My time stationed out of Key West island left a wonderful lasting impression on my young man's mind...   It is these opportunities in life that help to mold and shape us ....

The destroyer escort; Greenwood DE679, was decommission back to the reserve fleet, and assigned as a Naval Reserve Training ship in Bayboro Harbor, FL...   Well I knew most of the crew would be transfered to other active duty ships, so we spent our time, standing watches and doing maintenance on the ship... 

It was a very slow pace, as we were just down from a large USCG, Air Station, w. some Cutters and other patrol boats...  The nice thing about being tied up to this pier was we, had visitors every night,  Young Female Visitors...  They could drive  right up on the pier, and park over by the ship's gang way...  Not like Navy Base where all visitors must sign in, and get a visitor pass, then call out to the ship they wanted to visit...  This was so easy and nice....  

I think is part of that male / female  pre wired thing, we were talking about on an earlier blog...  Any way since the nights we had Duty, we had to stay aboard the ship at night...  But we could go out on the pier and talk to the girls....  Well one August night, after supper, I was on the duty section but had already stood my watch, so got permission to go ashore and visit with some of the young ladies on the pier... 

A couple of us had gone up by the Bow of the ship, where the # 1 lines were tied... We were visiting with some females, just talking from what I can remember... Nothing serious, folks... {Men do not think of sex 24 hours a day, may be 12}

 When one of the sailors from the ship who had been over on liberty, had came back somewhat drunk....  Well he came up behind me and pushed me  over the side of the pier....  It was about twenty feet into the Bay...  I went in head first, not the preferred method....  {When you abandon ship, or have to enter the water, it is advised and preferred to jump feet first, with-one hand over your mouth, and the other over your private parts...}  Lucky for me it was near the bow, so I did not strike the ship in the fall.... 

So there I was in the dark, some what rough sea water....  I was able to get a grasp on one of the timbers that ran parallel with the pier, they are about one by three feet rectangular pieces...  Then since the "Man Over Board Alarm " had been sounded, one of the crew lowered a line down, and I was able to climb back up to the pier... Except for a couple of scrapes I did not get more than my pride hurt....  [They checked me out back on the ship in sick Bay, later...}

Wet and mad I was ready to punch this guy's running lights out...  But first of all,   he was drunk, so it was really no contest, and then the Officer of the Deck came down on the pier; and fighting was not allowed...  So the young lady I had been talking to; came over and hugged me, and said she was sorry, then ran off crying....  I never did ever  get her name, or see her again...  She was embarrised...  

So went my time on the Greenwood,  I was soon transfered to the USS FURSE DDR882; stationed in Charleston ,SC...   We will pick up there on the next blog...  I will visit some other happening on the Greenwood, in the future as time permits... 

Add This Entry To Your CureZone Favorites!