Visiting on board Naval Ships.....

[Gun Grape]

I'm sure I will miss a few.

I've been embarked on the following ships


USS Raleigh LPD-1
USS Dubuque LPD-8
USS Denver LPD-9
USS Trenton LPD-14
USS Ponce LPD-15

USS Saganaw LST 1188

USS Pensacolacola LSD-38
USS Guston Hall LSD-44
USS Carter Hall LSD-50

USS Guadalcanal LPH-7
USS Guam LPH-9

USS Saipan LHA-2
USS Nassau LHA-4

USS Wasp LHD-1
USS Kearsarge LHD-2

USS Guam LPH-9

I have visited the

USS North Carolina BB-55
USS Alabama BB-60
USS Drum SS-228
HMS Victory

USS Midway CV-41
USS Saratoga CV-60
USS TR CVN-71
USS Momson DDG-92
FSF-1

And various British, Greek, Turkish, Japanese and South Korean ships in joint operations.

Also a Kilo sub in Varna, Bulgaria. don't remember the name or number.

Hit the mess deck on whatever ship had an open gally and was serving chow at the pier In Norfolk, Coronada or Yokosuka (Normally a carrier)

Also spent some time on a Coast Guard ship picking up hatian refugees. Don't remember which one though.

[dundonrl]

the first Naval ship I stepped onboard was the USS Missouri BB 63 when I was about 5 or 6, when she was mothballed in Bremerton across from the New Jersey. (78 or 79)

USNS Flint,
USS Parche
USS Guitarro

USS Essex LHD 2
USS Jarrett
USS David R Ray
USS Constellation CV 64
USS Cleveland
JMSDF Kongo
USS Alaska
USS Momsen DDG 92
USS Constitution
USS Farragut DDG 99(well, the fantail of her, she was still in multiple parts under construction)
USS Bainbridge DDG 96(under construction)
USS Nitze DDG 94 (under construction)
ARC Almirante Padilla (Columbian Navy frigate)
HMCS Calgary (Canadian Navy frigate)
USS Pinckney DDG 91
USS Chung Hoon DDG 92
USS Halsey DDG 97


there's more but I can't remember them.. the Essex I was stationed onboard for 4 years 364 days and the Momsen I've been part of the crew since May 1 2003..

[dundonrl]

Originally Posted by Gun Grape

I'm sure I will miss a few.

USS Wasp LHD-1
USS Kearsarge LHD-2

USS Momson DDG-92

the Kearsarge is LHD 3, the Essex is LHD 2, and I'm curious when were you onboard the Momsen? (never mind, just saw that your in Panama City Florida.. where the Momsen was comissioned..

[Gun Grape]

Originally Posted by dundonrl

the Kearsarge is LHD 3, the Essex is LHD 2, and I'm curious when were you onboard the Momsen? (never mind, just saw that your in Panama City Florida.. where the Momsen was comissioned..

Your right, I should proof read. And its a shame that I messed that one up. Of the ships that I've been on, her crew was the most proud. It showed in the upkeep and they bent over backwards to make us embarked troops feel like a part of the crew.

Yes I was there at the commissioning of the Momsen.

If you don't mind, the local paper ran an article about the Momsen having low morale and lots of disipline problems. Something like the highest rate of Mast in the fleet.

How is she really? Was it the normal garbage from the Lazy Daily or is there
a inkling of truth to the story?

[dundonrl]

Originally Posted by Gun Grape

Your right, I should proof read. And its a shame that I messed that one up. Of the ships that I've been on, her crew was the most proud. It showed in the upkeep and they bent over backwards to make us embarked troops feel like a part of the crew.

Yes I was there at the commissioning of the Momsen.

If you don't mind, the local paper ran an article about the Momsen having low morale and lots of disipline problems. Something like the highest rate of Mast in the fleet.

How is she really? Was it the normal garbage from the Lazy Daily or is there
a inkling of truth to the story?

Well, we had some "fraternization" problems, and more than a few Chiefs were relieved etc because of it. Morale wasn't too big of a problem, since right after those incidents (I think it was about the time we got up here to Washington) we had reasonably large crew turn overs. We have a pretty happy ship for the most part, but right now she's a complete mess, since were going through a major yard (repair) period at NAVSTA Everett.

We also had some drug (marijuana) problems and took those people to mast (I'd guess half a dozen or so) booted them out and since then just a few random cases of stuff such as that...

[TopHatter]

Originally Posted by dundonrl

We also had some drug (marijuana) problems and took those people to mast (I'd guess half a dozen or so) booted them out and since then just a few random cases of stuff such as that...

Boy I'd just love to be serving on a warship alongside some fool who's just toked up

[Dreadnought]

Originally Posted by TopHatter

Boy I'd just love to be serving on a warship alongside some fool who's just toked up

Well TH, What better time walk up behind said sailor and give him/her a very in depth look at man overboard drills... And if said soggy sailor asks you may reply...I just wanted to make sure it was out.

[RAL's_pal?]

Originally Posted by TopHatter

Boy I'd just love to be serving on a warship alongside some fool who's just toked up

When working on the ships, various times on the 1MC, they'd announce "Drug testing for those with last names beginning with ---." You'd think it was random, but sometimes on the ships, they'd keep announcing the same last name letter every week, like they were trying to catch a specific person.

Also, I met a few sailors who "joined up" because a judge told them it was join the service or go to jail. I don't imagine someone who took the option of joining the military made a good sailor/soldier.

[RustyBattleship]

Originally Posted by RAL's_pal?

Also, I met a few sailors who "joined up" because a judge told them it was join the service or go to jail. I don't imagine someone who took the option of joining the military made a good sailor/soldier.

Actually that often works. When I first saw John (last name withheld) he was delivering laundry for Best Washington Cleaners to the ship's. I said to myself, "There is a loser if I ever saw one". He was an ex-Marine veteran of the Korean War - his squad didn't get off their hill fast enough as they called in their own artillery on advancing enemy - woke up in a hospital in Japan - an MIA was sent to his mother in Pennsylvania - later a KIA was sent.

He joined the Marines as a strong suggestion by his probation officer.

He was living as a hippie in Belmont Shore making a few bucks here and there doing some commercial artwork.

While delivering laundry to a ship a Quarterman (General Foreman) approached him and told him about the apprenticeship. Well, what could he lose? John applied and became an apprentice welder. After the apprenticeship he spent some time in the allowance section of design. Later he got a transfer to the fittings design section I was in. He was an excellent draftsman, though a tad slower than me a lot neater.

We car pooled together for years and climbed the advancement ladders up from GS 5 draftsmen to GS 11 Project Leaders. During that time he took extra night courses at college and got his BS in education. So he taught night courses in drafting at the nearby Junior College.

He later moved to the San Diego area and was promoted to GS 12. He retired about a year before I did. Though his wife passed away a few years ago he is still active and was one of my team members inspecting ship security systems for a year.

Not too shabby for a dead end kid from Allentown.

[RAL's_pal?]

Originally Posted by RustyBattleship

Actually that often works.

Ok, that was one story, where are the rest?

It's like the Summer Aids who eventually became regular yardbirds then became superivors. I don't think it "often" happened, but I know of one case and I'm sure there are more.

In both cases, I'd bet you a cup of coffee or whatever you're drinking these days, that it's more of an exception.

[glyn]

I understand the sentiments of RAL's pal but I have to go along with old Rusty. During my service I saw some bad lads who had been directed into the services by the magistrates. Most served the minimum 3 years engagement and left for civililian life. I am certain they were much improved characters on leaving. In most cases they had never been subjected to discipline or teamwork at home. Some few found the service so agreeable they made a full career of it. Interestingly they were the ones with leadership qualities. Possibly they were gang leaders before, but they provided a few instances of 'poachers turned into gamekeepers' as they became disciplinarians. You could call them genuine khaki blooded types and they provided good value to the service. Probably they were helped by the fact that the British Army runs the Regimental system. The regiment becomes the family.

[RAL's_pal?]

Originally Posted by glyn

Most served the minimum 3 years engagement and left for civililian life. I am certain they were much improved characters on leaving.

I have a lot of change to buy coffee, more examples?

[RustyBattleship]

Originally Posted by RAL's_pal?

I have a lot of change to buy coffee, more examples?

I'd be buying coffee too. It's true John was one of the few exceptions. But he had good advice from Ted Batt who convinced him to apply for the apprenticeship. Ted used to be a prison guard before coming to the shipyard and had a very loud and authoritive voice. But he was always working with the apprentices and making sure they got the right education rather than just running back and forth to the tool crib for the mechanic. He must have seen something in John that told him he would be a good candidate for a turn around in life.

And he was right.

[wabpilot]

Stationed aboard three ships: USS Franklin D. Roosevelt, USS Saratoga and USS Nimitz. Passed over, or boarded probably a quarter of the surface fleet at one time or another. In addition I trapped aboard several other US carriers and HMS Ark Royal and Foch. I was on a NATO inspection team that went aboard Ark Royal in 1977. We found her to be in acceptable material condition. Considering her age and status, we were amazed.

Much later in my career, my airline got a contract to train a bunch of Aeroflot pilots on the 737. They seemed amazed at the small crew size we were using. I was amazed that they would use a five man crew on what amounted to a local flight. A few years ago, I got to visit Russia and was the guest of one of the Aeroflot pilots I trained. He took me to a Russian air base where I was given the grand tour, including some stick time in a Su-27. I was impressed with the plane's fit and finish. So many Soviet built aircraft were crude machines. To be fair, the Su-27 I got to fly was nearly new, with fewer than 200 hours logged, and it was built in the post-soviet era. It was not up to our standards, but it was quite good. Performance wise, it was what I had been lead to expect. Very maneuverable, and well behaved. (That is a requirement of the Russian Air Force these days because they don't get many hours.) I expect that a minor air force or even a major non-NATO ally could safely operate Su-27s. They really are not much good for NATO allies, except for DACT.

[hardened steel]

In Mayport, I visited the Saratoga and Forrestal, and over time a Destroyer or two, but as I'm getting older the names aren't as vivid anymore.....