USS Benner Shipmate Memories

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From: "Francis Dujanovic" <fdujanovic@neo.rr.com>
To: <uss-benner@destroyers.org>
Subject: Big Screw up
Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2001 14:10:09 -0700

Oct.1959 Formosa Straits, encountering rough seas, I neglected to secure a 5 gallon can of white bulkhead paint I was using to paint the interior of  my 5"38 twin gun mount. Storm grew severe that night, while we were asleep. I was urgently awakened by 1st class gunners mate "Baxter" for me to get topside, where I found the 5 gallon paint can had tipped over in the gun mount and rolled out the hot shell chute. When it hit the deck the lid popped off causing the paint to splash all over the deck and roll down the port side of the ships hull. The storm and wind blew the paint forward to aft. As we anchored off Formosa that morning, the boatswain's mate had to rig scaffolds over the side and myself and another gunner had to go over the side and scrub the ships hull until clean...

Very embarrassing and never forgotten.

Frank Dujanovic