Spring Field Day '03: The big story for this field day was an amusing tale of two electricians, four strikers, a battle lantern, and a battery. A problem with an electrical outlet in the overhead and a lantern circuit––both in the Chief’s Mess––resulted in a two-day search, tracing electrical lines and power circuit relays. George Gordin (DD661), “Mac” Mackensen (CVL27), and Carl Dillworth (DD546) all admitted to being on the electrical team, but no one would say who was who––electrician or striker.
Meantime, John Ellsworth (DD591) and Bruce Kittredge (DD651) turned to work in the forward fire room securing deck plates and gratings. Ed Eckert (DD698), Tom Andreasen (DD679), Dave Schroder (DD744), and Bill Shields (DD744) joined KIDD volunteer Tim Hayles in the aft engine room. Ed and Tom started stripping the switchboard down to bare metal on Thursday before turning that project over to Dave and Bill on Friday. Tim busied himself with degreasing and cleaning machinery on the upper level and cleaning and sealing thermal insulation with white mastic.
The Spring Field Day '03 crew gathers at the
quad 40mms for a photo.
Photo courtesy of Ed Eckert.
At some point on Friday, the lighting systems in Gun Mount 55 and its ammunition handling room went down. The electrical crew reconvened back aft, and at some point, someone noticed the stripping work taking place on the switchboard in the aft engine room. A quick flip of a circuit breaker and the lighting systems were back online. Much finger-pointing and good-natured ribbing followed immediately thereafter, but no culprits were named.
Tom and Ed headed forward to IC-Plot on Saturday to begin clean-up of the MK-1A fire control computer. [Not very long after the circuit breaker incident ... interesting ....] Their current project there is to strip the paint off all the stainless steel, returning it to its original appearance.
While all of the shenanigans were going on with the electrical crew, Carl Burris was down below in the machine shop filing burrs and edges off the bunk chains and hooks to keep them safe for the overnight kids.
We had two ladies aboard with us this time around. Alice Ellsworth returned after a long absence. She kept John and Bruce company in the forward fire room and assisted John with a tour of sixth graders on Friday. Newlywed Pat Dillworth accompanied husband Carl after learning about the field days during the BROWN reunion last fall. She let Carl handle the electrical work, choosing instead to clean and polish the windshields on the bridge.
Stan and Neoma Nahill (Fleet Reserve Branch #371) served as our galley crew on Thursday evening with KIDD staffer Tim NesSmith pinch-hitting for lunch each day. The Woodmen of the World, who were holding their state convention next door at the Sheraton, invited the field day crew to a catfish dinner on Friday evening. And what would a Spring Field Day be without overnighters? We had ROTC cadets and swim teams from Texas as well as Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts from Louisiana and Mississippi on board for the weekend.