Cochrane was never closer than 300+ miles from any Apollo Recovery and we were assigned to a back-up position in case the Apollo overshot the Primary group with the carrier. The carrier was always North of us, and Desron25 took his Commands from the carrier. We
never were on a recovery where the Apollo landed on the moon, and Cochrane was in Japan in the bombed out inner locks at Sasebo in
July, when man first walked on the moon. It was Dime night at the club
for beer, sketti dinner (a good one too) was 50 cents. Every TV in Japan was on as "MAN" first stepped on the moon. Coming back at midnight, a bunch of us stopped off at a Lunch type counter to get a plate of "FRIED RICE or LICE" when drunk, several glasses of Akadama wine. The stores still had all the TV's on, and the stores had been closed for hours. For all who have not been to Sasebo, it is one of Japan's major Huge ship building ports. The Japanese used bamboo
as the way to climb up the sides of these huge building size ships, and each morning before they start, they get out and do Jumping Jacks, Running In Place, Deep Knee Bends, etc......If Cochrane had
done exercises the next day after the 1st Moon Walk, half the crew would have died as everyone was hung over. To this day, I hope I never ever see the Signalman running the Air Chipping Hammer on the Signal bridge over the Pilot House and Chart Room.