USS MULLINNIX DD-944

 GUNLINE Vietnam 1972 - Page 4 

FTGSN Frank Wood in Main Battery Plot During Fire Mission
I'm on the 1MC with Weapons Officer LT Dick "Roger Dodger" Schrope


Mullinnix Empty Powder Casings - Vietnam 1972

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Excerpt from "The Last Gun Ship - History of USS Mullinnix DD-944"
A Historical Novel By Frank A. Wood

(This must have been on 24 May) SK2 Holly S. White recalls an incident when the Mullinnix was firing gunfire support for a landing of South Vietnam Marines from a few support ships circling a couple of miles from the Mullinnix and a mile or two out from the beach. A steady stream of choppers were picking the marines up from the ships and, accompanied by some cobras, were heading in to the land zone a little ways in from the beach then heading back out for another load. All of a sudden, a big splash came up in the middle of the circling ships and they turned tail and headed 4 or 5 miles out and resumed their circling there! Guess they figured that if the enemy had them ranged that well; it was time to get out of Dodge.

Another time, GMG2 Tyng fired the 50-caliber machine gun mounted on the bridge wing at a fishing boat that was getting too close to Mullinnix. Can't trust anyone during time of war.

To be continued...


MT53 In Action
Note: MT52's Empty Powder Cannisters


Cleaning Up After Major Fire Mission - Vietnam 1972


Brewbaker and Woody, Vietnam 1972


FTG1 Tom Demko With MT52 Empty Powder Casings - Vietnam 1972


MT52 - Note the High Elevation. Must Have Been Shelling Behind the Mountains - Vietnam 1972


Clockwise BM3 Al Thibeault (w/ beard), BM3 Dedham, BM3 Gross, BM3 Zimatis


Aft washroom: FTGSN Frank Wood (Woody); FTGSN Greg Barry (Birdfarm / Birdman)

The handsome men with the toothbrushes in their mouth are yours truly (Frank Wood) and Greg “Birdfarm” Barry – my best friend - from Hanover, West “By God” Virginia. Greg and I were part of the Fire Control Technician gang – me in the aft radar room and Greg up forward . We spent most of our waking hours pointing the gun-mounts. My job in Nam was pulling the trigger for 12 hrs a day. God, forgive me...














Crossing the International Date Line - 2 May 1972


Crossing the International Date Line - 2 May 1972




Vietnam Short-timers Map

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