Jim Caiaccia was a Radarman aboard USS Thomas J Gary from 1969 - 1971, after the ship underwent major changes to support its new mission. If you recall, the North Koreans captured the USS Pueblo with virtually no resistance. The Pueblo was a "communications ferret", a ship that positions itself in a strategic location and monitors the airways for radio signals. The Gary was outfitted with then state-of-the-art electronic equipment that had the capability to receive signals from DC to Daylight.

Unlike the Pueblo, the Gary was outfitted with additional armament, destruction charges to destroy crypto equipment, procedures and tooling to quickly destroy code books and other classified documents, and in a pinch the ship could be scuttled via explosive charges. The crew was armed with more powerful personal weapons than the old M1 rifles and 1911 pistols.

Jim's sent along a number of photographs that are displayed on the this web site. Jim did an excellent job describing each photo and including names, where appropriate. The photos are arranged as follow:  Around the Ship     Crew 69-71     Ops     Ports