Missile Tech Niel F Collins

I learned today that Missile Tech 2cl. Neil Collins has passed away. Neil was not only a shipmate and a comrade in arms, he was a friend. He was also a Waddell Plankowner and appreciated being a member of an elite group of sailors called Missile Technicians. I went aboard Waddell in February of 64 as part of the pre-com crew while she was was still in Todd Shipyard in Seattle being built. Thanks to the powers that be, instead of being the Leading Missile Technician, I ended up in the Missile Guidance Radar Room as part of some ill-advised cross-training experiment. This lasted about nine months and felt more like nine years. About six months after the ship was commissioned, and a few missile shots under our belts, I finally got my shop back shortly afterward, we got jerked out of our training cycle and quickly were deployed over to Westpac, IE Viet Nam. Neil was a calming influence in our little crazy world. He was capable of keeping his head screwed on tight when all was going crazy. This picture was taken in some sailor bar in Sasibo Japan in 1965.

From left to right is a Missile Tech named Shaw, I can't remember his first name right now. The guy on the right of him is Dave Bradberry who was a great guy to have working with you. Next is me the Fearless Leader and then Neil. This was our first WestPac although Waddell was our second ship. Neil was previously on another DDG, I forget which one. Dave and I were both on carriers. Dave was on Kitty Hawk CVA-63, and I was on Constellation CVA-64. We were all glad that we came together on our DDG.

After nine months on the gun line in So. Viet Nam and up running SAR of of Hiphong, we ended up unwinding in Olongopo, Philippines. By then we were hardened combatants, but somehow Neil stayed cool as a cucumber. He's the calm looking guy on the left. My old running-mate from Southern Indiana, IE NAD CRane, Bart Hart is the guy above my head and I am the hard-ass on the right.

The last time I saw Neil was a few years back at his home outside of Orlando. Although he looked well enough, he told me he did feel like he was well enough to travel to a reunion. Too bad, I was still hoping that we all could get together for a Missile Division reunion here in Long Beach which was our home port during those magic days.

Wadda ya mean a five engined 747.

In the early seventies, I had taken my sister to LAX to fly back to Cleveland. In those days, one could go along to the gate with a departing passenger, and so I did. My sister was flying on a United 474 to Chicago and then changing to a 727 to Cleveland. When it was time to board, my sister and I said our goodbyes, hugged and kissed and off she boarded. I've always loved trains, planes, cars and ships and wanted to watch the big SOB push back. When I looked out the window, I did a double take. There were three engines on the visible right wing. I wondered to myself, since when did Boeing start building six engined 747s?

When the big airplane was turned around to taxi, I did a second double take. The starboard wing only had two engines mounted on it. Now I was completely dumbfounded, so I asked the agent at the gate what was going on. He explained to me that when United needed to have major work done on an engine, the engine was sent to their Chicago maintenance facility and the only practical way to transport these huge engines was to simply attach it to the wing of a 747 and let it rack up a few Frequent-Flier miles.

I have flown a lot over the last forty years. On 747s and L1011s all over the USA and to Japan and Europe. On VC-10s to Austrailia, DC-10s to Korea, on 727s, 737s, 757s and 767s. I've been on hundreds of flights. Hell I even flew a bunch myself as a licensed pilot, but I never saw an odd number of engines on an airplane again. I started wondering if maybe I didn't dream it. It seemed so bizarre, but thanks to Google I found a few of these images to put my feeble mind at ease.