What is your favorite or most memorable Sea-Story?

FN Mike McCormack — Sun, 12 Oct 2014 14:59:10 -0400

Most sailors have a dozen or so...here is one I recall (actually a double-header)...

In 1981...I was on liberty one night...drinking at a bar in Mombasa, Kenya...I was hanging around with this big ole' MM farm boy from our division (3MMR) and we were drinking authentic Ouzo! Very strong and loaded with...well you know. So after about an hour or so...I wandered off to another part of the bar...and I started watching these local men juggling what appeared to be - flaming balls of coal using 2 sticks...when all of a sudden...two local women started fighting and one of them ripped some of the hair braids (Bo Derek Style) from the others head...so anyway...I decided to start looking for my farm boy pal and as I headed back and was turning the corner...I saw a large group of people...they were all surrounding some crazy SOB and were trying to get close to him as he was swinging and hitting anything and everyone that came near him...guess who? Yup...turns out that my new drinking buddy (unbeknownst to me) never drank liquor in his life! Anyhow...this guy was huge and I recalled that he was arrested one time for taking on and beating up five San Diego policemen by himself (no joke)...so I carefully tried to get near him and he finally allowed me to talk and get close - that's when he just collapsed and TG...he finally just passed out! I'm 6'3" and fairly strong, but have never in my life tried to lift the dead-weight of a farm boy!!! I couldn't budge him!! That's when this dude from our ship who had arms the size of tree trunks walked over and just threw farm boy on his shoulders and walked away with him and helped me get him back to the ship safely! As we walked up the gang plank...I saw the were MAA waiting for us on the ship and searched me...they found some contraband including an African hair braid and said WTF before confiscating it and throwing me in the brig...Lol! The moral to this sea story is: "Sometimes...it's better to drink alone!"

Response by PO3 Shaun Taylor made Oct 13 at 2014 1:09 AM

PO3 Shaun Taylor — Mon, 13 Oct 2014 01:09:01 -0400

Once on Camp Pendleton while on ambulance duty we were called to the club because marines had gotten into a fight in the parking lot. For some reason we got there and there were no MPs on scene. There were two guys had been fighting but were separated by the bystanders. We took the obviously injured guy to the naval hospital and the other guy was left on scene. After we left the scene the MPs finally arrived on scene and took witness statements. 2 of the witnesses gave a description of the guy who started the fight and a description and name of the guy who drove the get away car. When other witnesses were questioned they told the MPs that the guy who started the fight had been transported to the hospital. When the MPs arrived they asked the corpsman at the desk what room was the guy that we transported in. When they came in the room we were just finishing up doing our turnover. They had started to ask my partner a few questions about what we witnessed when we arrived on the scene and were very professional about it. When I came from behind the curtain one of the MPs started laughing. He told his partner Moss to look at him (meaning me) at first Moss didn't get it because he looked just as confused as I did. Then he said he fits the description. At that point Moss began to laugh also. Me I was getting pissed and I guess they could tell. So then he said I bet you drove the ambulance didn't you. I said yeah why. He said the guy described me as the get away driver for the guy who started the fight. The guy was so drunk I guess he didn't know the difference between a car and a ambulance or ever see a corpsman in a jumpsuit.

Response by MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca made Oct 17 at 2014 1:08 PM

MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca — Fri, 17 Oct 2014 13:08:46 -0400

Getting a ride in a Coast Guard armed pursuit boat (or whatever the technical term is for it) across Guantanamo Bay. A few of us were going to the Leeward side and while waiting for the ferry the boat crew asked us if we wanted a ride. Once we got out of the dock the last thing I heard was "Hold On"! Made the 20 minute trip in about 5 minutes doing God knows how fast and going airborne at least 5 or 6 times. Most fun I've had in a boat with clothes on!!!

Response by SGT Craig Northacker made Oct 18 at 2014 2:13 PM

SGT Craig Northacker — Sat, 18 Oct 2014 14:13:13 -0400

I was in the Army, so not too many opportunities to be on boats or ships. I was medevaced one time by chopper, and was supposed to be airlifted to a hospital ship. I was stoked, a grunt living in the lap of luxury for only a few days with real women nurses and hot food. Chopper pilot took off, and, never having flown out to sea, apparently chose not to experiment this time either, so I was sent back to a MASH unit. I got in late afternoon, and the doctors were already breaking out the beer. Didn't get any, either. I wonder if that is why I walk funny now.

Kind of like the only time a truck was ever sent out to pick me up from a jump - I had just landed on top of a bunch of WAC's, and they were all excited. Me, too - then as soon as I recovered the chute I hear a deuce and a half and guys yelling "Sarge, jump on the truck!".

I felt like the NCO jeep driver in the original MASH movie - "Damn Army"...

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 22 at 2014 1:44 PM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 13:44:26 -0400

FN Mike McCormack Aside from the bathtub or shower? I do remembher taking the Ferry from Calais to the shores of England, I think Dover. Very cool though.

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 22 at 2014 6:31 PM

SGM Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 18:31:08 -0400

FN McCormack--I was an Army Brat on the Upshire from New York to Panama in the 1960s; later as a Stars and Stripes reporter in Tokyo, wrote about a crew on an ocean going tugboat the Catawba--like a giant bass boat leaning 90 degrees...never been so sick in my life (except once in Tunisia, but that's another story). ...an amazing crew, Military Sealift Command...great stories published. Learned a lot of respect for the Navy. Made it through Chief's initiation as an Army E7 later in Yokuska...

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 22 at 2014 6:42 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 18:42:56 -0400

I may be Army, but we have boats, too.

I was sailing back to Ft. Eustis on an LCU2000 (Type shown below). The vessel was off the coast from Cape Hatteras. This was in December and the vessel is a shallow draft, flat bottomed boat. Add 20 foot seas into that formula and you know you're if for a fun ride.

I had to report to my watch station on the bridge at 0800, so I ate two single serving boxes of Cheerios prior to reporting to my watch. About two hours later, and still dealing with the 20 foot seas, I began to feel nauseous. I stepped outside onto the bridge wing and all of the contents from my stomach abandoned ship from my mouth. I blew chunks right into the wind. That wasn't smart. Remnants of Oaty goodness smacked me into the face and proceeded to hit the side of the wheelhouse. That was the first and only time that I got seasick.

Response by PO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 4 at 2014 5:43 PM

PO3 Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 04 Nov 2014 17:43:44 -0500

OK my favorite sea story goes like this and "This is No Sh*t";

We were at sea doing flight ops at night and the bow catapult crew were in their crew shelter on the 03 level just below the flight deck on the starboard side during a lull in the operations. Now there was a new guy and he was due for initiation. They wouldn't actually do much to you but the whole idea of it was built up to seem very scary. The guys went to grab this kid and duct tape him to the overhead but he escaped! He ran out of the door, out onto the catwalk, leaped onto the flight deck and ran across the flight deck. He crossed in front of two Tomcats sitting there waiting to take off.

From the perspective of the Air boss in the tower he appeared to jump over board on the port side near the bow. So they called man overboard, the ship stops, drops boats, lifts helo's, etc. and he's nowhere to be found. He didn't turn up at his duty station for the man overboard.

What he'd actually done though was jump into a small catwalk near the bow and then hid down in the fo'c'sle in fear of his shipmates initiation. The boatswain's mates eventually found him there a couple hours later.

Needless to say this caused many ripples and much training on hazing and such. Good times.

My other favorite was watching a helo loaded down with SEALs take off from the flight deck during Desert Shield prior to the Gulf War. Something went wrong right after they left the flight deck. The helo dropped almost all the way to the water but continued on about a mile from the ship before it went in. The crew and SEALs all bailed out. The crew popped smoke, inflated their life vests, and waited for SAR. The SEALs though, those bad-asses just swam back, with their full battle rattle and all. I can remember they basically got back to the ship before the motor whaleboat could be deployed. Sat there dripping wet in the hanger bay and cleaned their gear. That was impressive to say the least.

Response by SN Jennifer M. made Nov 5 at 2014 11:40 AM

SN Jennifer M. — Wed, 05 Nov 2014 11:40:01 -0500

Oh sea stories....

Response by PO3 Bob Walsh made Aug 14 at 2015 1:26 AM

PO3 Bob Walsh — Fri, 14 Aug 2015 01:26:15 -0400

I served on the USS Bennington CVA 20, an Essex Class Aircraft Carrier, and the USS Gardiners Bay AVP39, a Seaplane Tender, I was aboard ship from1955 through 1958. My tour of duty ended 57 years ago. The Bennington was always underway, and it seemed as though the routine never changed, standing watch in the Fire room, 4 hours on 8 hours off. The one change was when we were under battle conditions, then the watches were, 4 hours on and 4 hours off, with General Quarters mixed in. For example, upon being relieved from watch with 4 hours free to take a shower, eat, if it is chow time and try to get some sleep. If General Quarters sounds you run to man your Battle Station. When General quarters ends it may be time to go back on watch, or maybe time for a quick nap or chow, the 4 hours off is quickly over, this becomes very exhausting. I remember going to the ships Post Office to buy some stamps and mail a letter home. The Postal clerk told me that we were in a combat zone and I did not need a stamp. I thought, OH BOY! I just saved five cents.
At sea was much different from what I hear of the present Navy. We had a locker for our cloths and personnel belongings approximately 2.5x2.5. Sleeping was in a bunk, a piece of canvas laced into a steel frame with a thin mattress laid on the canvas. The uniform of the day was required to board or leave the ship, no civilian clothes. There were no Telephones, cell or hard wired. No TV but we did have Movies at night in the hanger bay. Communication with home was by the US Mail, Mail call was always popular but not frequent. Most of the Mail came on the high line, from the AK supply ship or the Tanker refueling us.
I would get my turn to stand smoke watch and this involved going up to the 07 level on the super structure. From this point I could observe the smoke stacks for all eight Boilers. If a boiler was smoking I would call down on the sound powered phone and tell the fire room that a boiler was smoking and to clear it up. The smoke could be seen over the horizon and alert the enemy to our position, and could also interfere with the landing of aircraft.
One afternoon our new Division Officer came up to the 07 level. We were taking on supplies over the High Line from an AK. He told me to watch for Mr. Dennis, our Division Officer, who was leaving the Bennington for discharge. He will be going over to the AK on the High Line. When he is on the Highline call down to the fire rooms to send up a puff of smoke to say farewell. I passed the message to the fire rooms and that I would tell them when, Mr. Dennis, was on the High-line. When I saw Mr. Dennis on the high-line I called the fire rooms to send up a puff of smoke. The smoke came gushing out of the stack so fast that in a moment, this huge AK, supply ship was completely engulfed in smoke and could not be seen. Mr. Dennis was also engulfed in thick black smoke while suspended between two ships in zero visibility. I was frantically Yelling into the phone, clear up the smoke. I was on the Superstructure, 7 levels above the Flight Deck, with a clear view of the operation. I don’t know what happened to Mr. Dennis, I assume he made it to the AK. I would have been terrified. Two ships running that close to each other with 0 visibility, is very dangerous. I was surprised that I never heard anything more about the incident.

Response by PO1 Eric Booker made Jan 2 at 2017 2:27 PM

PO1 Eric Booker — Mon, 02 Jan 2017 14:27:30 -0500

You're kidding right??? My "favorite" and "most memorable" Sea stories aren't publishable here!lol! I'm sure most of those who did more than a few Wes-Pacs could type our hands numb with them. Not to mention the shell-back initiation follies from back in the day prior to females on surface combatants and everything going PC. Friends who stayed in said it's most definitely nowhere near the same thing...

Response by CPO Curt Kuhn made Jan 3 at 2017 1:44 AM

CPO Curt Kuhn — Tue, 03 Jan 2017 01:44:26 -0500

One of the cardinal rules for working with ordnance handling systems or missile or gun systems is "no unauthorized ordnance alterations" Well suffice it to say we had a casualty to the ASROC direct load system and a gun exercise due the next day. An ASROC was on the loader rail and would not retract, would not mate and would not extend. I received a letter of appreciation for installing a switch intended for the ASROC guide drive pin system into the loader rail system and got it loaded. it was incredible what you could you get away with when the ship was committed to an operation.