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Date: Fri, 6 Aug 1999 16:22:11 EDT
Author: SIRBWILLY@aol.com
Subject: Navy life
Body:   For those of you that only like talking about the Navy I remember my first days aboard the Newport News. It was late July of 1972. Of course we got mess duty for starters and we all know how fun that is. I can remember waking up with cockroaches crawling all over the place this is grim especially after a very long work day and little sleep. Looking around you get to see all your crew mates who are sleeping all around you and you get to see them greet the new day, belches, groans, moans and a lot of flatulence Sitting in the dish washing room half asleep watching all the crew, looking almost like zombies shoveling in all that good grade C food down their necks. It was gross I couldn't see eating a three pound sweet roll that hits the plate like a brick that early in the morning but their was plenty of work to keep us busy I especially loved those third class guys with the retractable coffee cup belt holders. They drink coffee all day speeding their brains out ordering every one around with the most petty work and yet we had a room full of garbage rotting away right on the mess deck. Is it any wonder we had so many roaches. This nasty food ( and God knows the Navy wastes a lot of food ) gets walked off the ship when in port and overboard when out to sea. I remember going to our classy toilets, they were lined up side by side with no privacy at all and some guy was telling me sharks followed the ship because of all the waste that went overboard and sure enough I was top side one morning when we were taking on supplies and a crew member went over board. We could see him swimming towards the ship and their was a helicopter above him. I remember looking at this petty officer and a few of the crew standing by the area where the whale boats were launched and one boat was already in the water. It had just picked up some mail, when a couple of the crew wanted to take the boat and rescue the man who fell over board. Just then that petty officer said no and to bring up the mail first. A couple minutes later it didn't matter the guy had sharks all around him and he went under. It seemed like we circled a couple times and then left the area. I was horrified by this as we seemed to abandoned our crew mate. I didn't know the guy but it hurt. From then on I knew that I had to cover my own ass and I wasn't taking shit from any one. Their were so many days when we would be chipping paint and when we finished a job our div. officer (He knows who he is ) would tell us to do it all over again just to bust our balls and do the Navy waste thing. He was on a serious power trip and I just loved making things difficult for him because he was such a jerk. I don't think he had any friends. A lot of the black guys walked around smoking heroine in their cool cigarettes and it seemed like some of these guys were on a different team. When one of them started a fight with my brother I came unglued and threatened to kill any one who touched him. Went a little crazy out there but no one messed with us again. Lets not forget the night of the explosion this was getting to be a nightmare at this point. I remember a petty officer telling us to get to the floor as the room was filled with smoke. Of course he had a gas mask on as did some other corpsman. We were choking on the floor when I got a mask from one of the corpsmen and shared it with this guy who had asthma, finally I couldn't stand it anymore and gave the mask to the guy and went into the passage way which looked so eerie with the red lights and all the smoke. At this point I was going top side for air. After a short time we started helping guys down to the mess deck I remember seeing the doc. who was a great guy, one of the few who tried to encourage me, but the look on his face that night while he tried to revive one guy after another is one I can't forget. I really felt for him and all the great men who were lost on that night. God bless them all. I'm not bitter anymore and I wouldn't trade my experience because it was real and their were good times as well but man it doesn't hurt to laugh if you can.

 

                    Submitted by Jim Sollee BMSN 1st Division (Side Cleaners)  1960-1964
     I remember the 1961 Med Cruise, we had tied up in Naples Italy for almost a two week stay.   There was three of us working the small boat that we used to work on the water line while painting. These Italian   "gentlemen" approached our boat holding out some bottles of wine. They wanted a quarter a bottle, now I realize that most sailors being the clean cut group of people that they are wouldn't have done what we did, we bought four bottles, making sure that no one was watching from the main deck. Now who would have though..... we all carried Church Keys in those days before pop tops........ these bottles had corks........ now who in the hell ever carries around a cork screw. We had to hold these bottles upside down and break the necks off against the armor plating to get them open, making sure that all the broken glass fell into the water. We only lost about half of the wine that way. Wouldn't you know that the wine was that old "Dago" red wine, it was sour enough to have been vinegar.......... but we managed to get it down by holding our nose while we drank it......... :)  A good time was had by all.
       After about four days of drinking like that none of us really sobered up. We had a young man named Harvey if I remember correctly. We were working over the side up foreword on the port  side and had sent Harvey to the paint locker to get more paint. He was returning with about a half of a five gallon bucket of Haze Gray paint........ you guys remember what Haze Gray paint looks like don't you?......... :)  Well any way Harvey tripped while still walking on that Teak Wood deck. Now Harvey was not a stupid man, he knew that every seaman in the 1st Division carried a razor sharp knife and if he spilled that Haze Gray paint all over that Teak Wood deck, he would not ever have the problem of ever having any children. When he landed on his belly he was holding the five gallon bucket of paint out in front of him, he took most of the skin off his elbows and knees and laying there looking really stupid and I will never forget his words as long as I live "Duh..... I didn't spill any."  I still laugh today when I see him in my minds eye laying there holding that paint straight out in front of him.

                           Submited by: Gary W Palmer gary.w.palmer@juno.com
All hands,

I just thought I'd be the first to send a Newport News memory to all recipients of the "new"
mailing list.

     I was an ET in OE division (71-72). We were out to sea and we got into some really bad weather so the captain ordered everyone not on watch to go to their berthing quarters to ride out the storm. There was a passage way between Flag division (port side) and OE division
(starboard side). Around ten of us decided to sit in the passage way and ride out the storm. It wasn't long before someone placed an aerosol can on it's side in the middle of the passage way. The can began to roll with the ship. At first we just watched it go back forth until it hit the wall on the port side or the starboard side. Then someone said I'll bet a buck it hits the port side first. Well, that's all it took. The next thing you know, dollar bills are hitting the deck like chips on a Las Vegas crap table. Yep, sailors will bet on anything.

                    Gary Palmer

  Date: Tue, 11 Jul 2000 10:23:09 -0700 (PDT)
From: Mike Aston PM-WBMJ@excite.com
Subject: Re: [NN] Great Activity on the Mailing list!

Since it's time for confessions, I ought to tell you the stupidity that I, and some of the other guys in the band, engaged in while aboard "The Old Girl" sometime in 1963 or 1964.
Seems there was a great storm that arose one night while at sea and the ship was tossing, the likes of which I'd never seen before. We were sitting around the Flag Compartment, bored with having nothing of any importance to do, so we decided that we were going to sneak out on the Admirals Bridge and sit in the Old Boy's chairs like we'd done so many times before.
We waited till the coast was clear and then undid the dogs and jumped through the hatch, where we immediately dogged the hatch back down and raced the twenty or so feet to the bridge. It was then that we realized what an intensely stupid thing we had just done. It was night and the rain was
pouring down but it couldn't hide what appeared to be mountains that surrounded the ship. They rolled across her decks with a fury such as I never knew existed. Being inside all the time, we had no idea what the ocean was capable of.  Then came the terrifying realization that, somehow, we were going to have to go back over that twenty foot stretch of catwalk that now appeared to be a
hundred yards or more. When we saw how hard it was to determine how much time we had to leave the bridge and un dog the hatch without getting washed overboard, the coward within jumped up big and ugly. However, there was no way out, but to do it. After about 10 minutes of nurturing the courage to do it, we finally made the attempt and were fortunate enough to have been successful.
We were extremely lucky on two counts; one.. we got back safely and no one was hurt or killed and two. .that when we un dogged that hatch and exploded through it, that there was no officer there to welcome us. I can't even imagine what that court action would have been like.
Those are the things that a young fool will do, whether in the armed forces, or whatever. That's why I thought heavily before jumping on my own kids, when they did things that tweren't too smart.

Mike Aston, MU2
1962 to 1964

                                                 1961 – 1963, Bits and Pieces,

         Message sent by: "Woodall, Ray (Information Systems)" ray.woodall@cmcss.net

I remember well that North Atlantic cruise of '66 as it was my firstcrossing. Does anyone
remember having to go to a reception in Portsmouth. Several of us were invited (read drafted) to attend. There was one elderly couple there who talked, and talked, and talked,.... about their daughter that was in Argentina. I knew their life history back several generations by the time we left. The bus trip to London was great, too. Especially to this Tennessee hillbilly.
I also remember the Russian ship that docked behind us in Copenhagen. I believe I have a picture of a Russian sailor taking a picture of me taking a picture of him (sorry for the tongue twister). I wasn't in the bar brawl  but I heard the stories that NN Sailors and Marines made a good accounting of themselves.
The trip up the Oslo Fiord, the Kiel Canal, the Little Mermaid all great memories courtesy of the U.S. Navy and 'Old Thunder'.
I served as hat check attendant at the open house in Hamburg. One of those protesters got right up in my face yakking about something. I just ignored him and he finally went away muttering something about ignorant sailors.
I also remember the "shortfire" in T3. I believe it was off Vieques. Anyoneremember the Lt. that got the blame for that even though it probably wasn't his fault?

Ray Woodall
SN OI Division '66 '67

                    Message sent by: "Warren White"  warren7white@cwp.net.pa

Memory Test

I have been reminiscing through my banks of stored memory, both good, bad and scary and three events do come to mind. The good being our whirl wind cruise through northern Europe in October of 66. Oslo was ok, Copenhagen was much better, and Hamburg was terrific because the Germans made us feel welcome. Which to that time hadn't been the case with the
demonstrators on the pier in Oslo and the Russian cruiser that got moored off our fantail in Copenhagen, hope they got a good whiff from our smoke stack. Oh yeah, I must mention the big fight in the Evergreen Bar in down town Copenhagen started by some Russian sailors off that cruiser. I thought the old man would mess his pants over the fight because members of the
Newport News were very prominent in the fracas, I was there with several friends to represent E division. We got out of there just short of the SP's and police showing up in numbers. Then, there was the day that the ship was opened to the public, I have to laugh when I think back, and standing on the pier waiting to come aboard were about a dozen Russian sailors with there cameras waiting to come aboard and take the tour. What a dog and pony show that was, the Russians snapping pictures everywhere and our Marines were their ushers, Lord what a picture.
I should also take time to mention the chief coming in and telling me that I had volunteered to take a tour. But chief, I cried, I have the liberty starting at 0900. And you still do,  He responded, 0900 is when the tour starts  He thought a second then turned with a little wry smile; Did you know we
are cleaning the switch gear in engine room #3? Do not fear Chief I will be most happy to take the tour. I thought you would feel better about it. Besides, I forgot to tell you it is to a local brewery.
That was an awesome tour, we were escorted by the plant manager and the information was interesting. The best of it was when we got a chance to sample the wears and product of the most famous Tuborg Brewery  and  the managers attempt to drink the sailors of the Newport New under the table, imagine that. What a great culmination to a fine tour, we were all snockerred and it didn't cost a thing but time. The day we pulled into Hamburg it was cool dreary day with light drizzle. The old man had forgone the presents of the side boys because of the weather. Then the 1MC blared out; All hands man the rail for entering port. We thought it a bit a bit odd but rank and command does have its privileges and we naturally responded to barking orders of the chief, to get our asses up in blues and hit the deck. After taking my place at the rail I didn't feel to bad about it in fact I was quite pleased to find literally thousands of German standing along the harbor throwing flowers into the water and then the oompa band struck up John Phillip Sousas Stars and Stripes Forever.  I remember smiling at the valiant attempt that our band was making in their attempt to answer the Big German band. The best laugh was when we pulled into Portsmouth and the discovery of the stowaway German woman was made. Great going guys who ever it was that pulled that one off. Everyone all the way back to this great ships inception would have to dig hard to top that one. That event should go down on her history page for I still tell it when old Navy buddies and I occasionally get together to reminisce. What a joke it was even though when I sit back and think how crazy it was for that to have been done. Scary? There were a couple, one was kind of comical the other was a prelude to an event that took place some years after I left the Newport News. The funny one first. On that same North Atlantic cruise of  66 while we were still playing footsies with the Russians between their Bare Bombers and that same cruiser getting in our line of fire and the old mans decision to fire over them and then there was the following event. General quarters, general quarters all hands man your battle station, sounded the 1MC. I was then attached to repair 2. Once I had arrived at the repair locker and had donned my steel pot on my head our man on the sound powered phone sounded out to the repair officer, Sir, damage control advise to brace for possible torpedo impact portside forward. I thought I was going to mess my pants. The repair officer ordered everyone in the party to take cover starboard side of barbettes #1 not to move until after impact. We waited, it seemed for hours, and about 5 minutes past and nothing happened. The 1MC sounded All hands secure from general quarter.
We looked at each other in relief and awe and re-stowed our gear in silence and once I was back to the electric shop our division officer came in and shook his head and said, Damn porpoise,  and walked out again. Later I got the straight of the case of the runaway dolphin. As all remember we didn't have sonar and had to depend on our escorts for that. One of our escorts was tracking a Russian submarine when the escort picked up a fast moving object from the sub making a straight course for the Newport News. The rest is left to imagination. I think the playful dolphin became
bored with the Russian sub and picked us as I am sure our 21K tons moving through the water was quite noisy. Just think the zigzagging that we did in 15 minutes couldn't shake our incoming dolphin, I wonder what the Navy would pay for his guidance system? The other event occurred while we were on gunfire practice off Puerto Rico. It was Sunday holiday routine and only the Gunners were doing anything for our country. They where shelling one of those island we shot up all the time. I was in the library reading when T3 went off and there was suddenly a bunch of debris about and hanging from the overhead. I was somewhat stunned and shaking my head back to complete control when the general alarm sounded and away I went to my repair station. After a couple of hours we secured  and I went aft to see what that shell that exploded just as it cleared out of the barrel of T 3 had done to the fantail. We hit a whole bunch of those bad rounds that trip we even sprayed the Albany and a Destroyer that was inboard of our fire when the 8 inchers went off over them. It seems to me that the Navy would have done something to clean up those projectiles before that one that went off in the barrel of T 2. How old were they? I think the worst time being in Gitmo for Christmas of 65. Now, I could think of a lot of places to be at Christmas time, home always tops the list and Gitmo doesn't even find its way on my list. The only good memory to that is that I was sitting around talking about old Navy time with my business partner about my Navy times. I had just mentioned that I was on the Newport News. He commented that he remembered her when he was in Gitmo in 65. I laughed and said that it is a small world for we were both there at the same time. He further reflected that one of our crew saved his life. The
short of this story is he and a friend had walked out to the place out at the end of the road where everyone had their division parties. I had just walked over to get a beer when these two bedraggled sailors walked up and I said, You look like you could use a cold beer. I had them each one and told them to join in and they partied with us the rest of the day and rode back with us on the bus. That man was now my business partner twenty years later.

 

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