Tender Tale - Above and Beyond

Above and Beyond - Other Disasters

1969 Huricane Camille: I was a cook. While serving on the Bush we made a few short cruises. One cruise I won't forget. We had to go to sea because the 2nd worst storm ever to rip a swath of destruction to the mainland of the U.S. (Hurricane Camille, August 17, 1969) was approaching Key West. Camille was a category 5 in strength and had winds in excess of 200 mph, tides over 24 feet, and wave heights that reached 30-35 feet. Camille was responsible for the death of 256 people, 143 along the gulf coast of Alabama, Mississippi & Louisiana and 113 in the appalachians. Over 8,000 heads of cattle lost and over 1.4 billion in damage. Once Camille's wrath was over, USS Bushnell AS-15 responded to the area. I will never forget as the Bush entered the mouth of the Mississippi River and headed north toward New Orleans you could see the destruction every where you looked. Several large cargo ships were washed high aground, cattle floating in the river, and 85% of coastal homes destroyed. The Bushnell give medical help and supplies to some of the victims of Hurricane Camille. Well that's the way I remember it, that was 31 years ago.