(Sea Story Continued from Page 9)
why, I don't know. We were there for a few days. Several watches were set around the perimeter of the ship. One morning I had the early morning watch, at the quarter deck, probably the 6-8, or the 4-6 AM watch .(you can see I have been out of the navy for awhile the time thing) When I relieved my ship-mate he gave me a grease-gun. We had been using Thompson sub-machine guns to stand watch. I had received some training on the Thompson but the grease-gun I had just seen one, no training. When daylight came, I walked over to the side, with the grease-gun pointed in a safe direction. Started looking it over. I thought I should know more about it, just by chance I may have to use it. You probably guessed what happened next. When I lifted the metal cover (flap), which covers the breech, I don't know how it happened, but the dang thing fired 2 or 3 rounds. I looked to my left, there sure was a lot of Gold braid coming down the ladder from the ward-room to the quarter-deck. They asked me what happened. I told them just what I told you. That seemed to be the end of it, until a day or so later, I was on stand-by on the starboard wing wall on a 40 mm. The chief's gunner's mate called me down from the gun. I had never been or since, had my rear end chewed out like I got from him. Later I became a gunner's mate striker, but I had to wait for that chief gunner's mate to be transferred off the ship.
We were taking on supplies one day, mostly food stuff if I can remember right. All hands working party to get the supplies taken care of. Low and behold someone stole a 5 gallon can of frozen strawberries. What happened next would make one think it was Mr. Robert's navy. The supply office had a conniption. He led a search party, searched every inch of the ship. He was determined to find that 5 gallons of strawberries. I'm not sure if the strawberries were missing, or stolen, or what happened to them. I am sure, that the supply officer never found them. This gave us something to talk about for some time.
I think before I made first trip to Japan we went to Bremerton Washington. Again, this is what I remember. A helicopter deck was built over the well-deck. They installed quarters for the admiral and we became flag ship. The quarters was built between the con and the 5 inch gun. While we were at Bremerton two of my shipmates and I hitchhiked to Vancouver. A family picked us up in Canada who had already a car full of family. We all managed to get into the car. I sat on grandma's lap for several miles. One of the highlights of my time on the Whetstone was standing boatswain-watch and getting to pipe and admiral aboard, with the whole nine yards. With side-boys and all. I don't remember the year. It must have been around 1954, after the Korean cease fire, or the armistice. I had taken a boatswain-mate test several times. Was told all the rates were fleet competition after the cease fire, the fleet had a lot of BM3. No one made BM3, while I was taking the test. That is, on the Whetstone. So consequently we were short of BM3. I was assigned to take my turn standing boatswain watch. This one day we got word an admiral was coming aboard to visit our captain. As luck would have it, I had the boatswain watch. The young officer, He, sure was sweating it out. By then I thought I was pretty salty. By that, I must have been about 21 years old. I assured the officer we would get the admiral aboard ok. He would ask me, "Are you sure you can do it? Have you ever done it before?" I'm sure he would've been more competent of the boatswain of the watch had been a rated petty officer. Anyway, with the side boys, four I think, we got the admiral aboard the Stone. That was my first and only time to pipe an admiral aboard the Stone. I felt real good about myself as I said earlier. I wanted to be a boatswain-mate.
John, that is about all for now, I may have some more later if you would like. Do want to say I have been blessed by the Good Lord. My Wife going on 49 years, two daughters and two sons. And to know Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. And Blessed of God to serve my country on the Whetstone almost 4 years. And all the places we were able to visit. And my heart goes out to the more then 50,000 that didn't get to return home to their families for the price they and their family paid for our freedom. We are all very blessed to live in this great country. USA
