I served aboard the USS Conolly DD-979, a Spruance class destroyer, from 1983-1985. She was sunk in a training exercise this past April 2009.This picture was taken in 1984 after a complete overhaul at Bath Iron Works in Portland Maine. I was on board when this picture was taken.
I first came aboard while the ship was at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba as a 2nd class Electronics Warfare Technician. She was my second ship to serve aboard. It was the height of the cold war and being in the Navy at that time was exciting. Us against the USSR, the high seas, playing cat and mouse. I was promoted to 1st class while on board.
Even though all of 1984 was spent in the ship yards, I made numerous deployments most notably circumnavigating South America, West Africa, 2 Med cruises (that's the Mediterranean for you land lubbers), Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf. On the Connoly I navigated the Panama canal and the Suez canal. I crossed the equator just west of Ecuador and once again crossed the equator at 0.00 and 0.00 off of the west coast of Africa.
If I were able to be board her today I would know my way around as if I never left her. She was good ship and I'm saddened at her end.
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