Our Market Time patrol period continued uneventfully up until the end. With the exception of time off station for refueling from oilers, our days were spent steaming along the DMZ barrier patrol, watching for contacts and ensuring that none of our vessels crossed north of the line.

During one of our refuelings we had occasion to be alongside the oiler at the same time as the hospital ship REPOSE was receiving fuel from the other side. While we were close aboard, a period of about forty minutes, three helicopters from the beach were received aboard the REPOSE, bringing casualties from land operations to receive medical attention at what is in all respects a completely equipped hospital. It was sobering to think of the action, and the resulting casualties, taking place so near at hand, but it was gratifying, in another respect, to know of the availability of the fine medical attention that these men will receive, and that there is a time lag of something on the order of half an hour between injury in battle and arrival at a fully equipped medical facility. These large white vessels, patrolling near the coast, have been the saviors of many men who in previous wars would have died but for the care that they can now receive in such short order.

Our original schedule called for relief by the IMPLICIT on 28 July, but she experienced an engine casualty in the last minutes before getting underway from Subic Bay, and was unable to make the transit to the station. It was necessary for us to remain on station until the fourth of August, when one of the ships from the division which will assume our duties for the next five months was scheduled to arrive. The EXCEL was due at about noon, and we spent the previous day in refueling, making out our final reports, and generally preparing for the transit to Sasebo, Japan, for the scheduled upkeep period.

At 0700 on the morning we were to depart, however, the bridge received a call from Main Engine Control, reporting an unusual noise in the starboard reduction gear. This gear functions much as the transmission does in an automobile: it takes the high speed shaft outputs from the diesel engines and reduces the speed to a usable RPM for the main shafts. There are large horsepowers and forces involved, for the driving power for the whole ship is transmitted through one of these sets of gears on each of the two shafts. The bull gear (on the main shaft) is greater than three feet in diameter, and the whole set is built, at a cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars, to extremely close tolerances. Any sign of trouble within the gear set is cause to stop the shaft immediately, to prevent potential further damage. We did so, and inspection revealed that there were a number of chips out of some of the gear faces, a situation which reduced us to one shaft for propulsion, and which would necessitate extensive repairs.

The EXCEL arrived on station at about ten that morning, and we made a quick turnover with her and began our transit. The nearest repair facility, was, once again, at Subic Bay, and so se decided to head directly there instead of attempting what would have been a two week voyage to Sasebo with only one shaft. The decision soon received message concurrence from our operational commanders, and by plugging along at seven and a half knots we were able to arrive in Subic Bay on the afternoon of Friday, 8 August.

It shortly became obvious that our troubles weren't yet over. After steaming without difficulty for four days, one of the two engines on the port shaft ruptured a water line when we were within three hundred feet of our berth at Subic, and we were reduced to one engine on one shaft for making the approach. Wind and sea conditions were minimal, however, and we were lined up properly, so I felt that no real difficulties would be encountered. I had reckoned without the pitch casualty which ensued. We were in position and nearly alongside when the port shaft failed to respond to an order for astern pitch, and suddenly we found ourselves steaming at three knots ahead toward the pier, which was some forty feet away. I ordered the engine, and thus the shaft, stopped, but there was nothing to kill our headway, and we rammed the pier with force enough to spring the bow plate, installed for just such a circumstance, and crack some of the timbers in the peak. We wound up in the right position and quickly threw over and made up all of our lines, but it must be put down as a less than auspicious arrival. A subsequent inspection revealed that no leaks had been sprung, but that it would be necessary to go into drydock to effect repairs to the damaged sections of the bow.

We found the IMPLICIT waiting for us when we arrived, under orders to remain with us until our repairs were completed, a job which we felt would take approximately two weeks. The personnel from the Ship Repair Facility (SRF) came aboard as soon as we were tied up, and formally established that period as a target date for completion of their work. The ship's force turned to other projects, planning for complete readiness of all other equipment for the transit as soon as SRF was finished with the reduction gear job.

A drydock was cleared for our use on the following Saturday, 16 August, and we entered it during the afternoon for commencement of the work on the bow. The bottom of the dock still had water in it when the workers began to erect the scaffolding, and work began immediately. A quick job was made of the repairs, and the dock was flooded again late in the afternoon of 20 August, when we were pulled out and returned to a berth alongside the pier with a new bow plate and restored timbers. All that remained now was awaiting the completion of the work on the reduction gears.

Completion time was moved back to the weekend of the 23rd, and then finally to Monday, 25 August, when we held the crew on board in anticipation of dock and sea trials which would prove the success of the work. Delays were again encountered, though, and it was late on the afternoon of the 26th before we were able to begin the trials. A false start was made, when it was discovered that one of the pumps would have to be reinstalled, and it was 2300 before we were able to begin in earnest. Things went smoothly from then on, with all dock trials showing the readings to be satisfactory, and we got underway with the full sea and anchor detail stationed at 0100 to give the repairs a test at sea. It was a bright moonlit night, lacking of wind and seas, and provided optimum conditions for the tests. As soon as we were clear of the piers we went to speed 12, and for the next hour and a half se a straight course out of the harbor, made a wide turn, and steamed back in again, with all reports from the engineroom showing that readings were normal and that the repairs were a success. In view of the good results, we heard very few complaints at the late hours required for the tests.

One of the watch sections had been sent below for some sleep in anticipation of having to steam through the night, and the sea detail, thus reduced, brought the ship alongside the fuel piers for a brief stop to fill the blob in preparation for the transit to Yokosuka. After we came alongside the relieving watch was called to man the ship, and the relief was effected during the half hour that we remained at the pier. As soon as the blob was full, and just about at sunrise, we too in all lines and set course out of the harbor once again, bound for Buckner Bay, Okinawa, for another fuel stop. It was a long night, made longer by the uncertainty which had prevailed, but the success of the trials meant that we would be able to leave in time to join the remainder of the division for the return transit.

After rounding the tip of the peninsula which forms Subic Bay, we set course to the north and proceeded ahead of IMPLICIT, who was to leave later in the morning and catch up with us along the way. We plan a four-hour fuel stop at Buckner Bay on Saturday, 30 August, and then continuation of the transit to Yokosuka, where we should arrive on Wednesday, 3 September. The rest of the division should arrive there on 8 September, and all of us will depart the following day for Midway Island, a fuel stop, Pearl Harbor, again for fuel and perhaps a day's upkeep, and, finally, Long Beach.

The personnel situation has undergone some extensive changes over the last month and a half. Second Class Damage Controlman Richard Stadter joined us on July 22 after a ride up the line on the fleet oiler which serviced the Market Time forces. Our day of departure from the Market Time area, 4 August, was the date of re-enlistment for First Class Quartermaster Ennis Raynor, who signed on for another six years.

A number of familiar names began to leave us shortly after our arrival at Subic. Radioman Dale Miller, Engineman Ken Neumann, and Radarman Bill Pearson departed for the States and separation on 14 August, all of them having turned in fine performances during their tours aboard. Bill Pearson had been the long-timer aboard, a title which he now relinquishes to Signalman Jerry Tomlinson, who has been with us for thirty-three months.

August 20 saw another large turnover. Sonarman Don Smith the man responsible for keeping our sonar operational for the past year, and one who's played a large role in all of our minehunting and aircraft search successes, departed, also for separation. Boatswain's Mate George Brown and Engineman Les Hendry also left on this date, transferred for duty to the USS GALLANT in an exchange of duty with two men of similar ratings. This type of transfer is an inter-ship trade of personnel, carried out at no cost to the government at the request of the personnel involved; George and Les, who wished to stay over here and enjoy the pay benefits, found two married men who wanted to return to the Stares, and the swap was arranged. Joining us in the trade were Engineman Charles Wyatt and Boatswain's Mate Wes Ritter.

Those of you who have been with us for the entire trip have probably been somewhat bewildered at the amount of comings and goings of crew members--a quick count shows that there have been thirty different receipts or transfers of personnel, along with seventeen changes in rate. All of which have served to keep the ship's office personnel, Yeoman Dave Moore, and Seaman Ken Shannon, well occupied for a good part of the time. As the cruise draws to a close, we are beginning to receive orders on new personnel who will be reporting aboard after our return to the states, and instructions for those who will be departing. In a message received yesterday, the Bureau of Naval Personnel announced that all regular and reserve personnel who are due to be separated from the Navy prior the next March will be given a three month cut in their period of obligated service. This is in implementation of the manpower reduction of some 72,000 personnel recently announced by Secretary of the Navy Chafee, and will effect twelve of the personnel currently aboard.

A final happy note for the month was struck when we received word, right at the end of our period on patrol, that CONFLICT had been awarded the MINEPAC "E" for excellence in the Supply Department in the annual competition among all MSO's. This was the first year of the award, and is a real feather in the caps of all contributing personnel, from the Supply Officer, LTJG Ken Martin, and his predecessor, LTJG Larry Jordan, through the storekeepers Gerry Pugeda, Bill Bounds, and Celio Roman, the stewards, Wilfredo Lucenio, Gil David, and Rodolfo Almario, and the cooks, Jim Simms, Jerry Wilson, Dave Bloom, and Tommy Karaboyas. All of these men have turned in long and diligent hours at their work, and this recognition is a highly deserved one.

Congratulations also to Stewardsman Gil and Annetta David, who were married a week ago while he was on leave in the Philippines.

I expect that I shall be writing one more letter to you, just before our arrival in Pearl Harbor, as a wrap-up for the entire cruise. Leave chits for the period after the ship's arrival at Long Beach are in the final stages of preparation, and I know that many of you are already in the midst of making plans for our first weeks back in the States. Our thoughts are with you, as always, and hopes that the last few weeks before our return will be smooth ones.

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