Kenneth Doyle Scaife

POSTED ON 4.20.2016 POSTED BY: WKILLIAN@SMJUHSD.ORG CASUALTY AT SEA imgOn January 3, 1973, the USS Willian C. Lawe was conducting naval gunfire support operations approximately three miles from the nearest land. The weather conditions were wind nineteen knots, seas two-three feet, visibility ten miles, swells four-six feet, temperature, air 69 F, water 77 F, cloudy, no moon or stars. The wave tide movement was in the direction of the nearest land. Seaman apprentice (SA) Kenneth D. Scaife was last seen in the crew’s mess at approximately 0615H. He was personally observed by three members of the crew and talked with one member for approximately ten minutes. It is believed that he then went out of the main deck, rather than go through the internal passageway of the ship, in order to get to his berthing compartment. The decks were wet and slippery and it was very dark. The after lookout did not hear or observe anyone in distress. The Lawe was operating in Condition II. SA Scaife had just been relieved at 0615H and was not due back at his watch station until 1145H. When he failed to arrive at his watch station, it was first thought that he was oversleeping. The word was passed twice on the ship’s loud speaker for SA Scaife to report to the bridge. When he failed to respond to those announcements, an immediate muster of all hands not actually on watch was ordered. Each division was assembled and an organized search was conducted throughout the ship with negative results. The ship’s track for the hours proceeding the earliest possible time of loss was immediately backtracked, utilizing the USS Wistsie (DD 716) for assistance. Fixed-wing and helicopter aircraft searched from the beach to the six fathom curve. The surface and air searches were conducted to cover the area probable location, considering time and sea condition factors. This search was postponed due to nightfall. On January 4, 1973, the USS Cuskany (CVAS4) provided fixed wing and helicopter aircraft who box searched the area twelve miles seaward and south along the coast for seventy miles. These units had one hundred percent coverage. USS Lawe, assisted by one Army and one Air Force fixed-wing aircraft, again searched the area of the ship’s track. All search results were negative. It was the opinion of the Commanding Officer that SA Scaife was lost overboard between 0600-0700H on the morning of January 3, 1973, and drowned shortly thereafter. This opinion is based on his last being seen in the crew’s mess by three crew members and the fact that his closest friends indicate that SA Scaife was a very poor swimmer, in fact almost a non-swimmer. Investigative findings suggest that SA Scaife’s death was in the line of duty and not due to his own misconduct, which opinion is based largely on the absence of information to the contrary and on SA Saife’s previous good record. It was recommended that the casually statue of SA Kenneth D. Scaife be changed to dead inasmuch as exhaustive search has failed to give any indication to the contrary. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org] READ LESS