USS Cole memories, not so much
Master Chief Jeffrey L. Sparenberg recited his experiences aboard the USS Cole at the time of the terrible bombing of that ship on October 12, 2000 to the Navy Times;
Master Chief Jeffrey L. Sparenberg, the highest-ranking enlisted crewman aboard, was testing oil in the midship lab with Ensign Andrew Triplett.
Sparenberg said Triplett should lunch first, but relented.
“Mr. Triplett told me to go ahead and eat and he’d stay in the oil lab,” he said.
So Sparenberg, who now lives near Stanton, headed up a few decks toward the galley, stopping to wash his hands.
Then “I felt a noise so loud, you didn’t hear it,” he said. “It was like, when you hit your head really bad, that moment you feel before you know what happened.”
His first thought was that something had gone wrong with the grounding line and the fueling rig exploded.
The idea of a terrorist suicide bombing never entered his mind.
Sparenberg goes on to describe the chaos and his derring-do over the next few days as the ship and it’s crew tried to recover. The only problem is; Sparenberg didn’t arrive on the ship until four days after the bombing;
Retired Cmdr. Kirk Lippold, the Cole’s skipper at the time, said he distinctly remembers being told after the attack that a new crew member was in Bahrain, waiting to join the ship.
Someone back in the States asked whether they should send the sailor back to the U.S., but Lippold – who’d just lost 17 crew members, including a senior chief – knew he could use more help. He gave approval for Sparenberg to join the crew.
“During the time he was on board the ship following the attack, he did an excellent job in helping the ship through some difficult times,” Lippold said.
However, he added, “I know for a fact he wasn’t aboard the day of the attack.”
Luckily, Sparenberg also wore a Bronze Star and Purple Heart in the picture above, so the boy is doing jail time.
You’d think the Navy Times would have done a bit of research on the fellow whose pants are apparently on fire.
Thanks to all of the people who sent the links over the past few days.
Category: Phony soldiers
I don’t get it. Why would a Master Chief weave such a tale? Why would someone of such stature wear his medals on civilian clothing? I don’t know, maybe I was in at a different time, with a different set of senior NCOs, but every one of them, that I had contact with, would never even think about talking or acting like this. I guess they would fall under “old school” military, especially Top. He was tough as you could get and led by example, even if you didn’t like him, you sure as shit respected the hell out of him.
If you ever serve uncerneath this guy , as i have (USS SUPPLY AOE-6), You would know he is a consistant liar, and a disgrace to the Naval Uniform- BIGGWILL
OT,
I don’t get it either. Here’s a guy who got to the pinnacle of the Navy’s enlisted rank, and has thrown it all away. I just don’t get that part.
As to the ribbons, right after the 9/11 attacks, the following Memorial Day DoD (if I remember correctly) urged all veterans to wear their awards on their civilian suits for that day, as well as Veteran’s day, in the same manner that the Brits, Canadians, etc, do.
About two or three years ago, also, Congress passed a law that allows ANY honorably discharged veteran to render a military salute even when in civilian attire as a mark of respect for their service. Thus, veterans can use the military salute when the colours are raised, the National Anthem is played, when a colour guard passes, etc.
Tim, in my case, I would have to wear them on civilian clothes, heh, heh, heh. My uniform looks at me and laughs.
yeah… mine does as well. Sigh.
Recon our Bluejacket comrades ought to cast their lots for the appropriate punishment for this fraud… I suspect they’d vote in favor of keel hauling the SOB.
Wow. This guy sucks.
That would be like me saying I performed the autopsies on the Stark sailors because it WAS my unit who did the work for that tragedy. But alas, I was not a part of the Path department and therefore only heard tales and saw photos. Schmuck.
Is there a law that says we can’t simply shoot these idiots on sight?
I thaught that my uniform was unique.
Maybe it’s just an active duty thing….or maybe the National Guard uniforms were smothered!
*thought
spelling is not required in combat
Junior AG: I think first he should be taken to the shaft alley, tied to the shaft run the ship at flank speed for about ten minutes, make him clean up his puke, give him a good scrubdown with a wire brush and lye soap, then proceed on his hands and knees across the nonskid, then keel haul the moron. Of course there is also the cat shot sans plane.
Nucsnipe,
Ohhhhh, you’re mean. I like that. I get the gigglesnorts just thinking about what you wrote. And I’m glad that it’s not ME on the receiving end of all that.
And I’M Army.
Nah. Just a cat shot off the angled deck. Hook the shuttle up to his balls, and give him a pair of skates. See ya!
…You talk a lot about punishing this Chief,
but why not proceed with legal action?
Stolen Valor act permits this blowhard to
be prosecuted…
I have sent my letter to the Navy requesting
an investigation into the Chief’s actions.
Maybe he can be busted, fined and jailed.
I think they call it the brig in the Navy?
101st Airborne Division, Vietnam l970-71.
Holder of few ribbons!..
10 months
12 hours
31 minutes in combat………..11B10 mos
send mail regarding this “Stolen Valor” thief
to Chief of Naval Operations
Admiral Gary Roughead,
Office of Chief of Naval Operations
2000 Navy Pentagon
Washington, D.C.
20350-2000
..Send letter or 28cent postcard to CNO.
Let him do his job and arrest this
scoundrel….
……….tired of phoney vets!
chance
Good explained, thank you
Why don’t they bring the good Master Chief down here to NAS Meridian, Mississipi? I’m sure that some of the CPOs here on station could tactfully discuss his story with him behind the Andrew Triplett Library.
Not a bad idea at all!!