The Camera as Time Machine
It was spring of 1969 -- April, if memory serves. I was serving as a junior officer aboard USS Suffolk County (LST-1173), a unit of Atlantic Fleet Amphibious Squadron Twelve, deployed in the Caribbean. Not a bad place to be serving in those days of raging hostilities in Southeast Asia. Above is a shot of our ship making a practice landing on Red Beach on the island of Vieques, just east of the main island of Puerto Rico. The picture appears tranquil enough, but the chaos that preceded it was the stuff of which Keystone Kops movies are made. Bringing a Suffolk County class tank landing ship inshore, rigging floating causeways, and connecting the whole works to the beach so vehicles can be offloaded is a task which requires the most exacting seamanship. Suffice it to say that our skipper was still learning the ropes in that department.
But, we made it, as you see below. One way you can tell this was just a practice landing is by noticing all the people standing around as if they're waiting to buy hot dogs from a pushcart vendor in the park. If there'd been shooting going on, those guys would not be so exposed. As a caption for this picture, how about: "How many Marines does it take to land a tank on a beach?"
These photos are one reason I'm skeptical about digital photography. They were made with a film camera and reposed as negatives in a carton in my closet for over 40 years before I made them into prints. I doubt digital images would have lasted that long in such good condition before being brought to light.
It was spring of 1969 -- April, if memory serves. I was serving as a junior officer aboard USS Suffolk County (LST-1173), a unit of Atlantic Fleet Amphibious Squadron Twelve, deployed in the Caribbean. Not a bad place to be serving in those days of raging hostilities in Southeast Asia. Above is a shot of our ship making a practice landing on Red Beach on the island of Vieques, just east of the main island of Puerto Rico. The picture appears tranquil enough, but the chaos that preceded it was the stuff of which Keystone Kops movies are made. Bringing a Suffolk County class tank landing ship inshore, rigging floating causeways, and connecting the whole works to the beach so vehicles can be offloaded is a task which requires the most exacting seamanship. Suffice it to say that our skipper was still learning the ropes in that department.
But, we made it, as you see below. One way you can tell this was just a practice landing is by noticing all the people standing around as if they're waiting to buy hot dogs from a pushcart vendor in the park. If there'd been shooting going on, those guys would not be so exposed. As a caption for this picture, how about: "How many Marines does it take to land a tank on a beach?"
These photos are one reason I'm skeptical about digital photography. They were made with a film camera and reposed as negatives in a carton in my closet for over 40 years before I made them into prints. I doubt digital images would have lasted that long in such good condition before being brought to light.
2 comments:
Clem,
Personally I am glad you were deployed in the Carribean. You kept us safe. To my knowledge, not one hositle was seen on the Gulf Coast while you there.
Jim
Gulf Coast, no; 90 miles south of Miami, yes.
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