65 Task Force 77

Good view of three companion ships of the USS Midway Sept 1958 in the South China Sea. In the
foreground the oiler USS Ponchatoula AO-148. Moving up behind her is the USS Radford DDE-446. In
the background is the carrier Princeton CVS-37. This kind of scene of the US Navy in action never
ceased to thrill me and watching our fleet during operations always gave me a sense of pride in all
those sailors doing whatever was asked of them by their country. Many gave their lives even when
there were no battles being fought. Just being on a warship is a dangerous job and when you consider
that the average age of the sailors in the fleet is 18-22, their dedication to duty and the time spent
away from family and friends is even more of a tribute to their willingness to give for their shipmates
and country.