USS Wiseman DE 667 - Last Chapter

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Destroyer Escorts

Some of the Destroyer Escorts built in the last part of World War II were commissioned and placed into service for two or three years. Then because they were no longer needed  they were decommissioned, and then either sold or lease to other countries, used for target practice and sunk or sold and scrapped.

USS McNulty DE 581 Used as Target and Sunk.

Some of the Destroyer Escorts remained in service. Others like the USS Wiseman were decommissioned and placed in the Reserve Fleet (Mothballs). The Wiseman like some of the other Destroyer Escorts was taken out of mothballs, recommissioned, and placed back into service to serve in Korea and Vietnam.

The Wiseman served about 15 years of her Navy Career in service on active duty. She made three trips across the Atlantic and seven across the Pacific.

She was used for escort service, coast line bombardment, as a Power Supply Ship, Sonar Training, and over seas Station Ship. Off and on for thirty years she sailed in smooth and rough seas. She sailed many miles though fierce thypoons, hammered by high winds and mountain like waves.

In 1973 the US Navy had very little use for the World War II Destroyer Escorts, they had out lived their usefulness. Again they were used for target practice and sunk to the bottom of the sea .

Others like the USS Wiseman were sold and scrapped, a sad ending for a ship that had served in three war's.

Many of her crew will always remember her, but like the 667 they too will fade into history. Hopefully diarys, book, pictures, and CDs will help keep her history and the memory of the men who served aboard her alive.

Here is the bad news, William Mossbarger sent an open records request to the Department of the Navy on the final outcome of the Wiseman. Per his letter from the Department of the Navy "The USS Wiseman (DE-667) was sold for $65,000.00 to Levin Metals Corporation, N. Street, San Jose, CA. It was removed on May 22, 1974, and the final disposition was "scrap sale"."

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news

The Etiology of "TAPS"

It all began in 1862 during the Civil War, when Union Army Captain  Robert   Ellicombe was with his men near Harrison's Landing in Virginia. The Confederate Army was on the other side of the narrow strip of land.   During the night, Captain Ellicombe heard the moan of a soldier who lay  mortally wounded on the field. Not knowing if it was a Union or Confederate soldier, the Captain decided to risk his life and bring the stricken man back for medical attention.

Crawling on his stomach through the gunfire, the Captain reached the fallen soldier and began pulling him towards his encampment. When the Captain finally reached his own lines, he discovered it was actually a
Confederate soldier, but the soldier was dead. The Captain lit a lantern.  Suddenly, he caught his breath and went numb with shock. In the dim light, he saw the face of the soldier. It was his own son. The boy had been
studying music in the South when the war broke out. Without telling his father, he enlisted in theConfederate Army.

The following morning, heart-broken, the father asked permission of his superiors to give his son a full military burial despite his enemy status. His request was partially granted. The Captain had asked if he could have a group of Army band members play a funeral dirge for the son at the funeral.
That request was turned down since the soldier was a Confederate.   Out of respect for the father, they did say they could give him only one musician. The Captain chose a bugler. He asked the bugler to play a
series of musical notes he had found on a piece of paper in the pocket of his dead son's uniform. This wish was granted. This music was the haunting melody we now know as "Taps" used at all military funerals.

Producers

• John Strohmaier Jr. FP3

• Michael Strohmaier

Major Contributors

• William Mossbarger

Contributors

• Jim Blessitt        Frank Frazitta         Thomas Vagle         Rick Roberts

• Rich Lewis         Henry Fuqua              Ennis Brady            Leonard Mitas

• Bob Crane        Julian Munoz               Frank Roberts          D. Tavernese

• Morgan             Harry Elert                  Rich Lewis