Have a good trip and don't forget to check the exchange rate, before you go ashore! Oh yeah, be nice to the locals while you're visiting. Liberty call, liberty call! Liberty commences for sections 1 and 3. Liberty expires onboard at 0600! Now liberty call!
We left for a Western Pacific (WestPac) cruise in May 79. First stop was Honolulu, Hawaii. The Aloha State was everything I'd ever heard of; beautiful beaches, pretty girls and high prices. We were only there 3 days, but I was mess cooking and got 2 of them off. At the time, 50 cents would get a bus ride all the way around Oahu. After my obligatory stop on Hotel Street the first day, I spent the other one at Waimea Bay. The one thing no one warns you about is the coral. It's razor sharp and it's much better to wear sneakers in the surf until your feet get toughened up.
A 3 week transit across the Pacific brought us to Subic Bay, Republic of Philippines. I won't go into any details, but it was the wildest place I've ever been. For those of you who never made it out of Olongapo or Subic City, you missed out on some of the most beautiful land and friendly people on earth. The Naval Base at Subic was considered to be your Home Port, while on WestPac. They had a floating drydock and fairly extensive ship repair facilities. The country was under the rule of President Marcos at the time, and was under a modified state of Martial Law. Travel wasn't restricted, but there was a curfew at Midnight. If you were on the street after then, you'd be picked up by the Police.
Our first excursion from PI, was an Indian Ocean trip. This was before it became a military hot spot. We went to Columbo Sri Lanka, Port Louis, Mauritius, Mombassa, Kenya and Sembawang Port, Singapore. In between Mauritius and Kenya, we crossed the Equator, to become "Shellbacks". I wasn't planning on staying in the Navy, and had a bad attitude at about that time, so I didn't participate. Now before you go challenging my saltiness, I did go through later on. But that day, I remained a lowly, slimy, stinkin' WOG! Those of us who didn't become Shellbacks that day stood watch while the ceremony was going on.
About this time, there were lots of Vietnamese fleeing their country by boat, to escape the Communist brutality (yes kids, contrary to what the evening news people would want you to think, the Commies are very bad people.) Most were trying to get to Hong Kong, but many ended up adrift and went with the currents. Enroute from Singapore to Subic Bay, President Carter issued an order to all Seventh Fleet units to assist any Vietnamese refugees who might be on the high seas. We encountered three boatloads in a 24 hour period. The last one had been away from land for 21 days. That's a long time on a ship. This was a 30 foot boat with about 50 people onboard. We took them into PI with us. They were taken to a camp on base and we went into drydock to repair one of the screws (propellers) on the ship. A few weeks later and we were on the move again.
After the heat of the Indian Ocean, we went north to Yokosuka, Japan. It was by far the most expensive port we visited the entire trip. The streets were crowded until very late at night. We stayed there a week and then got underway for some gunfire and missile exercises.
While we were in the Sea of Japan, we heard that President Park, of South Korea, had been assasinated. We had been scheduled to visit there in a few weeks, but were directed to proceed immediately. North Korea was suspected of being part of the killing and the political situation was very unstable. We entered Busan, South Korea on 5 Nov 79. South Korea was under martial law while we were there. Liberty expired on the ship at 2000 (8:00 PM). This is very early. We could not take pictures of government buildings or military personnel. We saw a picture in the Stars and Stripes newspaper, that day, of U.S. embassy personnel, blindfolded and being led at gunpoint in Teheran, Iran. We didn't realize that those events would affect us more than the ones here.
We were ready to be relieved by the next Battle Group, so we headed back to PI once more to get the ship ready for the journey back to the states. After getting all the topside areas painted out, the rumors started to fly. On 20 Nov 79, Commander, Seventh Fleet came aboard the Jouett to brief the Captain. We were to escort the USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63), to the North Arabian Sea, and take station for any contingency operations against Iran. We made the journey under radio silence. Very few people onboard knew about the Shah fleeing the country and his search for asylum. I had to write to my mom to find out why we were going to Iran. Once we got on station, life became extremely boring. We travelled in a square pattern for 2 months. We were relieved by the USS Nimitz (CVN-68) Battle Group, in Feb 80 and returned to San Diego. Just prior to entering San Diego Harbor, the Secretary of the Navy, Edwardo Hidalgo, flew onto each ship to give a "welcome back" talk on the Announcing System. I was on the flight deck crew, as a Chock & Chainman. The Secretary shook everyone's hand but mine and my fellow deck ape. I wonder if it had to do with my sleeveless T-shirt, Blues Brothers style Navy issue sunglasses under my shaded visor and my Grizzly Adams beard? The Kitty Hawk was greeted by the San Diego Chicken® and a huge crowd. We got a dragon from a Datsun dealer and a small crowd.
As soon as we were back, we prepared to take the ship to Long Beach California, to the Naval Shipyard. I had never been in a shipyard before, but it didn't take long to figure out I didn't like it. Constant welding fumes, sandblasting, wires and hose hanging all over the place waiting for your head to hit them. I also recall grinding and sanding the asbestos floor tiles in our berthing compartment. A civilian yard worker had just won a major lawsuit over the yard, concerning health problems from his WWII work with asbestos. We were happily grinding away, amidst the clouds of dust (this was long before respirators were purchased for lowly deck seamen), when our Division Officer came in. "You guys have to quit sanding the tile." "But sir, Chief said we have to finish this space by Friday." "No you can't. This stuff is a health hazard." "OH! You mean TODAY it's a health hazard!" Was I being sarcastic there? As soon as he left, we finished the deck. Cancer or not, we weren't about to explain to Chief why we stopped working.
I was advanced to Bos'n Mate Third Class right before my enlistment was up. I didn't want to really learn anything about being a good Petty Officer because I was getting short, and had very little thought concerning the Navy as a career. I was discharged, in Long Beach, and left the ship in October 1980. I travelled back to West Virginia on an AMTRAK train. It was a 4 day trip that went through Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. I saw some really great country that I might have never seen. Now, I had the money and the time to spend, but I didn't spring for the sleeper car. BIG MISTAKE! My back was pretty sore from slouching in those seats. We had a couple of delays along the way due to a derailed freight train in Nevada and a split rail in Nebraska. I had to layover one night in Chicago but ended up at my final destination, Parkersburg, W.Va., 30 minutes early.
I went back to Glenville for a few months. I never got a real job. I put a new roof on my mother's house and rebuilt a wall in her bathroom. I guess I was scared of the fact that I liked being in the Navy. I didn't want to admit that I had become a LIFER!! Once more I called the recruiter, and I was back in Navy blue, in June 1981. A short trip to Great Lakes for the Navy Veterans (NAVETS) program and I had orders to the USS Kalamazoo (AOR-6).
We were very near the equator and the Greenwich Prime Meridian, so the Captain decided to "cross the line" and allow the crew to become Golden Shellbacks. This can only be accomplished by crossing at "Zero" Longitude and Latitude at the same time. I knew that I'd better go through the ceremony this time. I was lucky in one respect. I hadn't been onboard long enough for my Seamen to really hate me. So all the abuse I was taking was no worse than anyone else was getting. It was a very hot and windless day, which made the....aroma, so to speak, all the more pleasant. It all went well for us. My Chief with 14 years, Bos'n with 22 years and a Rear Admiral went through it with me. On the West-Pac, we crossed twice in one cruise. I thought it was something that happened all the time. Since I crossed that day, I've never been back across on a ship. I guess I caught it at the right time.
We headed north in October and stopped in Rota, Spain. After taking on fuel and stores, we entered the Mediterranean Sea (the Med). Our first stop was the jewel of the Med (you lifers will notice sarcasm dripping off the page right now), Naples, Italy. Then we jet setted over to the Principality of Monaco. This is where I learned my first serious lesson about knowing the Exchange Rate....BEFORE I went ashore. $8.00 for a bottle of pop! Monaco is just like being in France and you can literally walk the entire area in one day. I know, because we did it the first night of Shore Patrol. In November, my favorite President, Ronald W. Reagan, was elected.
We spent Christmas and New Years in Toulon, France. A French family took me and a sailor from the USS Santa Barbara (AE-28), into their home, for dinner. The USO had set this up with local French Navy families. Americans have a stereotyped view, sometimes, that the French are rude and arrogant. I've never found this to be true. I was treated like one of their own. In fact, they had quite an enjoyable time playing practical jokes on me. If you ever read this, Merci beaucoup, Yvon and Annie! I'll never forget you.
We returned to Spain, to the island of Palma de Mallorca. This is one of the best spots in the Med, in my opinion. One more stop in Rota to resupply the ship, and paint it of course, and we returned to the states. When warships return from deployment, the bands and crowds are waiting pierside. When an Oiler returns, we go to anchorage and offload ammunition. Pierside reunions are 2 days later. I advanced to Bos'n mate Second Class.
We were in Norfolk for 1 1/2 months and then went to the Caribbean for a Readiness Exercise (READIEX). Our job was to keep the other ships going. I made the first of many visits to Naval Station Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico. I personally think the beaches in Puerto Rico are the best I've seen. We returned to Virginia for a month, and then went to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, (GTMO) for 2 months of Refresher Training (REFTRA). Back to Norfolk for a month and then another READIEX for 1 1/2 months. We made one stop in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Back to Norfolk, for a month and we were off to the Med.
Like all Med Cruises, we stopped at Rota, on the way in. We had loaded up jeeps and Meals Ready to Eat (MRE's) prior to leaving Norfolk. We headed to Beirut, Lebanon. We had just set up the Marines near the airport, and we were resupplying them. We returned off the coast several more times, to refuel and restock the amphibious (gator) ships that were stationed off the coast.
We then proceeded to Villefranche, France. This is a small town, on the French Riviera, between Nice and Monaco. If you've ever seen the Steve Martin movie "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," it was filmed there. This was my #1 favorite liberty port in the Med. Next stop was Souda Bay Crete. This wasn't a liberty port, but a fuel stop for us. We would return here several times during the cruise. Two other fuel ports we visited on a regular basis were, Cagliari , Sardinia and Augusta Bay, Sicily.
We spent several weeks, during Christmas season, in Toulon. The ship was getting repairs, and I reestablished ties with my French family. After Toulon, we went to Athens, Greece. Next came Lisbon, Portugal, Barcelona, Spain and then we headed back to Norfolk. We did several local operations and in May escorted three of our old gunboats (PG's) across the Atlantic, to Rota. The Saudi Navy had purchased them, and once they reached the Med, they went on their own. On the way over, we stopped in Bermuda, and on the way back we visited the Caribbean island of St.Vincent.
In the fall of 83, we went into the shipyard, in Hoboken, New Jersey. That's Exit 14C, off the New Jersey Turnpike. Follow the sign for Jersey City & Holland Tunnel. This is a small city right across the Hudson River, from the Empire State Building. This was the boyhood home of Frank Sinatra. All the bars and restaurants had plenty of his songs on the jukebox. It's also said to be the place where the first baseball game was played. And if you've ever seen the Marlon Brando movie, "On the Waterfront," you were looking at Hoboken. My kind of town!
We left the shipyard in late summer 1984. Our first business was a trip down to Gitmo, for REFTRA. It was a little bit cooler this trip since we got there in late September. Now it was only 90 degrees each day. Back to Norfolk for a few local ops, which kept us busy until December. We left for another fun filled Winter in the Med. Rota, Augusta Bay, and Souda Bay were about all we saw. There were a few liberty ports in there, but mainly "Beer on the Pier" while taking on fuel and painting the sides. It was another bust ass deployment. I reenlisted off the coast of Cyprus. We had the USS Dewey (DDG-45) alongside for fuel. After that was complete, we had to do a personnel highline transfer. This is a means of sending people between ships, in a chair that slides along a line between the two. I took a hand held radio and the Captain said the oath from the bridge, and I repeated it in the middle of the two ships.
Our next stop was Golcuk, Turkey. The ship was in for repairs and I was set to transfer back to the states. I had just been advanced to Bos'n Mate First Class. I took a bus ride to Istanbul and spent the night waiting for the plane. I was the senior man, of a group of 12. I was worried about someone messing up that night, but everyone stayed at the Motel. Security near the airport was extremely tight. The next morning, we loaded up for our flight to New York. We had one stop on the way, Zurich, Switzerland. We were only there a couple of hours, but I tried to open a bank account with $10.00. I wanted to be able to say that I had a Swiss bank account. They wouldn't let me. Talk about no sense of humor!! But, if you order something at the airport, you can pay the cashier in any currency you want. They really know their money.
My next assignment was the Navy Cargo Handling and Port Group (NAVCHAPGRU).
It's the home of the Navy's Combat Stevedores. If you've never heard of them, stevedores
move cargo from the ship to the pier and back. Longshoremen move cargo on the
pier. Combat Stevedores move cargo while being shot at. We were based at Cheatham
Annex, in Williamsburg , Virginia. Our mission required us to fly to different
locations to offload ships. We also handled cargo at air terminals. In 1986, while coming
back from temporary duty at NAS Sigonella, Sicily we stopped in Shannon,
Ireland.
One of the most unusual jobs we had at Navchapgru was our annual trip to Antarctica. Our job was to offload the annual resupply ship right before they closed the base for winter. We would usually be there a month before the ship arrived. It was always late for some reason. I was part of the summer support force for Operation Deep Freeze, in 1986 & 87. I went to Christchurch, New Zealand to draw extreme cold weather clothing. The main base for Deep Freeze is McMurdo Station. This seemed like a combination of an old west town and a junkyard, only in sub-zero weather. Many of the buildings were either wooden framed, canvas skinned "Jamesway" huts, or converted refrigerator units. The sun was up 24/ 7 and the only way you could tell time was by the height and direction of the sun. It got very disorienting to come outside at 0300 and get blinded by sunlight. We were there to support the research of the National Science Foundation. They were civilians who pretty much tolerated us with unmasked contempt. Come to think of it, most of the other active duty Navy folks treated us the same way. I'm sure it didn't have anything to do with the amount of free time we had before the ship arrived and the abundance of "Adult Beverages" that were on hand.
On my second trip to "The Ice", I was the Leading Petty Officer for our Detachment. This meant that I had to keep an eye on everyone else and try to keep them from screwing up. Some days were better than others. I got the chance to add my name to a list, for a trip to South Pole. If they had space on a flight going down, you would get called in the order that your name came up. I got on it because the two guys ahead of me were hungover from the night before and couldn't make it. We made the trip on an LC-130 aircraft. This is a C-130 that has skis on the bottom for ice landings. I spent less than an hour down there but had become a member of The Order of the South Pole. Shortly after returning Stateside I transferred to Instructor School, in preparation for my next assignment.
After completing my school I reported for Instructor duty at Naval Amphibious School, Little Creek, Virginia. From August 87 to February 91, I taught Bos'n Mates and Officers about Deck Seamanship and various topics related to the Deck Force and Amphibious Operations. Not only did I teach, but was Curriculum Manager for Bos'n Mate Skills and Fundamentals (J-060-0036), & Cargo Handling and Deck Rigging (J-922-0039). While there I also helped make two video tapes for the Naval Reserve, participated in a rewrite of the PQS book for Deck Seamanship and grudgingly learned to use a computer (actually a Wang word processor.) This whetted my appetite for the Zenith's that were also available. I liked it so much...I bought the company! Well, not the whole company, just one machine (286, DOS 3.0, Windows 2.0, 1MB memory, 40 MB hard drive....I still remember the salesman saying "You'll never fill up a 40 MB hard drive!") President Bush was now in the White House.
I missed out on the Gulf War, but I did get to watch it on TV. I also qualified as a Master Training Specialist. I want to thank LCDR Hoover for constantly sending all my paperwork back, with corrections. Today, I'm a pretty good profreader (notice the misspelling of proofreader, come on, it's kind of funny.) I reenlisted in 89, for 4 more years. I also received a permanent appointment as a Chief Petty Officer soon after.
From March 91 to March 95, I was stationed at Assault Craft Unit TWO (ACU-2), in Little Creek. I was Officer in Charge of Landing Craft Utility (LCU-1653.) This is a 135 ft long boat that carries troops and vehicles from an amphibious (gator) ship to the beach. They pump water into the stern (back end of the ship) and "sink" down so that we can drive our boats inside. Once in, they pump the water out, we set down on their bottom and they carry us to our destination.
I was signed for a supply room, food stores, weapons and ammunition. In addition to driving the boat I had a 10 man crew, who lived onboard. It was quite an experience having people who weren't Bos'n Mates, working for me. I had to learn the characteristics of the boat and the jobs of my crew. It was the most challenging job of my career. I had all the responsibilities of a ship's Captain, except I couldn't keep funds of any type onboard and I couldn't award legal punishment to crewmembers. That's not to say I didn't have my own methods of correcting errant behavior...heh, heh, heh.
We went to the Med with USS Shreveport (LPD-12) in December 91. We sailed in company with COMPhibRon 6, and the other ships that comprised the Mediterannean Amphibious Ready Group (MARG) 1-92: USS Inchon (LPH-12), USS Whidbey Island (LSD-41), USS Fairfax County (LST-1193) and USS Newport (LST-1179). The Marines embarked with us were units making up the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU). After getting the Marines ashore, we often served as a dive platform for the EOD Detachment that was embarked on Shreveport. We got to spend almost 3 weeks away from the ship, while participating with the Portuguese Navy during Galera 92. I never got around to thanking the OIC for the EOD Det, but Gunner Ted Dingle was a total professional and I would be proud to serve with him anytime! Thanks for all your help, and you know what I mean.
The only place new that I saw was Haifa, Israel. We offloaded and backloaded the MARG seven times, during the 6 month deployment. If that doesn't sound like much to you, get orders to a gator....you'll love it! While onboard the LCU, we did lots of local area ops from the upper Chesapeake Bay down to Camp LeJeunne, North Carolina. The Intra-Coastal Waterway was one of our most frequently used routes. It's a pretty ride, but watch out for those shallow spots.
In September 93, President Clinton sent us on a UN mission to restore President Aristide to Haiti. We went with USS Harlan County (LST-1196), to Port au Prince, only to be humiliated for our efforts. For a brief 45 seconds, with 2 Haitian gunboats heading toward us, I had the opportunity to start an international incident. They didn't have their weapons loaded, so nothing happened. By the way, if you remember that incident, where the "mob" on the pier chased the ship out of port. We watched it through binoculars, from a mile out in the harbor. The crowd wasn't more than 150 people, but the camera angles had a different perspective. I wonder why the news crews played it up to make the U.S. look foolish? Now that we've been there for a few years, we can see what a success THAT mission was!
We went back to Gitmo and ended up serving with USS Nassau (LHA-4), USS Saipan (LHA-2) and USS Wasp (LHD-1) as part of Joint Task Force (JTF) 120 and Operation Restore Democracy. We stayed on a 72 hour recall notice, to be packed out and ready to sail with whatever ship we happened to be riding. Each time a new Staff took charge, we had to work out what we had already established, as far as load planning and tactics. It was trying, to say the least. I would like to extend a special thanks to the best Marine Officer I ever worked for...Col. Goodman. He was CO of the Special Marine Air Ground Task Force (Special MAGTAF) and he provided us with much better support than USS Wasp did. Sorry Wasp, but SUPPO wouldn't give us fuel when we needed it. Col. Goodman also included us in the "Green" side's planning of their operations. Since we were their ride to the beach, this was a pretty good idea.
In August 1994, I was ordered to place the 1653 in a lay-up status. The crew was broken up and sent to other boats, or got orders to transfer. The boat had become a part of me. Even after I had put holes in the bottom, lost the Port Main Engine in the Med, had a trailer break loose during a storm and spent untold hours either freezing or baking up on the conning tower, I hated to give her up. Most people who have served aboard ships realize that it is a living thing. The crew becomes the soul of the ship, for good or bad. To all who served on LCU-1653 during my stay, I can never thank you enough for the long hours and terrible conditions you endured. We weren't always the best looking boat on the waterfront, but we never missed a commitment.
My last tour of duty was Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia. It's Shore Duty for rotation purposes only. I was assigned to the Port Operations Department, where I drove a Yard Tug Boat (YTB). When I drove the LCU, I was paid to run aground. Now, I was paid to collide with ships each day. This job can be best described as long stretches of unrelenting boredom, interupted by brief spurts of extreme pandemonium. If you ever get the chance, notice that the anchors on Navy ships are the same height off the water as the pilot house windows on a tugboat. We got a pretty close view most days. To quote one of our Harbor Pilots, "If you've got a strong heart and a weak mind, you can be a good Tugboat Driver." This is from a man with more years tugboating than I've got on Earth.
I transferred to the Fleet Reserve on 31 Jul 97. For you non-Navy types (Sandcrabs) (Hey! Wait a minute! I'm one, now!) Navy personnel don't "retire" until they would have 30 years in. When you go off active duty status, after 20 years, you're considered to be in a "Fleet Reserve" status, until your 30th year.
I still don't know what the future holds for me. Many folks have asked me why I'm not pursuing a career as a civilian tugboat Captain. Just because you learn to do something, and even if you become very good at it, doesn't mean you enjoy doing it. Also, I went to see the Coast Guard (they're the licensing authority for civilians) about getting my license. I think it would have been better, had I been an ex-Nazi applying for Israeli citizenship. It seems that they're resentful of the fact that we can drive boats for so many years without their permission. It just didn't seem to be that important to me to pursue it with that obstacle. Of course I could have chosen the Coast Guard as a career, but I wasn't 6 feet tall.
Before I "retired," I was told that I would probably have 4 or 5 jobs before I found one to stick with. So far I'm heading that way. I took a Tractor Trailer Driving Course a month and a half after my separation. I now have a Class A Commercial Driver's License (CDL). I hired on with a great Flatbed Trucking Company, TMC Transportation. I went to Des Moines, Iowa for their orientation and a week of load securing. They had an outstanding facility. I spent 5 weeks with my trainer and was learning a lot about the flatbed business. But I was not satisfied with living out of my Seabag. I was due to get back on the road on the 1st of January, but decided not to. I am sorry that I wasn't able to work with such a good outfit, but I wanted some REAL Shore Duty.
To tell you in one title, what I do for a living now, would be somewhat difficult. The closest I can come is that I'm a Repo Man for houses. I do contract securing work for mortgaged properties. What does that mean? When a mortgage loan has been defaulted or foreclosed, I go there to secure the utilities, drain all the water from the heater and pipes, put non-toxic anti-freeze in the sink traps and make sure it's secured from vandalism or weather. One of the fringe benefits is that I usually have to gain entry with means other than a key to the front door. I knew my training as a Bos'n Mate would finally pay off! If you want a better picture of the work I do, check out the folks who send me my jobs. It's an outfit called Arlauskas Inc. up in Gloucester, Virginia.
If you've made it to this point, I salute you. I never intended the page to be this long, but it has been fun to put together. Are my travelling days over? Only time will tell that. But when I get some more places under my belt, you'll be ther first to know about it.
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