Memories Popeye's Sea Stories

[bdpopeye]

I remember that first night inport in Yokosuka aboard Midway. We could not go off base until 2130(9:30pm) because there was a big demonstration in Yokosuka against the homeporting of CVA-41. At that time the Japanese protesters were very orderly. There was no violence what so ever. Just noisy protesters. The protest was over at 2100 and the protest broke up right on schedule.

I remember wandering around the Honcho in Yokosuka . It all seemed so strange to me have been a MED sailor aboard the JFK.

That first night I ran into a shipmate that I went to Boot Camp with..it was our RPOC (recruit Petty Officer in Charge) . He was waiting to be sent back to the states. He was a bosun mate and had fallen off the USS Oklahoma City (CGL-5) and severely broken his back. He was considered disabled and was being medically retired.

That was nearly 45 years ago. My how time flies.

USS Oklahoma City was the Seventh Fleet Flagship in those days 45 years ago. ..Man we were jealous of her becaue they hit so many ports..They were the ship selected to show the flag. They were always going places were the natives were friendly..like Manila, Busan, Keelung, Pattaya Beach..etc..etc..Heck they even took a junket to Guam...

On Midway we went to Keelung, Taiwan but got no liberty. Why? At that time the harbor was not deep enough for us to anchor close in. So where we anchored was a 45 minute boat ride into shore. According to the word past no ferry could be hired to take the crew on liberty..cost too much...so we were told....so we went to Subic instead!...then on to Hong Kong...sweet!

back in the day.. long before most of you Padawans were born...

 

[bdpopeye]

USS Oklahoma City (CG 5) as she appeared in the late 70s..Flagship for the 7th Fleet.. She was affectionately know as the "Okie Boat"..



Okie Boat.. History and facts

Back in the day we brothers had this ditty we sang..

"we da' seventh fleet...the seventh fleet..and we can't be beat!...we can't be beat!...we da' seventh fleet"

....back in da' day long before most of you were born....

 

[Bombardier]

USS Midway (CV-41) awards... Midway had some serious "fruit salad"..



During Desert Storm Midways Carrier Air Wing FIVE with only two catapults aboard Midway launched more sorties against the Iraqis individually than , USS John F Kennedy, USS America ,USS Ranger, USS Saratoga & USS Theodore Roosevelt...

I also got the last two medals but as it was not issued by the Queen we are not allowed to wear them, we did get an official medal awarded though

 

[bdpopeye]

I also got the last two medals but as it was not issued by the Queen we are not allowed to wear them, we did get an official medal awarded though

In the US Military you can wear any medal/ribbon no matter what nation issued stated medal/ribbon. Of course the medal had to be awarded to the service member.

=================================================================

I Big Daddy Popeye served aboard USS John F Kennedy (CVA 67) from March 24th 1972 until 1 August 1973. I worked in the Missile magazines as a member of AM(Air Missile division). I then worked as a member of G division hangar deck crew during my second deployment aboard JFK in 1973. We handled weapons through the hangar going to the flight deck.

JFK 1972 MED cruise

During the balance of 1972, John F. Kennedy, with CVW-1 embarked (VA-34, VA-46, and VA-72, VF-14 and VF-32, RVAH-14, VAW-125, a VAQ-135 detachment, and Detachment 67 of HC-2) conducted operations in the Med during a period of relative stability in the international scene. The ship and her air wing took part in a succession of exercises: PhiblEx 8-72 (9-10 January), National Week XII (6-9 February) (during the commencement of which A-7 jet blast blew Hospitalman 2d Class Curcuru over the side); Quickdraw (20-21 February), Dawn Patrol (4-9 may), Operation Red Eye (with Spanish forces, 26 May-1 June), and National Week XIII (17-20 July), interspersed with port calls that included Naples, Athens, Corfu, Thessaloniki, Rhodes, Genoa, Cannes, Barcelona, Palma de Majorca, Malaga, Gaeta, Italy, Golfo di Palma, Augusta Bay, Izmir, Turkey, La Maddalena, Sardinia, and Rota. On 8 April 1972, Lord Balniel, UK Minister of State for Defense visited John F. Kennedy. That same day, Aviation Structural Mechanic (Safety Equipment) 3d Class Mark W. Raymond of VA-34 died in an A-6 canopy accident. Two days later, the carrier hosted Operation Rivets, the retirement ceremony for Admiral Horacio (“Rivets”) Rivero.

Only five days after the canopy accident that claimed the life of Aviation Structural Mechanic (Safety Equipment) 3d Class Raymond, an A-6 crashed during a conventional ordnance exercise on 13 April 1972, and a search and rescue effort ensued for Lieutenant (j.g.)s William T. Hackman and David L. Douglas, without success. Two days later, however, debris from the missing Intruder was sighted near the Avgo Nisi target range.

CVW-1 lost three more aircraft (two from VA-72) before the year was out. The first was an A-7 (BuNo 154386) to hydraulic failure on 20 May 1972, with Lieutenant Bernard J. Hedger, from VA-72, being rescued by an HH-2D flown by Lieutenants LeRoy E. Hays and Roy E. Hey, with Aviation Structural Mechanic (Structures) 3d Class F. L. Barthold and Aviation Machinist’s Mate (Jet Engine Mechanic) 3d Class G. H. Trouton, as crew. The second was an HH-2DSeasprite (Angel 013) to a lost tail rotor on 11 June, its four-man crew (Lieutenants Larry E. Crume and James R. Palmquist, Aviation Machinist’s Mate (Jet Engine Mechanic) 3d Class Kent D. Swedberg and Aviation Structural Mechanic (Safety Equipment) Airman Richard F. Diaz) being rescued by Angel 010 flown by Lieutenants Hays and James C. Harrison, with Aviation Machinist’s Mates (Jet Engine Mechanic) 2d Class David T. Warmkessel and James C. McDonald as crew. The third was another Corsair (Decoy 401) due to a stall spin, on 27 June, with Lieutenant (j.g.) Newton R. Gaines, also of VA-72, being rescued by Angel 010 (Lieutenant Palmquist and Lieutenant Commander Lawrence B. Kauffman, with Swedberg and McDonald as crew), with British guided missile destroyer HMS Antrim providing wind velocity data to the inbound helo.

From 14-28 September 1972, John F. Kennedy participated in NATO Exercise Strong Express. During that time, on 17 September, she crossed the Arctic Circle for the first time and received a visit, on 19 September, by Secretary of the Navy John Warner and General Robert E. Cushman, Jr., USMC, the Commandant of the Marine Corps. Another notable event that occurred during those operations was the cross-decking of an F-4K Phantom II and a Hawker-Siddeley Buccaneer IIB from HMS Ark Royal to John F. Kennedyand an F-4B and an A-6 to the British carrier, an evolution that “increased the flexibility of air operations in allied efforts and opened the door to increased efficiency in combat conditions and strategic concepts.” Flight deck crews having been exchanged prior to the evolution ensured that those involved encountered “no major difficulties.” During the same period, John F. Kennedy, operating in the North Sea, cross-decked four A-7s to Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA-42) operating in the Mediterranean at the time, and received a like number of Corsairs from Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Upon the conclusion of Strong Express, John F. Kennedy proceeded to Norfolk, arriving on 6 October 1972. The next day, she went “cold iron” until 31 October. On 1 November, the ship conducted a fast cruise, then shifted to Portsmouth to begin eight weeks of restricted availability at Norfolk Naval Shipyard. During that yard period, that saw the rework of the catapult water brakes, repairs to weapons elevators, installation of modifications to enable the ship to handle the EA-6B, and the installation of four new salt water cooling pumps, among other items, the carrier also underwent a change of command when Captain John C. Dixon, Jr. relieved Captain Gormley on 30 November 1972.

 

[bdpopeye]

I was aboard JFK for part of her 1973 MED cruise. I departed the ship in Palma Mallorca SP on August 1st 1973.

JFK 1973 MED cruise

Emerging from her overhaul(sey what? 2 months in the shipyard do not make an overhaul!) on 5 January 1973, John F. Kennedy, earmarked to deploy to Southeast Asia, worked-up in the Virginia capes operating areas, but during her 8-17 February in-port period received word that, in the wake of the Paris peace accords, she would deploy to the Med in April instead of the western Pacific in March. The carrier then began her ORI with flight operations off the Virginia capes and down off the Florida coast, including operations against the Pinecastle, Florida, target range. On the first launch of the day on 17 February, a division of Intruders from VA-46 sank its quarry, ex-Meade (DD-602). Soon thereafter, the ship visited Mayport, Florida (20 February) before returning to Norfolk on 22 February. She remained in port until she participated in Exercise Exotic Dancer VI (28 March – 4 April).

John F. Kennedy departed Norfolk on 16 April 1973 and dropped anchor at Rota on 25 April, relieving Intrepid (CVS-11). The next day, she hosted Spanish Prince Juan Carlos and Princess Sophia, during which visit the 35-year old heir apparent to the Spanish throne commented upon not only the complexity of carrier operations, but the cleanliness of the ship in which he was embarked. CVW-1 performed an air show for the royal guests and then the ship got underway for the Strait of Gibraltar.

John F. Kennedy spent the next five months of 1973 operating with the 6th Fleet, her port visits including Barcelona and Palma, Formia, Italy, Augusta Bay, Gaeta, Souda Bay, Rhodes, Athens, and Livorno. Her period of routine operations, exercises, and underway replenishments, was punctuated by the ship losing her 301-ton starboard anchor (and 180 fathoms of chain) at Cannes on 1 June. She regained it, with the help of the salvage vessel Opportune (ARS-41) a week later. At Palma on 2 September, John F. Kennedy’s fire and rescue detail extinguished an engine room fire on board a nearby yacht.

 

[bdpopeye]

I served aboard USS Midway (CVA 41) from 17 August 1973 until 1 August 1974. I worked for GM (Guided Missile Division) The first four or five months or so I was aboard I worked in the missile magazines. For my remaining time aboard I worked on the Flight deck. My job was to keep track of every missile loaded on aircraft and stored in the bomb farm..ahH..missiles have serial numbers.

I cannot find a full history for CV-41 but I did find this for the time that I was aboard.

From wiki;

Yokosuka, Japan, marking the first forward-deployment of a complete carrier task group in a Japanese port, the result of an accord arrived at on 31 August 1972 between the U.S. and Japan. The move allowed sailors to live with their families when in port; more strategically, it allowed three carriers to stay in the Far East even as the economic situation demanded the reduction of carriers in the fleet.

from http://navysite.de/cvn/cv41.htm

Evening of October 22nd 1973...An SH-3G helicopter assigned to HC-1 crashes off MIDWAY's bow on take-off for an SAR mission. All three crew on board are killed. The helicopter was supposed to get underway to the crash site of two other MIDWAY aircraft that had a mid-air collision. Involved in the mid-air collision were an A-7A (VA-56) and an EA-6A (VMCJ-1). This collision killed all three crew of the aircraft involved.

While aboard Midway we visited these ports;
Yokosuka Japan (Home port)
Pearl Harbor HI (2)
Subic Bay RP (2)
Hong Kong BCC..no offense intended but it was under British rule at that time.
Busan ROK

Frank Sinatra performed aboard the ship on 5 July 1973.

I don't remember the dates but Midway was unable to maneuver in a very dense fog off the coast of northern Japan for about three days.

In the short year I was aboard CVA-41 11 shipmates were killed. Six of them died on October 22nd 1973. After those accidents that evening the ship immediately returned to Yokosuka for a safety stand-down. I remember being in port for 21 days.

 

[bdpopeye]

My first ship..


USS John F Kennedy (CVA 67) Photo taken in 1972. I was aboard. I served aboard JFK from March 24 1972 until August 1st 1973. Funny how a person remembers those dates.

My second ship..

USS Midway(CVA 41) Photo taken circa 1972. I served aboard Midway from August 17th 1973 until August 1st 1974.

My third ship..


USS Hancock(CVA 19) photo taken in 1975. I served aboard Fightin' Hanna from August 15 1974 to August the 8th 1975.

 

[bdpopeye]

I was stationed at NAS Cubi PT Republic of the Philippines from August 1975 until October 1977. I'm not sure but it was perhaps in late '76 or early '77 we saw an A-&E Corsair II crash at Cubi.

It was on a Friday if I remember correctly we we standing around waiting for our paychecks. For some reason they were late that day. This is before direct deposit. Anyway our shop was on a hill and overlooked the runway. VA-56 & VA-93 were at Cubi Pt transitioning from A-7Bs to the E model. Those squadrons were assigned to CVW-5 aboard Midway in Japan. Why the transition did not take place in Japan I'll never know

So we were tooling around mumbling and grumbling watching the A-7s do touch and go's. We saw a stray A-7 pummeling from the sky. We were told he was going about 550 knots. Just before he hit the ground the pilot ejected. He landed safely ..sort of. He broke both his legs. When the plane hit the ground is was disintegrated. There was not a piece of that aircraft that wasn't shredded. The fire was quickly extinguished.

 

[bdpopeye]

Much is made now-a-days of long separation due to military deployments and the problems that can occur. Back in '82 after our(VS-33) '81 deployment on the America we had an Jet Mech AD3 FM that wanted to re-enlist. He was a tall quiet kid that just did his job. He had a lot of problems with his wife during and after the deployment. Bottom line is she wanted him to get out of the USN and move back to Pennsylvania ..I think. And he wanted to ship over. She hated the USN and he loved it.

Bottom line is one day she came to the squadron while we were shore based at NASNI just to give him a ration of crap. She left in a huff. Got in her old station wagon and tried to run him over while he was standing next to the street side entrance to the hangar. She missed. She had crashed her car into the hangar. She got out in a tirad proceed to beat AD3 FM about the head and shoulders with her fist..security was summoned along with others and she was arrested. Dunno what happened to her. I'd like to say he dumped her crazy butt and shipped over..but know he stuck with her and then got out of the Navy..

*****************************************************************************************

Something that younger sailors don't know.. until about 1977 or so at sea the USN paid in cash. Except on the JFK which was the first USN ship to pay by check.

Anyway to get paid in cash they had these pay chits(slips).

You simply filled it out. You could write any amount in as long as you did not exceed the amount you were owed. The cash you did not withdraw was "left on the books". Kinda a neat way to save a little money...without interest of course. I know on the Hanna I missed several paydays because I was still on liberty in the PI and did not want to go all the way back to the ship to get changed just to get paid when I had plenty of cash.

That reminds me..on Hanna and Midway we always had payday just before we pulled into port as longs as pay day was at least a week away. That is a nutshell of the way the USN would pay you before all this electronic wizardry of the last 30+ years or so ago.

On Midway were were in Busan in April of 1974. The ship hadd get underway because of a heavy storm stranding about 2500 Midway sailors in Busan! The US Army has a base on Busan and the word was past muster up on the base and you will get paid! And pay us they did! Our regular pay was flown from Midway just a few miles out to sea and SH-3G Sea king helo flew our pay in. I think our pay was limited to $50 ot $100 bucks. Something like that. The next day the same thing happened. I did not get any pay. I did not need it. Finally on the third day Midway returned to Busan. We got back to the ship. I figured those shipmates that got stuck on Midway would get relieved and go ashore. Nope. The duty sections weren't changed at all! So I took a shower grabbed some cash from my locker and went on liberty again in Busan ROK...can you say Texas street?..44 years ago when all my body parts worked without the aid of modern pharmaceuticals.

ps..in '74 Busan was known as Pusan..look it up!

 

[bdpopeye]

I also served aboard USS America(CV 66) in 1981 as part of CVW-11 . I was assigned to VS-33 an S-3A squadron out of NAS North Island in San Diego...mostly we just dropped sonobouys..

VS-33 Screwbirds S-3A Viking firing Zuni rockets near Fallon NV..late 1980.



I'm not 100% sure but I think the top photo is from the first transit and the bottom is from the second transit.
USS America (CV 66) transiting the Suez canal in 1981. We were the first carrier to transit the Suez sine 1966 when Intrepid made the journey.

from wiki;
Originally scheduled to have commenced her transit of the Suez Canal on 5 May, the tense situation in Lebanon prompted a 24-hour "hold" on the evolution. Given the go-ahead soon after, America made the 104.5 mi (168.2 km) transit on 6 May, in ten hours – the first United States Navy carrier to steam through the Suez Canal since Intrepid had made the passage shortly before the Arab-Israeli "Six-Day War" of 1967. It was also the first "super-carrier" to transit the canal since it had been modified to permit passage of supertankers.

And;
On 21 October 1981, America commenced the northbound transit of the Suez Canal. This transit, unlike the comparatively light-hearted one of 6 May, proved more tense. As a result of the unsettled conditions in Egypt following the 6 October 1981 assassination of President Anwar Sadat, the Egyptian government accorded America's passage through the Suez Canal the utmost security considerations. The Egyptian Navy provided a patrol vessel to escort the carrier, while an Egyptian Air Force helicopter conducted reconnaissance flight over both banks of the waterway. Egyptian Army units patrolled the adjacent canal roads. Additionally, liaison officers on board the carrier maintained constant touch with the security forces by radio.

Making the passage of the canal without incident, America continued on across the Mediterranean, reaching Palma on 25 October. After a three-day port call, the carrier conducted exercises with Spanish forces, and subsequently sailed for home on 1 November, departing the Mediterranean the following day. She arrived at Norfolk on 12 November.

 

[bdpopeye]

I served aboard USS Nimitz(CVN 68) in 1991 as a part of CVW-9 assigned to SEAOPDET 9 NAS Miramar, San Diego CA. I was assigned to AIMD(Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department) Paraloft.


Nimitz performing a high speed turn ..circa 1990.


The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68) underway. The Nimitz, with assigned Carrier Air Wing 9 (CVW-9), was deployed to the Western Pacific and the Indian Ocean from 25 February to 24 August 1991.

 

[bdpopeye]

Some time ago someone asked me "had I'd ever made a cat shot or arrested landing?". The answer is yes.

OCT. 1972...deck launched off the JFK in a C-1 Trader COD.

FEB 1981....Flew off America in a CH-53 Sea Dragon to fly into Roosevelt Roads PR to load training torpedoes on one of my squadrons S-33A Viking.

FEB 1981...made an arrested landing aboard America in a C-1A Trader COD piloted by this woman;

Lt. JG Brenda Robinson of VRC-40

As part of the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation’s Discovery Saturday series and in recognition of Women’s History Month, please join aviation pioneer Brenda Robinson, the first black woman to earn her wings of gold as a Naval Aviator. The event is scheduled for 10 a.m., Saturday, March 28 at the National Naval Aviation Museum.

In 1979, Robinson was the 59th female to enter naval flight training program, the 42nd female, and the first black female to earn her wings in 1980. She was also one of the first women to make aircraft carrier landings in 1981. From a young age, Robinson was interested in all things aviation and worked hard to pursue her dream in aviation. Her pioneering spirit helped her achieve many firsts including the first black female to graduate with an Aeronautics degree from Dowling College and the first black female to graduate from the U.S. Navy’s Aviation Officers Candidate School.

August 1991....I was cat shot off Nimitz in a S-3A COD from VRC-50 known as Miss Piggy to Bahrain as the start of my journey back to San Diego for my Navy retirement.

 

[BravoZulu]

Never had a cat shot, I was always a destroyer man through and through however, I did manage to get a helo landing and take off to USS Ranger at RimPAC 86, great ride! Spent a week onboard as a searider and loved it...all except the food, ours was much better although I gotta say I loved the burger line in the messdeck

 

[Bombardier]

Never been a naval guy, my uncle was in the Royal Navy during WW2 and saw action at Normandy and Italy. Naval photos and films always seem to stir some good feeling inside me though, not sure why

 

[VA195Dambuster]

Back on the America we had a kid in VS-33 we called "buffer face" because of his Nordic blond beard. He had a very attractive wife. He was always showing pics of her telling everyone how great she was. One day he got a dear John letter from her. Dude went berserk. I got a phone call in my shop to go over to the avionics shop on the port side of the 03 level. I trotted over there this guy had run out of the shop and was out on the gallery deck right under the flight deck and was threatening to jump off the ship in the dead of night. He then jumped upon the life rafts which hang off the gallery deck railing... and was screaming his guts out. Another first class grabbed his leg and wrestled him down as wee distracted him.. By then medical was up there with a Stokes litter. Then stuffed him in that thing. Took his nutty butt down to sick bay. We saw him again about a week later down in the berthing compartment(coup). He was no longer permitted to go on the flight deck or work on aircraft. So he was stuck with coup cleaning. The Chaplin sent out a message and his wife was contacted. And his wife really dumped him. He calmed down after that..

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I was also stationed on Diego Garcia,,British Indian Ocean Territory in the Indian Ocean. Dodge as we called it was a very close knit group of folks when I was there from July '85 til July '86. Great sailors.

I got so tired of ridin' those stikin' buses to work every day..yikes...I actually looked forward to having duty so I could have a truck to drive around. I think I was ACOD..Assistant Command Duty Officer. Our main job as ACOD was to joy ride in the truck..oopppss.. Eerr I mean assist the CDO and pick up newbies at the air terminal. A job, that if a person was so inclined, (I was not) had certian advantages.

All those C-5s and C-141s commin' and going everyday reminded me of the beginning of the movie "Casablanca". When you see that old DC-3 taking off. You knew that sooner or later to get off that rock you had to rely on those zoomies of the USAF to go home.

I was on that cruise in 1981 USS America attached to VA 195/CVW11. I was an airframes squadron trouble shooter and worked on the flight deck. That same guy tried to jump off the bow one night. I found him up there holding a letter in his hand and wanting to jump! I talked him out of it and he was reported to flight deck control. They removed him from the deck and that was the last time I seen him up there. Dam, small world!

 

[Bombardier]

Dam, small world!

Sure is mate, glad to have you aboard.

 

[VA195Dambuster]

Back on the America we had a kid in VS-33 we called "buffer face" because of his Nordic blond beard. He had a very attractive wife. He was always showing pics of her telling everyone how great she was. One day he got a dear John letter from her. Dude went berserk. I got a phone call in my shop to go over to the avionics shop on the port side of the 03 level. I trotted over there this guy had run out of the shop and was out on the gallery deck right under the flight deck and was threatening to jump off the ship in the dead of night. He then jumped upon the life rafts which hang off the gallery deck railing... and was screaming his guts out. Another first class grabbed his leg and wrestled him down as wee distracted him.. By then medical was up there with a Stokes litter. Then stuffed him in that thing. Took his nutty butt down to sick bay. We saw him again about a week later down in the berthing compartment(coup). He was no longer permitted to go on the flight deck or work on aircraft. So he was stuck with coup cleaning. The Chaplin sent out a message and his wife was contacted. And his wife really dumped him. He calmed down after that..

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I was also stationed on Diego Garcia,,British Indian Ocean Territory in the Indian Ocean. Dodge as we called it was a very close knit group of folks when I was there from July '85 til July '86. Great sailors.

I got so tired of ridin' those stikin' buses to work every day..yikes...I actually looked forward to having duty so I could have a truck to drive around. I think I was ACOD..Assistant Command Duty Officer. Our main job as ACOD was to joy ride in the truck..oopppss.. Eerr I mean assist the CDO and pick up newbies at the air terminal. A job, that if a person was so inclined, (I was not) had certian advantages.

All those C-5s and C-141s commin' and going everyday reminded me of the beginning of the movie "Casablanca". When you see that old DC-3 taking off. You knew that sooner or later to get off that rock you had to rely on those zoomies of the USAF to go home.

I was on that cruise in 1981 USS America attached to VA 195/CVW11. I was an airframes squadron trouble shooter and worked on the flight deck. That same guy tried to jump off the bow one night. I found him up there holding a letter in his hand and wanting to jump! I talked him out of it and he was reported to flight deck control. They removed him from the deck and that was the last time I seen him up there. Dam, small world!

 

[bdpopeye]

I was on that cruise in 1981 USS America attached to VA 195/CVW11. I was an airframes squadron trouble shooter and worked on the flight deck. That same guy tried to jump off the bow one night. I found him up there holding a letter in his hand and wanting to jump! I talked him out of it and he was reported to flight deck control. They removed him from the deck and that was the last time I seen him up there. Dam, small world!

Welcome aboard VA195Dambuster! Great to have a shipmate here...I bet the incident you describe happened after he was on the liferafts. The man was heartbroken over his wife dumping him. I can't remember what ever happened to him.

 

[VA195Dambuster]

A story about them Russian fellas...

I served during the Cold War. The Russians watched the US..the US watched Russia. This was really true at sea. There was always a Russian ship trailing the JFK, America, Hancock or Midway...By the time I got on the Nimitz that all had ceased.

Usually it was a Russian trawler. Sometimes Soviet aircraft would over fly us always accompanied by F-4s or Tomcats.

The first time I saw some Soviet sailors up close and personal was in Barcelona SP in May 1972. We were anchored out. We hadda take a liberty boat to go on liberty. we went on liberty and after a while we found our way near the port services and low and behold a Soviet trawler and destroyer or frigate was tied up. We decided we would try to take a tour of said vessels but those Russians did not allow visitors in 1972. Those Russian mates were not allowed off the ship. Too bad so sad! So they just sat in port twiddling their thumbs and doing the five knuckle shuffle all the while we Americans were partying our butts off. No foolin'!! As we walked away from the ships some Russian sailors were gesturing to us to get them some kind of booze and marijuana or hashish and of course porn. Shame shame shame... we felt sorry for those mates. but what could we do? I did hear a tale later that some fine JFK sailors tossed them a satchel full of goodies in the still of the night.

no foolin'!

...Back to the America. During our deployment on CV-66 in '81 we had only 40 days liberty in those 10 months. At least two weeks before the 7 month real deployment we (VS-33) got to stay at home in San Diego with our families.

The cruise was a real drag simply because of a lack of liberty. Oh we got to go to Palma Spain..twice and Singapore also Perth Australia. During our initial work ups we got to go to St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands. But between those times we spent many, many a day at sea. Out longest at sea period was about 70 days. I could be wrong. I know we had three beer days. Back then in '81 the USN experiment with having beer on ship after you went 45 consecutive days at sea. Everyone was allotted two beers. Some of us got more than two. I know the last beer day before we arrived in Palma the second time I had 7 beers.

Bottom line is that drudgery of being at sea day after day in the Indian Ocean leads to boredom. And boredom leaves to mischief.

I worked in VS-33 WC 230 as night check supervisor. One night I was in the G Division Bomb Elevator shop and one of the airmen in that shop told me that the aft lower stage bomb elevators were in bad shape and only one was working. And the ship had sent out a request to Subic Bay to send out some shipyard workers to repair those elevators. Really? I says. I'm thinking too bad we just don't go to Subic to get those elevators fixed. I got back to my shop and was shooting the breeze about this and we then came up with the idea to change the story around and start a rumor that the ship had to go to Subic Bay to get "some" elevators fixed. Just above our shop which was on the 02 level was a workcenter full of grapes. Aviation Boatswain mates fuel. They fuel aircraft and smelled like fuel. Them fellas bust ass..We kinda sorta told them in a casual way. Next our airmen were on the mess decks spreading rumors through casual conversation about going to Subic. The Mess Decks is a great place to start a rumor on any ship. MDI (Mess Deck Intelligence) will spread any rumor good or bad. In a few short hours the rumor was all over the ship. Some how or another bomb elevators had changed to aircraft elevators..Anyway that evening in the 8 o'clock reports the word was past that the ship was not going to Subic for any sort of repairs. Trust me rumors good or bad travel fast at sea..

USS America beer day 1981.

Welcome aboard VA195Dambuster! Great to have a shipmate here...I bet the incident you describe happened after he was on the liferafts. The man was heartbroken over his wife dumping him. I can't remember what ever happened to him.

I was told it was his 2nd attempt at it. Even after he spoke to the chaplin. They had to put him in the ships brig for a while to keep a watch on him. I never forgot that night on the flight deck. He took the letter out of his pocket and started reading it to me.

 

[VA195Dambuster]

Welcome aboard VA195Dambuster! Great to have a shipmate here...I bet the incident you describe happened after he was on the liferafts. The man was heartbroken over his wife dumping him. I can't remember what ever happened to him.

Here is a photo of me and my ship mates from the 1981 America cruise.