Recordings from a Ship Imperiled
In the hours and days after the USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG 58) struck a mine on 14 April 1988, electronics officer Lt. (j.g.) Robert Chambers recorded several of Cmdr. Paul Rinn's broadcasts over the ship's 1MC, or public address system.
14 April 1988, around 6 p.m.
Fires are still burning in the ship, flooding has been controlled, and two friendly ships are approaching. But the size of the minefield is unknown, he says, so "We're going to have to hang in there like Samuel B. Roberts guys and fight this thing on our own." (0:54) wav
15 April 1988, early
Rinn thanks his crew, but says, "Let me be frank with you; USS Samuel B. Roberts is still in a lot of danger, and...we may have to abandon ship on very short notice." (2:49) mp3
15 April 1988, later
With Roberts under tow, Rinn talks about worldwide attention focused on the ship, and its prospects for repair in Dubai. "I talked to several of the COs out here, and they are frankly in awe that we are still afloat." (2:54) wav
28 April 1988
President Ronald Reagan calls to congratulate captain and crew on their damage control effort: "I'm certainly proud of you and your men...I think there's a term I should use. I don't really understand its meaning, but: Bravo Zulu." (3:36) wav
21 May 1988
Reagan praises the crew of the Roberts in the president's first annual Armed Forces Day speech: "Just last month, the world saw what those who serve America on freedom's front-what they can do when the chips are down. I'm speaking of the story of the U.S.S. Samuel B. Roberts..." (No audio file available yet)
About The Book
No Higher Honor is the first book to detail the extraordinary tale of the USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG 58) and the crew's heroic efforts to save the ship after it hit an Iranian mine in 1988. Drawing on years of research and scores of interviews, Bradley Peniston chronicles the origins of the Perry-class frigate; the crew's training; its operations in the Persian Gulf; the U.S. retaliation against Iran, which became the biggest surface battle since World War II; and the complex repairs that returned the ship to duty.
Published by Naval Institute Press, the 275-page book contains 20 photos, several diagrams of the damage, and a muster list of the shipmates aboard the Roberts during its fight for survival.
