Convoy,Murmansk

Basic training wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. After a few weeks they gave us a weekend off. So me and my buddies went out on the town. Wow, did we ever get stoned. I woke up the next morning and discovered that I had three tatoos. I didn’t remember how or where, but there they are. I guess I had a good time. After we finished basic training, we waited for new orders that would give us our assingments.Of course everybody was hoping for a battleship or something like that. When I received my orders I let out a loud yell. I was going to serve aboard a brand new cruiser, the U.S.S. Richmond. I was the only one in our group. All my buddies could say was, “you lucky bastard “. I was given a weeks leave, and then would go to the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where I would board her. I could hardly wait. I went home first to see my folks. I was anxious to see them . When I got home my mother started crying,and then she hugged me. My dad was just getting home from work. He looked at me,grinned and shook my hand. The rest of the family came into the kitchen to greet me and give me hugs.Everybody said I looked great in my uniform.I had a great week at home,enjoying my mother’s cooking. On the morning that I was going to head back to the base, I was having breakfast with my dad, That’s when he saw one of my tatoos. I had been keeping them covered all week because I knew htat he would not approve. He looked at me and said, “ you have tatoos?” I very softly answered, “yes, I have a couple. Its Navy tradition.“ He glared at me as I waited for the avalanche of Hungarian swear words that would soon bury me. We spoke mostly Hungarian at home and my father knew swear words that couldn’t be translated into English. To my amazement, all he said was, “ tatoos are forever.” It would be many years later for the full meaning of his words to hit home. I was out walking,one warm summer day, when a woman and her little boy passed me. The little boy turned to look at me and asked his mother, “ why are that man’s arms painted? “ After that day,I would always wear long sleeved shirts. Even on hot summer days. I suddenly understood his words,”tatoos are forever.” It was great to see the family again,but I’m going up the gangplank with my seabag, boarding the U.S.S. Richmond. Its 1921, I’m 20 years old and I’m ready to start a new life in the Navy. The U.S.S. Richmond was just commissioned a couple of weeks ago. Her brand new inexperienced crew, would have about a week to get to know how to run this beautiful ship.Then we would head to Australia for the shakedown cruise. As we cut through the sea, heading to the land down under, I got to know her and love her.She had twelve six inch guns,eight fifty caliber and eight thirty calber macine guns. But, what amazed me the most, she could hit thirty four knots on the open water. What a ship. She could handle anything. I was proud to serve on her.