SNAPSHOTS IN TIME

Korea July 1950 - The North Koreans crossed the 38th parallel, thus invading South Korea. All 18 year olds had registered for the Draft, me included. It was War. Knowing that I had to go, and because of stories that were told to us in the carpentry class. This by Navy Commander, US Navy Reserves, Don Lacy, known to us as Mr. Lacey. Several of us went to Newark and joined the US Navy. There was myself, Frank Short and Frank Solan, Jim Mc Cabe. Frank Short worked a deal and went into the Reserves, which was a 2-year stint. He spent his 2 years in Bayonne on the Boxing team after a short stay on a D.E. I met Frank Solan at the Destroyer Base in San Diego, California. He had completed his Class “A” school and shipped out 2 weeks ahead of me. That was in 1952. When I completed my schooling, which was Engineman training, Diesel, Gas & Refrigeration, the Billets, were posted - Billets being ships available to choose from. There were 60 members, in this class, that was just completed. I was #17, and therefore had a choice of any post I wanted, after 16 choices, had been made. The majority of ships available were of the Mine Sweeper type. These are small ships there were used to clear the harbors (of mines) placed by the enemy, to keep our ships out of their harbors. The War was not going in our favor and the harbors had to be cleared of mines, to get more troops ashore. Many of the Mine Sweepers were being blown up, with a loss of 90 men each. I had been familiar with seven people already killed there, in Korea and many others who returned to civilian life, were wounded or nuts. With all the new Mine Sweepers on the billet board, I figured they needed more cannon fodder. I had been in California for six months now – had been to LA, Hollywood, Mexico and places in between. Made my choice after weighing the options and chose a Sub tender on the East Coast, “USS Tutawiler”, therefore my have saved my own life for a while. Being the junior man, when I came aboard, my first assignment was to mess cooking duty or KP, as it is commonly known. I did Five weeks of this. Up at five am. Set up – clean up – Break Down, now its 9 pm. (Long days, very little time for your self) Got out to the E M Club, on occasion. One day, the “Master of Arms” addresses us at muster and asks if there were any volunteers to go to the Persian Gulf. I had no idea where that was, but I had enough KP and volunteered. Next day I am on the San Pablo heading for New London, Connecticut and another adventure.