July 29th, 1967 about 11:00a.m. I was in Electrical Switchboard Room #1, my assigned work area. It's located nearly in the middle of the ship on the starboard side, about at water level, a position not given too much perception of movement. We felt the ship jar. Immediately all of us ran to our General Quarters stations and were on line (in communications with) Damage Control Central before General Quarters was even sounded. My General Quarters station was Electrical Switchboard Room #2, on the port side of the ship immediately opposite Switchboard Room #1. Like most of Ships Company, there I remained for 24 hours or so.
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During that time I'm sure I prayed, not being a particularly courageous person. But a calmness came over me that I can attribute only to my faith in Jesus Christ. Then, as in a few times prior to the fire and several times after the fire, I have come to realize that many times I have been carried. July 29, 1967 was one of those times. Peace and calm, not panic. There were lots of heroes on the ship that day but I wasn't one of them. I was just there!
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I can't recall if I felt any other jarring but during that 24 hours we were told, in general terms, what was going on above on the flight deck. It wasn't until fairly recently that the cause has been made public. Senator John McCain was attached to an Air Wing on the Forrestal that day and witnessed the cause first hand. He was in an F-4 Phantom jet making preparations to launch when he saw an air to surface missile discharge from a nearby plane and hit a bomb or rack of bombs nearby. I have seen the flight operation tapes recently released and it shows clearly that is what happened. Many television programs have run these tapes. At any rate, this started a chain reaction and before it was over another 5 or 6 similar explosions occurred.
In spite of heroics by many good men, 134 were killed. Even though ill-equipped the firefighters were the real heroes. I sat in an air-conditioned switchboard room and de-energized one circuit, i.e. flipping a switch. For that I was awarded a bronze star! I did nothing but stay on the ship. Actually, I think all men aboard Forrestal were awarded a bronze star.
Only two electricians were killed, EM2 Leonberg and FN Fasth. Leonberg was in port steering and Fasth was on his way to relieve him, port steering being Fasth's General Quarters station. Port steering was destroyed by one of the explosions.
The following Sunday all church services held aboard were full. The Sunday after that, attendance was back down to its normal meager number.
Upon returning to Suboc Bay my biggest concern was getting word back home that I was ok. I had duty the first day back so I had to stay aboard ship. But Paul McDonald, a fellow Reservist from Covington volunteered to have his folks call my folks. He did have liberty and was able to get in touch with his folks. They in turn got in touch with my family. I don't know that I ever told Paul what a great favor he had done for me.
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