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Author: ussguamtrenton1977
I was a Lance Corporal (CO A BLT 1/6, USMC, USS Guam) onboard an LCM-6 liberty boat on 17 January 1977, when it was hit by a freighter and capsized in the harbor at Barcelona. Nearly 40 years have passed since then, but I've never forgotten that night and the men who lost their lives.----Please contact me if you have information about any survivors or their families and especially any next-of-kin to those who perished.
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LCM-6 Accident - Barcelona, Spain - 17 January 1977 
I miss the launch that night as 4 or of us rush to get to it we ran into a Sailor he was about 6ft 8 and wearing glasses he started a fight with us my friend hit him with his bluejean jacket and knocked his glasses off .then Jefferson started boxing with the sailor …it was short fight with us helping him find his glasses ..That sailors actions save our life that night as we got back to port and had miss the launch.we stayed in park playing chess and drinking boose that we had plan to sneak on board the USS Trenton A big farm looking Girl was throwing rocks in trees killing birds I guess she plan to eat .Joe Chandler from Guam and Greg Sheffy and Jefferson and I, USS Trenton came back to port and found out the sad news Kevin Warneke H&S Comm
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I still remember that night like it was yesterday. I was on Shore Patrol that night The bars had just closed and everyone was going back to Fleet Landing. I got on the LCM-6 and just before it left the pier I was asked to get on another liberty boat that did not have any Shore Patrol on it. Before that it headed back to the Guam and Trenton anchored in the harbor some Spanish fishing boat were coming back to Fleet Landing with some wet sailors on board. At first thought they had fallen off the pier. Then realized what had happen . Got other Liberty boats and the Captain Gig to go see what had happen. Started some fires in trash cans to warm the wet sailors That is when all hell breaks loose. Marines yelling you swabbies killed my buddy. Then the fight broke with 400 people at Fleet Landing. This went on for about 10 to 15 minutes. The fights broke up and everyone just scattered.
I wound up at one of the hospitals. Most of the hospital staff spoke no English I did not speak Spanish. Did what I could. I saw dead bodies with sheets pulled over them in one room. One was a friend of mine from the Guam YN3 Robert Lewis. That really freaked me out. After that I was kinda of numb I do not remember much after that it was getting light out. Headed back to Fleet Landing then back to the ship. Passed the LCM-6 as it was tied to the pier close to where it had hit the Urlea. I remember the people of Barcelona were great the few days we stayed after the catastrophe.
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Sorry I forgot to sign it. James Carrick. I was a YN2 while aboard the USS Guam
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James, thank you so much for sharing your memories with us. That night was unforgettable.
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