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USS HERBERT (APD-22)
by Robert E. Desmarais 1966
The 'Dirty Herbie', they called
her;
No other name could suit her better.
A million barnacles clung to her hull;
Her coat of paint was drab and dull.
Her mangy crew could not explain
How she could roam the raging main;
But every man, without exception
Looked upon her with deep affection.
Departure time is now at hand;
No fuss, no fanfare and no band.
In time of war, all ships put out to sea
Under the veil of utmost secrecy.
All hands are straining at their
stations
In the flurry of final preparations.
Loudspeakers come alive and all can hear
The skipper's orders, loud and clear:
"Remove the gangplank! Cast off
the lines!"
The die is cast. What star now shines
On 'Dirty Herbie', old number twenty-two?
A glorious venture or a Waterloo?
While all else sleeps, she's wide
awake,
Leaving behind a foaming wake.
Without a sound, without a light,
She disappears into the night.
The mournful tones of channel
buoys
Guide us straight for the open seas;
While down below, in his quarters,
The 'old man' reads the secret orders.
"Proceed at once to Bermuda.
Destination: Casablanca.
Convoy speed: thirteen knots.
Your code name: Silver Fox.
From this set course, do not deter
For any reason, including weather.
See you later, in the Spring.
Godspeed, Good Luck and Good Hunting."
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