X-Sender: dbrandom@mail.vt.edu (Unverified)
Date: Sat, 27 Jan 1996 01:33:37 +0500
To: robbd@primenet.com
From: dbrandom@vt.edu (don)
Subject: Ahoy!  From a CG-11 shipmate.

Robb,
    I too served from 1977 (FEB) through decommissioning in Mar of 1980 
aboard the mighty Chi!  My, my, but you have changed.  I did not recognize 
you from your photo on the net.  I pulled out my 77/78 and 79 cruise books 
and found you.   I am on pages 71 and 241
 (HN and HM3 Don Brandom) of each of those books, respectively.  I instantly 
recognized you from your pix in the books.  I no 
longer look the same as in those books either.  I still have short hair 
though... Now a Lieutenant (Enginerring Duty Officer) in the
Naval Reserves.  
        I found you by searching "USS Chicago" on the net.  WHY I did this 
seems to be related to my very strong feelings toward that ship and my time 
spent with her.  Though, at the time I was aboard I was oblivious to the 
impact it was to have on my life.  I literally had a dream about the Chicago 
last night.  The ship had just been pulled out of mothballs (impossibility) 
and the original (to our time) crew had been brought back to re-commission 
her.  Lots of other stuff happened, but he main theme of this dream is one I 
have had, in one mutation or another, many times over the years since1980.   
Wierd eh? 
        Anyway, I wonder if you remember me from the cruise books.  I cannot 
remember us hitting the beach together, but my 
intoxication levels in those days may have clouded my memories.  Over the 
years I have come across two former Chicago shipmates, both through the 
reserves.  In 1987 I saw OS1 Larry Culver (OS3 on page 105 of the 79 cruise 
book) at the USN Reserve center in 
Sacramento, California.  He was doing something with computers in the area 
and had gotten into the reserves.  In August of 1990 I was still a corpsman 
(HM1) and got recalled to active duty for Desert Storm/Shield.  Also 
recalled (from elsewhere) was CDR Liston (LT on page 240 of the 79 book), my 
former Dept Head.  While recalled to active duty at the Naval Hospital in 
Portsmouth, VA, I got a real shock from the past.  From the 8th deck of the 
hospital, where I was working, one can see across the Elizabeth river and 
into the bay.  I looked out one morning and thought I saw the Chicago being 
towed by tugs up river.  It was the USS Albany (CG-10), our identical sister 
ship on the east coast.  She was finally being brought out of mothballs to 
be cut up for scrapp.  I stopped all my work (re-assigned it.. I was LPO) 
and watched her go by.  I contiually burst out statements like "Look at 
That!  Thats just like my ship!" and "I know damn near every space on-board 
that boat..." etc...  No one else was the least bit interested, but I was 
transfixed.   Man, that brought back memories!
        My strong attachment to that ship must have something to do with my 
maturing in the Navy.  I reported aboard as an E-1 at age
17.  I have spent many hours BS-ing with other guys in the reserves about 
active duty time and none of them seem to have the same 
strong feeings about thier time aboard ship.  Whatever the reason, I can 
never seem to get that ship out of my mind.  Every once and a 
while I come across a USS Chicago (CG-11) reunion in Proceedings or the Navy 
Reserve newspaper.  I have never had the money to go to one.  Perhaps someday.
        By the looks of your resume',  you have continued on the twiget path 
of electronics and computer stuff.  Excellent!!  Your skills
are, no doubt very marketable.  I gather that you live in Arizona (not being 
a totally competent computer guy I am unable to know this for sure).  It is 
not-so-remotely possible that my wife will be attending grad school at the U 
of Arizona in Tucson.  If she gets in (and I get a job there)  I will try to 
look you up and offer some beers and memories of times gone by.
        Well, I don't suppose you ever thought you would get such a diatribe 
of babble comming at you over the net about the Chicago.
I have finished off 2 Corona's (with lime) whilst sending this to you... 
please ignore the typos.  Best of luck to you -- don

My addresses (for a little while longer):
Don Brandom
226 Huntington Lane 
Blacksburg, VA 24060
dbrandom@vt.edu
(540)552-8771