The USS BANGUST DE 739

When She Slid On Down The Way
In San Pedro, CA
It Was Just A Start Of The Part
She Would Play.
They Fitted Her With Weapons
That So Surely She Would Need.
Then Assigned Her A Crew
That So Surely She Could Heed.
These Were Not Men
Who Knew All The Ropes
But The Enemy Soon Found
They Were Not Dealing With Dopes.
I Know That This Tribute
Is Long Overdue,
But This Little Lady
Had One Hell Of A Crew.
So If On Her You Spent
Any Length Of Time,
You Know Of Whom I Speak
DESTROYER ESCORT 739

By Edward Capraun March 2001

Great Big "B"

B-A-N-G Bangust
She's the ship that will always lead the fleet
In calm or stormy weather
Her crew will pull together
Her spirit is a thing that can't be beat

BANG stands for our gunnery
"U" is for the U-boats that we seek
"S" is for our shipmates
"T" is for our teamwork

That's the spirit of the Great Big "B"

R.H. Groff
May 6 1945

The Fighting Men of the Mighty "B"

Not heralded yet by a war so new
Has battled for months, way over a year
To save our great nation, which to them is so dear

Do they gripe, do they fret?
Not a snipe has as yet
'Cause they knew oh so well
But why need we fail
The crew of the Bangust a team as of one
Deserves now a rest
An enormous job done

R.H. Groff
May 6 1945

What's a D. E.

A fighting ship they call a D.E
I can't believe they were sent out to sea
What even now amazed me more
They were sent out there to fight in a war
Maybe they were to be a distraction
And figured the crew could handle the action
We rocked and we rolled and even split a few seams
But just to get home was our biggest dream
To those who made it and have been back a while
We loved being sailors and now we love our lifestyle
Take nothing for granted and continue to pray
That our country wll never face those kind of days

Edward Capraun
Submitted March 28, 2000

Eddie Capraun with Governor
Christine Todd Whitman of New Jersey
November 11, 1999

The Hat That I Wear

I wear a white hat and I wear it with pride
A lot of the boys wore them and a lot of them died
I sometimes wonder if I should try to explain
How this little hat could have seen so much pain
Think what you may but don't knock my hat
I might lose my cool and make some lip fat
I will be a proud sailor til the day that I die
My love for my country you can not buy
I did not serve on the Jersey or Big Mo
But my litle DE put on one hell of a show
I can not close without this line
Thanks for my return DE 739

Edward Capraun
Submitted March 28, 2000