These are the type of men Tom Brokaw was thinking of when he said, “The Greatest Generation.”

DD843 Reunion 2013Recently I was incredibly honored to be able to attend a reunion of sailors who served on the USS Warrington, DD-843.  The Warrington was a destroyer that saw extensive service in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam.  The men that gathered are some of the best our country has to offer.

New Jersey

A group of veterans took me along on a unique tour of the Big J –  the USS New Jersey, BB-62, an Iowa-class battleship, anchored in Camden, NJ.  The New Jersey is the most decorated ship in the Navy.  She is also a beautiful ship.  I took this photo looking out over two turrets of her amazing 16″ guns – capable of firing a projectile the size of a small car 20 miles!

Me with a 5 inch shell casing stands beneath a flag flown on the USS Warrington in Vietnam.
Warrington Korea
Their stories were fascinating and compelling and I count it a rare privilege to have been permitted to sit in and listen.  I’m certain there is fodder here for a story!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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David-Michael Harding is a life-long writer whose work has appeared in numerous national publications. His historical short story, “Forever Beneath the Celtic Sea,” which details the sinking of the passenger liner Lusitania, was runner-up in the Southeast Regional Arts Council Awards. His novella, The Cats of Savone was the recipient of an International PEN Award. He holds a master’s degree in education, and currently works as an adjunct professor of writing and resides in Tampa, Florida. Most of his days are spent writing from the cockpit of his sailboat, Pegasus, somewhere off the Nature Coast of Florida in the Gulf of Mexico.

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