mmm circa BDA 1983 i believe it was Jim (flash) Gordon, then Jerry Newell took his place when Jim went to Qa. it was all under the watchful eye of Ens Dunn aka (Capt Kathy Donovan)
Glenn, Are you sure about that? we were in Section 2 together right in BDA, I thought it was Master Sergent Quinn, RCF. But I could be wrong, haha
Gene
The names and faces of my supervisors more than 35 years ago seem to be blending together. But when I arrived at NAVFAC Bermuda in 1974 I was assigned to Watch Section One. My early LPOs or Watch Coordinators were OT1 Bob Hart and OT1 Dave Dunn.
Both were experienced OTs but I probably learned the most from Bob. Other members of my section were Greg Novak, Dave Radcliffe, Alex Gamber and Leo Lara. Leo went on to become our Watch Coordinator.
More than my direct supervisiors however, OTCS Dee Dematties and OTC John Ellis were the mentors I looked to most emulate. They had their acts together.
Stcs Dave Dittler was watch officer and St1 Bob Bernell was sup.
back in 1970 when I was at Cape Hatteras.
Steve Lechowicz had one sta. and I had the other. Walt Bell was Plot
Had a great time there.
BMC Thompson 1960 San Sal. Asked him why ships sigs skipped beams. His answer was they were in rough seas and jumped out of the water. Actually sea mounts.
Ran into him in Key West in 62. He was an Ensign. Field stripped my 45 during cuban crisis and walked away. Luckily our past time at San Sal was field stripping 45's and putting them back together.
Those were the days...
chuck
Best I can remember John Volpe was the Supv. at Midway Island. I can also remember having Dan Eddy, Dave Thorpe, and (forgot first name) Gerbig in the watch section with Ens Steve Kneedler as the OWO and Lt Ken Balcomb as the OPSO.
OB Corning was my sponsor if that helps.
I'm exhausted, haven't had to think that hard in sometime.
Dan Eddy was a big bear with a great smile. He relieved me in Antigua in '73 (OT3 to OT3 was a big deal) and died a few months later in a motorcycle accident.
I only knew him for a few weeks but think of him all the time.
I got lucky and got, at least, 37 more years on this planet than he did. I still remember his smile.
I remember him pretty much the same way, a very pleasant person to work with and be around, always had that big smile.
He did have one draw back, he used a dozen Venue Unique pencils every watch, they were wore down to where you could not get them to sharpen in the sharpener anymore, but his annotation was excellent.
I arrived at Navfac Antigua in Dec of 76. I remember hearing about the motorcycle accident. It had something to do about this man leaving a halloween party and had a costume on (with a cape). The cape got caught around the back wheel and he was thrown off the bike with a broken neck. Also, at the time of my arrival, they were having a memorial service for 5 Navfac personnel who died in little Diatsu when the driver tried to beat a dump truck and turned in front of it. That was a sad time to be at my first Navfac (during the first few weeks).
NAVFAC San Salvador in 1967 didn't have any CPOs on the watchbill when I first began pounding the mats. My first watch supervisor was STG3 Terry Curtin.
Al Maltby was my first supervisor. He was due for discharge soon after I got on board, but got a letter from uncle Sam extending his enlistment for 6 mo because of Nam.
Can't remember who it was in Adak in 78 (first NAVFAC). But it was OT1 Denny Conrad on Albert David in 73 while OTC Larry Leaver was our LCPO. Crossrated from ET to OT in 72 and first NAVFAC was 6 years later. CWO Al Maultsby was PAO, OTC Tarnow was maintenance LCPO.
Aug 86, NOPF Dam Neck, OTA1 Higgins was Watch Coordinator, put on Chief the following month.
Watch Officer was LT Iverson.
Then OTA2 Dave Robinson "Robo" checked into the command same day as me and we both went to the same section.
Sorry for the delay but I’m having a hard time remembering who my first watch officer was at Pt. Sur upon arrival in Oct. 1971. Assigned to the galley for several weeks/months first, Loni Anderson was the head cook and a great instructor on how to crack eggs 2 at a time! Once I finally made it down the hill to the T building, OT2? Al Wymann was my supervisor/plotter and OTSN/OT3 Tom Hardy was the other reader. Mike Wildman was in Comm part of the time. Other names probably more familiar to many of you were LDCR Ed K. Dalrymple who was CO of the base, Lt. C. E. Gustafson as XO followed by Lt. G. T. Smelik as XO, and wandering around the base in some capacity (can’t remember what - maybe watch section chief?) was Chief John (Jack) Holdzkom.
As for my first female watch officer - it was ENS Mariane J. Soroka in 1974 when I was a supervisor on Adak. I was always impressed with how she treated everyone fairly and with respect no matter what rank or rating they were - from the CO of the base down to the newest OT fresh out of school. Our watch section really did work together and help each other out no matter what needed to be done. If it was a really busy night and the readers hadn’t gotten to rolling the grams at the end of the watch, it didn’t matter if we were reader, plotter, supervisor, or watch officer we all pitched in, got the job done, and had fun seeing who could do it the fastest!
Jack I have never heard your job description be so accurate!!!! : )
I would only change the word "Base" to the "Arg display room"!!
I certainly learned a lot from your wanderings.
Chuck C.
My first supervisor was STG1 Pat O'Bryan, Plotter was Spike Tysynski, and WO was some young kid with red hair, college type I think his name was Peel or something like that. in 1968 Bermuda. OPS chief was STGCS Olson. Dont remember too much from that time period.
My first watch sup (Chiefs didn't stand watch in those days) was STG2 Chuck Lohmann. A heck of good Petty Officer and new as much about subs as anyone in those days. He retired as a Master Chief. Our Research Chief was STC Goerge Niebaur.
I statarted my career clearing jungle for an antenna field. Then stood watches in comm. Finally we watched the cable being dragged ashore and turned on the array.
Within two hours of the first watch being manned we had a November class SSN screamin around Petro. What a beginning.
But what a group in the precom! There were 5 future Master Chiefs from that group; Rick Matthews, Rich Larson, Chuck Lohman....and after 42 years I can't remember the other two. Can you help me out Rick?
My first watch section Chief was OTAC Harvey Robke.
I remember he would sit at the desk (at NAVFAC ANTIGUA) and his burgundy socks would definitely not match his Chiefs shoes and pantsdesk (smoking a cigarette) during a mid-watch!! He would flirt with OTSN Georgie Benedict with that BIG BROAD SMILE of his! What a ladies man!! I do believe that we had a darn good watch team though........all 5 of us! Can't remember the other watch team members name. He had us do a lot of training and we did very well when the ORI team came.
Harvey Robke was a sailor I remember well. He arrived at COSL as a STG1 while I was stationed there and we had some really fun off-duty times together. Robke was a great guy and I was so saddened to learn he passed.
ET1/OT1 Mark Grooms, eleuthera 1972. Mark was both an analyst and maintainer, eventually making OTMC...He was as patient as they come and provided this fellow convertee a ton of encourgement when things looked bleak. I remember his wonderful wife Kathy forbade him from after watch parties with this poster. I believe that Bob(Robin Hood) was also there at the time as a OT2 watch supervisor.
I know I'm gonna get this kinda wrong.. His last name was Goldberry, (I think).. And I'm pretty sure his first name was Dan. And to further stir the murkiness, I believe my first watch LPO was Jim Ciolek. If anyone knows Jim, maybe he can correct me on the Goldberry name. Pt. Sur, 1972 -73..... Jim, remember throwing flaming rolls of toilet paper at us?
I believe you're thinking about Dan Roseberry. I was stationed with him in 1970 at NAVFAC Keflavik. He was in OTEC and Maintenance school in Key West in the 1975-76 time frame while I was on instructor duty.
I got there a bit later Tim as I had to paint the entire Q before they would let me be an OT. I'm not sure who the chief was or that there was one when I got there with you. I remember Ed. Silver working me to death in there. Was there a watch section Chief when I got there or just OT1 Silver ?
My first section Leader was OT1 Dick Moran. That was in 1968 in Bermuda. Other section members were: Walt Jackson, Marty Sorenson, Bud Smith, Terry Losey, Fred Hays, Chester Cizio & a few others. Our Watch Officer was Ens. Bradley. The Chiefs were all dayworkers. Those I remember were Chief Smith, Chief Skinner, Chief Widenor & Chief Betz. What a great time that was. Bermuda was my first NAVFAC and I enjoyed working with everyone there.
Hey Walt DeRosia, that is a name I havent heard in a while. I used to relieve you on EasyI, whenever I made it into work on time. You worked with Wanebo and Wasserman too didnt you? I remember Marti Sorenson, that guy had more energy than anyone I had ever seen. He was like a rubber ball bouncing from the plot to DAC to the beams and back. Really high energy. Those were really good times. I think My OWO we Ens Chip Pease. We use to give a hard time with that last name. Frozen Peas, etc.
Hey Hal. It has definitely been a while. Is there a listing for contact information of all our shipmates who we may have accounted during our tour? I live in Minnesota and it would be great to reunite with our friends who are close.