Petty Officer Bice had only been onboard for about 30 days, he was accidently shot in the head with a .45 in the Weapons Office (Port side of TARTAR Check Out) at 0728 on Christmas Day 1976 while assuming his first ASROC Rover watch under instruction. The ship was moored at Mike 3 after completing post deployment stand down and getting ready for a SIMA availability. Petty Officer Bice was assigned to the AN/SPS-39A Radar work center.

Thanks to those of you that corrected the date of the incident. I was the Fox Division LPO at the time and escorted him back to his father (retired Marine) and family in California.

Edited by - david melges on 12/23/2001 18:56:08

I remember when I qualified as an ASROC watch onboard in 1981, FTMC David Melges showing me the log book Petty Officer Brice was filling out when the bullet struck him.
Chief Melges was trying to impress on us the seriousness of carrying a loaded gun, to never get a casual attitude about it.
It worked, the blood and his handwriting trailing off the page are something I still see to this day. Even in the Army National Guard, I always clear my weapon twice and give my soldiers the same lesson Chief Melges gave me. No telling how many lives over the years that little lesson saved.

CPT (SW) Wilson

Captain Wilson,

Being a former Gunner's Mate Guns, to this I would add: 1)keeping you trigger finger on the outside of the trigger guard until such a time as deadly force is deemed necessary.
2)When passing a loaded weapon, do so with the business end extended away from you and the reciepient, and pointed upward.

3) When clearing a side arm, insure that you can see light from the port ejection to the barrel....Sal



<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
I remember when I qualified as an ASROC watch onboard in 1981, FTMC David Melges showing me the log book Petty Officer Brice was filling out when the bullet struck him.
Chief Melges was trying to impress on us the seriousness of carrying a loaded gun, to never get a casual attitude about it.
It worked, the blood and his handwriting trailing off the page are something I still see to this day. Even in the Army National Guard, I always clear my weapon twice and give my soldiers the same lesson Chief Melges gave me. No telling how many lives over the years that little lesson saved.

CPT (SW) Wilson
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>

For information purposes, I was the Weapon's Department Yeoman at the time of this incident. It happened at my desk. I had to assist in the clean-up, not fun for a 19 year old. I don't recall whatever happened to the GMG3 who pulled the trigger however, he was removed from the ship. I will never in my life forget this incident. I think about it from time to time. An FTM1 was the representative from COCHRANE at his funeral.


Make it a Great Day!
Kris

I was corpsman on Cochrane in the early days of her life, and I must admit that when I first read about this I was relieved that I wasn't aboard at the time. I'm very sorry about your experience, and hope you are ok with it. Please know that you did your duty to the ship and to the man who was shot, and should be proud of this fact. It must have been terrible, and thank you for sharing with us.

Kris, just fyi, when I was 17 i found my dad after a .45 had passed thru his head. I am too aware of the mess it makes,the oh so daunting task of clean up afterward, and the whole 9 yards. This picture will never leave your mind. Even this much later, I cant go more than a couple of days without itflashing up in my inner screen. The point Im trying to make is that I understand what you are going thru in this little corner of our lives. My condolences to you, sir.

Marc Tuton STG3,Uss Cochrane jan 74-sept 76- "The pearl of the Pacific" STG2 USS Glover, nov 76-nov79,"The Cow Killer"