Welcome to the USS Waldron DD-699 Guestbook Forum

Years Served: April 67 – May 70…Don’t have too much time today to say much, first time I have seen this.

Was on on it a year came off the Little Rock a flag ship. Being on the Waldron was like a different Navy from a flag ship laid back and happy crew I couldn’t believe it. Small ship less people everybody knew everybody I loved it.

Served Feb 1972 – May 1973 (Decommissioning) under CDR David E. Williams. Worked closely with CDR James J. Cerda MC USNR SELRES. Dr. Cerda retired as a two star admiral. LT Tim Jenkins also was eventually promoted to Rear Admiral.

I misspoke on one previous comment in that I said we made port in Nice France but that was incorrect it was in Gulf Juan that we made port and I had Shore Patrol Duty there and we put up at the La Palace Hotel on the Main Street in Gulf Juan… we used to hang out up the street at Madame Greenies…. and after closing time the Madame would graciously put out food and drink for those of us on Shore Patrol…. on many days at Sea we would tow raft targets for strafing practice for the fighter and bomber squadrons from the USS Independence and the USS Forrestal

I also recall that during that storm on the second day that the depth charges came loose on the AFT portion of the ship and I was one of the crew picked to help secure those in the middle of the night.. also during that storm I recall that feeding the crew was next to impossible as the galley was on the main deck and the crew mess was one ladder deck below….