I thought it might me nice to start a new page. Newcomers can still see the "First Post and Comments" and read all the posts, but the old hands will not have to wade through all that to get to the bottom where the "new meat" is.
Kent
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Remember when we were on northern barrier, it seems like we were always on water hours, the ole brine overboard pumpp on the evaps would fail about the time we left Pearl and water rationing would begin. LT Eller even turned off the water to the scuttlebutts because he had caught a kid brushing his teeth in a scuttlebutt one time. In later years when on water hours on other ships, I would tell about the water in the scuttlebutts being shut off on Falgout and no one would believe me that ALL fresh water was cut off. I remember we had to go down in B-2 and one of the snipes would let us draw a cup of water out of a chilled water pipe. I guess we had coffee to keep us from actually dehydrating. I know I sure hated eating and wiping my butt with the same unwashed hands for days on end.
ReplyDeleteKent
Ah the evap watch. Where you could be the best liked or the most hated depending on how much saline was left in the final batch. And lets not forget getting written up for taking a "Hollywood Shower". You know those bildges had to get cleaned one way or the other!
ReplyDeleteBob Kelly
I sure do remember those patrols with water hours. The first time I went to sea was in 1962 with LCDR Gravely at Johnston island during all of those nuke test. The evaporators never really worked and Gravely would go down in the holes and work alongside with the men working on the evaporators. I don't think Breen would ever done that. I remember hoping every morning that we would have some kind of fruit juice to drink. I think that was the longest 45 days I ever spent anywhere. I don't think Keith was on Board then. I was just a seaman duce out of RMA school and low man on the totem pole in the radio shack. That was my first exposer to the sea going Navy, But it wasn't my last I rode 5 other ships after I left Falgout. I think Falgout with Breen was the worst of the bunch.
ReplyDeleteJohn
hahahaha, John, I am laughing out loud at your comments, especially the comparison at the end. I have told Keith on several occasions that 1964 was the worst year of my life. I learned a lot, but damn that was a tough "school".
ReplyDeleteI wonder how many of you guys have rad "The Arnheiter Affair" by Neil Sheehan. It is about the "mutiny" on the USS VANCE (DER 387) one of our squadron mates. This took place in WestPac in 1966, and is a great read for anyone that has ever been on a DER. You can get a used copy off the Internet for about 3 bucks.
kent
On the first page, Bob Kelly mentioned the water in the M & R Division compartments there on the port side. That had slipped my mind although I have told the story many times over the yeaers of rolling out of the rack at reveille on those rough northern patrols and landing in about 2" of cold salt water sloshing around on deck.
ReplyDeleteWhen those aluminum sides were added for the mess decks, CPO quarters and M&R div compartments, they were riveted to the steel on the old main deck sides. This was a gasketed connection, but not a very good one, and the dissimilar metals developed electrolysis which caused parts of the seam to erode and leak when twisting in heavy seas. Salt water seeped in and under our bunk lockers and onto the deck and ran back and forth splashing merrily. Wonderful conditions to have to endure and then still have a nice clean set of whites for a personnel inspection before entering port which could lose you your first two liberties if you flunked. Fun, fun, fun, how could I have forgotten......??
I think I have mentioned before that the reason the YN's and PN's were in the R division compartment was because those were the closest racks to LT Eller's stateroom and he could put the collar on us any time of the night without having to go very far. When LT Albright took over as XO, he let us move to the OC Div compartment back aft with the rest of the divison in "vibration city".
Kent Henson
Whew....Barrier Patrols, no water and water hours if that is what you called them. We all stunk like shit but the Falgout got fresh water wash downs. If we stood mid-watch, we had to be out of our racks and turning too at 1000. That is when Eller made his inspections and everyone had better be up and gone. I recall him having a second class swritten up for being "gear adrift". The guy had been the mid-night MAA and was still in his rack. I also recall Eller taking his knife and cutting down racks that were not boot camp made. I hate to admit this but you are my friends. After I started my law enforcement career, I dreamed of how great it would be to find Eller and Metzler screwing up and locking their asses up. Never happened and I would have done the right thing, I know (I think....).
ReplyDeleteKeith
There was a mention of the ship's store and I remember you felt like who ever was running the store was doing you a favor. But I guess getting a carton of cheap cigarettes was worth the wait for most. Just across from the store was the engineering log office. About 3 months after coming aboard, the snipe (don't remember who it was)assigned to the office left the ship. I remember Chief Bovee asking me if I knew how to type. Lucky in High School myself and two other guys took a typing class just because we knew thats where all the girls were. We only lasted 6 weeks before we got kicked out but I did learn touch typing. Anyway it only took me two seconds to thing about B3 vs the air conditioned office and I replied " Chief, I can burn the keys off that typewriter". Also while in port would spend a couple of duty days in the ships office typing out the Orders of the Day. Always had to look up a quote of the day to put in at the end. The was a PN (I think his name was Pierce, black guy)who also worked for awhile in the log room but who got caught changing his personnel records in the ships office and got sent off to somewhere. Probably Kent will know better of that story.
ReplyDeleteBob Kelly
Hi Bob, do you remember my brother Bob Bradford he worked in the personal office? Also I remember we used to get flooding in FOX div. bearthing in port when they would take onfresh water and it sometimes overflowed in our area! Jim.
ReplyDeleteHello Jim, I remember Bob but didn't spend much time up in the penthouse office. The only reason was when everyone from the office was on liberty and I had the duty that day. Seems I was the only other one on board that could type at least at a reasonable speed. God bless that typing teacher wherever she for puting up with me for those 6 weeks. The reason she kicked me out was she had us type to classical music for timing and speed. But the day I change the record player for a big test from 33 1/3 to 78 rpm's was too much for her. It was worth the big laugh at the time. Just like all the good times on the Falgout.
ReplyDeletebob
Bob, on the logroom yeoman, do you think it was ole Joe Jones leaving the logroom and coming to ship's office that created the vacancy for you down there, but maybe that was later. I do remember Pierce, YN3 who wrote himself up a letter requesting staff duty, AND a glowing recommendation from the mythical XO, J.D. Auburn. When EPDOPAC got the letter, they thought something was fishy so sent it back to the real XO, J.D. Albright for investigation. Breen took his crow and they put him in the logroom and banned him from ship's office.
ReplyDeleteCome to think of it, Joe probably switched places with Pierce when he went to the logroom. Hard to remember exact sequence of events that long ago.
The Bovee family and my family were really close, they were like grandparents to my daughter. Paul made ENCM later and was MCPO at Subic Bay when he developed a brain tumor, was disability retired and died not too long after. Sad. He and his wife were good people.
Kent
The Ship's Store ! Yes indeed, you are right, at least one of the operators acted like he was doing us a favor to open the store and sell us anything.
ReplyDeleteI remember eating those damn red whip licorice sticks by the gross, can't even look at one now. And vienna sausages. Of course we all got us a Falgout lighter to light up those sea store's coffin nails at a buck ten a carton. Cartons of Winstons in foil wrapping for "freshness"........riiiiiight.
kent
I may be out of line, but I always thought Pierce was one of those "other" guys, if you get my drift. As for Arnheiter, Breen would have made him look like a choior(sp) boy had he taken us to WESTPAC on that first Market Time. Did ol' Matthew like strawberries and ice cream? I was released from Falgout and assigned DESFLOT 5 staff. I was given barracks watches and messenger duty, also one cruse on USS Cochrane DDG21 as weather observer for a mid Pacific space launch pickup before going to FWC Kodiak,I was AG3. Any way I was down on Bravo Pier the day Marcus Aurelius took command of Vance. That's my 15 minutes of fame.
ReplyDeleteLee
Well, Lee it sounds like you have read "The Arnheiter Affair" and remember those days well. That Change of Command was supposed to have been a real show.
ReplyDeleteProbably not a lot of people were aware of this, but I typed up a letter from MJB on the way in from that last picket that he took over to the Squadron requesting that after he was relieved by Greff that he assume duties as a Task Unit Commander or Division Commander of the four DER's that were going to Westpac. Can you imagine?? Those three other ships crews would be moaning and groaning and chipping away on those useless brackets, and standing dress white inspections while boarding junks.......and no telling what else. Luckily the request was denied.
kent
To compensate for the loss of "usless brackets" during Breen and Eller's reign of terror, there was a joke going around among the non rated laborers topside that the Falgout was about to roll over from thick paint on the signal bridge. It seemed like
ReplyDeleteQM1 Cutter had the boys painting it every other day during Westpac. It would haven taken a real stud or good friend to tease him about it. Next to the capt. and the watch officer Cutter was boss of the bridge Anyone have input on this?
Lee
I am sure your impression of Cutter was different from mine. Even though he was probably 15 years older than me, he was my best friend after Nick Weaver left. Cutter had a really great sense of humor, kinda dry, but it made him all the more funny. I remember one time we were in Hong Kong going up the tram to Victoria Peak, and this young gal stood up and started yelling at us in a British accent about being in an unnecessary war and not even being able to protect our own president (Kennedy)....and how they had never lost a monarch, etc.....she was really worked up and screaming at us. We had been told to not get in a pissing contest with the locals, so I kept quiet. When she finally slowed down a bit, Cutter stood up and said, "Young lady, if it wasn't for Lend-Lease, there wouldn't even be an England and you'd be speaking German." She calmed down and when we got to the top, he talked to her a bit by that rock fence up there and ALMOST charmed her into inviting us home for a drink. (grin)
ReplyDeleteBut you are right, they did do a lot of bridge painting! And polishing brightwork.
kent
Right, I took Cutter as a man's man. I mean that in a complimentary sense, a petty oficer men would willingly follow. Of course I was non rated and didn't socialize in that circle.
ReplyDeleteI remember a tattoo on his left arm. A pair of boxing gloves and lettering "Navy Boxing". I took it at face value, and never questioned his authority to muster a painting detail. His obvious maturity was a plus. Haaa, speaking of tattoos!!
Lee
Word came aft from the focsl that seaman Johnson had returned from liberty in a drunken state and was escorted to the Bosun quarters. It was either Yokosuka or the first stop at Subic. Rumor had it that he was giving viewings of his new tattoo. The curious among us filed foreward. There he was near the chain and paint locker at the fore peak, where even the puny sailor could do 20 chin-ups if his timing was right, during those northern picket days. This is the same seaman Johnson that Bricker despised, or maybe envied. A kid of about 18 years. In full view of god and messmates, Johnson had his penis out showing a blue/black blowfly emblazoned thereon, about midship, near as I could tell...After the swelling went down he was a bit dissapointed. How drunk do you have to get to do that?
ReplyDeleteDid that story get around the ship? Then there's Mumford and his graphics.
Lee
Mulford also had a fly tattooed on his penis, I remember he used to take it out and shake it at Ens Carmen when he would come through the R division compartment, and Carmen would just giggle. What a character ole Mulford was. He would eat a couple of bowls of pinto beans for supper with a fresh onion cut up in them with plenty of Louisiana Hot Sauce. Then about 2200 or so when he was on sounding and security watch he would "drop by" ships office and "drop" a green cloud that would blister the paint on the walls as we all bailed out the nearest door....
ReplyDeleteWho was that little skinny kid in 1st division that could eat two trays of food heaped up?? He went over somewhere and got a tattoo that covered nearly his whole chest, seems like it was a full rigged sailing ship?? Anybody remember that?
kent
ok, mulford, not mumford. He also had lettering above his navel "Beware of swinging boom". Also a ships screw on each butt cheek, with lettering "driving it home to moma". He was bonified nasty old school. I don't remember which kid from 1st. with the ship.
ReplyDeleteLee
hahaha Lee, you reminded me of that tattoo story on Mulford that I told for many years. He was very, very drunk in Hong Kong when he got that tattoo, so he had trouble saying it and the Chinaman had trouble understanding, so that first time, he got "Stand Clear, SWING BLOOM!".........next time in Hong Kong he had to go over and get it done larger and the SWING BLOOM corrected to SWINGING BOOM..... I was amazed that they could actually correct it. Those things are PERMANENT. I remember watching the guy very closely as I got my wife's name on my arm, to make sure he spelled it right.
ReplyDeletekent
I posted a picture of Keith Throckmorton and Ken Neufeld taken a couple of years ago when Ken came through NC on his Harley.
ReplyDeleteAlso posted THEN and NOW pictures of Jim Bradford.
Thanks for the pictures, we need more, please, send them to me and I will get them processed and posted.
kent
Hey Bob,
ReplyDeleteWe had a RM2 named Pierce. He was a white heavy set individual that was a lifer and I feel that he probably retired as RM2. Kent and I suspected Jim Bradford for tossing the Falgout helm over the side in Maui. We never developed a suspect of the mess cook who tossed all of the forks over the side on barrier patrol other than the 5 forks found in the engine rooms taken there by the snipes. Would that have been you ????? hehehe.
Keith
Lee, I am amazed at the memories you are stirring up. I have been mulling over the QM1 Cutter deal about the paint and something just wouldn't click about Cutter being that concerned with painting......then today I was thinking about it and the light came on, I realized that it was SM1 Huff who would put a coat of haze gray on you if you stood still on his bridge, he is not in the cruise book, but he was a tall guy from Kentucky. He had those guys painting and touching up all the time on the bridge and signal bridge.... I'll bet that is who we remember doing all that painting. I was in touch with him a few years ago, I think he retired in California.
ReplyDeletekent
Kent and Keith,
ReplyDeleteTom Oliver requesting permission to come aboard. I came aboard the Falgout in Guam on April 5,19 65. Spent the first 6 or 9 months in 1st division. I remember Ron Berens, Richard Winter,and my self going over on the beach in Hong Kong. There we all got a tattoo's and Ron got a fly tattooed on his member. We were all quite drunk of course. But you are correct if was Arnie Huff that was the famous one to have us chip, paint the whole bridge. I got out of deck force and I remember I tried to strike for RD and Ens. Stafani was the Deck officer. I thought I made a deal with him if I could pass the RD 3 & 2 course he would let me out to strike for it and later maybe go to school. Later I learned they were not letting me go anywhere. I had gone to 16 weeks of ETA school, failed 2 tests and as they say you fail you sail. Hello Falgout.
So they let me strike for QM, later made QM3 and passed the 2 nd class test, but got out instead of extending to get the crow. At that time Cutter had made Chief. I remember seeing Ken Neufeld at the reunion in St. Louis. Didn't make the other one. I have some pictures of the reunion. Also I believe Larry Bunch copied some of the Ships History from 1966 & 1967. However in looking at the one from 1967 one of the pages listing the 3rd class PO's is missing. So some of our shipmates names are not there. Don't know if those records still exist on micro fish or not. I could copy the ones I have if you like. I must go for now. I live in Bonner Springs, Ks. just west of KC Missouri about 20 Miles. I have used the old girls name for email. falgout324@gmail.com
Hey Tom, Welcome!! I remember you being in the deck force. When I saw your name on Nick's site, that was my memory and I could hear ole Bricker calling your name. I left the ship in October of '65, so you probably went to the bridge after I was gone. Although being there with Huff was probably like being in the deck force, chip & paint! (grin). That is great that you made QM2. That was always amazing to me that QM's really had no "A" school, it was all learned on the job, and a job that important to the ship's well-being, amazing. I remember Cutter making chief, I got over to the Falgout for Greff/Klee change of command in Manila in 1966, and he had put the hat on by then.
ReplyDeletePlease send me any pictures that you want to share. Would like to have a THEN and NOW picture of you on the site...
Again, welcome aboard.
Kent Henson
My mind is gone!
ReplyDeleteAs if I ever had one? I remember many sea stories, but having trouble connecting the right faces. Tom Oliver? Were you an athlete, a baseball pitcher or boxer, or both? I hung out with Jack Imig and Bronson, also Winter during my brief tour in 1st.div. I think they were all California boys like myself... Grrrrr, trying to put a face to your name.
Best regards, Lee Danner
Kent,
ReplyDeleteI am not up to speed on blogging, so if you can send me an email I will attach the pictures. I will have to convert slides to digital. Googled some sites not to expensive. All in all I have about 200 slides of various shots on the Falgout some on the bridge and the one from the O3 level before I got drowned with the sea spray. I was thinking of our favorite trick on the new OD of the watch underway. We would take over the helm, check the seas when he wasn't looking then give it right or left full rudder then as the ship came around reverse it when the OD look in we would be right on course. The bad part for them Captain would make them stand right in the middle of the open bridge with the window open. Of course when the ship came back around it would slam down on the wave and send water roaring through the window they never figured it out. Sometimes Captain Klee would look in and shake his finger. Again email address for me is falgout324@gmail.com YOU might recognize the name.
Does anyone remember, ships cook Buzz Orengo, he used to be the jack of the dust, (Baker) I remember one night he snuck into the Officers mess and ripped off a 3 gallon tub of ice cream. We ate in the sonar shack next to captains cabin and behind the chart house. Got sicker than a dog but it was well worth it, full guts and all.
Catch you on the next watch.
Tom Oliver
Hey Tom,
ReplyDeleteWelcome aboard ! Glad to hear from you. You did well in your time aboard Falgout. Working for Chief Ross did not hurt you either. He has always been one of my heros' from Falgout days. The cook that I remember most was Reisinger, CS3. He was rough around the edges appearance wise but a great cook. This is a great forum for us. Lot of good stories already. Look to hear from you.
Keith
Keith
Jim Bradford,
ReplyDeleteHow is your brother doing? The one in engineering that I knew. I don't remember his name(Richard maybe) we called him Atlas. Give him my hello and best wishes. A neat story about him: We were downtown Waikiki (me and Kennedy from fox div.)at a swanky beachfront hotel lounge. It was the Don Ho show playing. Ol' Don did his popular songs and chit chat routine. In the meantime Bradford and a couple other snipes came in and joined us. The hula girls came onstage and Don Ho asked for audience participation, so Bradford jumps on the opportunity and joins onstage.. He was the hit of the evening. I thought that was pretty cool. Don Ho was famous at that time. Later in the week Bradford was mugged late at night by some local toughs on the beach.
Lee
I dont think the mugging was related to the floor show performance..lol
ReplyDeleteLee
Posted THEN and NOW pictures of Tom Oliver. Enjoy!
ReplyDeletekent
Kent,
ReplyDeleteTom here, I looked at the 65 cruise book I have and I think Arnold Huff is in the picture in the lower left corner of the page with the DER 387 the Brister I think. It is the last picture on the left bottom of the page. He is standing next to the hand rail and L Scott has the black Beret on.
Tom Oliver
Yep, Tom, that sure looks like Huff and Scott there in that shot. I was looking earlier this evening for a picture I have of Huff and I sitting in a bar in Hong Kong.
ReplyDeleteThe 387 is the infamous Vance, Arnheiter's ship.
kent
Hi Lee, I regret to say that Dick passed away about ten years ago. After he was discharged he got called back in as the navy needed enginmen on the river patrol boats in Nam. He was severely wounded on one occasion and spent six months in hospital in Japan. After leaving the NAVY for good he had a lot of medical problems both physical and mental and started spending more and more time in the VA hospital where he died. As for my brother Bob he died of lung cancer in 2004 and he had not smoked in over 20 years!
ReplyDeleteJim,
ReplyDeleteSorry for your loss. My condolences to you and yours.
Lee
On a lighter note(literally) Keith weren't you a member of the Meadville Minstrels, the Falgout Philharmonic; that group of aspiring musicians from OC and OI that bought guitars in Japan and filled the air of aft berthing with universal strumming? I think Signalman Scott was giving lessons.
ReplyDeleteLee
AG2 Kapsalis had dropped out of the orchestra by the time we reached Guam, sometime in april. He sold me his guitar for $20. By the time we made landfall off P.I. I had recognized my "tin ear", accepted my fate and donated the guitar to 1st. div.
ReplyDeleteLee
Yes Lee, I was a member of a group that purchased a cheap guitars in Subic and tormented instructor Scott with my attempts. I am surprised that then YN1 Henson did not write me up for torturing the crew during our evening fantail sessions. It was fun and Scott was a good teacher. I have messed with the guitar some over the years and still have the chord chart I made under Scott's guidance.
ReplyDeleteKeith
I posted a very short video right at the top of the page, just click on it and it will play for you on UTube. I took this as the ole gal was coming alongside the destroyer I was on in 1968. Capt Klee was still in command.
ReplyDeleteNot a great clip, but better than picturing the ole gal on the bottom of the ocean.
Kent
I want to thank Tom Oliver for the great shot of Falgout's call sign in signal flags.... I incorporated it (NTDW) at the top of the page also.
ReplyDeleteKent
Speaking of the best and the worst, I will always remember the worst in M Div. J.Wense and how he ever got into the Navy will always be a mystery to me. I guess he saw through me and my impression of him because it carried through on and off of the work station. Since I was 125 lbs soaking wet I was no match for him. But one night when he came back drunk from liberty and about to take that big swing I told him to make it a good one because I knew where the brass bearings were in B-3 and he had to go to sleep some time. We never had another conflict after that. M Div had more than enough of its share of characters and I'm sure I was no exception.
ReplyDeletebob kelly
Dang, I can't quite picture Wense, the name is so familiar, I can almost bring up a picture of him in my mind.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of pictures, I posted THEN and NOW pictures of Bob Kelly tonight.
Bob Kelly and Tom Oliver still have all their HAIR!!
and the rest of us, wellll......
kent,
ReplyDeleteDo you remember AG2 Scriven? He was my "sea daddy" when i first came aboard, showed me around the ship and introdced me to OC folks. He was an all around good guy, soft spoken. He transfered or got out when we were in Pearl refiting for Westpac. I was a bit disgruntled about not working in my rate at first, but looking back Falgout was top heavy with AGs. Four guys for a two man job. Do you recall if Kapsalis and Holler were transfered soon after me?
Lee
Being a non rated Airdale on a "Tin Can" may be a blessing. While overseas and making R&R stops, an airdale with green stripes might find himself surrounded by local lovelies demanding to know "which carrier is in?" Aaahhh the good old days!
ReplyDeleteLee
That name Scriven does not ring a bell with me at all. Seems like somebody told me a few years ago that Holler went to Leavenworth for some kind of crime?? I can't imagine an AG getting in that kind of trouble, I mean how many weather balloons could a feller carry off a ship?? I left the Falgout in October 1965 not too long after we got back from WestPac. I was still in touch for another year off and on from the Cortron Staff, but did not know a lot of detail about personnel coming and going, so i really don't know the answer to your question Lee.
ReplyDeleteOK thanks Kent. You may have gotten the Leavenworth rumor from me. I sent u an email couple of years back saying I had ran into Electrician Chief Lash from Falgout when I was getting discharged in'68. He was also getting out and told me that Holler had gotten into trouble. Dono what it was?
ReplyDeleteLee
Kent, Keith, Lee,
ReplyDeleteIt is good to see your posts and they do bring back a lot of old times to mind. I have finished copying the disc's and will send them of maybe tomorrow. If you are interested I have copies of the Falgouts Command History for 1966, 1967 got them from Larry Bunch I believe at St.Louis Reunion. I can scan to a MS Word Doc. A couple of pages in each document did not copy well to light. Not to large so could send in a email as an attachment. Let me know. Kent could you forward a disc to Keith if he wants one. Lee let me know if you would like a disc. 230 photos.
Talk to you guys later,
Tom
yes, Tom, that would be interesting to see what you guys were up to in 1966 and 1967. I think I have an earlier ship's history somewhere. I get sidetracked so easily when I start going through that old stuff !! Looking forward to the pictures on disk. Thanks in advance!
ReplyDeleteKent
Hi everyone, I remember a time when we were patroling off shore in Viet Nam at night we had to keep mount 31 manned, well one night we were laying around the mount and we were hungry (as always) so two of us wondered down to the mess decks and low and behold we found a tray of just backed cinnamon roles soooo! the roles went missing and when the cook did the rounds of the ship to find the "thieves" we were setting around fat and happy and he never found out we did the deed. Jim.
ReplyDeleteMentioning the manning of MT 31, you reminded me of a midwatch we were about to be relieved and LT Dave Baker had the OOD. We both saw this flash of light "on the focsl" at the same time and immediately thought it was someone lighting a cigarette in MT 31, but then we heard loud foreign gibberish as we saw a junk bouncing along our hull on the starboard side. They had seen us at the last minute and hoisted a lantern or something. We missed splitting them in two by an RCH.
ReplyDeletekent
Probably the best thing to ever come out of a shipboard galley were those lovely cinnamon rolls, you could smell them up on the bridge during the 04-08 watch just teasing your taste buds.....
ReplyDeletekent
Also lets not forget where else you could have steak (I think it was steak) and eggs for breakfast off the coast of Nam. Zeno loved those BBQ's on the aft deck. Do you remember when doing double patrols they dropped us on some island off the coast for a day picnic. I have some photo's of that on Nick's site.
ReplyDeletebob kelly
I remember standing there on the wing of the bridge as a phone talker when the UNREP ship asked if we wanted some cases of beer....XO and CO discussed it very quickly and decided NO, there was no place to drink it! That was the first trip in 1965. The island dropping deal must have been the 1966 trip, Bob?? Sounds like an adventure! I think they started doing more of that as the war went on. Everyone was still feeling their way and using peacetime rules in 1965.
ReplyDeletekent
It must have been in 66 after the Bangkok R&R since there was was more than just beer at the picnic! That Bangkok stop will remain in my memory till the day I die. Beautiful country,people and the best liberty port ever.
ReplyDeletebob kelly
Yes Kent,
ReplyDeleteI also remember XO J. D. Albright stating we can't have that on the ship Captain they might go crazy. I think he was referring to when we stopped and refueled on the way and we were quite rowdy. We had been given pier liberty at the refueling piers. Some one had the bright idea to hoist over the fence some guys and sent them to town to buy BEER got S Faced and I remember on the bridge Jentoft was helmsman during getting underway. Saying starter up lets go. Was taken below to 1st div. That might have prompted XO to be doubtful of our youthful exuberance. I always thought LT. Albright was a little straight laced for a Tin Can Officer. Just random nuerons firing in this old crainial cavity. Words come to mind just terrible speller. Must have been smelled way too much Haze grey on the signal bridge with Arnie Huff. Wonder if he retired as a SM1? I imagine he could have been tough as a Chief. I had intended to stay in for 20 yrs. But thought at the end of that last westpac tour if I extended to get 2nd class I would have more than likely have been transferred to another ship. As we had 3 QM's at the time with 2 strikers also.
More later going to try to get these ship historys sent don't know why they did not go through last night.
Tom
"refueling piers"??
ReplyDeleteI always wondered about that. In '65 refueling and resupply took place underway. Sometimes at midnight or later, after we had run offshore. Avoid enemy detection? I guess safety first was the logic. These events were far from safe. I know from being on a good share of line handling details. Of course the training value of these exercises for the "just in case" scenario is invaluable.
After the Ownby debacle, I always thought "why dont we just tie alongside a dock and get this s#it over with". The stops at Midway and Adak prior to MarketTime were a luxury.
Tom.. Was Jentoft the one called "Sinbad"? Coxswain of the whaleboat.
Lee.
I recall the laughs we had at the albatrosses that would follow the ship waiting for the shit cans from the galley to be tossed over the fantail. It was a practice, of some, to soak bread with ketchup to make it hot then toss it over the fantail. The albatrosses would pounce on it and the ketchup would burn their mouths. It was amusing watching them put their heads under the water to cool their mouths off. A sight to see. I would not find it funny now but it was then.
ReplyDeleteKeith
Keith,
ReplyDeleteI still fish offshore here in North Pacific, and wonder if some of those wave gliders I see may be descendents of the Falgouts sea scroungers.
Lee
Ahoy Falgout shipmates!
ReplyDeleteTom Oliver clued me in about this blog so I decided to check it out. Hey, this is one hell of a great place! Kent, a four-oh to you for starting it. I see lots of familiar names (and faces). I'm really enjoying reading all the posts and all the great sea stories you guys have been telling. They bring back a lot of happy memories of life on that ol' bucket of bolts we called home. It was my home from January 1966 to October 1968. I worked out of that dinky little electrician's shop that was all the way aft, next to the after steering room. Sure drank a lot of Navy coffee in that place! I've got a few sea stories which I'll relate in later posts.
To Keith: I still have that Falgout video that you sent me some time ago. I've been meaning to convert it to the avi format so I can post it on my website for all Falgout sailors to enjoy. I'll get to it sometime in the near future. I didn't want you to think that I had forgotten about you.
Fair winds and following seas to all Falgout sailors, the best damn sailors who ever sailed the high seas!
Nick Napzok EM3
USS Falgout DER-324
1/1966 to 10/1968
http://www.mrnapo.com
Hey Nick,
ReplyDeleteWelcome Aboard ! Glad to have you in our "crew".
Keith
I recall my first patrol into the north pacific. I was ordered, by Eller, to stand mail bouy watch on the bow during a rough day. He advised that a plane would drop mail into the ocean for us. He further ordered that I had better not miss the bouy or it would be my ass. I went out there and held on for dear life as I scanned the skies for the plane and mail bouy. I noticed that the bridge was full of officers and they seemed amused. I was later relieved and advised that I had been "had". No such thing as a mail bouy and my experience was just an initiation for the new guy. I learned of other initiation jokes but never experienced any of them.
ReplyDeleteKeith
Remember on those winter Northern Barrier patrols, the weather decks would be secured for days on end, "Hold all trash and garbage on station...." They rigged the inboard lifelines, but it was still dangerous as hell to go topside.
ReplyDeleteI remember one time in the midst of one of those periods, they were going to air drop us a part for the SPS-8 height-finding radar. The XO Eller came in the office and said, "Come on Henson, I'm gonna make a sailor out of you," and he took me out on the 01 level and I hung on to that big exhaust fan aft of the gunshack there while these unbelievable walls of water towered over the ship on ALL sides like we were down in a hole. A stinging mist was being driven from every direction. Suddenly this barrel with a drogue chute appeared and many deck seaman began grappling to get it. Somebody finally got a hook on it and pulled it on board and we had our part! Then I went to find some dry clothes. Builds character!
Kent
I made a new Third Post and Comment page because this one was getting pretty long to scroll down. The old ones are still there of course, but now you will have to click on May (1) to get to the new one. Not sure why it is that way, I am still learning how to do this.
ReplyDeletekent
Hi Kent,
ReplyDeleteIf you would like me to create a link to this blog on my website, let me know and I'll be more than happy to do it. It'll get you more traffic here and more Falgouteers to shoot the shit with.
By the way, what's your e-mail address? I have a couple of before and after photos of myself that you can post.
Nick Napzok
To Keith:
ReplyDeleteI watched your great Falgout video again yesterday and my wife watched it for the first time. She made this comment:
"That guy has a nice voice and narrates pretty darn good"
You got yourself a new fan, pal!
Do you guys remember Don the Beachcombers, The Merry Monarch, The Green Turtle, and my favorite Davey Jones Locker ? Those were great bars on Waikiki Beach that I have found impossible to forget even at my age now. Don the Beachcombers was ajacent to International Market Place. I loved Davey Jones locker. It was beneath the Reef Hotel. It had a great atmosphere decorated like a sunken ship. Behind the bar inside was a large window which was the width of the bar. This window exposed the hotel swimming pool beneath the surface of the water directly under the diving board in the deep end. Most swimmers were never aware of the window and it could get very entertaining watching their water activities especially the men and women as they "played around" with each other. Occasionally a swimmer would swim close to the side and become aware that a number of bar patrons and drunks were enjoying watching them. I have often wondered if any of those bars are still there...........
ReplyDeleteKeith
Do you remember Don Ho of (Tiny Bubbles) fame? we used to go see him all the time. I didn't know it but he used to be a pilot in the USAF and had like 10 kids. Jim.
ReplyDelete