USS BELKNAP Association Newsletter

Winter 2003

Hi Ho Silver – A Tradition Begins

By SM3 Curtis Mathews

During the 1973 Arab/Israeli Yom Kippur War, BELKNAP was assigned to the eastern Med as the ship that helped vector C-5A cargo planes into Tel Aviv.

We were stationed 70 miles inside the Egyptian 100 mile war zone. BELKNAP had always been sent out to sea alone for most of her missions and assignments, and this one was as alone as we could get. I loved classical music and Rossini’s overture to William Tell was one of my all time favorites. Capt. Walters was a lover too and he had several reel to reel tapes. We were refueling one day and I had the idea of using the Overture as BELKNAP’S theme song. I approached the Captain and he felt it was a great idea and let me tape the Overture on a cassette and we would play it as the last line was cast off from BELKNAP as soon as we finished refueling. The crew loved it; the oiler crew loved it, and that is how BELKNAP became the Lone Ranger and the William Tell Overture became her theme song. I went as far as having a flag made up, and being a signalman, we flew it as the theme played. It was a blue background with the Lone Ranger and Silver reared up, and, the words, “The Lone Ranger” and “Hi Ho Silver, Away” in white.

When I left the ship on July 12, 1974 I took the flag and the tape with me. I never dreamed that the tradition that I started would continue without me.

USS BELKNAP Commissioning 7 Nov, 1964

By Bob Gilhooly

Commissioning day was a cold and clear November day. The crew was assembled inn ranks at dockside. After several speeches on our deaf and frozen ears, Captain John Law was given command of DLG-26. He turned and gave the order to set the watch, at which time, as rehearsed, the radars began rotation and two bright blue Terrier missiles were run out on the launcher. The crew marched (as best sailors can) on board and manned the rail. Guests were invited on board to see the Navy’s newest guided missile destroyer leader.

One of the old salts in my division said “Come on let’s find the plaque”. I followed him through the ship until we found a plaque giving the ship’s name and hull number and yard of construction. “It’s a Bath-built ship”, he said. “We don’t have anything to worry about.”

I mistakenly thought we would shortly be heading out for places warmer and sunnier but I soon learned we had a lot of outfitting to do, including the installation of our sonar transducer. We spend a lot of time in the Boston Dry Docks, including the one in which the USS CONSTITUTION was housed for maintenance.

I live in northern Vermont where the temperature will go to -35 degrees, but to this day, I think the coldest place I have ever been is the Boston Navy Yard in the winter. There may be shipmates who remember standing watch on the dry dock caisson in a snow storm with the wind blowing in from the bay.