The Fall Field Day '02 crew gathers for a photo
in the museum's snack bar after breakfast.
Fall Field Day '02: Out of thirteen participants this past October, the old salts outnumbered the first-timers nine to four. Eight states were represented––Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, and Virginia––and three former crew members of the KIDD returned to Baton Rouge for a slice of life destroyer-style. The weather was not as cooperative this time around, with heavy rains all day on Saturday. Undeterred, though, our field day crew found plenty below decks to keep them occupied throughout the weekend.
Deck plates, deck plates, and more deck plates. Will there ever be an end to them? That was the question that most of the black gang is probably asking from the depths
of the aft fireroom. Tim Hayles, Richard Ammon (DD661), Max Igleheart (BB40), Vernon Dascher (BB40), Daniel Outman, and KIDD volunteer Rich Worley (DD576) all turned to down the hole to polish off this knee-killing, back-breaking job. By the end of the day on Thursday, every deck plate and grating in the space had been drilled, tapped, and secured as per Navy regulations. Rick, Richard, and Max also continued painting, expanding upon the work already done in the spring and during the course of the year by our regular volunteers.
Tim, Daniel, and Vernon migrated aft to the aft engineroom in the meantime. Richard Jones and Marco Madrazo had done quite a bit of clean-up in this space back in the spring, making the wrap-up a little easier now for the fall crew. The guys vacuumed, polished, and replaced light bulbs throughout both levels. The looks of the place were immensely improved as a result.
Ed Eckert (DD698) and Thomas Andreason (DD679) adopted IC-Plot, pulling out the elbow grease and multiple cans of Never Dull. By the end of the weekend, the space shined like new. Mack Bradley (DD661) took his usual post in Combat Information (CIC) and tidied things up. George Gordin (DD661) put the wrench on several loose dogs throughout the ship, tightening them down to prevent guests from receiving a knock on the head while touring. Carlous Burris (DD677), grandson Clay (age 10), and Kevin Outman (age 9) were busy in Radio Central and tracing problems in the speaker system. John Ellsworth (DD591) helped to finish off the cleaning of our canvas bunk bottoms in the aft crew quarters, as well as the securing of some of our footlockers.
Ben Fernandez (DDG16 and FF1074) and wife Jo Ann arrived in Baton Rouge to handle the galley for us again.