Memories of My First Tour of WESTPAC

By Dave Tidwell (Lt. 1953-56)

I was a junior officer in the Gunnery Department. The story was first related by former shipmate Brownie (Ens. Cloyde I. Brown) in his MAN OVERBOARD article in the February, 1995 issue. (SCUTTLEBUTT) It was interesting that the weather reports did not alert us of the storm that awaited the ORLECK as it left Hong Kong on December 4, 1953. When ORLECK turned east around Victoria Island and headed toward the South China Sea and our destination, the Formosa Patrol, we could see the heavy seas crashing over rocks and cliffs. The Captain immediately passed the word to secure the decks for heavy weather. Leo Lachowicz, Norbert Alaroon and Edward Burkhead, among others, began hauling in the firehoses and other loose gear. When the first big wave hit ORLECK, Lachowicz and Alaroon were swept down the deck. Alaroon grabbed the depth charge racks and was able to stay aboard. Lachowicz was washed overboard.

I was on deck and heard “Man Overboard” on the PA system. I could see Leo struggling in the water off the port side. The reversed engines shook the deck as the Captain maneuvered the ship upwind from Lachowicz. In what seemed like an eternity, but took only a minute or two, Captain Ed Yates had the ship upwind broadside to Lachowicz As it bore down upon him, the bridge inclinometer registered 56 degrees. With such severe rolls, the bilge keel came out of the water with each roll. We feared it might catch Lachowicz and drag him under. It narrowly missed Leo as the ship rolled to port a final time. At just the crucial moment, Charles, “Moose” Leyendecker, up to his waist in water as the ship completed its roll, lived up to his nickname and grabbed Leo by the shirt with one hand and lifted him onto the deck. If Moose hadn’t got him the first time, his chances would have been pretty slim. But that was the ORLECK. Excellence was routine.

Those were about the most dramatic moments I’ve ever witnessed, but the ORLECK was always exceptional. I was constantly impressed with the ability and dedication of the Gunners Mates and Fire Controlmen. When in TF 77, “Deadly” was not allowed to fire high explosive projectiles at air targets as the other ships were. We used VT non-frag. We still knocked down the target with three rounds. The first went through the rear of the sleeve, the second punched through the front of the sleeve, and the third cut the cable. Then we we not allowed to fire at all after a new sleeve was deployed by the aircraft.

In one competitive, graded anti-aircraft exercise we were forced to review and re-submit our score calculations three times before they were accepted. The reviewers kept saying it was impossible. It was the highest score recorded at that time.