The following account of the years 1966 to 1968 was written by former OZBOURN captain, John Denham.

USS OZBOURN HISTORY 1966-1968

OZBOURN returned to her home port in Long Beach, California from another SEVENTH. Fleet employment on 7 February 1966 . For the next month she underwent stand-down and a much needed shipyard availability. In March Commander John G. Denham ,USN relieved Commander Nelson as Commanding Officer. and commenced a concentrated period of training in preparation for assignment as a home ported unit of the SEVENTH Fleet in Japan On 25 June 1966 OZBOURN departed with COMMANDER DESTROYER DIVISION 92 embarked in company with DESTROYER DIVISION 92 (HOLLISTER,CHANDLER,MANSFIELD) for Japan with a short stop over in Pearl Harbor. On arrival in Yokosuka, Japan on 15 July DESTROYER DIVISION 92 joined with DESTROYER DIVISION 91 and replaced DESTROYER SQUADRON 3 as the home ported Western Pacific Destroyer Squadron.. Although the ships changed, many of the DESTROYER SQUADRON 3 enlisted crew members swapped with the newly arrived DESTROYER SQUADRON 9 sailors who were eager to return to the Continental United States. The meaning of "Asiatic Fleet Sailor" was evident immediately. By 1 August OZBOURN was settled in and began local Anti-Submarine Warfare training operations as a unit of the SEVENTH Fleet. On 13 August, with families still arriving OZBOURN departed for a Naval Gun Fire Support (NGFS) assignment in Vietnam. "Gun Line" duty consisted of patrolling in an assigned area and providing shore bombardment as requested in support of friendly forces. Army, Marine, Navy and Air Force air and ground spotters kept OZBOURN busy almost around the clock as she moved from zone to zone on the coast and up the rivers of Vietnam. During 1966 OZBOURN visited Singapore, Subic Bay, Okinawa, and, conducted special operations with the Republic of Korea Navy in the Sea of Japan. On November 3, OZBOURN returned to Yokosuka and was fitted out as a recovery vessel for Operation Gemini, astronaut recovery. This was followed by a special assignment as Station Ship Hong Kong which allowed OZBOURN families to visit Hong Kong and the crew to get in their Christmas shopping. OZBOURN was at home in Yokosuka for Christmas and the holidays. In this short period overseas OZBOURN had steamed 15,000 miles conducted 29 Underway Replenishments and indoctrinated 200 polliwogs into the Realm of Neptunus Rex.

1967 started with an assignment escorting the ENTERPRISE in the Gulf of Tonkin. Normally a quiet employment , this tour was frequently interrupted with a special task of herding snooping trawlers out of the operating areas. Although escort and plane guard duty are not normally exciting, the ability of a destroyer to function properly in all facets of naval warfare must be honed constantly. A month with the fast carrier task groups provided OZBOURN with cracker-jack 30 knot task force Officer of the Deck's, bridge-Combat Information Center teams and a steam tight engineering plant. In late February, after months of hard steaming and fleet operations OZBOURN was rewarded with a much needed availability and dry docking in Yokosuka; accompanied with several inspections. In spite of the heavy demands for operations and involvement in the combat areas OZBOURN successfully completed all the requirements for combat operational readiness and training competition and was awarded the 1966 type commanders "E" in all departments and the squadron"E"

After a few weeks in the home port, which was more work than rest, OZBOURN again headed South. On 25 March 1967 OZBOURN was taken under fire at the DMZ and sustained two direct hits knocking out the gun director, radars, the Anti-Submarine rocket (ASROC) missile system and magazine. Two ASROC missiles were ignited generating intense heat and flame that caused other units in the area to think OZBOURN had blown up. With heavy smoke streaming from her midsection and damage control parties still putting out hot spots, OZBOURN limped seaward. Senior Chief McCarthy (Chairmen of ship's Welfare and Recreation Committee) joined the C.O. on the bridge. While both were viewing the charred remains of the ASROC deck, the chief casually mentioned "We don"t want to miss our Underway Replenishment Captain, you know how the boys look forward to their mail." Repairs were completed in Subic Bay and the crew was given a short visit to Manila and a special visit to the San Miguel Brewery before returning to the Gulf.

Captain, John Denham cont.  >>