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The E-mail
Hello, My name is Debbie Reeves-Pentland. I was engaged to a crewman of the USS Thomas C Hart, he was on there from Jan 1982 to at least June 1982. His name was AWH3 Stanfill, Wesley M. He has recently had a heart attack and died at the age of 38. I am looking for any crewman, photos, etc from his Navy days, for his young son. Is there a site on the web to look up or post for such info?? Thanks,
I'm sure someone has a photograph of Wes Stanfill from a cruise book, or private collection.
2/1/06: It was 1984 and we were deployed to the Persian Gulf. I had been on the T.C. Hart for 4 years and was the Navigation Officer as well as the XO’s Administrative Assistant. It was early on a Friday morning and we were at anchor awaiting the formaldehyde barge to come alongside that accompanied the weekly “XO’s Cookout.” I was on the bridge on anchor watch having proofed the POD late the previous night. The bridge copy of this daily digest was delivered and as I skimmed it for no particular reason I noticed a typo that made my blood run cold. The word Cookout was written as Cockout. I had actually signed a POD that invited the crew to the “XO’s Cockout.” As I considered what I could do to save myself the chirp of the sound powered phone interrupted the relative silence of the watch. “Lieutenant Mathews”, I said sheepishly. “Bill, XO here, should I dress in any particular fashion today?” said Commander McCullough calmly. “No sir” I said, “the standard uniform will do just fine” as I heard him put down the sound powered phone. He was a good-natured man and took this in stride but that was the last POD I ever signed on the T. C. Hart or anywhere else.
Subject: USS THOMAS C. HART (FF-1092) Great site, maybe I can find what I have been searching for many years to find. I was an OSSN onboard the HART from 1983 and left in 1987 as an OS2. I am still on active duty, an OSCS in Hawaii. I have contacted numerous HART shipmates trying to find an item I would like to put in my shadow box. When I was onboard the Chiefs and Officers wore name tags, located on one side of the name tag was a small ships crest. If anyone would know where I can get one of those crests, contact me. Viewing this site has brought back many memories. I remember standing forward lookout during Arctic Sharem 1984, this was before the hurricane bow was installed. The ship's sonar dome would come out of the water in the high seas and slam back down on the top of the waves causing huge splashes which would sometimes go as high as the bridge. The wind chill was probably below zero and the snow was blinding. I'm so glad we were on 15 minute shifts. I can also remember beating the life lines and 5 inch 54 with baseball bats to break the 6 inches of ice that had formed on the same cruise. Doesanyone remember the trip up the fjords to Trondheim Norway? I still have all my cruisebooks and look at them every now and then. Take it easy and remember "Gotta Have HART"!
R/ OSCS(SW) David C. Nusbaum
Subject: THOMAS C HART FF-1092, PAUL FF-1080 crew Found your web site this evening, and thought I would report aboard. KNOX-class experiences: USS THOMAS C HART (FF-1092) Sept. 82 - Sept 85 1LT / Gunnery Officer / Helo Control Officer USS PAUL (FF-1080) Feb 88 - Jul 89 Weapons Dept. Head USS ELMER MONTGOMERY (FF-1082) Completed EOOW quals aboard while serving on COMDESRON-24 staff during and after Operation Desert Shield / Desert Storm. ex-USS AINSWORTH / McCANDLASS / BOWEN Senior US Navy rep with embarked training team during transit from Norfolk, VA to Turkey after transfer of ships to Turkish Navy.
Neal Jefferis
Subject: USS Thomas C. Hart DE-1092 Greetings to all from one of the original crew. Missed being a plank owner by a couple of weeks, but they gonged me off in ’75 as “Plank owner, Departing” anyway. Reading through some of the emails brought back some wonderful memories. Has it really been almost 30 years since that first shakedown cruise to Guantanamo? I rather wish the Hart was still in the states. It would be nice to visit Radio again where I got the nickname “Sammy Shredder”. The radiomen got me out of more field day jobs than I care to imagine. As happens, I have lost track of those of you on board from ’73 – ’75. Nice to read that Larry Hayes, Jim McDougall, and Mark Cameron are doing fine. Remember The Lemon Larry? Jim might remember checking the bolts on the TACAN antenna one night while anchored in GITMO harbor. I think Mark had the duty over the pail a certain RM had next to him once "Underway, Shift Colors" was announced. Anyone know what happened to the "Ice Cream Girl" up in Boston Naval Shipyard? I never saw so many guys get off the ship just to get a closer look at a lady. Wonder if the old chief ever got to try out all the fishing equipment he bought and stored in the ET Shack. Wishing the best to all who served aboard the Hart. Dan Schubert
Subject: USS T.C. HART (FF-1092) Hello to all former crewmembers of the T.C. HART. I'm a plank owner on the Hart, and I still have my commissioning certificate, "wooden plank", and the booklet that lists all of the original crew. I reported for duty at Newport R.I. for pre comm. training, and from there to Boston M.A. for the commissioning. Much of the time in Boston was spent on training and working parties, since I was a non-rate at the time I "volunteered" for many working parties. Boston wasn't all work and no play however, and I sometimes think back in amazement at how some of us survived the combat zone downtown. After the commissioning we steamed to our homeport in Norfolk V.A. In 1974 I almost lost my third class crow the day I sewed it on, here is the story. It was a Saturday morning and the duty yeoman posted the results from the last advancement exam. Bill Hagensick and I were both promoted to MM3, and in those days it was a really bigdeal to tack on that third class crow. Well we decided to hit the beach and celebrate a bit. Back in 1974 there was a strip of bars and other diversions on Hampton Blvd between the D&S piers and NOB. We had a good time and in the process decided to buy a six pack, head back to the ship and share it with our shipmates (yeah I know, young and dumb). I carried the beer up the brow and when I stepped onto the quarter deck I stumbled on a pad eye and fell. The beer rolled everywhere. The OOD rolled his eyes, shook his head, and went back inside. Well, to make a long story short (dang I guess it's to late for that) I didn't lose my crow , and I never pulled that stunt again! The time we spent in GTMO was challenging, but the trips to and from were a lot of fun ( Ft. Lauderdale ,Haiti, St. Thomas, and San Juan, I never will forget the black angus) On one deployment we lost power twice in the Bermuda Triangle. On the way to GITMO we blew a boiler tube, and the way back to Norfolk one of our ace BTFN's closed a fuel oil suction valve to the boiler (remember what they say about nothing being sailor proof)? After my release from active duty I joined the Naval Reserve, and retired 01 Jan 1999 as a Chief Machinist's Mate. Overall I enjoyed my tour of duty on the Hart and would like to hear from any former shipmates,1973-1975. Specifically: Bill Hagensick, Gary Smith, Neal Nielsen, Steve Cleveland, Karl Friedrich, Jimmy Hall. Bravo Zulu on the web site Mark, it means a lot to a lot people.
Jim "wilky" Wilkerson
Subject: Thomas C. Hart (DE-1092) Hey I was one of the original crew. Commissioned in Boston. I'd like to find some crew members. Do you have a email list?
Hey BEAR remember Brazil and Argentina? The guys in CIC I miss you all we had a fantastic group. Please email me if you get the chance anyone from the crew. Dog it was great to hear from you and stay in touch.
Subject: Thomas C. Hart (FF-1092) Hello Shipmates,Today is my day to brag. In 1976 I joined the navy as a Seaman Apprentis,got out 4 years later.Today I was commissioned a Captain in the U.S. Merchant Marine Service! WOW,I'm on cloud nine.My years aboard HART were a great training ground and I will always be proud of them and thankful for the comraderie of the crew. Captain Mike Slattery
Still at sea, New England commercial fisherman, Engineer on 80' steel trawler F/V Charlotte G.
Subject: USS Thomas C. Hart (FF-1092) Looking at this site brought back a flood of memories. After leaving the Hart in 88, i served a shore tour at ASW San Diego. I left Active Duty in 92 and became a U.S. Border Patrol Agent, a Volunteer Fire Chief and until last week I was a Naval Reservist until I was recalled to active duty. I am currently an STG-1 and attached to Inshore Boat Unit Seventeen as a Patrol Officer and Combat Coxswain on a 32 foot Patrol Boat. If any of you are still active on ships and you see some small gray boats with 50's hangin off the side, it might just be me. Feel free to look us up and take a ride. Good Luck to all, Cary "Dusty" Coleman
Subject: USS Thomas C. Hart (DE-1092) I was on the nucleus crew ,I reported to the Hart in Boston in 1973. I was a gunners mate. We carried on everything that was supposed to be on it. In the 2 and one half years I was stationed on the Hart we were at sea 1 and a half years. The most underway time of any ship in the 6th Fleet. We wnt to Gitmo twice, both times we stopped in Ft. Lauderdale for a weekend. We went to Haiti, Puerto Rico, Bermuda, and St. Thomas. The captain was Capt. Ronald J. Forst. I have lots of good memories of the good times and the bad times. I am also wondering if the Hart had anymore problems with going dead in the water? We went dead in the water twice in the Bermuda Triangle. Both times were on the same latitude only the second time was 300 miles further east. The captain was from New York City, so one weekend we went up to New York for the weekend. Bill Lezzer I and got free tickets at the Uso, toa football game at Shea Stadium. We saw the Jets and the Oilers. Joe Namath was playing. There were alot more good times, but I have to end. If anyone else from the first crew wants to get ahold of me ,try my email fes_dawg@yahoo.com
Subject: USS Thomas C. Hart (FF-1092) Great site! I remember fondly my time onboard the Hart, especially with OI Division. Anybody know whereabouts of OSCS Elton Crow or Spanky T? It was good seeing e-mails from some of my buds, Darin, John, Woody and others.
Sean Keller
Subject: USS Thomas C. Hart (FF-1092) I would like to hear from some old shipmates
Subject: USS Thomas C. Hart (FF-1092) I did 10 years in the navy and did 3 duty st the Hart was my first and the one I liked the best.
Subject: USS Thomas C. Hart (FF-1092) Hello, I served in the Ops Dept from 1985 - 1989. I made a lot of friends there and would love to hear from some of the crew. I had a lot of great times on the Hart and would love to reminace with some of the crew.
Mike Strack
Subject: USS Thomas C. Hart (FF-1092) I stumbled on to this site and really enjoyed remembering my shift colors, underway days. I briefly will share a trumatic but funny incident that happened on my tour of the Hart and one I will never forget. As a personnelman I was assigned as a phone talker during Helo landings and GQ. I was new and was not all that familiar with the terminology. I was relaying information from a LT Blount to C.I.C.. He was moving all over the bridge and I was positioned over on the far starboard side of the bridge, he was telling me things to say to C.I.C. and with the distance between us, I was having a hard time hearing him. He snapped at me to get over next to him and as I ran to his side the cord to my headphone ran out and snapped my head back, ripping the headset from my head. Everyone on the bridge fell out laughing. He looked at me with disgust and called me some unmentionable name and ordered me off the bridge and to never come back...laughing. From that point on whenever I had to go man the phones on the bridge, I used to beg my chief (PNCS Richards) to not make me go because I knew that Lt would kill me...one more thing, I just located a cruise book from med dated sep 77 to apr 78, haven't looked at this in over 20 years. Thanks for the memories.
Subject: USS Thomas C. Hart (FF-1092) I'd like to hear from guys from ENG DEPT from 1986 to 1990 or anyone else.
Subject: USS Thomas C. Hart (FF-1092) I find myself coming back to this page and looking on. Guess I am getting older, and like to come back and look at my wasted youth. Something I can't help but touch on. About eight years ago I was diagnosed with a brain tumor. I guess this writing would tell that I was mostly cured. It took a while to find the problem as I started haveing grand mal siezures about 5 years before that. The siezures where related to a mystical sense that was getting to be on the level of good sci-fi movie. I could predict the future in small ways. Things like calling touchdowns and homeruns in sporting events or knowing that someone was going to call on the phone. Nothing dramatic, but stuff the subconscious could figure out through observation, and then send bubbling up to surface as some kind of magical power. Looking back on the beggining of these symtoms I know they started that lovely Summer that we spent in the Persian Gulf. I've always suspected I got my infirmity onboard the T.C Hart. Of course it could have been all that cheap, tap beer in all those wonderful Oceanview bars. If any one else had any ailments that they suspected might have been the Hart's fault I would love to hear them.
This all made interesting reading, though I suspect that it hasn't been updated for several years. I was surprised how many names I recognised, and thought it funny how people seemed to remember the ship so fondly. Reunion, That sounds intersting. I am all for the Black Angus in San Juan for location. The crew always seemed happiest there.
Subject: USS Thomas C. Hart (FF-1092) Hi Mark, I was part of the Nucleus Crew and I think I was the 24th person assigned. I went to the Hart in the shipyards in New Orleans while it was under construction. I thought it was in '72, but it might have been early 73, since I see it was commissioned in July 73. I have my 'Plank Owner' Certificate hanging on my wall. The Thomas C. Hart started out as DE1092. I don't know when it was changed to FF-1092 Sometime after I left in June of 75. Electronic Warfare was very new then and I was the only EW assigned to the nucleus crew. A couple days after I got there the Captain called me in for a meet and greet session and after we talked for awhile, he finally asked me "What does electronic warfare do here?" That struck me as pretty funny. Anyway, after we finally got the Hart floating, we went to the Boston shipyards to finish the outfitting. Larry Peoples, another EW2 that I knew from Treasure Island, joined me there, along with a Lt. JG as the EWO, I don't remember his name. We did the normal short shakedown cruises and got the systems tuned in. Being a little wilder then, I was at the club one night and a beer distributor rep was there promoting his new Schlitz Malt Liquor at a nickle per 16oz can. After a couple of bucks worth of the stuff, I decided I needed a vacation, walked out of the club and caught a taxie to the airport and flew home to visit some friends for about a week before they tracked me down. Oh, I had no intention of staying away, I just 'took a break' ;) I think I have the honor of being the first guy court martialed on the Hart. I was lucky to get a $500 fine, suspend bust, and 2 week restriction to ship supervising a work crew of other guys on restriction. Eventually, we ended up in Norfolk VA. Shortly after moving there, we did a 3 month training cruise to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. That was hell. Since there was only Larry and I for Electronic Warfare, we worked 4 hours on and 4 hours off for the entire 3 months! And Larry was sea sick from the minute we shoved of till we hit port. Our primary equipment was ULQ6 EW transmitter and a WLR1 EW receiver. We functioned as the EW Watch Officer and EW Operator during our shifts except during actual excercises when the Lt. JG was the EWO and Larry and I teamed up as operators. Since we were also responsible for systems maintenance and repair, anytime we hit port, we spent most of the time doing maintenance on the systems. Seems like we went to G'tmo twice before I left but I'm not sure about that. I left the ship in June of '75 when I got discharged after 6 years 3 months and 2 days ;) Let me know if you have any questions. Maybe I can drag something up out of memory. I used to have Larry Peoples email address. If I can find it again I'll send him a note to visit you. I was really disappointed to see that the Thomas C. Hart was decommissioned in 93 and sent to Turkey. Guess that means my Plank Owner certificate won't get cashed in. If there's any interest, I could scan in a picture of it and send it to you. Let me know if you want it, or need anything else. Larry Hayes
Subject: TOMMY CHUCK HELLO, NICE SITE! I SERVED ON THE HART BETWEEN THE YEARS OF 1985 AND 1989. IM STILL IN THE NAVY (RESERVES) CM2 (SEABEES) IT WOULD BE GOOD TO HERE FROM SOME OF THE OLD CREW ! E-MAIL (NOTT22222@AOL.COM )
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Subject: USS Thomas C Hart - crewman
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