A Navy Veteran emails Peter detailed questions about his Naval service.
I ask these questions with all due respect. I feel one has to be very specific about their wartime service, particularly after what has been in the news of late. I am still undecided on who I will vote for for governor. A fellow naval officer certainly will take priority. Thank you for your service to your country!
Commander,
In these times, I don’t blame you for being skeptical. Here is a summary.
When I was a 17-year-old senior at Gorham High School, I was awarded a Navy scholarship to Harvard under the Holloway program. At about that time, my dad was CO of the Naval Reserve unit in South Portland. During WW II, he had participated in the Battle of Leyte Gulf as gunnery officer aboard the USS Santee, a baby flat top.
On my third summer cruise in 1964, I was a midshipman aboard the destroyer USS Blue while serving on Yankee Station. The Blue and another destroyer were relieved by the Maddox and Turner Joy just before the famous Tonkin Gulf incident.
For five years of active duty, from July of 1965 until July of 1970, I had three tours of about 20 months each on the Dyess (DD 880), DESRON 2 staff aboard the Blandy (DD 943) and the McMorris (DE 1036).
On the Dyess I became the Communications Officer and qualified as OOD underway. The Dyess sailed from Newport around the world in order to serve on the Vietnam gunline, do plane guard duty on Yankee Station and patrol the Taiwan Straits. We fired 2787 rounds of 5′38 while on the gunline.
On Desron 2, I was the staff communications officer. From Norfolk, our squadron was sent through the Panama Canal to WestPac. For much of our time in the Western Pacific, our squadron staff commanded the gunline. While we were aboard the Blandy, the ship fired over 26,000 rounds of 5″54 which was a record for the gunline up to that time. I doubt that it was surpassed. We received return fire from the coast on occasion but without casualties.
For my last tour I was OPS boss and senior watch officer aboard the McMorris out of Pearl and was responsible for training junior officers in ship handling. As you recall, it was a challenge to operate a single screw ship with diesel engines that turned 7 knots at a minimum. I loved it.
When the sugar shack crew came aboard, the CTs reported administratively to me. Our CIC and radio crews worked intimately with them. I had a “spook” clearance but was not one of them.
On one assignment, we were highly successful in collecting certain physical information about Soviet MRVs that was immediately released by the Nixon administration to support the ABM bill then pending in Congress. The bill still failed to pass.
When it came time for me to be rotated ashore after three successive sea duty tours, I elected to leave the Navy and go to law school.
The Navy was good to me. I have always been grateful for the leadership opportunities that were provided to me at such a young age.
It was an exciting time in my life and I would love to share reflections with you some time.
Sincerely,
Peter Mills
I have never heard anyone raise any question about Peter’s honesty. I join many others in thanking him for his service.
I echo Evert’s comments and join other former Navy Officers to thank Peter for his service.
Peter and I served together as junior officers together on the USS Dyess prior to and in Vietnam. He was unusually talented — a swift learner, clear and consistent in his judgment, respected and liked by his men and by his fellow officers — and a great guy. I am delighted but not at all surprised by his lifetime of public service and achievement. Maine is lucky to have him; he will, if given the chance, make a splendid governor. I wish we had more people like him in public service in Virginia, where I now live.