The Second Post and Comments page was getting long, so here is a fresh page for Comments. Newcomers may want to click on and read the First and Second Posts as well as this one. The pictures automatically carry over from one post to the next.
kent
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For some reason this Third Post is not working like the others.
ReplyDeleteYou have to actually click the arror beside May (1) fot get the Third Post with the comment block to type in.
hmmmmm.
kent
Kent,
ReplyDeleteI thought u were on some sort of evasive action..hehehe
I'll kick off this page.....
Bob do you remember which snipe it was that jumped overboard as we were leaving Subic sometime in '65? One of those M div. characters?
Lee
keith,
ReplyDeleteI was just a kid but I probly visited the clubs you mentioned. I think "Don the Beachcomber" was a part of the Don Ho complex that I mentioned in an earlier post regarding Dick Bradford. Don Ho was famous at that time with a record out.. "Tiny Bubbles". You take care old cop, and enjoy life...P.S. I'll talk about your forearm shot to the opponent later.
Lee
I don't remember the snipe's name that jumped overboard, but he came back the night before on my midwatch. I was the OOD and the SP's brought him across three ships in the nest and there he was, I swear he had ONLY his skivvy shirt collar and the waistband and crotch of his navy issue undershorts on, with a fine coating of Olongapo dust and dirt covering the rest of his body. As soon as the SP's left he started getting rowdy again and was giving the watch and the duty MAA a bad time flapping around and carrying on. So, I had them tie him into a stokes stretcher and put him in the library there at the end of M division compartment to spend the rest of the night.
ReplyDeleteThe next morning the XO called for me and said that I could really be in trouble for "restraining" someone with rope, as he could have died, etc.....
Well, they untied him and he took off like a bat out of hell, went to the foc'sl and jumped off just as the nest was standing out to get underway. It was extremely embarrassing to Capt Greff to be holding up the whole nest, but he launched the whaleboat and they went alongside and this guy started giving the deckapes a bad time and swimming away.....then they put Brown in the boat. He was that big muscled up black guy from M division that Keith Throckmorton talked about earlier doing the pushup competition. As soon as this guy saw Brown in the boat, he immediately gave himself up and got on board!! He knew he didnt want to mess with Brown!!
Captain Greff later said to me, "I know why you tied him up now !!" I felt somewhat vindicated after that and the XO never said anymore about it to me.
Kent
Hey guys could that have been a guy named Davidson, R. E. I remember that incident. I looked in the cruise book from 65 and He was in M divison. I think it might have been him. Seems to me when we went to Japan in 66. One evening on PO Watch on the Quarterdeck the SP's brought back a seaman and I remember we took him below only to find him trying to slide the mooring lines on the foscle to the pier. But there awaiting his arrival were his friendly SP's I thought they took him to Sasebo Brig I am not sure of his name. Too many years so I won't say who I remember. Kent you talked so well of Cutter and I too remember him as a straight shooter. When I first came to the bridge, I had been up there for awhile and he gave me the duty to wind the cronometers, it seems like once a week or maybe every three days. Don't remember which, any way we were alongside a tender might have been when we were alongside the Jason, Nick. I forgot to wind them and one had run down. Major fupaw!!! After he calmed down he fixed it and sent it to the tender as defective and inaccurate. Could have been bad news for me for sure at least Captains mast. The cronometers were at times our only device we would use to plot our position in the calculations of star fixes. One night might when we were anchored in Manila, Cutter came back drunk and someone on one of the ships we were alongside of stirred him up and I was on watch. We had to go up and try to calm him down, as my feeble old brain remembers he had a sailor up in the air ready to drop him between the ships not a good event. He letus take him down below and we went down to Chief quarters for alot of coffee. Maybe you might remember that Kent. Any way this forum is great stirs up a lot of old stories from times gone by. Have a great evening shipmates.
ReplyDeleteTom
Good story Tom...!! I think Cutter used to have a story about HIM letting the chronometers wind down and how he managed to fix them or hide the fact till they got into port. The story escapes me now, but it was a good one over a couple of beers. He had some funny stories, a real dry sense of humor. He was usually very calm and collected, but he could get mad I know.
ReplyDeleteNo wonder the chronometers ran down.... they were supposed to be wound every morning! The messenger of the watch had to make a report to the captain at noon every day that "all chronometers have been wound and compared"
That name Davidson sounds familiar, I believe he is the guy.
It is amazing how just discussing this stuff wakes up memories........not always completely accurate perhaps........(grin)..
kent
Right, We were away from the dock and out in the bay. I remember the guy being brought aboard in a straight jacket and tied into a bunk in M div berthing. Do you recall any disciplinary action, Kent? I think it was Davison. A big ol boy(youngster), but a teddy bear at heart. I think he was transfered out shortly after. How did he manage a jump overboared if you had him secured.. Maybe your marlinspike seamanship could be called into question..lol
ReplyDeleteLee
The XO had the corpsman untie him (after he had given me a mild chewing out for tieing him up in the first place). He immediately ran for the foc'sl and jumped overboard.
ReplyDeletekent
Hey Lee,
ReplyDeleteYou are correct. Don the Beachcombers was owned by Don Ho. All of those places had attractive girls also. All of you should recall those springs when on spring break many college girls on break would come to Waikiki. Sailors did not stand a chance as the girls wanted to hook up with "Hawaiians". Kunakis(spelling)who were no more Hawaiian than we were ended up with the girls. They were dark skinned greasers with surf boards who knew how to play the game. But after all, our dedication to Breen and Eller and their demands should not allow for distractions such as pretty girls anyhow. Can't believe I said that. hehehe
Keith
Keith, You dredge up an old memory, I think ir was in 1994 or 95 I went up to St. Paul, Mn. for a conference for my work. At the time I was working in HR for the Power Co. I was able to hook up with Kearney Tripplet and was able to confirm he, I and Bill Redden were UA in reporting one time for muster. We had been down to the club in Waikiki. The one someone maybe you Keith, spoke of with the pool behind the bar. Well we hooked up with some fine ladies who were going home to the mainland in the AM. So in our infinite wisdom, some what misguided by the lack of sanity and soberity. Decided to see the young lovelys off at the airport. Well here comes the good or not so good part. Kent remember me referring to J. W. Ball YN1. He was standing at the rail outside your offices and I swear he was drooling with excitement to write us up for being UA. He barked to us get below in your dress whites and report for Captains Mast. I thought if CO's going to bust me might as well be in what I left in. So he escorts us up to the wardroom I think don't remember for sure. You might clear that up Kent. All I remember was Captain Klee stating Boys, Boys, Boys, What am I going to do with you Boys?
ReplyDeleteI thought here we go all the way to SA or SR. He said you are all good PO 3's. What kind of example are you men setting for my young men coming aboard, coming back late to muster. You were all out sparking the dollies weren't you? We hung our heads, stated yes sir. He says tell you what I am going to do. I am going to bust all three of you to SN. Restrict you to the limits of the ship for 60 days, and fine you 2 months pay. Then he looked at us for our reaction. Well I was shocked but not suprised. J. W. Ball I believe had a climax about then. Then Captain said based on your records you have never been in trouble before. I am going to suspend the busts, but your going to pay the fines cause the ships rec fund is short of money. I will let the restriction run starting today and we were to leave for Westpac soon, so I believe we only missed 1 R & R and maybe 1 day of the second R & R .
As someone stated He was always a straight shooter for a CO. I was plotting some fixes one time in the chart house and one of the Radio Messengers brought in a message. He said something to the Captain about it being Top Secret and that I should leave. Captain looked at him and said who do you think is going to chart these co-ordinates with the XO He said he would give the clearance. As I had to pull the charts anyway. But it made me good at the time.
Sorry guys it was me that was rambling on about the good old days aboard the Falgout. The finest ship I have sailed on. Well maybe the only U S Naval vessel I have ever sailed and served on. Still a pleasure to this day. You guys have stirred up old thoughts locked up for 40 years thanks for them all.
ReplyDeleteTom Oliver QM3 made QM2 in the reserve year I had to serve after my kiddy cruise.
Ahoy shipmates!
ReplyDeleteI read with some interest the earlier posts which mentioned the USS Vance DER-387 and her infamous Captain Queeg clone, Marcus Arnheiter. I recall the "Arnheiter Affair" very well because the Falgout was tied alongside the USS Markab AD-21 in the same nest with the Vance in March of 1966 in Manila Bay. I recall hearing the infamous reveille tape being played. I asked some Vance sailors about it and they told me stories about Capt. Arnheiter and all the crazy things he was doing. Their stories amused me at the time but nothing more. I wasn't aware of the full extent of what had happened to the crew of the Vance. After I read "The Arnheiter Affair" about 10 years later, I then understood fully what the Vance sailors had told me and I fully understood his brief reign of terror. What a story! For those shipmates here who have not read the book yet, I highly recommend it. It's an excellent account of life aboard a DER in the '60s. If anyone is interested, a good friend of mine, Joe Betters, runs the USS Vance website at http://www.ussvance.com/. It's a great site with lots of photos and such.
I wholeheartedly agree with Nick, everyone who went to Market Time in the 60's on a DER needs to read that book, you will not be able to put it down. They are available on Amazon.com for a few pennies plus 3 bucks shipping. Just google in amazon.com arnheiter affair.
ReplyDeletekent
Ditto on the Arnheiter read; great stuff for the DER sailor of that era.
ReplyDeleteThe surfer boys getting the girls and the coconuts on steroids were the bane of a young sailors existance at Waikiki in those years. If the surfers weren't beating you out of the girls the coconuts were doing their best to intimidate, and beat you out of your senses.
A notable exception was Shofner from Fox div. I think he was a Sonarman striker. He had a hot babe, a student on spring break with her own apartment. She was affectionate and seemingly devoted to Shof. I saw it first hand and can vouch for his poweres in this realm. He must have had "all the horses" Which leads to another story. The phrase "Falgout Has All the Horses". I think it was a memo sent from the comander of our squadron regarding professional execution of duty on Market Time. All I remember is the phrase. Anyone, help me out here. I think it was a compliment, but dont remember the frame of reference.
Lee
Lee, I wouldnt have thought of that for a million dollars, but that is very familiar now that you mention it, "Falgout has all the Horses".... I cannot remember the context though. I will have to sleep on that one and think about it, see if a synapse will fire. I can see Commodore Milligan (Comcortron 7) saying that and smiling, but I do not remember how it originated. It seems like it came from higher up the chain of command...?? Higher than the squadron. These memories come back a little at a time. Thanks to some jogging by fellow sailors....
ReplyDeletekent
Kent, through the haze of forty five years I see a crude pennant or battle flag, maybe just a placcard. It was quite an item for the upper decks (bridge). I recall it being laughing stock for some, again don't recall the context. Maybe "Red Dawg" drew a cartoon of it? Damn senior moment...Lee
ReplyDeleteReading my shipmate's sea stories has helped to jog my memory and bring back many thoughts of those long ago days when we were all young and full of piss and vinegar. Here's just one of those old memories.
ReplyDeletePicture a sailor in Hong Kong running to catch the last Navy liberty boat back to the nest of ships that his ship is in. He misses it by minutes and the midnight curfew is fast approaching. Picture this sailor frantically looking around to see how he was gonna get back to his ship before being AWOL and put on report reported. A short ways down the dock, he spots a tiny sampan with an old man in it. He approaches the old man and makes some hand signals signifying that he wants the old man to take him out to the ships tied up in the middle of the harbor. The old man shakes his head no. The sailor pulls out a Hong Kong 50 dollar bill (worth about $7 American back in 1968). The old man then readily agrees and the sailor climbs aboard. The old man uses the rear paddle contraption to navigate to the nest of ships. He pulls alongside the sailor's ship and the sailor clambers aboard about 5 minutes before curfew expired. Whew, just made it!! After that I made sure that I was never late to the docks again, ha ha.
On the last page of the 1965 Cruisebook, there is reference to "all the horses" on the Remember When page...... but I still can't remember who sent that statement in a Naval Message. Maybe Keith Throckmorton or Ken Neufeld, being RM's can remember who sent it.
ReplyDeletekent
Thanks Kent, I'll put my head in the microwave and set it for 2 minutes. Maybe it will unlock the subconcious..We're havin' fun anyway.
ReplyDeleteGood to see you here Nick. We never met but might have passed on the gang-plank, you boarading and me leaving. It sounds like you carried on a fine Falgout tradition with that story. I bet you didn't even need special training ..hehehe. Did you happen to know Thomas, an IC electrician. He was FN, but may have made third by the time you arrived. He was one of Chief Lash's special souls and didn't have to do the mess duty or compartment cleaning, never on nasty work details, like line handling during unrep. He and I became liberty buddies after my friend Kennedy was lost. I don't know why, I guess because of same age, same duty section, same pay grade. He was charasmatic, bright and manipulative. He presented a worldly and knowledegable sort of persona, informed on many subjects. I guess that's what it was. I was a small town boy naive, poorly educated and inexperienced. Long story short; every liberty was a near trip to the brig. He would start fights, I would try to be the peacemaker.We had some fun times too, he may have been the instigator of the Guam swim party, but the final analysis of his company was of a nightmare. Wish I could do it over. Not to be judgmental of shipmates. I was just curious if you may have known him or what became of him. My guess he's either a city manager somewhere, or chained to a rock pile in SingSing.
Lee
Kent, the microwave treatment failed to get desired results, but it did present another question... Where were the cruise book group photos taken? Forgive me I'm up all night watching the memorial day movie marathon.
ReplyDeleteLee
Ken Neufeld and his wife, Carol, arrived at our home yesterday afternoon and spent the night. Patricia and I hated to see them go. We had a wonderful time with these two great people. Now for the "down side" on Ken. We swapped a number of Falgout stories, of course. He confessed to something aboard Falgout last night that I must share. Sorry, Dennis and Kent, statute of limitations has run out on this one. We have had discussions on that Thanksgiving Day in 1964 when, while tied to the pier in Pearl, we nearly sank. As you recall, all aboard were ordered to the flooded engine hole to work our asses off. Now for our "buddie" Ken. He was aboard and heard the order passed. Being the intellectual guy that he was, he promptly concluded that he was not the guilty snipe derelecting his sound and security duties. After all, he was a radioman.
ReplyDeleteWith that in mind, he promptly found himself a good book, and hid out in the forward gun director and spent the rest of the day reading while the rest of us slugged it out in the hole with Breen. I take pride that Ken was my striker but how could this happen. I wasted away in the hole and Ken enjoyed a day reading. A good story.
Keith
Lee,
ReplyDeleteThe cruisebook group pictures were taken in Guam, our first stop after leaving Pearl in 1965. I think we were in drydock at the time. A lot of people I that I know were on board then are not in those pictures, probably because somebody had to stay on board and stand duty.
Kent
Aaaaaaaaaha, so... My dective work is turning out better than my memory. I thought so but don't have the book, so have been looking at it on Nick's site. Now I am coming to terms with my acceptance of events and dysfunctional social adjustments. The fox div. photo shows Kennedy. That surley means he didnt die after barrier and before westpac, but on returning from westpac. It also means we parted company as liberty buddies as westpac began. My conclusion is that he rejected me because of my messcook status, and he had returned to division duty. I was an inferior sailor. Unworthy of dignified companionship. I'm no psychologist, but that must be why I screw up so many of my references to time and place?
ReplyDeleteLee
I noticed Kennedy's picture in Fox division the other day when I was cutting out Jim Bradford's picture, and it crossed my mind to point that out to you, but forgot to do it.
ReplyDeleteBut you overcame messcooking and became an AG2, so you can't blame your memory on the scullery steam !! (grin) Probably like mine, the passage of time and aging !
kent
Bob Kelly,
ReplyDeleteI have a connection to "Jersey". During my day, AG A school was at NAS Lakehurst. I attended and graduated to the fleet from there in 1964. What an amazing place. At that time those huge airship hangars were still in use. They put half a dozen C130s and a couple firetrucks and some DC3s for the parachute school in one hangar. We played football on the very field where Hindenburg had burned back in the 30s. Are the hangars still there? I remember going to Toms River and Antlantic City on liberty. You must be terrible tough if you live anywhere near Newark.
Lee
That is interesting, Lee. We have all seen that terrible newsreel of the Hindenburg exploding. I am sure that was a weird feeling playing football there on the same field.
ReplyDeleteMy first assignment after A school in 1960 was to a section that had all these ole WWII vet E-8's and E-9's mostly aviation ratings (and yes, we had an AGCM named Vinnecomb, I believe, brilliant guy, had a PhD, but uncouth, was always farting and burping loudly. (now WE do that!) Two of the Aviation Electricians had been Lighter-than-Air types and spent most of their careers at Lakehurst or at Moffitt Field in California, until the Navy retired the LTA fleet.
Aren't some of those large hangars still in existence??
kent
Not sure Kent, Maybe Bob has first hand info about their existance. If you havn't been in one of those hangars its hard to imagine. They are huge in dimensions. Moffit hangars are/were puny by comparison. There was alot of open green area in those days, you could have landed a prop plane anywhere. The parachute school was also there, both for riggers and a jump school. Of course the airship thing had been abandoned by '64. A great naval station with a sense of history. A side note, when I was there I wasn't aware of the Hindenburg history. Dumm ass kid..lol.
ReplyDeleteLee
Aaaaaaahhhh, that reminds me,
ReplyDeleteAs usual a part of every duty station is serving KP. Well at AG A school I had to do one week. My good fortune was going to Marine barracks and doing rifle range duty. We pulled targets and spotted for the jarheads, four of us swabbies. At the end of our tour the sgt. of training took us aside and personally gave us many rounds on .45ACP and the now antiquated M1 Gerrand.
Lee
In boot camp (company 087) I shot a nearly perfect score, only problem I shot the target of the guy next to me!!! Also remember shooting out at sea? I fired the BAR on full auto and almost went on my ass as I was not ready for the recoyle!! Jim.
ReplyDeleteI remember working the "butts" at Camp Elliot (USMC)while in boot camp in San Diego. Running up Maggies Drawers when they missed the target completely, patching the holes with the little sticky patches. I also remember some big first class gunners mate kicking me in the ass as I was sprawled out trying to put a clip in my M-1 the wrong way and almost got an "M-1 Thumb" as they used to say.
ReplyDeletekent
The marines at Lakehurst had some crack marksmen. One day was volleys from out around 1,000 yards with M1 and 1903 Springfield, we hunkered down in the bunker and raised a stick with a dinner plate sized red dot on it to mark the hits. They were pretty damned good.
ReplyDeleteLee
Hey shipmates it's Oliver QM3 requesting permission to come aboard again. Been away for a while, liberty I guess. Mostly, Honey Dooooooo'sssss if you get my drift. In the spirit of the old salts "Now this ain't no BS " I am sitting here at the PC and listening to a CD I got in Branson a couple months ago. It is 6 Brothers that sing with out any instruments, just their voices. They make wonderful harmony. Can you imagine they call theirself SIX. They sing mostly late 50's, 60's and some 70's. Little Gospel.
ReplyDeleteWhich took me back to the old Falgout, remembering getting the bootleg albumn's in Kao Hsiung. Thinking I was really doing something. Maybe you guys remember them. I still got some they were bright red, and some were orange. Played well for about 5 or 6 times. That and I found in my garage 4 or 5 reel to reel tapes that I had recorded down in the O1 level Radar shack below the 8 radar.
The one I remember was called Frenchy, I think he was a RD. The whole space was filled with stereo gear. One other significant event was once I stood a MAA watch for someone and Frenchy was late or UA. We had to go get him and Guthmiller ET2 was the duty driver and I was a QM3. Well we went down to the SP headquarters to get Frenchy. All he had on was swimtrunks and flip flops. He asked if we could go by his apartment and get some clothes. Seemed like a reasonable request. I think Guthmiller was going to have a cow. I told him it was my responsibility. Not to bright on my part, however what do you expect from a 19 or 20 year old. Well we got there and go up stairs and bam there goes Frenchy to the fridge to get a beer, comes out of the kitchen with 3 beers, by this time Guthmiller is beside himself. I suggested he go down to the truck and wait. We came down about 15 minutes later, headed back to the ship. No one was the wiser, but I never did that again. I think Frenchy got out shortly after that in Pearl. Maybe some of the RD's might remember Frenchy.
If you might read this Vecchio RD2 answer up, I think you got the Mid Watch soon and very soon.
Well guys I got to sign off for a while. I am heading up to Leavenworth to the holding prison for a prison fellowship meeting with the inmates before they are adjucated and sent out somewhere else.
I will check back in a couple hours.
Tom
Prior to Falgout was Boot Camp at Great Lakes. I always remembered "field" trips in elementary school. Good and fun times they were. When we arrived, we were positioned at attention on painted foot prints on a grinder. Our CC, an old SF1 and somewhat of a grandfather figure from appearance came out to meet us. After some initial ass chewing he advised us that we would hold "field day" in our barracks. I thought, WOW ! a good time ahead ! This is not going to be bad at all. All of you can probably figure out the rest. We hit our racks, for a short nap, in the early morning hours before getting up for our first day. Welcome to the Navy.
ReplyDeleteKeith
Tom, funny you should mention Kao Hsiung and the records. I am in the process of converting records to MP3 and had two bootleg Best of Hank Williams albums and still sounded good after 35 years. Remember having to pull MP duty when we pulled in there? Also having a all night receipt from the bars to hold "conversations" with the local ladies. Funny how just one word can bring back all those memories. bob kelly
ReplyDeleteBob,
ReplyDeleteI recall those stops in Yokosuka, Japan. How can you ever forget those bars that had to have a large red "A" painted over the doors meaning that the whores had been inspected for VD and supposidly been given a clean bill of health. I never recalled who actually inspected them and never really cared. I just enjoyed the drinks. A bar had to have that red "A" or it was off limits to sailors if only for a drink and nothing more.
Keith
Does anyone remember in Hong Kong in 1965, we were in there and an airliner crashed short of the old Kai Tak runway. Our guys we sent over on shore patrol in dress whites ended up having to go over there and bag burned bodies, they were a mess and pretty upset when they got back to the ship. I do not remember who they were though.
ReplyDeleteKent
Back from many travels. Had a great time with Keith & his wife Patricia down in North Carolina. Tom Oliver, I get up to Kansas City every once in a while, can you send me your e-mail address. Maybe we can get together for a cup of coffee. My e-mail is plainsnomad@aol.com.
ReplyDeleteI remember those boot-leg albums. But I was under the impression that we were to toss them overboard before we got back to port. How did you guys manage to keep yours?
I remember Frenchy, we shared a bungalow on Waikiki. Along with about 20 other crew members. Frenchy's name was Dolittle, from Louisana somewhere I believe.
I had also recorded many of those albums to tape. But unfortunately, I traded my Akai tape deck and tapes to my brother in law back in the 60's for an old car. Bummer.
Ken Neufeld
Welcome back Ken, I think we all are in awe of your 7000 mile trip astride a Harley with your wife and dog and pulling a "camper" the whole way! Amazing!
ReplyDeleteI am going to post a picture of that rig, at least temporarily, so everyone can appreciate it.
See below.
Kent
Hey, how many of you guys have ever had the fun of taking a Victory Liner bus from Olongapo to Manila? One day in 1967, a couple of snipe buddies and I decided to head to Manila from Subic Bay for a getaway weekend. We applied for and got 3 day liberties. We went to the Victory Liner station in Olongapo and got aboard a bus for the 5 hour ride to Manila. The first part of the trip went through relatively flat country and we passed through many quaint little villages. Then the bus started gradually climbing up into the mountains. The road kept getting narrower and dustier. Pretty soon we were about 8000 feet up and the road was full of hairpin turns and curves. There were no guardrails either. However, the damn driver never seemed to slow down! Traffic going the other way seemed to go by us with mere inches to spare. I was sitting in a window seat on the right side of the bus and I couldn't see the road. I was looking straight down into incredibly deep and steep ravines! I was starting to get real worried. The Filipinos on the bus didn't seem to be worried but I sure was. A couple of times, as the bus driver was making one of the seemingly endless hairpin turns, I was sure that we were going to go right over the cliff to our deaths! I was a nervous wreck, ha ha. By the time we got to Manila, I vowed never to ride a Victory bus again! But, 3 days later, there I was. Riding a Victory bus back to Olongapo! Luckily, the return trip was totally uneventful.
ReplyDeleteNick, I have heard of that ride from several other people but never had the opportunity(?), haha. The blood drains from people's faces when they tell the story !
ReplyDeleteIn 1966 when Capt Klee relieved Capt Greff as skipper there in Manila, several of us from Cortron 7 staff in Subic had gone up to Pangasinan province to the staff steward's wedding and spent the night at Baguio. We had a special services station wagon and the group dropped me off at a bus stop somewhere many miles north of Manila (they were going on back to Subic) and I rode one of those buses with chickens and I think even a pig and packed with people down to Manila and I was in whites of course! Quite an experience. But it was good to see ole shipmates again for a day or two. I can't remember for sure, but I think I hopped a plane back to Cubi Point. I was not "fortunate" to ride the bus.
I am sure the Philippines are nothing like when we were there 40-something years ago. But the river crossing at Olongapo probably sitll smells the same!!
kent
Ummmmm, makes me think of that monkey meat on a stick outside the gate. Then the great ride on the cattle bus at 12m going back to the ship. bob
ReplyDeleteAhhhhh, such great memories, Bob! Along with the monkey meat, the vendors offered hot dogs on a stick and a couple of other tantalizing "mystery meat" things. My favorite meal in town was some of that great shrimp fried rice, some tasty dried fish and some pancit (noodles) all washed down with an ice-cold bottle or two of San Miguel. By the way, did you ever have the guts to try a balut? I did it one time and I'll never get that taste out of my mouth, ha ha.
ReplyDeleteWhew Bob, I had forgotten the cattle bus to Cubi point......that was always a fight waiting to happen even with SP's on board.
ReplyDeleteDang and the Monkey Meat.....and Nick, the shrimp and fried rice, good stuff..... I can almost smell it now.
I remember one night after I left Falgout and went to the Cortron staff, we were living in this really crappy old cement barracks there in Subic with no windows, just holes where windows once were. I was asleep under my mosquito net and all of a sudden I woke up to this smell like something was about 2 weeks dead in the hot sun. The staff steward had just come back on the bus from his home up north and was eating something while sitting on the bunk below me. I leaned over and said, "Ablao, what the HELL is that smell??". He looked up, smiled and said, "Balut..., want one??" I think that smell was in my nose for a week.. at least. Nothing like a dead, half-formed baby duck left to rot in the sand for a couple of weeks!
Kent
Kent, I saw drunken brawls on those cattle cars almost every night when I was on my first ship, the USS Jason. The Jason was a repair ship and it was moored at Cubi Point for about 4 months in 1965 servicing the 7th Fleet. As a result, I had plenty of time to learn about life and culture in the Philippines. At first, I was thrown for a loop by the crazy carnival that was Olongapo in the wild and wooly mid '60s. It was pure culture shock for this 19 year old small town boy from Iowa. But I very quickly learned to adapt to this new decadent lifestyle. That deployment was probably the most fun I ever had in the Navy. It was also a lot of hard days and nights of work for me and everyone else aboard. At least, we had Olongapo to let off steam in while on liberty. We got lots of overnight liberties and other perks. What a great time that was! I went on 3 more WestPacs on the Falgout but that first one on the Jason was the most memorable one to me. Good ol' Olongapo was always my favorite port, by far.
ReplyDeleteI tried my first and only balut during that memorable year on the Jason. It was on a drunken dare that I stupidly accepted one night at the D'Crown Bar. Aw man, was that awful! I almost puked after I bit into it. I've eaten a lot of nasty stuff in my life but that balut had to have been the absolute worst, ha ha
On those northern pickets, remember what a treat those canned ice cold soft drinks were that were sold on the messdecks before the movie at sea. Seems like we paid a quarter for them, and the profits went to Navy Relief. A quarter was a lot of money for a soft drink back then.
ReplyDeleteI think we sold two cases each night and they went like hotcakes. You had to get there early and get a good place in line.
Kent
One of my favorite R&R spots was Hong Kong. I remember one time I went with someone (cant remember who) to Repulse Bay to go swiming and check out the chicks. While their we met two nice British gals, about 19 or so and spent three or so hrs with them. Then the gals said they had to go and could they give us a lift into town, so we make our way to the parking area and they had a Rols Royce with a driver who was a police officer, turns out one of the girls father was chief of all british police. So all we got from them was a nice ride!! Jim.
ReplyDeleteKent, lets not forget the soda machines and the best bet if they were working or not. How many times just the selzer came out! Also just outside the ship's store in M div at the sitting area was the best Whist games to be played. For a price of course. bob
ReplyDeleteThose soda machines were a joke on every ship I was on. It was always put your nickel in and see what you get. Sometimes like you say it was seltzer and nothing else and sometimes it was a tablespoon or two of thick coke syrup and then sometimes it would come out perfectly mixed, but NO damn cup !!
ReplyDeleteKent
Another epicurean delight I remember was in the year 1964, the government somehow came into a surplus of beef and didnt know how to get rid of it, so the powers that be declared that every serviceman would be served something like 6 pounds of beef a week or some such figure, hell, maybe it was 16, I forget, butit was a lot. Every lunch and dinner it seemed like we had those grayish brown slabs of dry sinewed roast beef slapped on our trays, with watery gravy poured over it. It took me years to be able to appreciate a good roast beef again. And for breakfast we had the hamburger & white gravy SOS.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of SOS, I loved that tomato based SOS we had for breakfast over toast. I got a recipe card for that from a cook in later years, but it starts out "50 lbs of ground beef"......and I think there is a teaspoon of something like Cumin... kinda hard to cut that one for a family of four, 1/50th of a teaspoon to a pound of hamburger???
Kent
Hey shipmates! Did any of you ever use coconuts to make booze when the Falgout was homeported in Pearl? Us snipes used to do it all the time. It was real easy to do. We would punch a hole in the top, pour some raisins and sugar through the hole and then let it sit hidden away in the shipfitter's shop. After a few days to let it "age", it was ready to drink. Man, did that stuff have a kick! It tasted like crap but it was better than nothing especially when payday was still a week away and you didn't have a dime in your pocket. Ah, to be that wild and crazy again!
ReplyDeleteNick
Until this day, I recall how much I enjoyed the beef SOS and the tomato based SOS. I do not think that I have tased our even found the tomato based SOS since Falgout. I still enjoy the beef version when I can find it. Some of my best ever eating was on Falgout just like sleeping. Had to have been a youth thing along with the exhaustion we endured.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite cook was Resinger,CS3.Wonder what happened to him.
Have a great July 4th shipmates.
Keith
Keith, as far as I was concerned, the best cook on the Falgout during my time aboard was a guy from New York by the name of Frank Di Bartolo. This guy was a magician in the galley. He could turn almost anything into a gourmet meal. He had been a cook in a restaurant as a civilian and had a lot of recipes from that time. Man, his roasted chicken was out of this world! He and I became good friends and on weekend mornings whenever we were in port, he let me and some other snipes cook our own steaks and eggs on the grill. Now that was a real treat for a hungry sailor!
ReplyDeleteNick
Nick, Frank must have come aboard after I left. At one time the food sucked. I was routing the radio messages and saw that a new chief cook was comming aboard. When I delivered the message board to Breen, he grunted " Ah, a new chief cook". I replied something to the effect that maybe the food would improve. He glared at me and replied "young man, if you do not like the food aboard this ship, I'll have you transferred to somewhere where I would". Damn, Nick, I should have taken him up on that. One of my very "FEW" mistakes in life.
ReplyDeleteKeith
Falgout's "Iron Chef",
ReplyDeleteResinger has my vote. But then he was all I knew aboard Falgout. I think he was CS2 by the time I was assigned scullery maid. I worked under him later on the messdeck as coffemaker, milk dispenser guru and general cleanup, swab down after meals. He was an all around great guy.
I still have the scars on my shins. On Northern picket we would fold the tables up. The benches stayed bolted to the deck. The trick was use the swab like a hockey stick, when the ship pitched and rolled, avoid the benches while skating to and fro and get the deck clean. Anyway I was blind-sided by an agressive bench and cut down for an eight count.
The"sos" was several grades better than the boot camp version. Best regards to all..Lee
What memories..... That messdeck was something else...it sloped outboard and was difficult enough to walk on when wet when the ship was in port!! I can imagine the difficulty of swabbing it in a rough seaway. Before the DER conversion, that was an open weather deck, I think the messdeck was where they put CIC down near the reefers.
ReplyDeleteReisinger has my vote as well, always needed a shave seemed like, but always of good humor and a great cook.
The Navy didnt believe in leftovers (I guess because of reefer space and possibility of food poisioning) and CS1 Zeno (as well as most other cooks I knew) would throw great stuff over the fantail rather than let the crew have it (cockroach hazard). He would only RARELY let us have something leftover in the 1st class lounge, and we had a refrigerator to keep it in.
My favorite, believe it or not, was the enormous sliced spam loaves cooked with pineapple and seasonings. Those made the BEST sandwiches coming off of watch in the middle of the night (or any other time)..... but again, Zeno, even though he was one of us, would rarely let us have any leftovers for the fridge.
I meant to send you guys the Navy menu card for the tomato-based SOS.....I will do that now. Or did I already do it? senior moment.
Kent
Di Bartolo used to make some great horsecock sandwiches for midrats. He always made plenty of them so we would take a few extra to eat later. One night, he put out a couple gallons of vanilla and chocolate ice cream. Boy, was that ever a treat for us hungry watch standers!
ReplyDeleteaaahahahaha "horsecock sandwiches" I had completely forgotten that term for cold cuts. Too funny Nick.
ReplyDelete....Lee
Say SPAM and my heart scips a beat!!! I remember we used to get SPAM in foot long cans, so good, I have half a can in the fridge. right now!!! Jim.
ReplyDeleteYeah, Jim, that is those "loaves" I was talking about, the foot long or 18" canned ones. They would put them on the meat slicer and slice them perfectly uniform and lay them out in a pan and cook them with crushed pineapple juice, maybe cinamon and sugar, not sure what, but COLD that stuff was delicious on a sandwich.
ReplyDeleteI also remember taking like 20 pieces of bacon and four pieces of toast and making two enormous sandwiches for breakfast.
Probably one of the reasons I had quintuple bypass surgery 8 years ago, that and a 3-pack a day habit for 35 years.
I think the snipes always had a long can or two of that spam down in the holes warming on the engine blocks? Didn't they Bob??
Kent
Kent, when I was a kid I lived on a farm and at breakfest time we would put a bowl of hot bacon greese on the table to dip our toast in!!! Sooo good!
ReplyDeleteWhew, that sounds like a heart attack! Lard was a staple, but there was always activity and hard work on the farm, and I think that offset the fat that was consumed. My folks had farmed up until about the time I was born and they lived into their mid-to-late 80's.
ReplyDeleteWe also ate quite a few cans of Vienna Sausage from the ship's store on Falgout, didnt we??
Kent
Howdy shipmates,
ReplyDeleteDo any of you guys remember Larry Johnson ETR2 who was a crew member in 1965? The reason I ask is that his son Neil recently contacted me and told me that Larry has passed away. He asked me if I could put him in touch with any shipmates who remember Larry and who would be willing to share their memories of him. So if you remember Larry, please e-mail Neil at the address below or call him at the listed number. He would really appreciate hearing from his dad's shipmates. Thanks.
nclj@wwdb.org
612-964-8781
Johnson ETR2; I remember him. Not so much him as an incident. One of the MarketTime minesweepers was having electronic problems at sea. Either our captain was gunshy after the Ownby tradgety or the MSO wasn't equiped for hiline transfer, I dont know. Johnson was sent over aboard the motor whaleboat and spent the better part of a day resolving their problem, includidng parts and technical manual deliveries. I remember the sea in a rough and angry state that day. Not the big cresting rollers we saw up north, but a wicked wind driven chop that tested the boat crew and Johnson. I think he was glad to be back safely aboard Falgout that afternoon..... Lee
ReplyDeleteI remember Johnson ET2 as a quiet reserved man, intellectual and technically profficient at his job. he had my respect. I believe the ETs felt the same. Peckenpaugh had him on all the tough jobs. The ET shop was just across the passageway, so I saw first hand.
ReplyDeleteLee
I just went back and read all the posts on pages 1 and 2 tonight.......interesting all over again.
ReplyDeleteI thought of another lasting Falgout memory. Going up the ladder to the 01 level there aft of the after head up to the light trap behind ship's office The shipyard (or somebody) had left a rough sharp cornered cut on a piece of steel beam sticking down apparently 6'2" from the ladder level. Since I was 6'2 1/2 and was usually in a hurry bounding up that ladder, I have scars in my scalp today from that damn thing. I sure lost a lot of blood and did a lot of dancing around and cussing there.
Probably why I lost most of my hair, recken I could get a VA disability??
kent
One more reccolection about Falgout chow was our first meal underway. We always had cornbeef and sauerkraut. I was told that this would go ahead and make us sick and get it over with.
ReplyDeleteKeith
Keith,
ReplyDeleteI think the Mai Tai rum drinks at the open air EM club there (outside the gate, don't remember where)in Pearl are what made me sick, not the ships food. I couldnt even tolerate the smell of rum for over twenty years after. Yeah, well I did over indulge the day before leaving on the last Northern picket. I had just turned 20 that first week of January 1965.
Lee
Haaa,
ReplyDeleteThat reminds me.. That was when I met Redfern RM1. I came back to the ship kinda (really drunk) drunk and he informed me that he was taking the bottom bunk, I could make myself at home on the one above. He had just come aboard. The next that I heard from Redfern at about 0200 was a sharp jab from below advising me if i was sick to make my way to the head. Luckily I liberated my overdose of Mai Tai in the proper venue, and unfortunately suffered for many days at sea... Lee
Open air EM Club outside the gate was the Bloch Arena. For many years I thought it was Block arena because it was just a big concrete block with a cover, but apparently it was named for the Admiral Bloch that had it built.
ReplyDeleteRemember the beer openers in those days of actual tin cans with no pop tops. A place to set the beer can, and a handle to come down with two punches on it, made a small vent hole opposite a large hole from which to drink your suds.
kent
Lee, I remember Redfern,RM1 so well. I felt so sorry for him. He had been in the reserves for 17 and 1/2 years with no active duty. He had to serve 2 years active duty to retire. He was ordered to Falgout of all places to complete this requirement. We had no CPO at this time so that made him leading radioman. He was totally incompetent and could not function as a radioman. Breen depended on the leading RM to technically run things including setting up the URC-32 transmitter for his 1800 Meadville chats with the other DER skippers when we were on patrol. The URC-32 was a complicated transmitter to set up and Redfern did not know where to begin along with the rest of the radio shack. Breen wanted to bust him but was transfered before he made it happen. McGowan, RM1, then came aboard as leading RM.
ReplyDeleteRedfern was a nice guy and the Navy set him up to fail by sending him to the Falgout. I recall in A school, senior POs leaving as senior RMs with no more knowledge than me. They were certainly no more competent. Active duty for people like Redfern should have been required at the beginning and not at the end when so much more was required of a senior PO. Redfern lived a dogs life with Breen and that was so infortuniate.
Keith
John and Jim, you should remember this. Shortly after I reported aboard in 1963, we went to the big island (Hawaii) and were invited to a Luau. I had never heard of those. I recall the Hawaiin delecacy, Poi, being served. It tasted awful. It looked like mud and tasted like shit. It was made from the corn of the karo plant with some other ingrediants. It is supposidly very good healthwise including cancer.
ReplyDeleteIt is strange that the worse something tastes the better it is to eat.
Keith
Who remembers Primo and San MacGuell(sp)Beer ????? Primo was made in Hawaii and San MacGuell(sp) in the Phillipines. Tasted awful but who cared ?
ReplyDeleteKeith
Drank too much of both of those refreshments. I believe that we could get a case of Primo for like a dollar and a half at the beer store on base. Like you say Keith, it wasnt much on taste, but it was beer.
ReplyDeleteNow the ice cold San Miguel in the upstairs Tiajuana Bar there in Olongapo was delicious after that long walk across the Shit River Bridge and up the dirt sidewalks.....whetted a sailor's thirst.
I remember the night I broke the bowling machine in the Tiajuana bar.....but that is a story for another time.
kent
Ah yes, good ol' Primo and San Miguel. They were truly a sailor's brew. I drank enough Primo in Hawaii to float a damn battleship. And like Kent said, there was nothing better than an ice-cold San Magoo on a muggy hot day (or night) in Olongapo. But sometimes, they would serve San Magoo that was still green. That stuff would give you a damn headache and the shits and runs the next day. You'd feel so bad that death would have been a relief, ha ha. Ah to be young again and relive those great days just once more!
ReplyDeleteLee,
ReplyDeleteI handled the Mai Tais' pretty well but there was one drink that kicked my ass.
There was some other potent "shit" that did a number on me and that was in Yokosuka. I recall drinking Saki with some others. I had never drank it before. That stuff was hot and consumed in small glasses. I felt that I could drink everyone "under the table". Not that night. I recall drinking it and waking up aboard Falgout sprawled out on the deck between our bottom foot lockers under the racks. Someone had poured wine on me and I was wearing dress blues. I don't know how I got back and was told that I had passed out on some steps in Yokosuka and some sailors walked by me and poured the wine on me. I never made such a challenge again.
Keith
Hay Lee, we both have a Janurary birthday mine is 1-9-44 Jim.
ReplyDeleteJim, 1-4-45 here so you're the old guy. I reported to "doc" Young a day out of Olongapo with what I thought was appendicitis. Good ol' doc rightly diagnosed it as San Miguel poisoning. I think he treated me with Alka-Seltzer and sound advice. Asahi beer and Akadama wine the local product in Yokouska,eh Keith?
ReplyDeleteLee
Jim and Lee,
ReplyDeleteYou guys are just children. I entered the world on 3/25/1943. I enjoy Medicare and Social Security (as long as they last).
Keith
When coming back into Pearl for extended repairs us in M div were offered to Pearl Engineering Ops usually cleaning fuel injectors for a week. Usually an easy gig and the shore duty guys enjoyed us doing all their work. However lunch time usually turned into a 2 hour break and their was a small lunch shack nearby that had the best burgers and plently of Primo to wash it down with. It was still better than that piss water they were serving in the EM Club. By the way, did anybody while at the EM Club get caught playing the game of drinking beer in shot glasses every minute for 60 minutes. It sounded so simple for the new expert drinkers. bob
ReplyDeleteBob,
ReplyDeleteSome of us did not get to even think about an extended break or anything else. We could not hide from or in any way avoid our ever present, all seeing eye of our division LPO, YN1 Henson. Eller taught him well. hehehe
Keith
Keith
My motto was "walk fast and carry a dirty rag" it has surved me well over the years! hahaha!! Jim.
ReplyDeleteKeith must have me mixed up with Tom Oliver's mean buddy the pearshaped, high-pockets YN1 that followed me.
ReplyDeleteI was that nice, easy-going, slender fellow (well maybe a slight beer-gut) who gave everybody a break!!
That "walk fast and dirty rag" is a good one Jim, I have used a similar tactic many times in civilian life !!
Kent
Bob,
ReplyDeleteGosh, I will have to try the shot glass of beer thing. I just know I can do THAT !!
Kent
Just read through old posts and flashed on Yokouska early '65. I recall XO Lt. Albright giving group Japanese language lessons. Also "Doc" Young giving a group lecture on vd. I didn't learn the language and I didn't get the clap. Guess that's a passing grade one one account.
ReplyDeleteLee
I had to type up the lesson plans for XO, so I got interested enough to go to the lessons. I learned how to say, "which way is the restroom?" (benjo wa doko ni arimasu) I beieve it was. Other than thank you, that is all I retained.
ReplyDeleteBut I did drink a lot of Asahi beer while there. Liberty in cold weather in dress blues was fun. Didn't get to wear the ole crackerjack suit and peacoat much and it was a treat.
kent
I remember wearing the peacoat in the snow one late night in town. Never saw it snowing in Japan in all the old war movies. by the way, didn't we have to change our money into script before going into town? bob
ReplyDeleteYes, the money thing was an unmanageable mess Bob, there and in other countries as well. You could get your money changed to Military Payment Certificates (MPC) on the ship. That could be used at the on-base Clubs or Exchange, but if you went off base you were supposed to change MPC's to Yen BEFORE you left the base. They were afraid of counterfeiting. Well, hell, it didnt work, after you were over in town and ran out of Yen, you started spending anything they would take, MPC, Greenbacks, etc.... it was just another stupid, unenforceable regulation.
ReplyDeletekent
I still have a full bag of coins and bills from Japan, Hong Kong, and the Phillippines. I don't know now what is from where. I should probably go and see if it is worth anything and cash it in.
ReplyDeleteKent, maybe I will ship it off to you to figure out.
Keith
You oughta hang on to that Hong Kong money since it is no longer a British Crown Colony, that stuff may be a collectdor's item some day. Perhaps you oughta Google up Hong Kong money and see if you can match it up.
ReplyDeleteI remember that Hong Kong paper money, it was oversized to fit in a wallet, and worth 6 bucks to 1 buck US$.
kent
I remember the trip to Bankok and we had special classes on the aft deck to go over the protocol of meeting and conversing with the Thais. Never put your hand on their head and never sit with your feet pointing outward. However when in Rome do as the Romans do. Their were four of us and we rented a cab for the 48 hours we had on leave. I can't begin to tell you the events that happen over that 48 hours but as long as you didn't hurt anybody everything was on the table. The last thing I remember was being left off at the dock, we gave the cabbie his fee and a good tip. Before getting out of the cab he gave each of us a one pound bag of Bangkok's finest. I didn't want to insult the cabbie but hiding that on ship was the most stressful thing I ever had to do. After having 2 or 3 hits I threw the rest overboard. But before that there were some great music concerts in the aft deck radar room ( not quite sure was it was used for) but there was one officer included. It was a strange group but on those 45 day patrols who cared. bob
ReplyDeleteSome outsider had put some videos about some weird stuff on the blog at the top right, not sure how they did this since it takes a password to sign in, but I had to delete the video of Falgout to get rid of them. I will put it back on in a few days if nothing else happens.
ReplyDeletekent
Recently Tom Oliver sent me some outstanding pictures of Falgout that have been well preserved as slides and he had made into digital photos. I have posted below some of the ones that may be of interest to all. One thing about ole Falgout, we may have worked hard to keep it that way, but she was a CLEAN ship. It pains me to think that she rests on the ocean bottom probably broken in two by the torpedo shot, but we have our memories and courtesy of Tom, we now have some beautiful pictures of her as she was "back then".
ReplyDeleteKent
Great photos. Thanks for that, Lee... P.S. there was a guy named Lathrop (I think) that had a Nikon state of the art photography gear who took many photos also.. Lots of these guys must be lost in the fog of time, or passed on
ReplyDeleteI know most of my photos were taken with a cheap camera and over the years even though the prints were stored in air conditioned spaces, the colors degenerated and most weren't too sharp to begin with. I found a roll of film in a box that had never been developed sometime in the 80's and got some decent pictures out of that.
ReplyDeleteHowever, these converted slides that Tom Oliver contributed are just beautiful, great color and sharpness.
I remember Lathrop (sonarman seaman) but I guess I paid no attention to his camera gear.
Kent
Added some more new pictures that I received earlier from Tom Oliver. These are personnel pictures. A couple of names missing, if anyone can identify, please blog their names.
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Kent
Great pictures, brings back the good memories!! Jim.
ReplyDeletere Falgout photos,
ReplyDeleteI see on Nick's site page V, I took a couple of Steve Lucas that his daughter donated. The black&whites in column one were shot with a polaroid. Steve seated on table Holler to the right and Lowery back to camera was taken in the AG shack. The polaroid was popular with the guys in OC and OI, they could send photos home in the next mail. I made spare change and many good friends. Polaroid was only a year or two old at that time. Good to see these photos survived. R.I.P. Steve Lucas.
Lee
Tom,
ReplyDeleteThe shipmate on the bridge with Lt. Taylor looks like "Red Dawg" Dougherty. He was a RM and the artist of many of our character drawings of shipboard life and shipmates. I seem to recall that the bridge was his station during drills, etc.
Keith
A side note on Lowery:
ReplyDeleteHe was RD3 and threatened me with report for not mustering for UNREP work detail... I had just made AG3 and had done my time on those ungodly tasks throughout MarketTime #1. I think it took Kapsalis AG2 intervention to convince him I was rated.
Lee
A side note of importance on the photographs below. Tom Oliver told me when he sent me the pictures that Ron Berens (4th photo down, standing by the flag bag) was transferred to the Pueblo from Falgout and ended up being taken by the North Koreans. He spent 11 months in captivity there. He was a BM2 at the time of his capture.
ReplyDeleteKent
Awful quiet in here,
ReplyDeleteA comment/question on those great photos from Tom. 1st photo boarding party; is that rifleman holding an M1 Garrand? God you guys are old! 3rd photo; is that the new starlight night vision glasses behind capt Klee? Those things are as small as opera glasses nowdays.
Lee....
Lee,
ReplyDeleteTo answer the question. Yes I believe those were the starlight glasses. Technology has taken us along way since the old Market Time days. I think the guy standing next to the one in question is Jentoft, with Ens. Stefani and the Chief was the RMC.
Sorry it has been so long to sign in.
Tom
Yes, I remember those starlight scopes, they weighed a ton. All the soldiers wear one on their helmet now, don't they........??
ReplyDeleteKent
Saw the USS New York coming up the Hudson River yesterday morning. What a sight, everyone in their dress blues. Made me want to go over and sign up again. They say 22 knots, why that's only 3 more knots than the Falgout got! :) bob
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of our armory who can forget that funny little guy GM Rhoan. Especially when he came back from an overnight and spent the rest of the day in the armory with all those Thompsons and 45's. bob
ReplyDeleteYes, Rhoan was crazy even when he was sober!!
ReplyDeleteJim.
I recall a young snipe, whose name escapes me, who went batshit crazy one day. He had always acted real nervous and jittery. But we never knew why until the day he flipped out. He started screaming that the ship was closing in on him and he couldn't take it any longer. Turns out that he had a bad case of claustrophobia. Doc had to give him some strong tranquilizers and we strapped him into his rack ubntil he fell asleep. He was kept sedated until we hit port. He was taken off and we never saw him again.
ReplyDeleteI work with several retired Navy guys. Some have retired recently. I can not believe how the Navy has changed. Our days, with few exceptions of course, were fun and memorable. I do not believe that any of us would enjoy the modern Navy now. Political correctness, liberal mandates, and the insertion of women on ships has changed the Navy that I knew and loved. Maybe time has passed me by but I am glad that I served in the Navy and on Falgout when I did.
ReplyDeleteKeith
Keith, you got that right, pal. The political correctness police are running amok everywhere in our society. I read an article somewhere recently which talked about the Navy abolishing the old tradition of having a special ceremony whenever a ship crossed the equator. The article said that some sailors had complained that the ceremonies were degrading and humiliating. Because of a few complaints from some sailors, the Navy got all politically correct and abolished a centuries old tradition that many thousands of sailors, including myself, happily endured in order to become shellbacks. That really pissed me off to read that. This new Navy definitely ain't like the Navy we were in, that's for sure.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I still have my official shellback card and the certificate which proves that I crossed the equator on July 5th 1968 on the USS Falgout with the approval of Neptunus Rex, Ruler Of The Raging Main.
Keith, Nick
ReplyDeleteYou are so right about the new Navy, When I was working for Raytheon I was on Guam working directly with the Navy and saw first hand all of the crap they were going through. The things they didn't or couldn't do that we all did and enjoyed. I remember there was a CT1 that made Chief and there was no inititation or anything just a hand shake and congratulations. Glad I served when I did, Do not want any part of the new political correct Navy.
John Jolly
I guess then Capt.Breen would have fit right in with today's Navy. :)
ReplyDeleteSorry that was my post. Just thinking of Breen made me forget my name! bob
ReplyDeleteI recall mess cooking so well. John, I replaced you there. All non-rated took a turn and it was a responsibility that we all had. I wonder about that now. I wonder how many get out of it with threats of discrimination or other sex and ethnic strongholds that exist in society now. Same for other "working parties" if they still exist. Keith
ReplyDeleteThat must have been quite a sight there, Bob, watching the NY come up the river. That was a great idea to make her bow out of the steel from the WTC. She should make a great ship.
ReplyDeleteSupposedly they got 21 knots out of Falgout when Sam Gravely was skipper. He earned the name 21-knot Sam from that occasion. I think it was a full power run where they really tried to get top speed. Maybe after the bottom was cleaned for just before yard overhaul where they didnt have to worry about cracked liners,etc.
This ole Navy frient of mine who retired in 2001 said there was a real move afloat to civilianize the shipboard messcooking, in fact I think a trial had already been run. Of course there has been no military messcooking ashore for many years and no barracks cleanup, etc, all done by hired civilians.
Back in our day when you shit in your nest, YOU had to clean it up. So you were careful NOT to shit in your nest.
They probably send a civilian crew along with the truck now to load stores on board ship Keith.
Kent
Kent that reminds me of the ammo line just before departing for WestPac. We all pissed and moaned but after awhile we got into it and had some fun at the same time. But not too much fun handling that stuff! Keith, the first working party was not more than 5 minutes after taking the oath in the NY station. A First Class came out and asked if anyone had a drivers license. Luckly someone yelled out first thinking of a nice easy first assignment. Then the First Class handed him a broom and told him to drive it around the room. Welcome aboard. bob
ReplyDeleteReflecting on mess cooking and working parties, I see them now as a discipline and learning process. Everyone did it without regards to their race, sex, or any other protected class of people crap. We learned to work together as a group doing these details. I disagree with children using calculators to learn math as this eliminates a child's opportunity to make their brain work and develop. Likewise, replacing a sailor's opportunity for development, taught by these responsibilities, in a military environment by using civilians I believe equally wrong. I just wonder how much now threats of discrimination effect who does what in day to day shipboard life.
ReplyDeleteKeith
Kent,
ReplyDeleteThank you again for creating this site for all of us. This has been a blessing for all of us old Falgouteers to, recall special relationships, share, and bring back memories.
Keith
A very Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving to everyone and their families. Bob
ReplyDeleteFrom one old Falgouteer to the rest of you salts. It has been a pleasure to retrace some old wakes on the old girl. Thanks for the thoughts and stories. This has been stimulating for the long dusty brain cells left after my years of abuse. May you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and Holidays. Fair winds with full sails til we again walk the dusty streets of PI, Hong Kong, Bangkok and the rest of those places in our misspent youth. Your shipmate.
ReplyDeleteTom Oliver
Speaking of mess cooking I remember how I went to mess cooking from 1st div. and after I made the dive to retrieve the helm I requested and got transferred to FOX div. I thought I was home free,ha, that same day I releaved a Sonar man on mess cooking... what luck hahaha! JIM.
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving to all,
ReplyDeleteLike all of you that read and contribute to this site, I too am thankful for its existence. A special holiday toast to Kent and his efforts to preserve the spirit, history and memories of the "old Navy".
Lee
Keith,
ReplyDeleteI think you are on target with the work detail analysis. Though when doing them I couldn't appreciate the trainaing value. In reality of the times it reinforced the chain of command (the pecking order). You paid your dues and respected those that had gone before. Of course officers were in another league.... Lee
Keith,
ReplyDeleteI remember the day we met as yesterday. AG2 Scriven was my "sea daddy", I stuck to him like glue after coming aboard. He showed me around, I was a dumb country kid. The Falgout departed on her final North Pacific the next day or so. Scriven asked me if I was a football player. I told him yes, I had played for Philledelphia Eagles just before enlistment." Wow! " says Scriven,"that's impressive". I was thinking "hell, I could be a doctor or an admiral". All I ever played was semi pro in New Jersy while going to A school. Thats when Cicero (a friend) got his innards liberated and I said "fuk it, this kids bleedin' from his butt and ears at the same time". Scriven was a great guy. Salt of the earth.
Anyway a few days out and near station I was sick as a dog and Scriven had me follow him to the bridge for Capt. Breen's standard dress down, then radio with the coded transmission (showing me the ropes). That's when I met Keith. He had a locker or gear cabinet that he practiced his lineman tactics against. Let me say you wouldn't want to be an opposing lineman, or locker.... Lee
Lee,
ReplyDeleteYou give me too much credit for dumb shit like that. A few days prior to Navy, I had a old refrigerator in my back yard that my friends and I would put licks on. One afternoon, I slipped and my front teeth caught the rear coils. I ripped out a "fang" tooth and cracked a front one. I pushed the "fang back into it's socket. Tore the bone all to pieces but it healed and I still have the tooth. I left for the Navy a few days after that and could not eat on it for a long time. I did not dare mention this to our division PO, our one and only YN1 Henson. He and his mentor XO Lt.J.B Eller would have put me on every shit detail for stupidity.
Keith
Awww, Keith,
ReplyDeleteThat's not dumb. Remember we were kids then. Boiling over with testosterone and post adolescent charm. I see young men nowdays and thank god I did my time when I did. No doubt they'll say the same thing in forty five years.
As for Henson he was a strictly business senior PO without a mean bone in his body. A great division leader. I never had the pleasure of Lt. Eller. I'm sure Lt. Albright was XO when I came aboard.
Lee
Speaking of studs,
ReplyDeleteR.I.P. John Brace RD2
Lee
Lee,
ReplyDeleteJohn Brace was also one of my first friends on Falgout. We spent a lot of time together. He had a combative mean spirit after a few drinks and was ready for a fight. He did not take any shit at anytime either. His division officer was LTJG Metzler who was a real asshole. There was an occasion that Metzler had gone into CIC and displayed his asshole personality. John told him to take off his bars (LTJG) and he would whip his ass all over combat. Metzler declined and nothing happened to John. I always believed that Metzler would end up in prison for white collar crimes. John has passed away but I sure wished that he was alive to make contact with. I totally agree with your most recent entries here.
Keith
Lee,
ReplyDeleteI like to joke with Kent Henson now regarding my association with him and Eller on Falgout. I love the guy to death and I put him at the top of the list of people that inspired me then. He is my closest friend now even though we do not see each other, we email daily. He probably knows more about me than anyone else that I know. Back on Falgout, I saw him as a sharp, dedicated man that had made YN1 in 4 and 1/2 years. I do recall some of his ass chewings that I deserved. The yeoman rate was pretty much closed then and he had the drive to make it happen. I would have loved to served under him as a naval officer which he became and so deserved. Both my wife and I feel blessed to know him and his family our friends.
Keith
Hey guys,
ReplyDeleteHope all of you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May the Lord Bless and prosper you. Look forward to chatting and reading posts and stirring up old sea stories.
Tom
Merry Christmas and a Very Happy and Healthy New Year. bob
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to all!! Jim.
ReplyDeleteThe cold weather must have put a damper on our blog here the past month or so. It has been great to share these ole memories of our Lady Falgout and her 60's crew.
ReplyDeleteI have been meaning to put the official Naval Message denoting the demise of the old gal on the blog. Tom Oliver sent it to me recently. I will try to get it on there tonight so all can see. Still sad for me to picture her there on the bottom at 2.5 miles deep. Perhaps better that than being cut up for scrap I guess. At least she helped evaluate modern weapons effectiveness.
I think of all the toil and sweat we put out removing those useless brackets, chipping, painting, fresh water washdowns, painting interior borders, not to mention the clampdowns and dusting of angleiron, messcooking and watchstanding. And....of course crossing the brow with a clean, pressed set of tropical white long, headed for liberty as young men in their late teens and 20's.
Those were the days!
Kent
Hey Everyone! Check out the official Naval Message below that reported the sinking of Falgout back in January 1977.
ReplyDeleteAgain credit Tom Oliver for this piece of Falgout history.
Kent
It is very sad to see how Falgout's life ended. It reminds me of "pulling the plug" or turning off life support on a sick loved one with no hope
ReplyDelete.
Thank you, Tom.
Keith
Sounds like she went down with a fight. And a good fight she always gave while on picket duty in the Straits during February. bob
ReplyDeletePrior to Falgout, I was in high school. I did not apply myself to studying much. I just wanted to lift weights and get a diploma the easiest way possible. It even took me an extra year to graduate(1962). I always loved ships and and a childhood friend dropped out of school and joined the Navy. He would come home on leave, wearing his uniform, and that made me think about it more. We had a Naval Reserve Training Center in Richmond. I decided to join the reserves which I did. I went to Great Lakes for boot camp between my Junior and Senior years in high school. Upon graduation, I had a mandatory 2 year active duty obligation with 4 years active reserves. When I reported for active duty, the Navy Recruiter talked me into going into regular Navy and guaranteed me a class "A" School. As I was just bombing around Richmond with nothing to do, I accepted the deal. I went to Bainbridge and attended Radioman"A"School graduating in April 1963. I had orders to Falgout but had to go through a hell hole, Treasure Island, CA. I'll make that my next story.
ReplyDeleteKeith
Bob,
ReplyDeleteI recall a hatch somewhere in the messdeck area, where periodically a snipe would emerge from the bowels of Falgout, like a steamer clam out of hot brine looking for cool water or other sustinance.. That is where I remember you from.
Lee
Keith,
ReplyDeleteWe may have been at Treasure Island at the same time. I had returned from a high seas tuna fishing trip, landing in Sausalito, Ca., and met a friend that was stationed at T.I., he took me on a tour of his ship and the base. That was July 1963, I was just out of high school.
Lee
I remember in my senior year in HS in a small town in Texas, I wrote my term theme on the USMC. I was determined to be a Marine. But about Christmas time a couple of my friends came home in tailored Navy uniforms about the time I found out that all Marines were NOT issued dress blues, you had to BUY them.
ReplyDeleteSo shortly before graduation, a couple of my friends and I went down and took the Navy test and were enlisted on the "buddy plan" where we went to boot camp together. For all the help that was. We got the meanest first class in the whole Navy who literally busted our asses the whole time. I wised off to him twice the first day, and he knocked me on my ass three times and I did not get up with a Texas wise-ass attitude the third time. He later told us he was a black belt, and had been a prisoner chaser before he was a CC.
Three years later I was somewhat prepared for his reincarnation as LT ELLER..........not physically perhaps but verbally !!
Kent
Bob,
ReplyDeleteWhat I remember most about the snipes was that occasion on patrol where all of the forks from the mess deck were thrown over the side on patrol by a disgruntled and unknown mess cook. We had no forks. The snipes had abscounded with five forks over a period of time. They stepped up to the plate and turned them over to the mess deck MAA. We had forks ! Those five forks would go from mouth to mouth without being washed just wiped off with a napkin. We certainly LOVED OUR SNIPES !
Ships property had been thrown over the side previously, specifically the helm. Jim Bradford was the prime suspect but he never fessed up. A smart guy Jim was though. He went over the side and found it on the bottom. For his efforts, XO Eller transferred him to the deck force to strike for torpedoman. You know the rest Hmmmmmmm
Keith
Lee,
ReplyDeleteI was at Treasure Island from April 1963 to May 1964 with a month long stint in Oakland Naval Hospital in between and then in June 1965 when I was released from active duty. I have enough on that experience to write a novel on later.
Keith
Keith, I know it seemed like a year when you were at TI, but I will bet you meant May 1963 instead of 1964 as you were on Falgout most of '63.......
ReplyDeletekent
I posted a chart showing where Falgout now rests off shore southwest from San Deigo.....
ReplyDeleteShe must have been headed for Pearl Harbor when they got her.
kent
Kent,
ReplyDeleteEven in my time and I'm just a kid there were still kick ass drill instructors in boot camp. Many of the CCs were ww2 and Korea vets. I never got knocked on my ass, but had to stand at attention for an hour with mis-folded socks stuffed in my mouth. We had some guys go over on account of tuff times..
Lee
Correct Kent, I meant to say I was at TI from April 1963 to May 1963. That was one awful place and a disgrace to the Navy. There was a reputation that POs often got into trouble while in transient there. There was a convincing reputation that seamen out of the brig often worked POs in transient. These characters were put in charge of the receiving barracks. That is what the POs got into trouble for. Losers working good petty officers. I could tell from my observations there that this reputation was true.
ReplyDeleteKeith
I remember a guy named Cannon in my company who had to go to sick call a couple of evenings running and missed doing his laundry, ended up wearing his "bag skivvies" which was a definite no-no. This mean-ass BR1 that was our CC had him crawl around our barracks deck making an "oink" noise and ordering us to kick him as he went by (except for a couple of sadists, there were mostly half-hearted kick/misses). Anyway this kid was a beanpole and wore all the skin off his knees, he couldnt even walk the next day. He hobbled to sick bay and told them he fell and skinned his knees, they put him in a bed for two days with ointments and he made it back before the 72 hours (and automatic 2 week setback) was up. Tough kid, determined. I think even that CC was impressed (or relieved that he didnt tell)......
ReplyDeleteAnd those poor guys in Abu Grahib being scared by dogs and women had it so bad, didnt they???
Kent
Lee, yes that was my hole B-3. No one liked it when we came up the hatch in the mess hall especially while in WestPac. The hatch would open and the 110 degree heat would blow out like a flame thrower. Of course it was even worse coming out the port side where R Div berthing was located. Kept it nice and cozy while in the Straits during February though! bob
ReplyDeleteKent mentions his CC in basic. Mine was an old WWII SF1. WE were his last company of boots before retirement. He was somewhat of a grandfatherly figure (Duhhhhh). When we arrived, we were marched off the bus to a grinder with yellow foot prints painted on it. I soon found out what they wee for :-(
ReplyDeleteHe approached us and "gently" advised that we were going to our barracks and hold "Field Day". I only associated "field" as the field trips we would take in elementary school. Boy, I thought, this is not going to be bad. WE are going to have fuuunnnn tonight :-) Well guys, you know the rest. Crash and Burn :-(
But after all of these years, that experience and serving aboard Falgout was the best thing that has ever happened to me personally. I learned so much from the best and the worst. Most of all, I learned to face life. Either you make it on your own or you fail. You do not have parents and others to protect you and take care of you.
Every young man needs the discipline that we experienced but I am sure that has all changed now.
Keith
Tom Oliver,
ReplyDeleteWHAT are you doing on MY mast !!!! ???? The forward mast was the responsibility of the radio shack to keep painted.
No one volunteered to do it, soooo I volunteered. I found it a great way to hide from our division LPO Henson, LTJG Lee, and our other bosses on Falgout. No one wanted to go up there. I would go up and hide, paint a little, take my sweet time and come back down for chow.
When I made third class, I had to give it up and work for a change. Oh well......
Keith
Keith, I went up cause no one else would do it. I was hanging the temp running lights when we towed the junk. Don't remember exactly when?? Never volunteer for anything.
ReplyDeleteTom
NO fear of heights, Dad was a bridge and water tower painter. Guess that is why I became a lineman. Highest I have been on a structure 110 ft wood pole and 430 ft tower. Kinda stupid but it kept the wrinkles out of the kids bellys.
ReplyDeleteTom
Tom,
ReplyDeleteI never see high voltage electricians climb poles anymore. They go up in bucket trucks. I was kidding with one, at work, on Wednesday about it. He tried to tell me that he knew how to do it with the cleats. Hmmmmmmm.
On Falgout, we never had the opportunity to be skeptical or afraid of anything high or low.
Keith
The only time of being skeptical when low is under one of those Fairbanks Morse engines changing a piston ring while underway on picket duty in February. You put a lot of faith in your shipmates above you and the bildge swinging that piston out of the way. Man a Hollywood shower would have been great after 18 hrs of that. bob
ReplyDeleteBob,
ReplyDeleteAs a radioman, I "felt your pain" then. The radio shack was always air conditioned as it had to be with the electronics gear. I would have to go down into the holes when routing the message board to find the chief engineer. LTJG Nelson was the chief engineer then and I always liked him. I recall also, that he had a beautiful wife. When she came aboard, everyone made an appearance and drooled over her. She seemed a good sport also like her husband. Metzler just did not fit in with Breen, Eller, or Metzler. He was sharp and knew how to treat people.
Keith
whew, I lived in the M&R division compartment the first year (1964)I was on Falgout and I remember those poor snipes coming up after changing a liner or devconning a cracked one, they were black from head to foot and too tired to take a shower if there WAS one available, just fall into their rack.
ReplyDeleteI also remember that time ole Alvarez, SFM2 went up behind the donkey boiler where there was no room for a helmet and arc welded a pipe without any eye protection. He looked like a creature from outer space the next morning with great bulging eyes, swollen almost shut and in intense pain, but he played it down, tough cookie that Filipino welder. I think Doc Young put some salve on his eyes.
kent
Keith,
ReplyDeleteTo answer your question we still climb wood poles. Ever thought about the ones in someones back yard. Homeowners can get a little cranky when u drive a bucket truck in the back yard. Not that I haven't done it in a emergency. Course now crews have access to what is called a backyard machine. Can set up to a 50 footer and usually has some attached buckets to ride up in. Last pole I was up was 2 years before I retired. Think it was a 45 ft. Up for about 3 hrs changing out a Transformer with a set of block and tackle and a portable capstain hoist. Gas operated. Oh those were the days. Closest I been so far since. I went to Iowa 4 weeks for a storm restoration analysis. We recorded damage and reported to local utility giving them damage, resources to repair it, manpower requirements. they had about 2.5 inches of ice covering wires and ground. Fun to get around in this with 14 inches of snow. Not complaining pay was great.
Tom
Hey Shipmates,
ReplyDeleteMy dad would say to me, that the older I got the quicker time would pass. Sooooo true. 47 years ago, I had graduated from RM school and was on leave and waiting to go to Falgout. I had less than a week left before embarqing on an adventure that would change my life forever.
All of us survived Falgout and lived our lives in various vocations and trials of life. I spent 40 years in law enforcement and still work , part time, at Harvey Point, DTA and I also am a Federal Contract Background Investigator, part time.
I know what Tom Oliver, Kent, Ken Neufeld, and John Jolly did after Falgout, but it would be nice to hear from the rest of you if you are willing to share.
We need to keep this going.
Keith
So many things are coming up on 50 years for me. I graduated from high school 50 years ago this June. I joined the Navy 50 years ago this June. Just a couple more years and I will have been married 50 years. Hard to believe. Keith's Dad sure had it right, time does indeed fly.
ReplyDeleteI wish I still had the energy I had on Falgout (and some of the hair also!
Every once in awhile I can still feel the frustration of just trying to stand upright or sit, or stay in the bunk when the old gal was rolling in a trough while we were lying to with no way on, on Station AA or AB or AC off the Aleutians on those awful picket patrols.
And then we would have field day and white glove zone inspections followed by a personnel inspection in tropical whites the day before returning to port. Failures forfeited 48 hours liberty......
But I do believe that being in the modern Navy right now would be worse with all the political correctness in contention.
kent
Thanks to you Kent for keeping this alive. Shame on us for not checking in and chating with each other. Not much going on here in the Heartland, about 3 weeks or so got to visit with Ken Neufield for lunch. He and his wife came up to KC to visit family and we carved out a lunch date. What a great time we had swapping old sea stories. Would be great to see some others, as we all might be a little older maybe the time might be right to get a reunion together again. I missed the last one because of work. Maybe enough of us are retired now to make it happen. Think about it. Fair winds and following seas to all Falgouteers. May she live on even in our memories.
ReplyDeleteTom
Tom,
ReplyDeleteI know that you thoroughly enjoyed Ken and Carol. Did Buster come with them? They visited us last year on their "ride to the wall". A great and patriotic couple to be sure.
I would love for all of us to get together. Our NC home is always open to all of you. Our Albemarle Sound location always enjoy fair winds and following seas except when those frequent "nor-easters" drop by :-)
Keith
Hey fellow Falgouteers, I hadn't realized how much time has passed since my last posting until today! I guess the older we get, the faster time flies, huh? I've just finished reading the posts made by y'all since my last visit and enjoyed the sea stories very much. I'll try to drop by more often cuz we gotta keep this place alive and I'll try to do my part. In the meantime, here's a quick story of what happened to me one time in Hong Kong.
ReplyDeletePicture a sailor in Hong Kong running to catch the last Navy liberty boat back to the nest of ships that his ship is in. He misses it by minutes and the midnight curfew is fast approaching. Picture this sailor frantically looking around to see how he was gonna get back to his ship before being reported AWOL. A short ways down the dock, he spots a tiny sampan with an old man in it. He approaches the old man and makes some hand signals signifying that he wants the old man to take him out to the ships tied up in the middle of the harbor. The old man shakes his head no. The sailor pulls out a Hong Kong 50 dollar bill (worth about $7 American back in 1968). The old man then readily agrees and the sailor climbs aboard. The old man uses the rear paddle contraption to navigate to the nest of ships. He pulls alongside the sailor's ship and the sailor clambers aboard about 5 minutes before curfew expired. Whew, just made it!! After that I made sure that I was never late to the docks again, ha ha.
Fair winds and following seas to all Falgout sailors, the best damn sailors who ever sailed the high seas!
Nick
I recall a time on liberty in Hong Kong that I will never forget. I went on liberty, drank something that messed me up big time. I was on the way back to Falgout in my dress blues, fell down and laying drunk on some steps somewhere. Some sailors walked by and poured a bottle of wine on me. The next thing I remember was on my back between our foot lockers soaked in wine. Glad Henson did not find me :-)
ReplyDeleteKeith
With the dress blues, that must have been in Yokosuka in February 1965...... we were wearing whites in Hong Kong.
ReplyDeletethat was ME that found you and hauled you back to the ship !!
just kidding,
Kent
It is a "senior citizen" lapse of memory. We were in Yokosuka when I abosrbed wine on my dress blues while on my back on those steps. I do not even know how I got back aboard ship.
ReplyDelete47 years ago, this date, I was in Oakland Naval Hospital with the chicken pox. I wondered what the Falgout would be like. Had I have known, I would have stayed sick a long time :-) Kidding only, Falgout days were special as I look back. I would not trade them for anything.
Keith
Hi Kent
ReplyDeleteI just was reading the comments, It has been a month or so since I looked at them. I saw yours about not wanting to be in the Navy today. You are right the modern navy is nothing like what it was when we were in. Back in 1993 I was working as a senior field engineer for Raytheon and I was located on Guam for about 2.5 years. I was working directly with the Navy CTI types.
They would be measuring their height and weight all the time, I guess the were worring abut their physical fitness and everything. I remember one of the guy's made Cheif Petty Officer and another one made 1ST class Petty Officer. There was no initation or anything. I don't remember for sure but I think the Cheif's were asked or required to do so many hours of community service work. Anyway the whole atmosphere was a lot different from when we were aboard the old Falgout and when I was working with Navy in 93. I was on 5 other ships before I got out. But most of my memories were when I was on the Falgout. It is funny after all these years the experencies and people on the other ships all seem to run together it is hard to remember which was on which ship. Now days the memory is getting fuzzy, Glad my drivers license has my name on it. Kent I am glad you are trying to keep this thing alive. I think I had left Falgout before most of you came aboard Keith is the only one I remember.
John Jolly
I remember you being in the division, and seeing you about the ship. The Radiomen were in a secure space, no visitors, and stood different watch rotations than most of us, so we probably didn't interact as much as with some other shipmates. Several of us were there for at least that last year of northern pickets in 1964 and early 1965 before we made that first Westpac to VN.
ReplyDeleteYourself
YN3 Jones
RM3 Throckmorton
YN2 Henson
TM3 Bradford
AG3 Danner
EN3 Kelly
RM3 Neufeld
We all were fortunate to serve under Matthew J. Breen, and most of us under J.B Eller, grinding and chiseling off useless brackets and shining topside brightwork while taking on salt spray over the 01 level.
I was on several other ships in the next 15 years and had many experiences and many shipmates, but the ole Falgout and crew stick in my mind. It was a crucible in my life I guess, never to be forgotten.
Kent Henson
OLD SAILORS SIT AND CHEW THE FAT
ReplyDeleteABOUT THINGS THAT USED TO BE,
OF THE THINGS THEY'VE SEEN,
THE PLACES THEY'VE BEEN,
WHEN THEY VENTURED OUT TO SEA.
THEY REMEMBERED FRIENDS FROM LONG AGO
THE TIMES THEY HAD BACK THEN.
THE MONEY THEY SPENT,
THE BEER THEY DRANK
IN THEIR DAYS AS SAILING MEN.
THEIR LIVES ARE LIVED IN DAYS GONE BY,
WITH THOUGHTS THAT FOREVER LAST.
OF BELL BOTTOM BLUES,
WINGED WHITE HATS,
AND GOOD TIMES IN THEIR PAST.
THEY RECALL LONG NIGHTS
WITH A MOON SO BRIGHT
FAR OUT ON A LONELY SEA.
THE THOUGHTS THEY HAD AS YOUTHFUL LADS,
WHEN THEIR LIVES WERE WILD AND FREE.
THEY KNEW SO WELL HOW THEIR HEARTS WOULD SWELL
WHEN OLD GLORY FLUTTERED PROUD AND FREE.
THE UNDERWAY PENNANT
SUCH A BEAUTIFUL SIGHT
AS THEY PLOWED THROUGH AN ANGRY SEA.
THEY TALKED OF THE CHOW OL' COOKIE WOULD MAKE
AND THE SHRILL OF THE BOSUN'S PIPE.
HOW SALT SPRAY FELL
LIKE SPARKS FROM HELL
WHEN A STORM STRUCK IN THE NIGHT.
THEY REMEMBER OLD SHIPMATES ALREADY GONE
WHO FOREVER HOLD A SPOT IN THEIR HEART,
WHEN SAILORS WERE BOLD,
AND FRIENDSHIPS WOULD HOLD,
UNTIL DEATH RIPPED THEM APART.
THEIR SAILING DAYS ARE GONE AWAY,
NEVER AGAIN WILL THEY CROSS THE BROW.
THEY HAVE NO REGRETS,
THEY KNOW THEY ARE BLESSED,
FOR HONORING A SACRED VOW.
THEIR NUMBERS GROW LESS WITH EACH PASSING DAY
AS THE FINAL MUSTER BEGINS,
THERE'S NOTHING TO LOSE,
ALL HAVE PAID DUES,
AND THEY'LL SAIL WITH SHIPMATES AGAIN.
I'VE HEARD THEM SAY BEFORE GETTING UNDERWAY
THAT THERE'S STILL SOME SAILING TO DO,
THEY'LL SAY WITH A GRIN
THAT THEIR SHIP HAS COME IN
AND THE LORD IS COMMANDING THE CREW.
Thanks Kent for the beautiful poem, words are strong and true. They touch our very souls of men who have gone down to sea. Oh to be young again and feel to the salt spray in our faces on the Falgout, may she live on, those were the days when we were young. May they live on even if only in our memories. Live long, Laugh loud, and Love much. Thanks shipmate, friend, and brother in the Lord.
ReplyDeleteTom
Right on with that poem,happy Memorial Day to my old shipmates, all the best Jim.
ReplyDeleteHello old shipmates,
ReplyDeleteNice to see some names that I recall from Falgout days 65/68. Picked the ship up in Pearl after her return from her 1st West/Pac. Came aboard as an EN/FN just outta GrateLakes Engineman school and Boot Camp at San Diego.
I worked in B2 Main Control running the Evaps. Worked with BT named Tibizar or Tibby as we called him, Bunch EN/3, Mitchell EN/2 Antonio EM/2 Bovie EN/C Ellis EN/C and later the infamous ENC/E9 Snow (child temper). Been back to West Pac many times since the 60's and still love it's appeal. More later, Jim Blanchard
Hey Jimbo! Glad to see that you found your way here, shipmate. It's always great to see old friends from the "Fightin' Falgout". I had forgotten all about Chief Snow until you mentioned him above. He was sure a friggin' jerk wasn't he? He's lucky that he wasn't pushed over the side during the night when we were in the middle of the Pacific.
ReplyDeleteSo when are you going to make another trip to the Far East? I really enjoyed seeing all your photos from the last one. Hope to see you post often here on Kent's blog.
Nick
After reading many previous posts, I see that ENC Bovee has passed. I liked Bovee, He was tough when needed but kind most of the time. Being in his department ment that we would hear from him every morning at quarters. The missing brass engine bearing shells located in the port shaft alley was a Bovee incident. The brass was traded to a chrome vendor ashore. The chromed EOT, Throttle control cover and other B2 components were the results of this mid-watch caper. Our enginering officer Ens. Smith, was tasked with finding the persons responsable...As I recall, Bovee fessed up as the sole culprate and as far as I know, that was all that happend. I don't think anyone went to mast. This of corse took the work of a number of people. Getting all that brass up and out of the shaft alley, up a ladder, up to the main deck,over the side , along with everything that was to be chromed was a four hour ordeal...Bovee had the Quarter Deck watch and had arranged the whole thing... The failure in the plan was that the chrome parts were not delivered back to the ship at the correct time. We almost missed getting underway on schedule. When they did come aboard, the OOD questioned what all these chrome engineroom parts were and the cat was outta the bag. This is just one of the Bovee stories that I recall. He was a good guy... RIP Chief....Jim Blanchard
ReplyDeleteAnyone recall a deck ape named Donald Duck? He was aboard when we arrived in Manila. We tied up abreast of the USS Markab for a tender availabilty. Duck's father was a high mucki muck at the San Migal brewery and had a mansion there in Manila. He invited us to a ships party at his place. Many of us went and those that did not, went on liberty in Manila. There was a big bloody fight with crew of the Markab ashore that night. I recall coming back aboard and seeing all the bloody sailors from both ships. I belive liberty was canceled for the rest of our time in Manila.
ReplyDeleteWe had a cook aboard Falgout named Coal. He was the blackest black man I had ever seen. He was a big heavy guy and had small beaty eyes.
ReplyDeleteOne Sunday off the coast of Nam durring Holiday Routine, I got off watch in B2 and went to the galley minus white hat or baseball cap. I entered the galley since no one was there and was cooking up some eggs or something when in walks Coal. Coal and I did not like each other for some reason. He told me I was on report for being in the Galley without a hat....I went to "Mast" a few days later and Klee restricted me to the ship for the next 10 days. We were at sea at the time and would'nt be into another port for 20 days.
Coal was pissed....Jim Blanchard
Making our own water at sea was done using an evaperator. This unit uses steam to boil salt water while at an 18 to 24 inch vacume. Our Evap. was efficient in calm seas when the salt water temp. was 69 deg. or higher. Many things would affect the output of our evap. We were
ReplyDeletelucky to have good water makeing conditions most of the time while off the coast of Viet Nam. Our evap also had to make boiler feed water. This feed water had to be of very low salinity so as to not to introduce chlorides into the boilers. Our boiler water feed tank was aprox. 500 gallons and located in B2 main control. Our potable water could be of higher salinity and was easy to make.
One night while underway with evap. on line we were about to top off all tanks. This required Sound Security to sound the water tanks every 1/2 hour instead of 1 hr. The fresh water tanks were located all around the ship and one in particular was located below After Officers Quarters. I was running the evap and figured I could top off all tanks and secure the evap and hit my rack. I had to get notice from Sound Security when to secure. I never got the word. The Tanks below After Officers Quarters has a vent that discharges above the deck in that compartment.
General Quarters Flooding came over the 1MC.
Damage Control told me there was water all the way up to the hatch combing with officers shoes floating all over the place....Jim Blanchard
Dwight Samulson DC/3 was a great guy if not a little crazy.
ReplyDeleteOne time when we were in Taiwan or Hong Kong, I bought a BIG wheel of fire crackers and smuggled them aboard and hid them in an empty parts locker in B2 Main Control. I really had no idea of what to do with them but Dwight soon had an idea.
The 4th of July was coming up and Dwight thought he could string this long woven string of fireworks from mast to stern railing. I was kinda scared of this idea and told him he could have the fireworks and I didn't want anything to do with it.
I was on Evap watch in B2 and we were at darken ship about 2 miles off the coast of Viet Nam.
4th Of July on Market Time was just like any other day in the South China Sea. Hot, sultry and boaring. Not so on this 4th. At about 23:00 I started smeling gun powder smoke coming down the forced air ventilaton next to my watch standing station at the front of the Evaperator. I knew Dwight had been successful.
I heard later that another ship in the area had called Falgout to ask what was going on with all the flashes going off.... Were we fireing at something? I heard Klee was pissed but I don't think anyone ever fessed up.....Jim Blanchard
Had the 12 to 4 on evap. in B2.
ReplyDeleteWPB came alongside and secured .
B1 was pumping bilges.
Bilge water was pulled into Evap. raw water intake.
Indicators on Evap. do not detect oil's.
Ships water tanks were contaminated with Evaporated B1 bilge distilate.
OOD was faulted for not securing B1 bilge pumping when stoping for WPB.
We flushed tanks but the taste was in the water for a week.......Jim Blanchard
Does anyone recall Jim Maxwell,Chema,Bartlet?
ReplyDeleteHeard that Jack Mitchel EN/2 B2 lead PO had passed on years ago, was a good guy.
How bout Ralph Jones EN/2.
Jim Blanchard
Keith here. On the NC coast, where I live, the temperature has been triple digits for a few days. No rain (until today) and humid. I recall environmental issues so well on Falgout. The "vaps" had their issues and we would go for days without a shower. During our CO Breen tenure with us, there was always enough water for him to take a shower and Falgout to have regular fresh water wash downs. We were very fortunate, however, to have great AC and heating systems. No problems there.
ReplyDeleteJim Blanchard, welcome aboard. Enjoyed your posts.
Keith
Well, no one has added anything except weird people quoting recipes, so I deleted those and welcome old shipmates to start up this blog again and give us an update on where you are not 5 or 6 years later. We are all that many years older now of course with more aches and pains, but that is to be expected.
ReplyDeleteI was looking at Tom Oliver's photo of the open bridge posted below and it brought back many memories of the time I spent there up on those coooold northern patrols when we would have those endless GQ's and Ensign Lee and I would be in that far corner doing signal drills with CIC, me scribbling in a wet notebook and trying to decode the signals. Then later on WestPac 1965, standing watches there with LT Baker and his shennagins. A very knowledgeable officer, but also fond of playing tricks and having fun to pass the boring times.
All in all things are going well for 71 years in age. I had a bad 10-foot fall off a ladder in September 2013 while sawing on a tree limb, dumb act...........but fortunately I fell on fairly soft earth and one landscape timber..........therapy and normal healing process and I am almost back to normal. Will be glad to get out and do more things as the weather is improving. We have had a hard winter this year.
Let us all know what/how you shipmates are doing now. I am still in contact with Keith Throckmorton and he is still going strong in good mettle !!
Be in touch
Kent Henson
Hey Shipmates, I will be 71 on March 25 and still feel great. I am retired but still enjoy work. I am a self employed federal contract background investigator for several federal agencies. I also serve as the secretary of my county's board of elections, a governor appointee to a licensing board here in NC, and an advisory board member for our local government credit union. My wife, Patricia, has a novel that will be released May 23. It is Sticks And Stones, A Novel Of Life's Trials. Our OC Division leading PO, Kent Henson, assisted her with the editing of her novel. He learned well under LT J.B. Eller.
ReplyDeleteHappy to see this board up and running again. Saw a note from Ned that an old Falgout shipmate, John Kenney had died in Nov. 68. He had been a snipe aboard Falgout . He had transferred to another duty station and was birthed aboard LST 1167 Westchester County. The VC mined the ship with magnetic mines and when they went off, John was listed as missing from the explosion. His body was never recovered.
ReplyDeleteI am still living in Levenworth, Washington and we are thinking about another trip to Thailand , Viet Nam and Laos. The last trip was 2 1/2 months long and I found it so nice to relive where I had grown up. If anyone is interested in this trip, contact me and lets talk.
Again I'm happy this site is up and operating...
Jim Blanchard 509-763-2602
Hey guys, we finally found Broussard or rather he found US !! He did not find the blog, but rather found me on Tin Can Sailor and called. He sent me an updated photo so I deleted the old ones and put a comparison photo at the end !! I think he looks as young as the rest of us !! Maybe we can get him to post a comment or two on here and let us know what he has been up to these last 50 years or so !
ReplyDeleteKent
Hey Pookie, WELCOME ABOARD! I recall how Kent and I first hooked up. It was in 2006. I found him on tin can sailors registry. His comment there was "Where is Broussard". We both tried, so hard, to remember your name, to contact you. I have contact with the following from Falgout. They are: John Holly, Ken Neufeld, Tom Oliver, Jim Bradford, Lee Danner, Mike Guillot, and Dennis Lee. Dennis did not stay in the Navy. He went on to dental school and is a retired dentist in Honolulu. LCDR Breen and I became friends after Navy days, when I was a Virginia State Trooper. He was at the Naval Academy. Eller passed away in 1979. My email is kthrock@centurylink.net and I am on Facebook as my name. Hope all is well. Keith
ReplyDeleteGreetings Shipmates, this is ole W.J. "Pookie" Broussard, formerly YN3. I served on board Falgout from Oct 1962 to Aug 1964. When I came on board Lcdr Gravely was C.O. and Lt. Eller was X.O. I think we might have made a couple of pickets and then we went into dry docks. It was either late spring or early summer of 1963 when Lcdr Breen took over. What a change.
ReplyDeleteI was a snipe when I came on board but switched to seaman so I could work in ship's office. At that time we had Smith YN1, Weaver SN, Dine PNC, Creasy PN2, and myself. Later on Maib PNC replaced Dine and Henson YN2 replaced Smith. Not long after Lt.
Albright replaced Eller.
I remember Keith Throckmorton, John Holly, Jim Bradford, Mike Guillot, and of course Kent Henson my old working buddy. We also had a YN3 by the name of Quinata. I think he was a Filipino.
Some of the other guys I remember was Thompson RM3, Pierce RM2, Shirley RD2, Tucker QMC, Westbrook QM3, Nelson AG3 and Olin AG2.
I also remember the at sea personnel inspections and ship inspections. All those useless brackets we removed (probably a couple of tons worth).
I was on board when the helm went missing. Of course Breen got the last laugh because after that incident he invented the in port helm watch (24/7).
I also remember Henson tying rope around his bunk so he wouldn't fall out. It was his first night at sea and we had some rough 1 to 2 ft. seas. HaHa. Well he had the last laugh not long after that. We were on picket and the seas were really heavy. Sometimes during the night the whole tier of racks and I came flying off the bottom lockers. Thank God I was on the bottom and there was no one above me. Only thing hurt was a finger and my pride. Ole Kent Henson got a big laugh at my expense.
At sea ship's office personnel had no watches so sometime if we were short a person they had us stand fog watches when necessary. If it wasn't foggy Eller had me on the helm for a couple hours a night cause I was also the ship's helmsman.
I can now say that I am proud to have served on the Falgout with y'all, my shipmates.
I got married in Sept 1964 and my wife Jeanette and I will celebrate our 50th anniversary this year. We have 2 sons, 4 grandsons, and 1 granddaughter and also 2 sweet daughter in laws. God is Great and I thank him everyday for my family and all our blessings.
Until next time- Pookie
Well, Welcome aboard Pookie, we are so glad you found us.
ReplyDeleteHahaha, that rope around the rack has always been an embarrassment to me, but when you guys took me down there and showed me where I would be sleeping, on that top rack, right away I was concerned that it was a trick (since I was second class and had never been to sea, I was ripe for tricks from the old salts) I had heard about "Sea Bats" and the "Golden Rivet" . So when we went out on local ops in the smooth waters off of Pearl, I still thought I had better tie myself in. Everyone got a better laugh out of that than if I had fallen outta my rack !! Good memory though. I was hoping you had forgotten that !
Useless brackets, shining brightwork, and scrubbing bulkheads. Those were the days.
I think those fog watches were makee-work also, but at least they weren't Mail Buoy watches.
Well, this blog was going pretty well for awhile, then no one added anything for a long time, so it was discouraging to come check it. Hopefully people will pick it back up now to share some memories with Pookie .........and him share his memories with us.
Kent Henson