I'm Lee Wetherhorn. I was the Operations Officer and I was the CDO that night. I actually arranged to take the job because I had classified material to turn over to our relieving ship. About 2200 I made a tour around the ship and finished with a stop to talk to the OOD at the time. The OOD was ENS Ed Spotts. While I was talking to him BM3 Gunzleman came back to the ship in a less than fully sober condition. Ed had his messenger take our 'drunken sailor' to his berthing compartment. I told Ed not to let Gunzleman go back ashore, and his name was dutifully crossed off the list of crew members not on board. I turned in to get some sleep because I was navigating the ship out of Rota in the morning.

Ed reported later that just as the watch was being relieved around midnight Gunzleman stumbled his way down the brow and began staggering down the quayside. One of the messengers, I don't know if it was from the oncoming or offgoing watch, was sent to bring him back. But it was dark on the pier. Gunzleman was in no condition to go far. He sat down inside a little sentry post hut and promptly fell asleep there. The messenger never found him. His name was not written in again on the list of men ashore. When the report was made to the CDO (me!) that liberty had expired, all the names of men ashore had been crossed off.

The Nan sailed early. Crew mustered on station as we made our way out of the harbor. That was when Gunzleman was reported as not being aboard. I was told to report to the Captain as soon as we secured the Special Sea Detail.

When I entered the COs cabin I found the XO, and both OODs from the time in question were there. That's also when I first heard that we had a man that missed movement. CAPT Brady started his questioning with the lowest ranked man, the oncoming OOD. His performance was deemed satisfactory and he was told to leave. Ed Spotts was next. He accepted blame for the incident because he had not written Gunzleman in again on the list of men on liberty, nor had he reported that the man had gone ashore again. RLB told Ed he was relieved of his duties and confined to his cabin (except for meals) and dismissed from the proceedings. I was next. I had nothing to add. The facts of the case had already been presented and I merely confirmed them. I. too, was told I was relieved of my duties and confined to my cabin.

I went to my cabin, waited for about an hour, and tried to call the XO to see about clearing this matter up. There was no answer. I tried again a few minutes later. Still no answer. Then my phone rang. It was Russ Puppe, the chief engineer. He told me he had been told to take over my duties and wanted to know what he needed to do. I told him that I did not expect this would go on for long. I just wanted to talk to the XO first. Russ then informed me that the XO was also in hack and that he had just taken over his duties as well.

A day or so later, when I went to the wardroom to eat, I dropped off a sealed letter to the Captain. I wrote him that if he was going to file formal charges against me for my conduct he had best do so immediately because if he did not, and did not return me to duty, he could be sure that I would file charges against him for his actions. The following morning I was called in to see RLB. He handed me back my letter, told me I was returned to my duties, and that I should NEVER mention this again to anyone.


Submitted by Lee Wetherhorn