Glen Cross. Havn't heard that name in 50 years.
Now, I can't validate this story but I'm gonna tell it anyway. My apologies top Glen if I've got it wrong.
Argentia, during the 66 to 68 timeframe underwent an upgrade that included an extremely high fidelity sound/speaker system that allowed all stations to communicate with the Plot and Watch Officer.
As a side note, we had an ORI after that upgrade in which the ORI team stopped the battle problem because they couldn't keep up with the data/info flow. All of the info flow was over this sound system and they were not able to hear what/how/when stations were doing their business.
But........, I digress
As Paul Harvey would say, and now the rest of the story.
Charley Kohn, Leroy Rourke and Glen Cross all departed Argentia on 01 Jan 68 for their next duty assignments. Within weeks of their departure, the OPS boss ordered a practice Battle problem.
Within 15 minutes of the beginning of the problem, the plot and OWO called a halt because noone could understand a word being said over the "new" sound system.
Now the story as I best recall is that when the ETs investigated the problem, they found some "replacement" speakers had been installed.
Again, apologies to Glen Cross and to Charley and Leroy, but all of those guys had beautiful stereo systems in their homes,
I'm just saying.
John
My pictured memory of Chief Cross was a cigarette hanging from his lips, with ashes flying everywhere when he would constantly repeat the word “Prick” to whoever he was speaking or yelling at. I wish every chief in the Navy could have been like him. Great guy. Do anything in the world for you.
John, I believe that story. That system was awful when I
got there in ‘70 😅 I remember people playing rock music over the speaker system, some of it reflective of the times.; Vietnam, etc. Van would go into a rage and the music stopped fast :)
STG1 Robert VanAlstine was my first watch supervisor when I reported to NAVFACKEF in Ausust 1969, and there definitely was never any music played over the sound system! There was always time for contact training whenever grams were not busy. I am so glad that Van got me off to a great start in the System, and following KEF, I had the privilege to serve at COSL with Chiefs Werner Miller and Frank Harwood.
56 years ago. Wow! Seems like yesterday. February 1970 I was decked out in blues and pea coat leaving Chicago heading for Key West (from -40 to 80) Got the unclassified briefing about this strange system training behind the green doors. I had to wait for a class so got assigned to the galley for a couple months working the speed line. Lunch and dinner only and easy food. Sandwiches and chips or salads mostly. Just had to prep, serve and clean up. Monday through Friday. Now weekends and no barracks watches. Boy did I get lucky. Anyway, it appears that we were sucking up the Key West sun about the same time frame. After getting beyond the green doors and completing the class I headed to my first duty station on a remote island named Bermuda. I was a dumb old country boy and have no idea where this was or what to expect. After a month of indoctrination (scrubbing, waxing, buffing, burning, making coffee, etc.) I was assigned to a watch section under the supervision of SG2 Bill Sharon. Some of the folks in the section were Marc Reed, Tony Orzek, Joe Volpi, Buck Buchanan, Lyman Mcnutt, Gary Hunter, Hal Cook, Tom Wakefield and many more I can't recall. The department chief was a hardliner by the name of George Widenor. Annotation, beam rolling, Stylus maintenance,TARFs, contact logs and reporting. I was overwhelmed but somehow got faster and better and things started making more sense. After Bermuda I spent the next 20 years moving from one Navfac to another, making rate and taking on greater responsibilities, finally completing my journey as a Master Chief in August 1990. My time was spent working a great system, meeting numerous people and making many new friends along the way. I wouldn't trade one day of it for anything.
I had a similar coffee experience when I got to Barbers Point. My supervisor (Chuck Cable) told me to make coffee to which I told him I don't drink coffee. He soon set me straight as to where I stood in the CoC :grinning:
