Greetings shipmates. Is anyone out there who was aboard through mid 1963?
Hi Bill. I did a lot of sea watches as helmsman, and recall your last name but don't remember whether we ran into each other on the bridge or not. You were probably hanging out higher topside.
Photos might not help much - I didn't have a mostly white beard then. Went to MT, then ET school from DDG-5, then on to SubLant -- all in a 4 year hitch. I never worked the flags, but have done a fair amount of CW and signal lights. What was DDG-5's 4 letter flag call? I was aboard NWVC (LST-325) during a WW2 memorial cruise up the East coast and back in 2005 (as radio - electronics support) and got to hoist the signal flags a few times on that cruise. Get's windy topside.
It's still up in the air as to whether I can take time off to go to the reunion. Are you planning to be there, and do you know whether any other members of the 1962-63 crew are going?
Hi Bill,
I went on board at New York Shipbuilding in 1960 and transferred off for discharge just after the ship returned from Montreal in 1963. Served as a missle tech (MT3) and spent a lot of time in CIC practicing on the PPI scope, my station during test firings. Have bunches of slides taken during the shakedown cruises and other that I hope to find time to scan to digital and upload.
Gene Bals, MT3
Eugene and all,
Eugene - you were aboard same time as I (except I was just on 6 month duty waiting for my school)- right after Montreal I went to Dam Neck for MT school. Since I was Polaris designated, they asked me to add 2 years to my 4 year hitch in order to stay in MT school (new policy for Polaris designated MTs that started with my class). I declined, and was sent to ET"A" school shortly thereafter. Then off to New London (Subase).
I guess you were a Tartar specialist. Our exercises with those were pretty much a key focus while I was aboard. You probably went ashore, as I did, at Rosie Roads and the 10th Naval District in San Juan. And with the shake-down operations, we went in and out of Gitmo a few times. Montreal was a treat - I spent time there with some fraternity brothers and local girls and really enjoyed it. Remember when the NYC harbor pilot tapped the pier with our bow? I think that was on our way up to the St. Lawrence seaway.
Best regards, tom pendarvis(deckforce on Biddle - later ET2 in SubLant)