Shortly after the Korean War started on June 25, 1950, the Gunston Hall was ordered to pick up elements of the 1st Marine Provisional Brigade at Camp Pendleton, Oceanside, California. Sometime around July 12 the ship steamed  for Pusan, Korea and was later joined with other ships including the aircraft carrier USS Badoeng Strait, CVE 116.

Approximately mid-July the Gunston Hall was taking on fresh water and fuel from the Badoeng Strait and as they were finishing the operation Bob Conrad and B.W. (Perk) Perkins were told to disconnect the fresh water replenishment hose. As they were in the process of disconnecting the fresh water hose, port side just aft of the crane, a shadow came over them. They looked up and saw the Badoeng Strait making contact with the port side of the Gunston Hall. This collision resulted in the port crane being ripped loose and was swinging around freely as the ship rolled. As the ships pulled away, there was also damage to the carrier's flight deck which was caused by the Gunston Hall rolling underneath the carrier. Some of the Gunston Hall's gun tubs aft of the port quarter deck also sustained some minor damage. One of the bosun's mates was able to get a cable on the crane to stop it from swinging around.

When the refueling hose was cut black oil spewed onto the port side aft of the quarter deck and our esteemed treasurer, Chod Cremer was given the privilege of scraping and washing off the oil which must have been one hard and time consuming job. The Badoeng Strait also received damage to it's forward end of the starboard side of the flight deck.

The ship then proceeded to Pusan and when they arrived there with the Marines, the fighting was only 35 miles away. They off loaded the Marines and other cargo and proceeded to Yokosuka, Japan for emergency repairs and later sailed to Sasebo for more extensive repairs. The Gunston Hall then spent the next 8 months operating in and out of Korea.

The Gunston Hall's skipper was CDR J. W. Motes and being junior to the carrier's skipper, was relieved of his command shortly after arriving in Japan.

Fortunately no crew members were injured in this collision.

The Badoeng Strait was known as the "Bing Ding" by its own crew and from then on by the Gunny Sack crew also.

Special  thanks to Chod Cremer, B. W. (Perk) Perkins, Chuck Overkleeft and Gene Covey for their recollections making this story  possible.

Mysteries …
Can anyone identify the sailor in the above picture? 

In our last issue, we had a photograph on the front page with three Gunston Hall bluejackets and one marine.  They are: left to right:  Jack Buick, RD, 56-59; Bill Ludtke, RD, 56-59, the forever unidentified marine and a still unknown shipmate.