Our ship was commissioned at 212121 March, 1963. Our esteemed Executive Officer, J D B, made sure the commissioning message reflected this time signature.

Our ship also participated in Operation "Sailor Hat" prior to her first deployment. A very large mound of TNT was place on Ka'aolave (it was shaped like to round portion of a white hat) and detonated. Various ships with different types of super structures were anchored at various distances from the simulated atomic blast. The x-Atlata had an aluminum bridge - it was blown off the ship's hull.

Cochrane only suffered minor fragment damage to some parts of the mast and superstructure.

James M. Fones

Thanks for the info Jim. I am sure that our historian, Larry Wilson, will be interested in this.

MM2 83-85
#2 Engine Room Supervisor

We need to keep things correct. Proper spelling of the at the time target island which is now going through a clean-up and return to the stateof HAWAII is KAHOOLAWE.
HURT 64-69 ALOHA