMAN, Lewis W. - Loveland, CO 65-66mail
*** SH-3 S-3 Division
HINES, Jim - Colorado Springs, CO 74-78 mail
*** FTM2 - FM Div, started in Missile House and finished in STERF lab
^^^ Buddies were Dough Boy (Don ?), Ed Terrell, Archer, Joey ?, Mike Danler, Skip Penny - Now programming customizations to help desk software
HOWLAND, Edward L - Grand Junction, CO 72-75 mail
*** RM2
^^^ Now in new car sales, have 2 grown children and 2 grandsons and another on the way. Still riding motorcycles as I did in Japan
KELKENBERG, Tom - Colorado Springs, CO 90-94 mail
*** QM2(SS) - Tried to keep the boat from running aground. Buddies were Speight, Mosty, Burchette and many more
^^^ Currently a Captain in the USAF working as a GPS Payload Engineer
LACEY, John J. - Thornton, CO 68mail
*** ETN2 - OE Division - worked on communications gear, LORAN, TACAN and URD4 direction finder.
^^^ I'm semi-retired but still teach computer networking in the evenings and consult for the company I helped start.
LASER, A.W. - Johnstown, CO 45mail
*** A-Division March 45 to June 45, Philadelphia Navy Yard to San Pedro Bay, Philippines.
^^^ Retired Electrician
LOWE, Michael E - Colorado Springs, CO 71-72 #01048 mail
*** 1st LT - USMC - I was the Executive Officer of the Marine Detachment and the Mount 51 Gun Director Officer at Battle Stations. I remember Captain Jerry D. Chase, USMC, CO of the MarDet and GySgt W. K. Hoagland, USMC, the MarDet Gunnery Sergeant & all the Marines who served with me. I wonder where my good friend, Lt(jg) Marc G. Hynes, the ship's Legal Officer is today and hope that he is well. I remember another good friend & liberty partner, CWO Hal Black, ship's Bos'n + hope that he is doing well. I retired from active duty as a Colonel
^^^ Today: I am living with wife, Joan, & sons Christopher & Jonathan in CO. I have 3 other children, Ashley, Meghan and Michael Sean & 3 grandchildren. I am a Senior Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch. I would enjoy hearing from anyone who served with me
MASTERS, Gary - Arvada, CO 89-91 #01072 mail
*** MM1 - I was the LELT. Lived Med-run #1 and narrowly escaped Med-run #2
^^^ Left the Oklahoma City in 91. Joined Rocky Flats nuclear weapons production facility as mtce planner & xfered to radiological engineering a year later. Left Rocky in 97 for "the private sector". Now in charge of computer systems engineering for McKesson Corp
Still with the woman I married while on OKC (15 years 9/04). We have a daughter and son
MATZINGER, Dave - Strasburg, CO 79-80 #1166 mail
*** ETR3 - Worked in SatCom with Mac (Oren McElwain) and Jack Files
^^^ Married with one son
McHUGH, William "Bill" - Denver, CO 70-72 #1290 mail
*** RM2 - I worked in the back "Tech Control" area. I remember my time
on the OK city as a great adventure. It was war, typhoons, sailing, grey and blue seas, R&R, and crazy radioman shipmates.I'm Glad I served.
^^^ I have lived in Denver since getting out of the Navy in 1976. I've been blessed to be married a great lady for 35 years, and have three great grown kids living in the area. I have a small label and printng distributorship.
MILLS, Jim - Greeley, CO 70-73mail
*** RD2 - Spent my time in CIC
^^^ Now a tech rep for GE Transportation Systems. Retired in '96 after 19 yrs in Navy and USNR and 8 yrs in Army Nat'l Guard
MURPHY, Gary A. - Colorado Springs, CO 71-73mail
*** SN - 6" Mount Loader, Phone Talker for Flight Ops.
PFEIFER, Joseph R - Arvada, CO 69-71 #1344 mail
*** YNSN - Yeoman in the Engineering Log Room.. Best buddies Bill Pittman and Joe Reynolds
^^^ Mortgage Loan Broker, married, 2 sons, 1 stepson, 1 stepdaughter and 4 grandchildren.
PLOGER, James E - Longmont, CO 63-64mail
*** Sgt - USMC, Honors and Ceremonies. Manned the 5" 38's with Underwood, Bangayon, Lipsey and Taylor
^^^ Now work for Qwest in Denver
PRICE, Steve - Colorado Springs, CO 71-74mail
*** MU3 - Seventh Fleet Band, Flag Staff.
^^^ Now Manager for Best Buy in Colorado Spgs. Rejoined USNR in '90 and now SK1 with SeaBee Bat. 17
RAINS, Keith - Denver, CO 74-76mail
*** MU3 - Com7Flt Band
^^^ Two wonderful kids and an ex-wife on speaking terms. Work at Denver VA hospital as an Infection Control Practitioner
RENO, Michael 'Mike' - Lakewood, CO 71-73 mail
*** SK3 - S1 Div - best buddies were Tom Wheelus, Jim Taylor, Tom Wheelus, Bob Mandt & Al Kampanga
^^^ I'm a retired Systems Analyst from the US Government Bureau of Reclamation. I'm married with 3 daughters and 1 granddaughter
ROTHMIER, Gordon - Arvada, CO 70-74mail
*** SM2 - CS Division
STANSFIELD, Robert W - Parker, CO 65-68 #1291 mail
*** FTM2 - I came aboard straight out of AN/SPG-49A Fire control Radar school at Mare Island as a FTM-3. I was responsible for the 49A fire control radar associated with the Talos missle system. While aboard I became rated as FTM-2. We were home ported in Yukoska Japan as the flagship of the 7th fleet. I also was assigned to the MK 1 stable element for the 6" guns forward of the bridge and became the gun firing operator during our tours in Vietnam. I spent time lobbing shells into the highlands around DaNang from the harbor. I was also present in the fire control radar room when we shot down our first mig as it flew down from the North. I remember watching the radar screen as the fired Talos come onto the screen and hit the target.
I became a shellback as we crossed the equator. I still have my card. I was also aboard when we were steaming back to the states and was hit by a typhoon. The OK City was sent to sea trials after they installed the missile system aft. She had too much weight topside and almost turned turtle. (As I was told) She was brought back into the shipyard and 22 tons of steel was removed topside. She then had a critical list of 26 degrees I believe. We were hit by a wave broadside during that storm. I was in the radar room below decks and I remember a large tool box jump about a foot into the air and flew 3 feet or so across the deck. My friend, a coxin on the bridge told me that the inclinomoter on the bridge that showed roll (With a bubble) reached 24 1/2 degrees. The ship shuttered for a spell and slowly began to right herself. He said that the officers on the bridge were visibly white. During that storm I believe that the Admirals barge was damaged.
^^^ After I left the Navy I returned to college and became a Mechanical Engineer. I worked for the Boston company of Stone & Webster right after college. After a year or so I went to work for a Denver company called Stearns Rogers. It is now URS Corporation. I was just laid off the first part of December after 35 years. So now, I am doing consulting work in the area.
She was a good ship. I am saddened to know she was sunk as a target ship off of Guam.
STUBBLEFIELD, F N "Stubby" - Westminster, CO 75-78 mail
*** JO2 - X Division, worked in TV Studio and PAO. Did the news on OKC4
^^^ Left Navy in 81 and started my own business repairing guitar amps
TAYLOR, Jim - Lakewood, CO 71-73 #01073 mail
*** SK3
WOODS, Stanton J - Pueblo, CO 70-74 #01082 mail
*** RM3 - I worked in CR Div. attached to COM7FLT and had a lot of great friends and great times in Japan and elsewhere. Enjoyed playing golf in Japan and other ports. Best friend was Ted Eckerson (Rookie); we are still great friends today
^^^ I work for Wells Fargo Bank for last 9 years and have been in banking since 1977. Happily married, play a lot of golf and travel. Looking forward to retiring in the near future
WEBB, Donald R - Grand Junction, CO 73-77 #1169 mail
*** QM2 - My Boss actually found this page. He's interested in the Navy and was looking at my cruise book
^^^ Today I work for US AIRWAYS EXPRESS in Grand Junction as a Customer service/Ramp agent (watch the program airline). Still married to the same wonderful woman I met back in 1975 we have three grown boys and are going to the reunion from now on. The friendships I made on the Oklahoma City are very special to me.
