Post by Bmsn gary j bybee on Aug 12, 2017 18:27:54 GMT -8
I served on grapple from Dec. 1976 to her decomishioning in Dec.1977. We were a very tight crew who had each others backs on board and ashore. The beauty of being on grapple was that we went places other ships wouldn't or couldn't. I remember showing movies on a bed sheet between two palm trees to pacific islanders. I also remember walking on the bulkheads during a nasty storm. Grapple took whatever mother nature threw at her and kept on chugging. Grapple was a great ship to learn how to be a Born's mate. I was on the USS WHIPPLE FF 1062 when we pulled into Keeshung, Taiwan in 1978 and there sat Grapple. I just about cried (bosn mates Don't cry).