During the years 1965 to 1968 I was a sailor onboard the USS Walke (pronounced walk) DD-723 a US Navy Destroyer. I don't know exactly when "Walk on the Wild Side" came out but when it did the ship's crew pretty much adopted it as the ship's song. When underway for extended periods of time, as often occured when operating in the Tonkin Gulf off the coast of Viet Nam, the ship would require refueling from time to time which on some occasions was accomplished by pulling up alongside the aircraft carrier we happened to be operating with, hauling over a couple of large, heavy fuel transfer lines and then receiving the fuel. These transfers would take a half hour to 45 minutes and weather and seas permitting, musicians on the aircraft carrier would some times line up on the flight deck and entertain us with several tunes. On more than one occasion as our little ole "Tin Can" would pull up along side the band would break into a rousing rendition of "Walk on the Wild Side" to which we would respond with wild cheers and whistles. Those were proud moments for those of us who got to see and hear it. I imagine Mr. Smith was never aware of the USS Walke or the unusual circumstances under which "Walk on the Wild Side" was played. May he R. I. P. Just for information, Destroyer sailors often refer to their rough and rugged little ships as "Tin Cans".
Previous Topic
Index