There were a couple of U.S. Navy Destroyers stranded off the eastern side of Africa due to the Suez Canal closure. So, they joined up with us to get back to the States. I recall that one of them was USS Fiske (DD-842), but the name and hull number of the other is lost in time.

Our sole air defense was a couple of F-4B Phantoms on the forward cats. If they had to launch, we couldn't recover them due to the severe flight deck damage. Our 5-inch guns had melted down and we had offloaded all ordnance at Subic bay before departing.

On 25 August 1967 we met off the coast of South Africa with the British Oiler, RFA Tidesurge (A98). As anyone who has been in that part of the world knows, the seas are horrendous! Tidesurge had been part of a several month long blockade of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) after they declared their independence. Tidesurge said she was going home, so no matter how rough it was if we wanted oil we had to take it right away.

It was an unforgettable Underway Replenishment (UNREP). At first, USS Fiske managed to get alongside, but the seas grew and she was under water more than she was above, so she had to back off. Tidesurge was 26,000 tons and 550 feet long (compare to Forrestal at 59,000 tons and 1,000 feet long), but she managed to supply us with the fuel. She was under quite often with only the fuel lines showing. Quite an act of seamanship!

Brad