USS Hyman veterans bring reunion to Patriots Point

Four years after he first served on the USS Hyman DD-732 in 1944, Bob Moldenhauer met up with a former ship mate, Frank Brophy, for dinner in New York.  They enjoyed the time they spent reminiscing and thought it would be even better if more ship mates and all of their wives were there too.  So the next year, in 1949, they did just that and held what would become the first of many reunions for the veterans of the USS Hyman -- a tradition that has continued to this day.

The USS Hyman Association now holds reunions every two years.  This year they came to Charleston and included a stop at Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum on their visit. As soon as they arrived, they were eager to board the USS Laffey -- a Sumner-class destroyer just like the USS Hyman.  Both ships were quite similar as they were both commissioned in 1944.

The men walked around the ship for over an hour, pointing out locations where specific events occurred during their service.  The USS Hyman served during World War II, the Korean War and the Cold War.

Bob Moldenhauer and Dick Leitch were here.  Both men were on the very first crew of the USS Hyman, a distinction that earns them the title of plank owners.

Moldenhauer recounted the details of the time he was tossed across the deck as he tried to bring up the anchor in rough seas.  His family has heard the story before, but this time, he could show them exact details of his position on the ship.

Dick Leitch brought his family down from New Castle, Indiana.  Now 94, he shared his stories about serving on the USS Hyman and providing support during the Battles of Okinawa and Iwo Jima.  Serving as a signalman he was looking from a telescope and saw the moment the Marines raised the flag (creating the iconic photograph).

While aboard the USS Laffey, many of the veterans took time to watch the video about the kamikaze attack she suffered on April 16, 1945.  Likewise, the USS Hyman suffered losses from a kamikaze attack on November 6, 1945. Both ships were near Okinawa at the time, supporting US operations in that area.

Dick Leitch remembers seeing the USS Laffey shortly after it had been attacked by 22 kamikaze aircraft.  He recalls seeing the crippled ship that had been struck by five aircraft and three bombs.  He was pleased to see the ship as she looks today, with no signs of that damage. Vince Cirillo (left) and Jim Keelin have quite a story about their time on the USS Hyman. Keelin served in World War II and then left the service, before being asked to return as a lieutenant to serve on the USS Hyman during the Korean War.

While serving in Wonsan Bay on November 30, 1951, rough seas made an attempt to refuel quite difficult. These two men, along with five others, were thrown overboard. Keelin, a lieutenant, lost his left leg in the incident and spent 11 months in the hospital to recover. Cirillo was caught by the life rail... and didn't completely go over the ship, but still was injured and spent six months in the hospital before returning to service. In this photo, they were standing in the very same spot where they were when the incident occurred on the USS Hyman. The two men were reunited for the first time 4-5 years ago at another reunion. They feel they were quite lucky to have survived; three of the men who went overboard did not. All of these men have interesting stories to tell about their experiences.  Even though they may move a little slower, their memories of their time aboard the USS Hyman are still quite sharp.

However, not all memories are of wartime.  Will Blind served from 1955-57, shortly after the Korean War.  He was a radioman second class petty officer.  He volunteered to wake up in the wee hours of the morning to copy code, in part because he wanted to keep up with baseball scores back at home.  The ship's crew enjoyed his daily updates and scores.  His most memorable message received was on September 25, 1955 when he learned that President Eisenhower had suffered a heart attack.  Blind remembers rushing the message up to the ship's captain.

It was a honor to host this reunion group at Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum yesterday.  The living history these veterans can provide is truly remarkable.