New Year's Deck Log USS Weiss 01/01/1969

Awards & Decorations

Jay Ward's
Naval Ships Links

Bert Kortegaard's
APD 125 & APD 127 pages

Thanks to
Tom Perry
Ex-RM2 APD-136
MCPO, USN (Retired)

USS WElSS (LPR 135)

Through restless seas we steam with ease
As phosphoresence glows
In eerie swirls midst foamy curls
And ever sternward flows.

A white-gold moon shows fullness soon
Through a veil of clouds
That mask the night from starry light
With rolling, coursing shrouds.

In the South China Sea alone are we
Enroute to Subic Bay,
An upkeep trip to fix the ship
On our forthcoming stay.

By OpNav decree this APD
Is today an LPR
(Our task the same will still remain
No matter what we are.)

Eastward now we point the bow,
The Philippines ahead.
By orders of ComSeventhFleet
In his quarterly sked.

The screws are turning and fires are burning
Neath Boiler Number One,
And cross-connected we stay protected
From low fuel ere we’re done.

Away from war at Condition Four
Of readiness we be,
And Yoke throughout is our redoubt
Against an angry sea.

Our course through night is shown in light
From sides and stern and mast,
So ships may know which way we go
And thus are safely passed.

The silent guns with tompions
Fixed tight against salt spray
Belie the roar they lashed ashore
In many a recent day.

Steaming alone is nice, for the CO of Weiss
Is SOPA and OTC,
His duties, too, include CTU
Seven-Six-Point-Zero-Pt-Three.

The waves cut through, the course is true-
Zero Seven One-
Twin motors drive Sixteen Point Five,
Our speed towards rising sun.

As the hours go the soot doth grow,
So at the stroke of two,
We quickly slow, boiler tubes to blow,
And speed again renew.

While shipmates sleep the watch we keep
And ask with silent prayer,
That fighting cease, and bring us peace
And freedom everywhere.

     LT G. R. TELFER, USN

If you have a story to share or can provide information about WEISS I'd like to hear from you. email: Steven@hiwwpoh.com