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Page 3 MANLEY NOTES REACH OUT AND FEEL THE PRIDE office. My escorts - not my neighbor (he had other priorities to attend) - were today’s petty officers young, highly proficient profession-als. All that I was exposed to was un-classified, of course, but so much of it is straight from Star Wars. Each work space is equipped with com-puters linked to a main communica-tions system. Satellite TV is taken for granted. E-mail access, the Internet, cell phones, and constant dining privileges. You may recall the state of commu-nications back in the sixties and seventies. I would go through tons of paper to finally find the ball scores a week late. News and sports are live and instantaneous today. I was astonished to learn of the “cash payments” - mostly none. The Navy Cash System provides each crew member with a card and account number that is used for nearly everything - gedunk ma-chines, ship’s store and everything in between. Money as we knew it is not used; plastic has taken over everywhere. No supply forms, no chits. It is all accomplished with computers and the automated data system. By the end of the day I was exhausted and vividly reminded why I am no longer on active duty. These kids - and they are not all “kids” - must meet physical require-ments that you and I too often ig-nored. I was deeply impressed and moved by the crew - officers, chief petty officers, petty officers, and seaman alike - men and women. They are professionals who are filled with pride in their job, their ship, and their Navy. They are expertly trained and skilled. Believe me, it shows. As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, my neighbor is their Command Master Chief. I was for-tunate to enjoy a similar position many years earlier. There is a dif-ference between then and now. The CMC is selected after a very rigid screening process then spe-cially trained for the position. It is a demanding job and situated on the organizational chart immediately to the right of the Commanding Offi-cer. On his hip, he wears a small radio to maintain immediate voice contact with every space on the ship. Mostly it is 24/7. I am especially grateful to my friend and good neighbor, Command Master Chief Sam Lymon for my day at sea. I want to thank and praise the Commanding Officer, the wardroom, the CPO Mess, and the entire crew for making my cruise most memorable. Joe Dennison, our Association President, is arranging a visit to tour one of today’s destroyers during The Homecoming Reunion. You would be a darn fool to miss it! USS BATAAN (LHD-5) APPEALS COURT REVERSES VA AGENT ORANGE POLICY “Some of the inequities of the appli-cation of presumptive coverage for exposure to Agent Orange have fi-nally been set aside,” said John Rowan, national president of Viet-nam Veterans of America. On August 16, 2006, the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims ren-dered a decision in the appeal of Haas v. Nicholson. In their 31-page decision, the Court determined the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has been unlawfully denying pre-sumptive disability compensation for exposure to Agent Orange (AO) for service members who served in waters offshore of Vietnam and earned the Vietnam Service Medal (VSM). Numerous veterans who served in Vietnam have been able to qualify for presumptive disability compen-sation for exposure to AO. Unfortu-nately the application of presump-tive coverage has resulted in many inequities for veterans and their families. An example of this can be seen in the VA’s denials of pre-sumptive service connection to ser-vice members who served on ships and boats off the coast of Vietnam. Although these veterans earned and received the VSM, many have had their claims denied by VA for presumptive disability due to AO exposure because they did not step foot on the ground in Vietnam. “All veterans who served in the wa-ters offshore need to speak with a service representative or service officer as soon as possible to see if they have a viable claim for com-pensation,” Rowan said. These vet-erans should participate in the AO registry exam at their earliest be-fore the regulations change again in favor of the VA, Rowan advised.
Page 2
MANLEY NOTES
REACH OUT AND FEEL THE PRIDE
Editor:  Joe Dennison
Office: 905 Sea Duck Drive
Daytona Beach, FL 32119
Phone: (386) 767-8068
Email: pres@ussmanleydd940.org
Officers:
President - Joe Dennison
Vice-president - Dan Brewster
Secretary - Harold Kane
Treasurer - Bill Gowan
Webmaster - Bill Gowan
Welcome Aboard
The USS Manley (DD-940)  Association
extends a warm welcome to:
Bobby J. Webb - TM3 - 60-62
Dennis A. Clore - BT3 - 76-79
John A Brown - BT3 - 81-83
Roy R Darnell - ENFN - 60-62
Robert C Sullivan - MM3 - 78-83
Brett Davis - PO2 - 79-82
Larry G Mattfield - GMG2 - 75-77
Raymond J Cuccio - RMSN - 77-78
Michael K Dare - SN - 80-83
Sailor Returns To Sea
If Only for A Day
By Marty Warren
Marty Warren, Chesapeake, Virginia and one time RM1 on board Manley
from 1959 until his transfer in 1962 shares his recent experience at sea on
board the USS Bataan (LHD-5) during a family cruise.
The Bataan is an amphibious assault ship serving as a launching platform
and support hub for Marines using troop transport and assault helicopters,
landing craft, and Harrier jets - the vertical ones.  Since joining the fleet in
1997, she has carried personnel and equipment for the Marine Expeditionary
Unit to sustain operations in forward areas.  So, when my neighbor, Com-
mand Master Chief Sam Lymon invited me to participate in the ship’s family
cruise at sea this past June, I dropped the bar-b-que fork and began packing
my seabag immediately.  I wasn’t about to give it a second thought.  I was
going back to sea!
I do not possess the words to describe adequately my excitement.  I was
thrilled to say the least.  The ticker was pumping!
I thought I had just won the “King For A Day” contest.  Without exception, the
crew treated me as though I was royalty for the entire day - in fact, they
treated every visitor that day like kings and queens.  The USS Bataan Asso-
ciation - those who sailed on the original CVL-29 - were on board as well as
many of the crew’s families and guests.  I lost any idea that I was an old salt
when I met up with the Bataan Association guys - they are “old salts!”  I felt
honored to be among them.
The Bataan only days before returned from a six-week exercise and was
anchored in the Chesapeake Bay just beyond the Bay Bridge Tunnel.  The
ride on the LCU took us from Little Creek about five miles out in the Bay to
enter the ship through the well deck, drove right into it like Jonah being swal-
lowed by the great whale.  
There was a continental breakfast laid out on the hangar deck for the visitors
but I was ushered to the Chief’s Mess where the layout was impressive -
juices of most any kind, coffee, and a pyramid of sweet morsels.  Nothing
like I ever experienced in my earlier life.
My neighbor and friend had arranged for personal tours to the Combat Infor-
mation Center (CIC), the Communications Center - Radio Central as known
by us old salts - and the ADP Center - that’s the Automated Data Processing
USS BATAAN (CVL-29) In earlier days
Stay Connected
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the Association by E-mail to:
manleydd940@cfl.rr.com.
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