Captain John J. McKechnie Jr., United States Navy, Retired.

Born in Williamsport, Pennsylvania August 28th, 1936 to Lt. Commander, John J. McKechnie and Cecyle McKechnie. John was an only child, raised primarily in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. After Graduating from West Catholic High School, John attended the University of Maryland, where he graduated in 1960. He was a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity, where he was President, and also President of the Interfraternity Council.

After graduating from the University of Maryland, John received his Commission from OCS in the U.S. Navy in 1960. He was stationed aboard the destroyer John Paul Jones that took part in the US Naval Blockade of Cuba during the Missile Crisis.  Subsequently, he was assigned to the destroyer USS Hull which carried out Naval Gunfire Support missions for the US Marines and rescuing downed US Naval Aviators in the Viet Nam conflict. Later duties included Head of Ship Building and Repairs for the West Coast, and Head of the Joint U.S. Navy - Air Force Cruise Missile building program. John also received an MBA from George Washington University in 1969.

After retiring from the Navy as a Captain in 1985, John remained in the defense industry, where he worked for Teldyne Ryan and Convair General Dynamics/later Hughes Aircraft. In retirement,  John spent many active days on his bicycle, fishing, and walking Civil War battlefields back east. He was also involved in the Coronado Optimists Club where John was President in 2001-2002 and oversaw a strong growth in its membership.  He was an active and strong supporter of the San Diego Supply Corp Association.

John was a founding member and initiating force in the establishment of the USS Hull Association.  The Association brought together survivors of the WWII destroyer, USS Hull (DD 350) and prior shipmates of the USS Hull (DD945) which served from 1958 to 1983.  The Association held seven successful reunions during the period from 2004 through 2016 in which John played a vital role.  Between reunions, he also held a key role as the Association’s treasurer and statistician.

John is survived by his wife Catherine, and his sons John J. McKechnie III, of Bethesda, MD, and Brian T. McKechnie, and Daughter in Law Adrienne of Aliso Viejo, CA, and three grandchildren. John J. McKechnie IV, of Madison WI, and Allison and Cole McKechnie of Aliso Viejo. John was predeceased in 2011 by his wife of 45 years, Barbara Ann McKechnie.

 

LOOKING BACK WITH JOHN MCKECHNIE

George Tomek

Captain, USNR-Retired

USS HULL  DD-945/DD-350 Association

I met John McKechnie when he became Supply Officer of the USS HULL (DD-945) in 1964.  I was Combat Information Officer aboard HULL.   The destroyer was commissioned in 1957.    Our paths would cross twice again.

First was in the late ‘60’s.  I was back in the TV news business in OKC and drilling as a reservist one weekend a month.   John was newly assigned to a Joint Logistics Project at Tinker AFB  right in the middle of the OKC metro area.  He called me out of the blue, we got together one evening and it was a great time reminiscing.  In retrospect, I wish I had been as active in looking up former shipmates as John was.  I moved on to take an anchor/reporting job with CBS-owned KMOX-TV in St. Louis and John moved on, too.

John worked for the defense industry, retiring in San Diego.  I had several two-week active duty periods in the Ready Reserve in the same city, before retiring from the Navy in the ‘90’s ……still working in the civilian sector, eventually as the executive of a trade association.  I  wish had known then he was in San Diego.

We finally hooked up for good in the early 2000’s through a military.com webpage called the “Buddy Finder.”  I contacted him by phone, we talked for about 10 minutes and John said, “we need to start a ship association.”  John talked about the USS John Paul Jones Association.  That was the destroyer he spent a tour on before reporting to HULL.  I knew he was raring to do it…..and did!

John was VP & Treasurer.  John brought in Bob Modell, a retired   Navy Supply Officer and banker who had been Assistant Supply & Disbursing aboard HULL  as  VP & Reunion Chairman.  Retired Master Chief Machinist Mate Mike Gallegos became President in 2006, and I, George Tomek was VP for Communications.

Everyone did a fine job helping to get the Association started, but John played the pivotal role with his  spreadsheet experience – making sure the contact information was up to date.  As Treasurer, John kept track of dues collections, etc.  working closely with Bob

Modell who hammered out the best deal possible with the Reunion site.  John prepared each Bi-Annual Reunion’s packet of information passed out at the registration desk.  Orientation for those on the desk was always different for each Reunion.

There was also a World War II Association named HULL  DD-350 sank in 1944 in  a typhoon.  They had their own HULL Association.  John helped bring their decreasing membership into our Association for which they were felt honored and grateful of becoming part of our expanded Association.

John’s Commanding Officer and one of mine responded immediately when I told him a few days ago John had passed.  World War II frogman (now called Seals) Captain Rex Tallent said, “John was one of the best Supply Officers I ever had.”  He noted HULL’s work guarding 3 carriers in the first air strikes in the Vietnam war, the rescuing of downed Navy pilots in the Tonkin Gulf and successful bombardments from the Gulf to enemy supply depots was successful.  “John McKechnie had the ability to work closely with the supply depot people at Subic Bay, P.I.  HULL’s home port in WESTPAC.  It was critical given those 40-day patrols without land to get those supplies at sea,” Tallent added.

John had other attributes, including personalizing certain  happenings that keep people wanting to stay more in touch.  John found out he lived for part of WWII at his grandmother’s  home two  blocks south from my boyhood home in Oak Park, Illinois.  I have made it a habit to take a photo of  “grandma’s home” and email it to him so he could show the family.

John, many people are going to miss you – personal and professional.   You have certainly earned the Navy farewell ….“enjoy fair winds and following seas forever……”

 

 USS JOHN PAUL JONES (DD-932)

John McKechnie was Assistant Supply and Disbursing Officer aboard  the Forrest Sherman Class destroyer USS John Paul Jones (DD-932).   Jones was on station off the coast of Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis  in October, 1962.

After that tour, McKechnie became Supply Officer of  another Forrest Sherman Class destroyer the USS Hull  (DD-945).   A tour of duty that brought him and his shipmates into the Vietnam War.

In 1965, HULL and  other Squadron vessels were assigned plane guard duty for the USS MIDWAY and other CVA’s  as they engaged in the first carrier air strikes over North Vietnam.  She also executed shore bombardment against the enemy near Chu Lai.

These were grueling 40-day patrols in the Tonkin Gulf.  The only breaks came when General Quarters condition was modified and those not on watch, including John  McKechnie shown here (center seated), could take a well-earned and appreciated break on the fantail.

Hull’s Commanding Officer during  this  real wartime WESTPAC cruise was Rex Tallent.

COMMANDER  C. R. Tallent     11 MAR 1964 - 22 AUG 1965

Years later, shipmates McKechnie and George Tomek,  met with Captain Rex Tallent and Captain Robert Weeks who relieved Tallent before  HULL left Subic Bay for San Diego after that fateful WESTPAC cruise.

      COMMANDER  R. E. Weeks     22 AUG 1965  -  14 APR 1967 

Told of John McKechnie’s passing recently, Tallent said John was one of the best Supply Officers he ever had.  The former skipper said McKechnie had the ability of working closely with the Supply Department at Subic Bay Naval Base.

That relationship insured  HULL and other like ships working with the carriers had no problems getting supplies at sea during these critical  patrols. 

 John McKechnie had other tours of duty before retirement and work with defense contractors.   That included representing the Navy in a new worldwide Joint Logistics Command at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City in the late 1960’s.    They didn’t forget each other……..or other shipmates.

 

In the early 2000’s the two former shipmates reconnected, George remembered John saying “we need to establish a HULL Association.”  It was established then and there.

Eventually the Association included members of  the USS Hull (DD-350), which was lost at sea during WW II with only 80 survivors including Pat Douhan and Archie DeRyckere.

                            

 

 

 

 

John and wife Catherine with Bob and Charlette Modell

 

 Geo. and Marilee Tomek with Catherine and John McKechnie

For everyone who has ever served aboard an American Naval vessel, every shipmate played an important role in that vessel’s mission.  What better example than our own USS HULL (DD-945) and USS HULL (DD-350),  John McKechnie played a pivotal role in establishing the HULL Association…….incorporating both ships and make sure that tradition continues.