Make White Water!

When a US Navy destroyer goes from one place to another at high speed, it stirs the water up and leaves a big rooster tail and wake.

One day in 1964, I was at the conn of USS Higbee (DD-806) when the commodore decided to exercise the destroyer squadron at tactical maneuvers. At one point, we were in a circular formation centered on the flagship, when he ordered us to rotate the formation axis. I checked the maneuvering board solution and realized we could simply alter course a bit, slow to about ten knots, and slide into the new station. Smooth.

Commodore Healy had different ideas. He called us on the radio. "Higbee," he said, "this is ComDesRon Three. Make White Water!"

In other words, he wanted us to speed up, turn in a tight circle, stirring up the water, and hurry into the new station. I ordered left full rudder, all ahead full, and did as he wished.

I learned from that experience that sometimes visible action is more important than subtlety.

As I look at the state of the economy and assess the recent jobs information, I see that we aren't creating jobs fast enough to keep pace with our growing population. We need to kick up a rooster tail and make white water!

Is anyone in Washington listening?