The following are reproductions of a series of letters between Roy Shiver and Ron Arnold.
4/30/05
Dear Mr. Shiver,
I got your address from the Feb. 7th mailing which you sent to me. I assume you got my address from one of your shipmates, to whom I wrote some time ago about an officer's cap I fished out of the Yellow Sea in the spring of 1953. I was a Marine serving with the Sok-to garrison off the West Coast of North Korea. The cap has the broad bill, and DD 760 printed in gold (cap was/is dark blue). we always had a U-N ship stationed and anchored out of sight of the mainland so that they could fire on North Korean targets. We had Dutch & New Zealand frigates, an LSMR (which was hit by counter-battery fire from the mainland) and the American destroyer "Higbee" (DD806). There was always one ship stationed off Sok-to, which is about 8 miles from the larger Island of Cho-do, where the radar-units monitored Communist air traffic on the Chinese/N. Korean border, where most of the jet-battles took place. There were many crash-boats at Cho-do, which was the place where damaged jets were supposed to try and reach so that they could ditch and have a good chance of rescue.
Each time a new ship came on station, we would take our Naval Gunfire team out to the vessel on our L-C-M, so that they could discuss targets for the 5-inch guns. The day they went out to the Higbee I tagged along and took 3 Korean kids (10-15 years old) with me so that they could get aboard an American warship. While our people were with the ship's gunnery officers, I walked around the main deck with the kids. One of the Higbee's cooks was on deck having a smoke, and he asked us if we'd like a little chow. He put out a great spread for us, something these kids of course had never seen before. By the time we were to leave the Higbee the wind had come up strong and the LCM was bouncing around like a cork, hitting the starboard side of the Higbee pretty hard a couple times. A strong gust blew the cap off the head of a young officer and I grabbed the boat-hook and made a stab for it and got it. However, "Boat's" wasn't about to go back to return a cap and risk more dirty looks from the Higbee's skipper for knocking the paint off his ship. So, 52 years later I still have this cap, and it is in excellent condition. I assume the young officer who lost it had been transferred from the John W. Thomason DD-760 to the Higbee. Perhaps you could research that in the ship's log, if they include transfers of personnel in the log. Or, perhaps you could put this story on your web site and someone would remember such a transfer from the Thomason. If that officer is still living I'd like to return his cap to him if he can be indentified. Health permitting, I might be able to return it to him at your next re-union in Detroit. Detroit is only 240 miles from Buffalo via Canada so its an easy drive. Otherwise, I could send it and the officers of your association could identify some deserving shipmate who would like the cap for a souvenir. Please advise.
Sincerely,
Ron Arnold
P.S. Do you know if the Higbee crew has an association such as yours. If they do, I would certainly appreciate knowing a name and address so I can share the story with them.
April 10, 2006
Dear Roy,
Thank you for the packet of information about the upcoming Thomason re-union in September in Detroit. I've never seen such a thorough and complete presentation of information about an upcoming get-together of old shipmates. Congratulations to all who assembled it so skillfully.
I'm the Marine who wrote to you a year ago about the DD760 cap I fished out of the Yellow Sea in the spring of '53, when it blew off the head of the officer of the deck of the USS Higbee (DD/DDR 806). I enclose a copy of that letter so I don't have to re-hash the details again. A few months after I wrote to you, I saw the Higbee was having a re-union in Boston in September of 2005. The contact was Gil "Rod" Rodello, (541) 747-1408. Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . I wrote to him (or someone he designated--can't remember) inquiring if anyone in the group could identify that officer who lost the cap so I could send it to him, or to some other appropriate person. They said they would bring it up at the re-union, but I have never had any reply.
Therefore I send the cap to you for deposition. Perhaps it could be part of a raffle or prove useful as a silent auction donation. At any rate I feel someone from the Thomason should have it, especially if he served aboard during the Korean War. I leave it to your discretion as to it's final disposition.
As you can see it is in good condition for something at least 53 years old. The old sweatband disintegrated, and I took it to a milliner and she replaced it probably 25 years ago.
I would appreciate knowing at some point what you fellows decided.
Semper Fi,
Ron Arnold
Updated 03-23-2007
"The following story was told by Bob Mucho who was stationed aboard the USS Higbee off of Korea on June 5, 1953.
During the day of June 5, 1953, the USS Higbee DD 806 was anchored of the Island of Sok-to in Korea. The military had a radar station to guard Mig Alley during the Korean war on the island of Chodo. While anchored, an LCM transport fire control missions for that night to the ship. With the LSM that day was three (3) Korean boys who served as house boys to the military stationed on Chodo. These Korean boys had never been on an American ship and were brought along for the experience. They ate aboard the ship. Shortly after their departure, the seas were very rough. One of the sailors aboard the Higbee had a ball cap with the embossed "DD 760" on the front of the cap. There is some confusion as to whether this individual was an officer or an enlisted person. With the high winds and seas, his hat blew off and landed on the side of the LCM in the water. At that time an young Marine named Ron Arnold fished the hat out of the water. An attempt was made to deliver the hat back to the Higbee but the waters were too rough. Ron kept the hat for all of these years and would like to return it to it's rightful owner. I was there that day when the hat fell into the water but in my search of fellow shipmates, we can not determine who on the Higbee had served on the USS John W Thomason or had gotten the hat from another sailor."
Dear Mr. Shiver,
I got your address from the Feb. 7th mailing which you sent to me. I assume you got my address from one of your shipmates, to whom I wrote some time ago about an officer's cap I fished out of the Yellow Sea in the spring of 1953. I was a Marine serving with the Sok-to garrison off the West Coast of North Korea. The cap has the broad bill, and DD 760 printed in gold (cap was/is dark blue). we always had a U-N ship stationed and anchored out of sight of the mainland so that they could fire on North Korean targets. We had Dutch & New Zealand frigates, an LSMR (which was hit by counter-battery fire from the mainland) and the American destroyer "Higbee" (DD806). There was always one ship stationed off Sok-to, which is about 8 miles from the larger Island of Cho-do, where the radar-units monitored Communist air traffic on the Chinese/N. Korean border, where most of the jet-battles took place. There were many crash-boats at Cho-do, which was the place where damaged jets were supposed to try and reach so that they could ditch and have a good chance of rescue.
Each time a new ship came on station, we would take our Naval Gunfire team out to the vessel on our L-C-M, so that they could discuss targets for the 5-inch guns. The day they went out to the Higbee I tagged along and took 3 Korean kids (10-15 years old) with me so that they could get aboard an American warship. While our people were with the ship's gunnery officers, I walked around the main deck with the kids. One of the Higbee's cooks was on deck having a smoke, and he asked us if we'd like a little chow. He put out a great spread for us, something these kids of course had never seen before. By the time we were to leave the Higbee the wind had come up strong and the LCM was bouncing around like a cork, hitting the starboard side of the Higbee pretty hard a couple times. A strong gust blew the cap off the head of a young officer and I grabbed the boat-hook and made a stab for it and got it. However, "Boat's" wasn't about to go back to return a cap and risk more dirty looks from the Higbee's skipper for knocking the paint off his ship. So, 52 years later I still have this cap, and it is in excellent condition. I assume the young officer who lost it had been transferred from the John W. Thomason DD-760 to the Higbee. Perhaps you could research that in the ship's log, if they include transfers of personnel in the log. Or, perhaps you could put this story on your web site and someone would remember such a transfer from the Thomason. If that officer is still living I'd like to return his cap to him if he can be indentified. Health permitting, I might be able to return it to him at your next re-union in Detroit. Detroit is only 240 miles from Buffalo via Canada so its an easy drive. Otherwise, I could send it and the officers of your association could identify some deserving shipmate who would like the cap for a souvenir. Please advise.
Sincerely,
Ron Arnold
P.S. Do you know if the Higbee crew has an association such as yours. If they do, I would certainly appreciate knowing a name and address so I can share the story with them.
April 10, 2006
Dear Roy,
Thank you for the packet of information about the upcoming Thomason re-union in September in Detroit. I've never seen such a thorough and complete presentation of information about an upcoming get-together of old shipmates. Congratulations to all who assembled it so skillfully.
I'm the Marine who wrote to you a year ago about the DD760 cap I fished out of the Yellow Sea in the spring of '53, when it blew off the head of the officer of the deck of the USS Higbee (DD/DDR 806). I enclose a copy of that letter so I don't have to re-hash the details again. A few months after I wrote to you, I saw the Higbee was having a re-union in Boston in September of 2005. The contact was Gil "Rod" Rodello, (541) 747-1408. Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . I wrote to him (or someone he designated--can't remember) inquiring if anyone in the group could identify that officer who lost the cap so I could send it to him, or to some other appropriate person. They said they would bring it up at the re-union, but I have never had any reply.
Therefore I send the cap to you for deposition. Perhaps it could be part of a raffle or prove useful as a silent auction donation. At any rate I feel someone from the Thomason should have it, especially if he served aboard during the Korean War. I leave it to your discretion as to it's final disposition.
As you can see it is in good condition for something at least 53 years old. The old sweatband disintegrated, and I took it to a milliner and she replaced it probably 25 years ago.
I would appreciate knowing at some point what you fellows decided.
Semper Fi,
Ron Arnold
Updated 03-23-2007
"The following story was told by Bob Mucho who was stationed aboard the USS Higbee off of Korea on June 5, 1953.
During the day of June 5, 1953, the USS Higbee DD 806 was anchored of the Island of Sok-to in Korea. The military had a radar station to guard Mig Alley during the Korean war on the island of Chodo. While anchored, an LCM transport fire control missions for that night to the ship. With the LSM that day was three (3) Korean boys who served as house boys to the military stationed on Chodo. These Korean boys had never been on an American ship and were brought along for the experience. They ate aboard the ship. Shortly after their departure, the seas were very rough. One of the sailors aboard the Higbee had a ball cap with the embossed "DD 760" on the front of the cap. There is some confusion as to whether this individual was an officer or an enlisted person. With the high winds and seas, his hat blew off and landed on the side of the LCM in the water. At that time an young Marine named Ron Arnold fished the hat out of the water. An attempt was made to deliver the hat back to the Higbee but the waters were too rough. Ron kept the hat for all of these years and would like to return it to it's rightful owner. I was there that day when the hat fell into the water but in my search of fellow shipmates, we can not determine who on the Higbee had served on the USS John W Thomason or had gotten the hat from another sailor."
