An informational film created by the Navy on usefulness of destroyers operating with the Fleet. “Who Needs You Buchanan?” was made by the Navy in 1964. The film presents the story of how the Buchanan was able to save a pilot from the sea after he had to eject due to an emergency onboard his aircraft. This jet jockey gets a full tour of the ship. The film also shows the USS St. Paul CA-73, USS John Rogers DD-574, USS Bon Homme Richard (CV-31) and other warships in a large scale naval exercise. At 20:54, a drone aircraft is shown being used as a target for the Tartar anti-aircraft missile system. At 24:00, an anti-submarine warfare exercise is shown. The film ends with the pilot being picked up by helicopter off the fantail of the Buchanan, and returned to Bon Homme Richard.
The film was made in 1964 and produced by John J. Hennessy, directed by Ronald S. Sexton. An F.K. Rockett Company Production. Story and Screenplay by Joseph I. Breen, Jr. Music Composed And Conducted by Nelson Riddle Technical Advisor CDR. R.G. Rogerson, USN Project Supervisor Lt. W.J. North, USN. Cast: Norwood Smith, Mike Road, Joey Tata, Clark Howat, Alicia Li. Also includes shots of Pearl Harbor, the Arizona Memorial, brow of USS Bon Homme Richard CVA 31, USS Goldsborough DDG 20, Naval Station Pearl Harbor, warships underway, USS Gunason DE 795, USS Buchanan DDG 14, USS Trathen DD 530, USS Cowell DD 547, USS Saint Paul CA 73. Flight Operations USS Bon Homme Richard CVA 31 with – A4 Skyhawks. Onboard Buchanan – The bridge, CIC, signal bridge, sick bay, underway replenishment activity, Asroc deck, fire room, Sonar control and underwater battery plot. Weapons firing of a Tartar and Asroc missiles. Closing of helo detail on the fantail.
USS Buchanan (DDG-14), named for Admiral Franklin Buchanan, was a Charles F. Adams class guided missile armed destroyer in the United States Navy. Buchanan was laid down by Todd-Pacific Shipbuilding at Seattle, Washington on 23 April 1959, launched on 11 May 1960 and commissioned on 7 February 1962. She was commissioned by the Commandant, Thirteenth Naval District, Rear Admiral George C. Towner.
In April 1962, she arrived in her home port of San Diego for the first time. Shakedown training included a visit to Pearl Harbor and taking part in the USS Arizona Monument Dedication of May 31, 1962. A year later, in May 1963, she toured Australia, stopping at several cities to allow the public to board, so the Australian people could see what the U.S. guided missile destroyers looked like that they were purchasing. In June 1963 she was credited with providing medical attention that saved the life of a Chinese sailor (Yunglai Chu) aboard a National Chinese merchant union carrier.
In 1965 Buchanan, along with the other three destroyers of Destroyer Division 152 (COMDESDIV 152) steamed north of the Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) many times at night on reconnaissance missions. These were the first US naval missions north of the DMZ since the Gulf of Tonkin incidents of early August 1964.
Buchanan was decommissioned on 1 October 1991, stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 20 November 1992 and sunk as a target off Hawaii on 14 June 2000.
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
