Bob Cashin – Mortar Attack

One day during the 1967 Vietnam deployment, I had the mid-day watch on the bridge, having just qualified for “OOD Underway”. We were standing off very close to shore, bow towards the beach, waiting for a shore bombardment assignment. Below, the Wardroom was having its first lunch seating. I noticed splashes in the water some distance off the port bow. Having lived by the ocean all my life, my first thought was fish jumping. Then I noticed that each splash came closer than the last, and realized quickly that it was mortar fire, trying to get a range to the ship. As a newly-minted OOD Underway, and not knowing what else to do, I yelled “right full rudder, all ahead flank”. The wardroom was enjoying their lunch until that moment, when the ship lurched into a hard right turn at top speed, sending everything off the table into the air. LT Mike Stout flew up the ladder from the Wardroom, much to my relief, and took the conn. The ship was not hit, and later located and neutralized the threat.