David Versaggi was a USNR STG3 who did a bit of reservist time on a Gearing class DD, and finished his active duty at Cape Hatteras. This little anecdote is written to honor him and the huge "Ops Department" of one hitch wonders that took care of business, and did the grunt work that kept the system going. Most of them are not listed as members, but we couldn't have done without them.

I met Dave sometime in the spring of 1967, when the Navy sent me to Key West Florida for SONAR training. Billeting assigned me to a 20’ x 20’ barracks room that held four eager trainees (six, in a pinch). I think there were three guys already there; I was the 4th man in.

I can’t recall the two "normal" guys, but that Versaggi guy sticks in my memory…like a fine steak dinner…or maybe a root canal gone wrong! Being a shy, Catholic kid from the Midwest, my first impression of Dave was - “Uh oh! This guy sounds like one of those smart-mouth criminal types from New Jersey.” I couldn’t have been more wrong. It turned out Dave was from (God help me…) Brooklyn!

Dave helped me settle in (I was careful to hide my locker combo from him; I knew those New Yorkers would steal anything) and showed me the ropes. As time passed, I became accustomed to Versaggi’s odd speech and strange sense of humor. I decided maybe he DID have some moral goodness deep inside. This, despite the fact that he somehow convinced ME to set up a coffee mess - totally illegal, mind you - in our room. It was supposed to be just for the four of us, but I’m pretty sure Dave was making a tidy profit selling java to the other “squids” on our deck.

Being very junior sailors - and thus, very poor sailors - our off-duty “recreational” choices were limited. No way did we want to sit in the barracks! We didn’t have cars, didn’t want to waste our pay on a bus ticket. Choices? Go to the enlisted men’s club (the “animal locker” as it was known) and drink. Or we could go right off base to the Gate Bar and pay MORE to drink. But lucky for me, my family was living in Ft. Lauderdale - a mere 190 miles away from our base. We could stay at “my” place - free room & board! So…Dave and I opted to hitchhike our way up US 1. It was a different era; a lot of older veterans remembered their own service. Our uniforms helped us get rides.

We did the hitching thing several times but our last run is most memorable. We had been dropped off on a Friday night in Marathon - about 68 miles northbound from Key West. As we stood thumbing, a carload of (presumably drunken) teenagers drove up and down US 1, passing by us several times. I don’t think there was much else TO do in Marathon then. Each time they went by, the guys would make “clever” remarks about us. I - being the nice one - just kept quiet, and silently prayed. Dave - vocal New Yorker that he was - finally could take no more! As the car passed by yet again, my insane shipmate shouted out things like “Get over here, you ignorant cracker %&#;$3…we’ll kick ALL your asses!” I looked around…”WE”? The car went a short distance down the road, then slammed the brakes! I SWEAR they started backing up - right on US 1! What sort of rational person does that? We were doomed! Thanks a LOT, Dave!

Just then, a northbound car stopped and offered a ride. Obviously we wasted no time getting in. We were saved. I think Dave waved a finger in farewell to those ruffians!

Dave "crossed over" in 2012. He was a man of honor and a good friend. Fair winds to you, bud,,,and to all those unsung SOSUS types who've gone ahead. Keep the beer cold, eh?

What a great post Lorren. I think a lot of folks had a Versaggi during their careers. It would be an interesting post to hear more inputs on those one and done sailors. You're right as you can be about their contributions to system success. A lot of them, both men and women, would have had wonderful careers had they felt that the military was a career option for them.

Anyway, great post. Hope we hear more of those types.

John