SEA STORIES & OTHER LIES

APRIL 25, 2008

Author: Richard Hickey (FTG3 1961-64)

My first trip to Subic Bay was on the troop ship (MSTS) Gen. Patrick.
About 20 enlisted men off loaded there to wait for our ships, mostly
those of the Pineapple Fleet, DesRon 25, home ported at Pearl. The Navy
couldn't tell us exactly where the fleet was because of the 'cold war'
blackout of ship movements. Ha. Only the Commies knew where they were.
So we ended up at a barracks on the base.

Most of us were just out of boot camp. We had a couple non-coms and a
chief. They had two lists to sign at the barracks, one for getting paid,
the other for assigning bunks and duty. Well of course I signed the one
to get paid, and pretended to sign the duty roster. There were plenty of
spare bunks to choose from. So the next morning I wasn't even roused for
reveille. I got up around 7:30 or so, I just put on my whites and headed
for the mess hall. If anybody asked I just told them I had mess hall
duty. Oh you poor guy, they would say. Meantime the rest were put on
grounds cleanup around the base.

I had won some poker money from some grunts on the troop ship, so I had
about $80. I spent sometime at the EM club after it opened, and met some
of the guys stationed there. We would go over the "bridge" to Olongopo
around 4:pm. There was hardly anybody in town because the fleet was out.
About half the bars were closed, and those that were open were so glad
to see a swab the girls would buy me beer. The 'other' things they had
for 'sale' were half price. Not bad. I even got the "locals" price to
see the movie. (about 20 cents) The "girls" would take me on tours
during the day in the jitneys.

After about five days of this, the commander of the floating dry dock
requisitioned us two stripers to chip and paint the dry dock. It was
floating high, no ships in port, or in her. Even I got caught in this
one. We took our gear and were assigned the bunks in the narrow
passageway that was the crews quarters. There were about 8 of us. In the
morning we were lowered to a camel tied up at the bow of the dry dock,
while the two bosons sat up on deck and told us how dumb we were. They
would lower us tools, chippers, hammers and chide us to work hard under
that hot sun, while they sipped coffee under the canvas awning. At noon
the 3rd class boson would get lowered down in the boson's chair and take
a look at our progress. He'd cuss us up one side and down the other for
being stupid, slow, lazy and generally fatherless. Fortunately, for the
Navy and us, that only lasted 2 days.
Orders came and we packed up and got on a Navy bus and headed to Sangly
Point. There we got on a Navy DC 7 transport (I don't know the military
version) and flew to Hong Kong. Actually the airport is in Kowloon. So
now the American Embassy had to issue us passports so we could get
through customs. That took a couple hours. There was an officer and some
marine mp's waiting for us at the gate when we got through customs, and
they kindly demanded back our passports. We were then herded to the dock
were we boarded an LST. We felt like we were going to land at Normandy
Beach. It took us to a Navy Supply ship in the middle of the channel. We
were told that our ships would be coming in "soon", (the next day) so we
couldn't have liberty that night. We would have to wait until we had the
"While on Liberty in Hong Kong Lesson". Next morning we got into a ships
whale boat and rocked and rolled to the fantail of the USS Carpenter DD
825. We were helped aboard, tossing our sea bags over and climbing over
the screw guards. The "Liberty in Hong Kong" talk was delivered by First
Class Gunners Mate Shultz. He said, "Don't get tattoos, and only 'date'
girls with white sox". That was it! We went on liberty!

Richard Hickey

AUTHOR:  LOU "SMITTY" SMITH (QM3 1950-52)

My Sea Story:

I went aboard the Carpenter on June 19, 1950. We got underway for a goodwill tour of South America, the West Coast then to our new home port of, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

We were standing off the Atlantic side of the Panama Cannel the day before the Korean War started. Everything changed and we were ordered to proceed with all hast to Pearl Harbor right away. We took on live ammo and stores and stayed there conducting "ASW and Roast Beef" drills for over a year.

We first went to Yokosuka, Japan; off the North Coast of Korea; Sasebo, Japan; "China Formosa Patrol", with stops in Okinawa; Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Hong Kong; then back to Korea. I left the ship in Taiwan on May 3, 1952.

I have a letter of Commanding Officers Commendation; date March 23, 1952, to me from Capt. Elward Baldridge, as special sea detail helmsman. We were off the coast of Wonsan.
 

Lou "Smitty" Smith