I need help!!!

I need any shipmates who were on the Hawk during the fire that broke out in No. 1 MR on Dec. 11,1973 who have a first hand account of the incident, were involved in the suppression efforts, or knew any of the seven lives/souls that we lost on that horrible day in Kitty Hawk/Naval history!

Write me soon!

Thanks,
Ed (Rusty)
P-2

I was on the Kitty Hawk that day. I was with VA 192 I didn't know any of the men killed but I'll never forget that day! I do have the names of the dead. They are listed in a poem that was written by another crew member. I'd be happy to find it and forward

Ed,

Thanks for responding! Yes that would great to get a copy of the poem.

Up until last year when I started this quest I had a copy of "The Hawk" news from Dec. 73 that had that poem posted in it alone with some what of a ulogy for the seven fallen, and some how have misplaced it.
So yes please forward me a copy.

And please feel free to email me with what you remember from that day. Everything will be compiled and used in one way or another.

You can also fax me at 530-872-1612

Sincerely,

Ed (Rusty) Rieth

My brother Michael Deverich was killed in the 1973 fire aboard the USS Kitty Hawk if at all possible I would love a copy of the poem that was written if you still have it. Thank you and God Bless.

MY NAME IS STEVE RUDEN, I WAS A BT2 IN THE OIL LAB P3 DIV. KEVIN JOHNSON WORKED FOR ME AND WAS KILLED IN THE FIRE ... THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY THE STRAINERS IN FUEL LINES GOING TO THE BOILER ROOM. AFTER THE FIRE WE PULLED ALL THE STRAINERS OUT . THERE WERE 4 IN EACH BOILER ROOM...THE STRAINERS CAUSED TOO MUCH BACK PRESSURE AND THE ONE SPRUNG A LEAK AND HIT A STEAM LINE CAUSEING IT TO IGNITE..IF YOU NEED ANY MORE INFO FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME.I HAD ALOT OF FRIENDS IN 2MAIN. ED LANE , JERRY SELLERS, STEVE BRYANT TO NAME A FEW , I WAS ON THE HAWK FROM SEPT 71 TILL FEB 75. MY E-MAIL ADDRESS IS RUDYMR@HOTMAIL.COM AND MY HOME ADDRESS IS STEVE RUDEN , 820 MT LORETTA AVE , DUBUQUE,IA , 52003 AND PHONE # 563-557-1130, HOPE THIS HELPS YOU. BACK THEN EVERYBODY CALLED ME "RUDY" AND THEY STILL DO HERE AT HOME.

Rudy,

You foget we talked already?
I still have all your information, and still want to make my way back to visit and get your first hand account in person.

Be in touch,
Ed (Rusty)

I was part of the repair party in the passageway above the hatch leading down into the hole. I remember that night fairly well since it was one of those scary things that don't leave you. I remember like it was today that over 3/4 of our OBA's did not work and that was after I had to break the lock off the box because many of our guys didn't make it before all the hatches got secured when near dinner time that GQ sounded with THIS IS NOT A DRILL. We lost six brave men in the fire because of the fire safety system was turn off for repairs, and we lost another on that cruise too. Then our next WesPac we flooded in the same hole, and leaned hard over to portside. We that survied those years, will never forget.

Jim,

Thank you for the response, it is good to continue hearing from old shipmates about the experiance. I am still on my mission to tell the story the way it was but have had some set backs on time due to family tragedies this past several months including the recent death of my mother.

Now trying to get back on track and your message was timely, thank you!

Jim, I would like to talk with you a little more if possible. Would you be willing to spend sometime on the phone to discuss your experiance?

You may have some vital infomation crucial to filling in some missing pieces to this old puzzle we engaged in over 33 years ago now that left six men dead and many injured including myself.

I look forward to your correspondence.

Sincerely,
Ed Rieth
(Rusty)

I was also onboard that day. I was on the MA force at that time (TAD from S-6 Div). I was walking on the second deck forward of the aft galley. The whole passageway filled with smoke. For some reason (instint) ran aft to the aft galley. The air was cleaner there so worked my way back forward a few frames yelling down into the berthing spaces until the smoke was just too heavy. Spent the next 11 hours (im told it took that long to put out fire) in the aft galley which had been transformed into an operating room by medical (the medical spaces could not be used do to its location over the fire).

Was with the working party that pulled up the four guys that expired coming up the ladder on the starboard side. Heard a number of stories on their deaths, but don't know if any are true.

That was a heck of a cruise. The Indian Ocean, Shaw of Iran onboard, Mombasa Kenya, crossing the equator for the third time and of course my favorite place on earth at the time the PI..... Take care shipmates

I was on board from July 1971 through February 1975 with V-5 Division. I remember that evening very well.

We were cruising through the Philippine Straits going to Subic. As some others noted the fire started due to a leak of Navy Distillate flange that hit a 1500 LB steam line. Must remember we had come out of a Refit earlier at Hunters Point, California for the new JBD's, Catapults, Arresting Gear and Steam System upgrades needed for the F-14 Tomcat's we had on board. The engine/boiler rooms were refurbished at that time too.

I was a crew mate with the ships company fire team. Not much could be done with Zulu condtions. Once the fire started all hatches were dogged tight. Power was lost for a short period, but the ship went dead in the water in the straits. Once the engine room was snuffed of fire and power was restored we got underway to Subic. I was on a team that went into the engine room for recovery and possible small fire control. A majority of the shipmates that did not make it were pile up at an escape hatch that I can recall. The control room window of thick glass was melted and was designed to handle most engine/boiler room fires. Grating was melted through on the multi levels of the compartment.

One of the root causes was that the insulation had not been completed on the steam lines. Because old insulation was removed for repairs and asbestos was not a good thing. They could not reinsulate with asbestos any more. That caused a delay to finish the work, so a decision was made to go without. Risk management if you know the term was the deciding factor. Chances of having a fire were risk evaluated and deems slim. It was going to be put on later at some point. If the insulation would have been on the line, the chance of flash ignition would have been minimal and the crew could of handled the leak and stopped a possible fire situation. Second cause was the fire reel and hose for small fire supression. During refit they were re-hung on the bulkhead but too high for most to reach. With the flash fire the reaction to fight the fire was impossible with the reel locations. So they tried to escape before the hatches were sealed. The last part was the fact that a majority of the crewmates in that engine/boiler room were on board less than 3 months. They had very little knowledge of the ship compared to most. For most of us, it was towards the end of our enlistments. A lot of shipmates I knew were of the same grouping (1970- 1975 early) and we all wanted out! For me this was to be my final cruise. I had been on previous cruises for air ops over Vietnam. This was to be a show of force cruise in the Indian Ocean for the Shah of Iran. We were trying to sell F-14 Tomcat's to the Shah for his military. The US was trying to get a foothold with someone in the Middle East. We had I think 2 months of combat pay and in a combat zone. The Vietnam war was slowly winding down and hostile air ops was less and less.

The most significant impression was once we pulled into Subic Bay, I was one who helped carry the body bags off the ship to the awaiting vehicles on the dock. This was just before Christmas and these young men were not able to be part of it and died not even in a combat situation. I know I went to the EM club up on the hill that first night in and drank myself numb! I did not care even though I had duty the next morning. That is the most I can remember of that time. I hope that helps. For the life of me I cannot recall their names. I think I still have them listed in my cruisebook.

Ron Solis
V-5 Division

Thank you for the detail to provided. I was with VA192
at the time but TAD to the ships laundry. I was still bunking with the squadron and had to make my way to the aft end of the ship and down I think three levels to my battle station... barely made it, the Marine had already been posted at the hatch. I'll always remember how crazy scared everyone was when I was running through the the hanger bay! I remember seeing a chief stopping to puke. Going below it was every man for himself, people were going up and down stair levels at the same time... it was very strange scary I was 18. As soon as I was in the laundry and the hatch was dogged the lights went out! It was so dark you could not see the sailor next to you but you could smell his breath! seemed like this went on forever? I have no idea how long we were locked in that compartment. Just for the sake of record, there were no F14's on the ship at this time, just F4's

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Replying to:

I was on board from July 1971 through February 1975 with V-5 Division. I remember that evening very well.

We were cruising through the Philippine Straits going to Subic. As some others noted the fire started due to a leak of Navy Distillate flange that hit a 1500 LB steam line. Must remember we had come out of a Refit earlier at Hunters Point, California for the new JBD's, Catapults, Arresting Gear and Steam System upgrades needed for the F-14 Tomcat's we had on board. The engine/boiler rooms were refurbished at that time too.

I was a crew mate with the ships company fire team. Not much could be done with Zulu condtions. Once the fire started all hatches were dogged tight. Power was lost for a short period, but the ship went dead in the water in the straits. Once the engine room was snuffed of fire and power was restored we got underway to Subic. I was on a team that went into the engine room for recovery and possible small fire control. A majority of the shipmates that did not make it were pile up at an escape hatch that I can recall. The control room window of thick glass was melted and was designed to handle most engine/boiler room fires. Grating was melted through on the multi levels of the compartment.

One of the root causes was that the insulation had not been completed on the steam lines. Because old insulation was removed for repairs and asbestos was not a good thing. They could not reinsulate with asbestos any more. That caused a delay to finish the work, so a decision was made to go without. Risk management if you know the term was the deciding factor. Chances of having a fire were risk evaluated and deems slim. It was going to be put on later at some point. If the insulation would have been on the line, the chance of flash ignition would have been minimal and the crew could of handled the leak and stopped a possible fire situation. Second cause was the fire reel and hose for small fire supression. During refit they were re-hung on the bulkhead but too high for most to reach. With the flash fire the reaction to fight the fire was impossible with the reel locations. So they tried to escape before the hatches were sealed. The last part was the fact that a majority of the crewmates in that engine/boiler room were on board less than 3 months. They had very little knowledge of the ship compared to most. For most of us, it was towards the end of our enlistments. A lot of shipmates I knew were of the same grouping (1970- 1975 early) and we all wanted out! For me this was to be my final cruise. I had been on previous cruises for air ops over Vietnam. This was to be a show of force cruise in the Indian Ocean for the Shah of Iran. We were trying to sell F-14 Tomcat's to the Shah for his military. The US was trying to get a foothold with someone in the Middle East. We had I think 2 months of combat pay and in a combat zone. The Vietnam war was slowly winding down and hostile air ops was less and less.

The most significant impression was once we pulled into Subic Bay, I was one who helped carry the body bags off the ship to the awaiting vehicles on the dock. This was just before Christmas and these young men were not able to be part of it and died not even in a combat situation. I know I went to the EM club up on the hill that first night in and drank myself numb! I did not care even though I had duty the next morning. That is the most I can remember of that time. I hope that helps. For the life of me I cannot recall their names. I think I still have them listed in my cruisebook.

Ron Solis
V-5 Division

Ed,

Glad you are still around, I am still compiling data for the book and hope to have the round completed before the end of this year.

I would still like to mee with those who were there with me that night and have stories to share. Maybe I can arrange to fly/ drive those involve to a central point soon to spend a weekend discussing and recording for the project.

The Hawk is still slated for Decommissioning in 9/08

Talk soon,
Ed Rusty Rieth

I was their I was in 4mmr at the time of the fire within minutes it was like the lights were out but the battle lanterns didn't come on it was all the smoke. WE went to GQ but there was so much smoke it traveled up out of 1 main and down in to 4 main so fastwe thought the fire came threw the bulkhead. I had only been aboard about 3 months when this happened I remeber one of the guys that died had a rack in the same ial as mine and had talked about going over the hill some of us talk to him about it and he didn't go when he had the chance. after that i never talked to anyone about their desicion to leave the ship and go a wall, i tell myself i didnt make him stay. One of the guys was from the oil lab the rest were from 1main Lower level,burnerman, pumpman, feed pumpman Checkman and generator watch, i seanm to remember thoughs in the booth all made it out.

Thank you for your service & for giving respect to my brother while getting his body off the ship and eventually to us, his family. Seemed like a million years to me!! His name was Michael Randy Deverich , he was only 19. I still miss him terribly, especially this time of year. December 11th I go to his gravesite to talk with him and make sure he has a flag and is never forgotten... I was only 12 so losing my big brother and not being able to say goodbye is the worst of it all. I remember my dad making phone calls, writing letters etc. constantly. But he always got the run around, never a clear cut answer or the honors and recognition I believe my brother deserved.. God Bless you...

I was on board that night. The Hawk was my first (and last) duty station. Right out of Orlando Boot I checked on board Nov. 15, 1973. We left Nov.23, 1973(I remember that because Grace Slick sang a song that said "No on will remember the 23 of November".
I didn't have a division yet so they kept me in the MA shack for what seemed like two weeks before personel got to me. During that time I met a couple of enginemen or BT strickers going through the same thing, we were all so new.
I was assigned to a small division in Operations (OW Div.) right next to CIC, it was called ASCAC (anti sub), I understand we were the reason the Hawk became a CV. Being the FNG I was TAD'd to the mess deck where I was put in charge of the Break Out crew. Humping all that chow up from way down there where the freezers are 4 times a day, UNREPS were/are unforgettable. I was working there until we hit Mombasa.
That night, it was after chow, I dont remember the day/date or time (2200?). I'll never forget "THIS IS NOT A DRILL", gives me shivers now. We bunked on the 2nd deck with the OI Div. (CIC) a few frams aft the chain locker. I remember landing on the back of a guy, hard, then we were out of there.
Battle Stations were in my Div. space, then I remember going to my fire station, putting on SP phones, then going to ABANDON SHIP STATIONS. Nobody has talked about that. It was daylight, and I remember that I somehow got a life vest on and Mark Schelacy(spl) grabbed ahold and didn't let go and an announcment came over the 1MC "We are in shark infested waters". I remember draging up a mattress and sleeping on the deck that night, the next night too.
I was still working break out and as soon as we were able to get back down there I was ordered to move and clean everything out of the milk and egg cooler (it's pretty big), and I remember handling 8 body bags(could have been 7)(I just remembered the eighth, a guy in Operations, We found him dead in the head on the 2nd. deck just foward of CIC, heroin from our first stop in Hong Kong) and putting them an my racks untill we got to Subic. I bet I had to move those guys a half dozen times to please someone.
It seemed as soon as we tied up I was TAD'd again to the engine rooms for field day(s). I bagged, yanked, dragged asbestos for days. Saw the melted catwalks, and heard the stories about the melted jewlery and the body oil left you can't paint over. That **** ruined my naval career.
Met a guy on the steps of a post office several years ago wearing a Navy hat, so I asked, he said "The Conni, 71 to 75", and I said "The Kitty Hawk, 73 to 76" and he says " were you on during the fire"? and I said "how do you know about that"? He was on the Admirals Staff, in the Indian Ocean, and we were their replacements and they were all ****** off at us for their extended cruise.

Dale,

Thanks for the sharing, glad to hear what you had to share.

Pretty glim time a board the Hawk.

I'd like to stay in touch, would like to talk to you about using your accounts in the book.

Please write me back at my email address

Wow, your note gave me the shivers. You know, over the years this stuff keeps comming up.
Several years ago I signed up with the VA for medical and 8 months later they couldn't find that I was even on the KH! Ha! She had been my only duty station. Go figger.
Dale

An update concerning this fire in MMR1 is available on the Forum, subject "Fire in 1 Main machinery room" and dated Nov 24, 2007 - 7:57 PM.

Thank you for your service, you probably helped to eventually get my brother Michael Deverich home which took forever since the ship was out to sea. Long time before we were able to get his body home....someone told me they "dumped" them in the Phillipines or somewhere close to there first... So sad. December is always a terrible month for me, he was new on the ship, only 19. I was 12 when I was called out of class to get the news, numb, that's all I remember, was very hard to process & comprehend as a 12 year old... Thank you again for your service and any help you had getting my brother hone. My

I was in P1 Div 1MMr. I knew three of the men. We were close. The other three were new to the division. It still haunts me that I survived.

The only thing that I can lend is my friend Rick Parcells s account,from when they returned from the Med cruise back in 74.I left the ship in the summer of 73 while we were still in SF.Ricky told me that the fire killed several of our friends and that he had to assist in the identification of the bodies.Rick was out of #4MMR as was I.I cannot locate my friend Ricky.He is from So Cal,Huntington Beach is where he and his family lived.His Dad owned a used car buis.there.I saw him last in Long Beach in 83 when he stayed where I lived at the time.He and I were best friends.Would like to see him again someday.

I WAS ON THE MESS DECKS EATING SUPPER THAT NIGHT AND MY BROTHER, JOE, WAS ON DUTY IN THE PERSONNEL OFFICE. LIKE EVERYONE ELSE THAT ENDURED THAT CATASTROPHE, I WILL NEVER FORGET IT. IT SEEMS LIKE JUST YESTERDAY THAT IT HAPPENED. MY GQ STATION (7A, i BELIEVE) I WAS TOLD, WAS THE MAIN FIRE PARTY THAT FOUGHT THE FIRE, EVEN THOUGH AT A TIME OF CRISIS, THERE IS NO "MAIN PARTY". EVERY SAILOR HAS A JOB TO DO. I WAS THE NBC MONITOR MAN OF THE REPAIR PARTY, SO I HAD NO "REAL" PART IN THE ACTUAL FIGHTING. IT IS JUST A SHAME WE LOST SO MANY MEN.

I too was there. I was the Data Analyst for HS-4 and was working in my compartment when the first call for fire parties went out. And I was there when they called General Quarters. The others who shared my compartment were called to the flight deck, I was instructed to remain and man the compartment. After a time I too was ordered to the flight deck.

There we were, dead in the water, listing and smoking. Dark and eerie...a super carrier is not supposed to be dead in the water, listing and smoking.

When it was all contained and we were again underway I retired to my bunk and it was there that I heard the ship's chaplain naming those who had died. To this day my eyes still mist over thinking of that moment. And they always will.

Bless them and all who were there that night.

My brother was one who lost his life, only 19 years old, I was 12... God Bless you for trying to help but from what I've been able to dig up there was not much anyone could have done... God Bless You. I was just hoping to find any pictures of my brother or the cruise book from that year but have had no luck...

My brother Michael Deverich was killed in the fire, this is always the worst time of year for me.... I feel we never got answers or recognition from the government or those who were in charge at the time. Come to the conclusion we never will. My dad went to his grave at 80 years old in 2000 still writing the give rent, higher officials etc. but died with no answers... My mom is now 95 , we go see Mike every Sunday after church.. I still see the sadness, loss & pain in her eyes to this day... So sad... God Bless You...

My brother Michael Deverich was killed in the fire, this is always the worst time of year for me.... I feel we never got answers or recognition from the government or those who were in charge at the time. Come to the conclusion we never will. My dad went to his grave at 80 years old in 2000 still writing the give rent, higher officials etc. but died with no answers... My mom is now 95 , we go see Mike every Sunday after church.. I still see the sadness, loss & pain in her eyes to this day... So sad... God Bless You...