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Post by Deleted on May 27, 2015 9:08:57 GMT -5
I remember the Lebanese Civil War as one where we went into it unprepared.
Our Old Man was bucking for full bird...so he was the very first Captain to go.
Full speed ahead for our old Tin Can...it was the Eddy Mac...a Fast Frigate...but old.
When we turned over in the Med...the old man had to show off a bit to the other Caps.
Full speed and hard left rudder then full speed will do a number on a ship...and crew.
Our shaft was bent and he blew a supercharger on one of our boilers.
So off to Naples... we limped to for repairs that took us 1 month...the old Man was pissed.
No engineers were allowed liberty the entire time...but had to live on a listed 45 degree ship.
The Operations departments went to 5 section duty and were put up into rooms overlooking the sea.
After 30 days we had 1 rested Captain...1 new supercharger...one dead BT1...from overwork.
The shaft was still bent and 2 4" plugs were still leaking badly...and the main bearings were wiping out.
This was my watch...sit there and wait for the plugs to pop...we had to get underway...
On to Beirut.
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Post by Deleted on May 27, 2015 9:36:31 GMT -5
So off of the coast of Lebanon we ran into this ship we were to relieve...
They were pissed as we would have been getting relieved a month late...they were gone.
Just as they left a Russian Sub came up as if to say...come on lets go...it's this way.
They Russian Navy was everywhere while we nudged in and started firing our 5" guns.
It kinda became routine...go to General Quarters at 4 to 4...then relax battle dress.
Shoot round after round into the city...seems that the same folks today were the same folks then.
Terrorists taking over a city...no matter what the price...like Isis is of today.
Every 7 to 10 days we would pull away to refuel...take on supplies...and dump our trash.
What goodies were thrown away...only the Russians knew...the subs came up and snatched it.
Not to deviate too far...but the Russians are good people if their Sailors are a reflection.
Every 6 weeks or so we would pull into a port for some R&R and so would the Soviets.
Dubrovnik Yugoslavia was my favorite port...because we were the first Americans there since WW2.
The people were intelligent and all spoke English...they were more American than Americans.
They seemed to have better values and I saw no police...everything was open and unlocked.
Just don't go into a club and buy the whole place a round just because they are 2 bits each.
For 5 bucks you could buy 25 people a beer...they said they made around 40 dollars US a month.
That only made me want to buy them another beer...then the Russian Bear comes out.
On to Beirut.
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Post by Deleted on May 27, 2015 9:38:59 GMT -5
Please folks...if you have any questions about my Jargon just ask!
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Post by Deleted on May 27, 2015 10:21:10 GMT -5
You know what
I never really knew what was happening in Lebanon...but what ever it was...we were losing.
We upped our shots to every 20 minutes 24 and 7...sounds bad...but you get used to it.
They really did slow down in the early morning hours...thank God.
It seems that the rebels were all over the city...so we shot at the Holiday Inn.
The gunners mates would aim at large groups of people and fire...they must have been rebels.
There is a pink mist when it is a direct hit...we cross trained rates for advancement.
The only reason that this conflict was not a War is because they had no real means of fighting back.
They were setting up posts where as to set up with some heavy artillery confiscated from Lebanon's Army.
We were now the ones out numbered and undermanned...with a squeaky and leaky shaft.
By this time we were at GQ 24/7...We heard that Reagan had a plan...and he did.
I was down at my GQ station listening to my headphones watching the leaking shaft alley.
Actually you go into an adjoining electrical room and pull out your blanket and pillow and take a nap.
At noon they break the hatches and give you a 30 minute break or just toss you a lunch...then back at it.
I think it was in the afternoon when I heard this boom...then felt this vibration and then a wave.
I heard chatter on the phones that the New Jersey was here...that much vibe from 5 decks down in the shaft alley?
Boom...boom...boom...BB62...pow..pow...out pop the plugs...my plugs...now it's on me.
If you have never saw a fire hose spray...then I don't know what to tell you...but it was like 6 of those at once.
Uh Oh...this is bad...I went into the electrical room and battened it down...the phones were in the shaft alley.
What the hay in Bessie's manger was going on...someone will be here when GQ is over...am I in trouble?
There are lots of stories of lots of things...but this one is mine.
On to Beirut.
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Post by Deleted on May 27, 2015 10:39:07 GMT -5
I found out a lot of thing that day...
The New Jersey is a Superstar...
I think the Rebels started fleeing on the first shot...
You should not be around it when it fires its big guns...
BB 62 did not give enough warning to it's support ships...
The Captain really wanted advancement...at our expense...
Everyone left their battle stations and wanted a look...
I learned that condensation on a bulkhead is not that bad at all...
Where are those guys anyhow...I'm getting hungry...
The worst part is letting your brain wrap around this...
Condensation and inherent leaks will fill up a space...
Kinda like watching the end and wondering what will get you first...
I really am hungry and thirsty now...I mean right now!
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Post by Deleted on May 27, 2015 11:07:17 GMT -5
I am 5 decks down and forgotten in a flooded space...with a squeaking shaft...
The only sounds were our occasional guns and the squeaking shaft...
Shoot man...I guess it is a better death than the pink mist...or is it...
I really wanted to grab a wrench and align that bearing on the shaft to stop the squeaking.
I was willing and still would be willing to open the door and take my chances...
The door would not budge...thank God...he sayeth no child...you be a dummy.
Water and electricity do not mix...especially high voltage...and lots of water.
Hey I was only in the Navy for about 18 months then...and was afraid of anyone in coraframs.
A Chief got on to me and said..."Don't you ever call me Sir...I earned this patch".
I was confused with all this information of trying to put this whole picture together.
That when I heard a thump...someone finally checked out the shaft alley...36 hours later.
Not counting the 2 hours to pump out the shaft alley and free me.
This incident forced us to a port call in Catina, Sicily...to make repairs.
I was kinda taken aback by my crewmates...was I a hero or a hobo...
I never had to buy another drink at any port of call after that...that in itself is bad.
Thus began the story how I almost sunk the Sweaty Eddy...I never really laughed with them.
In fact when they laughed...I cried inside...but a few drinks later...I'd laugh too.
This is just one memory of the millions of BB62...but none so enlightening...ha!
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Post by Deleted on May 27, 2015 11:14:36 GMT -5
Lets take a break here and admire the beauty of Catania, Sicily.
This is where my dads folks are from...I thought about leaving right there.
We were in for about 5 days for repairs and the Chief told us to get lost...that is good.
I spent my time just walking around these old ruins and on the volcano...felt like home.
Good enough anyway...just walk away and never come back...max out the slushers and be gone.
Did I mention ...I was young and on the run...to me that sounded like a good idea.
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Post by Deleted on May 27, 2015 11:25:42 GMT -5
After a few more drinks and slaps on the back...I decided to stay.
Something about real friends like you have makes a bond that is unbreakable.
Heck I would rather go help my buddies slam someone for doing something any day.
Good bye to the beautiful Coral of the Isle...too personal there.
This is where we tried to ski for our first time.
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Post by Deleted on May 27, 2015 12:07:32 GMT -5
Anyway...I was feeling pretty good until our C.O. called me upstairs.
Literally from chipping paint in the bilge to Officers Country...to the C.O.'s stateroom.
Dirty...tired and unaware of the alpha charlie of my life was to happen...I was there.
Him in his dress knit short pants and I in my grease and dirt filled dungarees.
He pointed out that it was my fault for nearly sinking the shop...I should have done something.
He has has a lot of bad attention directed towards the ship...I only brought more.
Since I was locked up and unchecked he would not court marshal me for treason.
He said that I should be shot right here and now...and gave me extra duty.
The next day they called for all extra duty men to muster on the fantail for watch.
We were told to watch the rooster tail that the ship made while they shot the .50 cal over our heads.
Hey it was kinda funny...wasn't it?...I thought it was...then I didn't...then I thought...then I didn't!
Then I heard the Boom of the Big J...for miles...we were back where we belonged.
Really it was over and we watched the New Jersey lob these massive shelling into the city.
I hear that most of them hit around their target but that they were off in some critical areas.
I had a chance to finally experience being in the Navy...scrubbing the deck...on extra duty.
It was not too bad after all...the open space...maybe I chose the wrong rate?
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Post by Deleted on May 27, 2015 12:24:40 GMT -5
Finally it was time to go home...we were the last ship in.
You pull into port with the highest ranking official aboard followed by who they like the best.
So the old man had plenty of time to cancel all the engineers leave request...restricted.
The Chief said that we have a long work list...to the point...I was gone!
Jumped in my Chevy and headed to Oklahoma...the state I dearly love.
Aw but ma told me to go back and fess up... so I did...I was U.A. for 30 days.
From almost getting frocked to E-4 I was busted from E-3 to E-2...
then back to E-1 while on restriction...it was six months before it was straight.
Now the old man didn't get away scott free mind you...thanks to Master Chief.
The XO finally had to report the old man and the master at arms had to handcuff him.
I watched him being led off the ship and thinking to myself that things really do come around.
Strange though...to this day I would like to find that old bearing and align it.
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Post by Deleted on May 27, 2015 12:29:28 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on May 27, 2015 15:47:34 GMT -5
Michael,
I'm so glad you shared your story with us. It's exactly why you are a hero to me and to so many others. You've given so much for all of us.
Thank God you had a great Master Chief. In my opinion, engineers and Master Chief's are the guys who run the Navy. Without them, it would all fall apart.
As for the old man, he deserved to be taken away in cuffs. You should have been capped and become the Petty Officer you deserved right then instead of being pushed down....he was trying to save his own behind ....there's no way he didn't cause that mess...and about got you killed in the process.
After hubby finished his sea duty in Norfolk, we were supposed to go to Spain...already had the transition packet but the CO of the ship was holding onto him until he finished complete documentation for the programming system he'd written while he was at sea. They'd decided it was so good that they instituted it Navy wide on all their ships. So while we were on "hold", BuPers (which was then in DC) needed someone who could actually program well so they searched and came up with his name and off we went to DC instead of Rota.
Talk about a top heavy place to work. Lots of officers who were looking to promote their careers near the Pentagon (which was down the hill), a civilian work force and then the enlisted guys who were doing so much of the work. My hubby is very good at what he does. When volcano's erupted overseas, he would pull out the names and locations of all military members and have a print out within two hours so an Admiral could fly there and make sure all members and dependents were accounted for and evacuated. When countries became unsafe for dependents stationed there, he did the same thing so they could be pulled out. While at BuPers, he wrote more programming which saved the government a quarter million (or so the award hanging on our wall says) just on one program he wrote and implemented.
It's not fighting and I thank, thank, thank those who are doing the dangerous work, but it kept our men and women and their dependents accounted for and saved big bucks that could then be spent for things that really needed to be provided for our own.
Because of what hubby did in the Navy (making a quarter of what he now makes in the civilian world doing the same work), my view of things is more logistical. And I'm telling you Michael, the old man you knew who was taken away in cuffs, dang well should have been. That's not how things are supposed to be run. We both know that.
As a sidenote: hubby went in as an E-2 since he already had his Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science. He was an E-6 within 5 years. Then we were just waiting for his enlistment to end because they'd already told him they wanted to create a civilian position for him at BuPers doing the same job he was doing as an E-6. They hired him as a GS-11 and then he was a GS-12 in another year I think. Maybe it was two years.
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Post by Deleted on May 28, 2015 11:54:21 GMT -5
Yes...Jo...The old man never came down into the engineering space...not once.
Seems that his love for the sea was much more than we thought.
He was having an affair with a corpsman and 2 others on board.
He was the highest ranking official in the history of the Navy to be
discharged dishonorably for homosexual conduct...as the main charge.
In hindsight...remembering him on top of the helo hanger riding his exercise
bike while wearing shorts and his cowboy hat..while the crew was at swim call.
We immediately got a new full bird Captain who cleaned house...in officers country.
The crew thought we were in for it...but he was after the officers...the zip lips.
He gave the crew max liberty...which in hindsight was a mistake.
When you have plenty of extra time to fight other ships crew members...we had to.
The fights usually started with hey...you from the love boat...or the sweaty eddy?
The new Captain said ...My name is RoarBack (ms)...and that is exactly what we are going to do!
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Post by Deleted on May 28, 2015 12:13:59 GMT -5
I really didn't know why...but we cruised to Bermuda and Puerto Rico probably five times in two months.
We would stop in the middle of the Caribbean and fish... bar b que and ...maybe the Captain would break out the beer.
Actually only one per crew member...a lot of sailors would toss them to the real drinkers.
It was fun...but not as fun as the smokers...the fighting ring set up on the fantail.
We had official ropes and gear and even made teams...we were the eliminators...I think.
Every afternoon...we had boxing on the fantail...it was fun to watch...and manage.
Myself and my friend lil Mike and Big Mike was the Eliminators of winning the ships smoker championship.
Bla...bla...the championship...Big Bear of Engineering vs The Snake of 1st Division.
The Snake was a real Boxer from the Bronx...Mike was a lumberjack from Washington.
The Snake was so quick that Mike could not keep up...The Snake couldn't knock Mike down.
I saw Mike double over...I thought the fight was over...he was untieing his gloves with his teeth.
When he got one glove off...the Snake slithered out of the ring...Mike won...not!
Seems that they have rules in boxing...Mike was disqualified...the Snake won...officially.
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Post by Deleted on May 28, 2015 12:17:00 GMT -5
I now know why Captain RoarBack did all of this.
Having Boxing matches onboard ...then giving us max liberty in places like Puerto Rico.
BTW...they are some toughies over there...ouch...still feel the pain.
But...when we hit homeport Mayport we were one single fighting machine.
All the departments were as one...word spread pretty fast on the beach.
It used to be...don't mess with an Eddy Mac Sailor...they will go cry.
It soon became... don't mess with an Eddy Mac Sailor...they will make you cry.
I later saw what a real Captain can do...all of the above.
He knew what we faced...we needed team work...throughout...we are as one.
He knew what we endured...and changed it into a totally different place.
From that point I went from E-1 to E6 flawlessly...until they did away with steam rates.
About these two different Captains...two different styles...I would have not learned this lesson first hand.
So thank you to both of these men on this Memorial day ...week...
It's still memorial day... isn't it...well it should be!!!
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