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OK shipmates, here's
your page to tell us your "Sea Stories". Eventhough most sea stories start out with the phrase, "this
is a no s _ _ _er", let's leave the expletives out so we don't have to keep young eyes from our site. Please tell
us of your favorite times, liberty exploits, travels, shipboard stories, etc.. We'll get your story posted ASAP.
If you need additional space for your story, just submit a second form and we'll put them together when we post the story.
Click the links in the below table to read your shipmate's Sea Stories!
Sea Story: LT Jim Hunt (74-77) One of the privileges of being the Chief Engineer is the ability to make subtle changes ("ShipAlts")
when conditions warrant. Days before TCH's maiden Med deployment, a shipfitter (sworn to secrecy) and I quietly removed
the top bunk in my stateroom and threw it over the side, giving me a two-man stateroom all to myself. The XO ranted
and raved something awful -- he wasn't happy about losing that extra bunk space. But because my stateroom abutted his,
I calmly reminded him that his shower's hot water supply depended on my diligent monitoring of the valves leading into his
head from my room. 'Nuff said -- he saw the wisdom of restraint and acceptance of the inveitable. Given the extra space, I
decided to move my office from the chaos of the Log Room to the extra desk in my stateroom where it was much quieter - and
where the phones actually worked! Except one day in port, my outside line went dead. Calling Elec Central for
an IC man to check it out, a young IC striker came running. After much poking and prodding, grunting and groaning, he
pronounced his diagnosis in his best authoritative technical voice, "well, CHENG, since you can't talk to nobody and
nobody can't talk to you, this here phone is broke"! After retiring with more than 30 years's service, I still
tell that story as long as there's still someone at the bar. Cheers!
Sea Story: ETR(N)-2 Jim McDougal (73-75) After we left Avondale Shipyards, we pulled into Boston Naval Shipyard to continue our outfitting. One
cloudy day I was walking up to the CIC and heard a loud "crack". I started investigating and found nothing. A little
while later, I heard another loud "crack". It seemed to come from a small compartment off the passageway. I opened
the compartment and found a partially installed TACAN system. (Tactical Air Navigation) The TACAN has a small antenna
array on top of the mast that tells aircraft where they are in relation to the ship. I heard another "crack"
that was even louder now that I was in the compartment. I then saw the source. There was a thick coaxial cable coming down
from the antenna that had not yet been attached to the equipment. Each "crack" was made by a bright electric arc
jumping from the center of the coaxial cable to the bulkhead. It seems that the antenna was collecting high voltage from the
atmosphere above the mast and as it built up on the antenna and the coax, it would occasionally discharge thousands of volts
to the bulkhead. Anyone close enough to the coax would have been zapped.
Sea Story: AW 2 Greg Powers (77-78) I was the helo crewman from HSL-32 Det-2 on board for MED deployment in Aug.1977.When the Hart pulled into port @
Athens,Greece we flew the bird into the U.S.Airforce base @ Hellenica for phase inspection which involved tearing the cowlings
off and starting to dismantle the jets for inspection by civilian employees of G.E who manufactured the engines.During a lull
in work I found myself drinking heavily in an Airforce bowling alley with a 2nd class jet mech and my older brother who was
stationed there in Athens. I was approached by one of the pilots (Lt.Rich Dryden) who asked us what the birds flying status
was as he had received a request for assistance from Greek authorities to aid a stricken naptha freightor which was sinking
off the coast of Kimi. We went,half drunk down to the hangar and proceeded to reassemble the bird quickly.Mind you I was a
tactical sensor operator/SAR wetcrewman and not a jet mechanic but we somehow got the bird half reassembled, ! pushed out onto the line and fueled for launch. As there were no other members of our detatchment present we launched
with Lt.Dryden as pilot,ADJ-2 Cliff House as copilot (he had never flown before) and myself as the rescue crewman.I was wearing
jeans and a flight jacket as my flight gear was missing in the hurry to get on scene.We were successful in rescuing five seaman
from the stricken vessel and getting back to shore shortly before running out of fuel. This was in December of 1977. On or
about June of 1978 the three of us were decorated with the Air Medal w/bronze star for our actions that day.
Sea Story: AD2 J. C. House (77-78) I am the AD2 who flew as co-pilot on the rescue mission detailed
by my old shipmate AW2 Greg Powers in the above story. I almost fell out of my chair when I came across this post. You
see, I have lost all of the records and medals from several moves, and now that I am 55 years old, I have very fond memories
from those cruising days,we were bullet proof then. Greg didnt mention that the ship was floundering just off a very rocky
coastline without power. Gale force winds, 40 foot seas and a constant low fuel warning light that never went out, in spite
of all troubleshooting...no survival gear as mentioned, I launched wearing levis and climbing boots, a borrowed helmet and
old flight jacket....we were watched over from above no doubt... JC House
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