USS MULLINNIX DD-944

1968 - Shipyards / Gitmo

1968 Mullinnix Deck Logs

January 1968 (PDF)
February 1968 (PDF)
March 1968 (PDF)
April 1968 (PDF)
May 1968 (PDF)
June 1968 (PDF)
July 1968 (PDF)
August 1968 (PDF)
September 1968 (PDF)
October 1968 (PDF)
November 1968 (PDF)
December 1968 (PDF)



Excerpt from "The Last Gun Ship - History of USS Mullinnix DD-944"
A Historical Novel By Frank A. Wood
Beginning the new year at her home port, Mullinnix left D&S Piers on 15 January to Charleston Ops Area. She returned to Norfolk on 19 January. On 9 February, the ship moved to Foxtrot Acnhorage to unload ammunition. Back at D&S Piers, she spent the month of February at home.

With the assit of tugs both forward and aft, she moved to Pier 4, Berth 26 at Norfolk Naval Station, Portsmouth, Virginia. The ship was due for repair and modifications to her engineering plant, communications systems, and weapons systems. On 12 April, the ship moved into Dry dock #4. At 0844 Callson was in place. They begin pumping water out of dry dock at 0849.

When Mullinnix went into Portsmouth drydock more than 1/2 the crew was reassigned off the ship. The plan was to cut the Mux in 1/2 and install a missile system. Dennis Lips was one of the few the remained on board. After several months they cleaned the barnacles off, repainted and restaffed the ship and away she went with no missile system.

During this drydock period the Commodores Cabin was installed, replacing the forward dual 3" gunmount. After leaving the shipyards in September, Mullinix was assigned for REFTRA in Gitmo for three months - meant as a prelude to the West Pac cruise in 1969.

On 11 June, inspection of all hull openings was complete and at 0950 they begin pumping water into dry dock. At 1028 ship was clear of keel blocks. At 1340, stern cleared the sill. At 1412 she was moored at Pier #5, Berth #35 in Portsmouth, Virgina.

Mullinnix remained in the shipyard until 16 September when she left for Virginia Capes Ops Area to conductr post-repair drills (sea trilas and operational exercises). She returned to D&S Piers on 17 September. On 24 September she left D&S Piers for Anchorage X-1 to load ammuninition. On 25 September she left the anchorage and headed to the Virginia Capes Ops Area. 27 September found Mullinnix back at Anchorage X-1 to take on fuel from barrage. Underway on 28 September then back to Anchorage X-1 again. on 30 September she was moored pier side.

Many a times while at D&S Piers, Mullinnix was tied to destroyer tender USS Sierra AD-18, Flagship for COMCRUDESFLOT 4. USS Tidewater AD-31 was also available for tender duties.

On 4 October, Mullinnix sailed to Gitmo for 6 weeks of extensive training. She was pier side in Gitmo on 7 October. 10 October was witness to Mullinnix leaving Gitmo for a day of drills, drills, and more drills, returning that evening to Gitmo. Same thing on 11 October. She moved to an achorage on 12 October. She left the anchorage on 14 October for a day of drills and training, returned that same evening. On 15 October, after a day of exercises, she returned pier side in Gitmo. 16-20 October was more of the same - out every day, returning to Gitmo. However she did spent the night at sea on 20 October, returning to Gitmo on 21 October. 22-25 October was more training and back into Gitmo every night.

At some point during this training, Mullinnix received a message to cease all drills and proceed at best possible speed on a search and rescue mission about 150 miles from GTMO to take under tow the USS Tullulah which was adrift in the seas. Mullinnix joined up with Tullulah just before dark and towed her back to GTMO. This foreshadowed a similar event in GTMO in 1973, when Mullinnix was again asked to help a vessel in distress, this time the tug Missy. Missy was towing a dredge and a barge. The barge broke loose in heavy seas and, without any radar, the Missy was in trouble. Mullinnix closed in on Missy and led her back to the safety of GTMO harbor.

on 26 October, the ship was steaming towards Montego Bay, Jamaica, anchoring in the bay. She left Montego Bay on 27 October. She returned to Gitmo on 28 October. The rest of October was more of the same - no rest for the wicked.

More of the same to begin November until the 9th when she pulled into Port au Prince, Haiti. On 11 November, she was headed back to Gitmo yet again. While moored at Gitmo on 16 November, USS William V. Pratt DLG-13 hit and damaged Mullinnix screw guard while trying to moor.

0n 20 November she steamed towards Colebra for gunnery exercises, expending 40 rounds. She spent the night in Vieques, Puerto Rico. 23 November found the ship in Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico.

Tony Durrett remembers the following (in an email to Frank Wood in 2002): In late 68 or early 69 we rode out a hurricane off Cape Hatterras that to this day I don't know how we lived through it. During the storm we turned Mt 51 around so that the waves would hit the back of the Gun mount because the gun shield leaked so badly, after the storm the back plate of the gun mount was caved in due to the force of the waves coming over the bow. I still remember going up through the forward compartments and climbing up into the gun mount from the carrier room and using the manual crank to turn her around. After getting it tuned around, instead of going back down through the carrier room I tried to time the waves and go out of the gun mount and back down the deck to the forward brake. I got half way and a wave carried me the rest of the way but I made it inside the brake before the next wave. The officer on the bridge (I don't remember who it was), called me to the bridge, I guess just to see if I was still on board. He let me know in no uncertain terms just how stupid that stunt was. I guess its true what they say "young and dumb".

Mullinnix returned to Norfolk on November 27, 1968 for the holidays and to make preparations for the West Pacific deployment scheduled for January 1969.

GO TO Liberty Call Montego Bay, Jamacia 1968

GO TO Liberty Call Port au Prince, Haiti 1968

GO TO Liberty Call Charlotte Amaile, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands 1968

To be continued...

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30 October 1968 Mux Familygram (PDF)

27 November 1968 Mux Familygram (PDF)

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Mullinnix Pewter Glass Bottom Mug
Each Crew Member Got One When Mux Entered Dry Dock


Gitmo, checking out a USMC Tank (Ken Millstein (left) and 2 shipmates)


Mullinnix bridge: Ken Millstein and QM1 Ankerberg
[Departing or arriving Gitmo, 1968]

President Johnson Won't Run Again

Nixon Wins Over Humphrey








Rowan and Martin's Laughin (22 January 1968 - 14 May 73)

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