Well, Ruby and I dated for a while
and then I asked her to marry me. We
spent a very short honeymoon up at the Russian River resort and then my ship
left, again, for Japan and Korea. Her
parents were unable to attend our wedding so when the ship returned stateside,
her parents gave us another wedding (once for practice, twice for keeps) in the
little town of St. Helena, California.
Our first apartments were near St. Francis Hospital in San
Francisco. Within a year, we moved to Alameda
and cut down on the travel to and from my ship.
The USS Cape Esperance was a
tight-knit group of people who were more like family than shipmates. We shared in laughter, tears, good fortune
and more. In our early years of marriage
we lived in the old war time housing located behind the old drive-in movie near
the Alameda tube. Our first address was
1057-A, Stalker Way.
USS Cape Esperance.
During a cruise to Japan, we’d just
tied up to the pier at Ford Island in Hawaii, when a messenger from the air
station came aboard to inform me that I had an emergency telephone call on the
phone on the pier. Upon going to the
phone, I found my wife informing me that I was a father. The baby’s birth was premature. She told me it was a boy. The doctors didn’t know if the baby was going
to live or not and could I get home. The
chaplain, division office, and the ship’s captain all talked to my wife. In just minutes, the captain called the ship’s
crew together and informed them of my problem.
He passed his hat and when everyone contributed, he then cut leave
orders, 30 days for me and personally drove me over to Hickam Air Force Base
and got me on a flight back to Travis AFB in California.
Upon arrival at Travis, I grabbed a
cab and headed for St. Helena. Enroute,
I told the cab driver what had happened.
When we arrived at the hospital, St. Helena Sanitarium, the driver said,
“Just give me $15.00 for gas. I was in
the Navy myself and I want to help.” God
bless the man. We named our first son,
William Michael. After the ship returned
stateside, we had volunteer babysitters by the score.
Time passed quickly and after
several years on the “Cape”, I was transferred to Fighter Squadron VF-653 in
Hangar 20 at NAS Alameda. After that it
was FASRON 8, FASRON 1116, then to the USS Hancock (CV-19). Surprise, I ended up in the V-1 division (air
dept.) and my new skipper was actually my old skipper off the Cape
Esperance. While aboard the “Hannah”, I
met one of my oldest and closest friends, George Saunders and his wife Beverly,
who years later (1996) would still be close to my family and me. I remained on the Hancock from 1955 through
1956. She was really one fine ship. When she was decommissioned in 1976, I went
to her decom-ceremony right here at the piers in Alameda.
In 1957, I was on shore duty again,
at NAS Alameda when I was asked if I’d like to be Radm. Robert P. Hickey’s
(Commander Fleet Air Alameda, COMFAIR) personal driver. Great man; great duty.
Upon ending my tour of duty with
the Admiral, I transferred to VP-19 (Patrol Squadron – P1V-7s). About this time the USS Ranger (CVA-61)
arrived from the east coast for permanent duty out of NAS Alameda. I still had a few months of humanitary shore
duty coming but sorry about that, sailor, you are now a new member of Ranger’s
ship’s company (V-3 Division, Hangar Deck).
I was not particularly happy with Ranger, but did make a lot of good
friends while aboard. I started the 1960
cruise with Ranger but left the ship in Yokosuka upon her arrival. I flew back stateside arriving at Travis AFB
and then home to Alameda where I went to Treasure Island and re-enlisted for a
six year tour of duty. I took 30 days
leave. After 15 days I called to see if
my new orders had arrived.
“Yes,” they said.
“Where to?” I asked.
“Ranger (CVA-61).”
“The hell, you say,” said I. “No way,” I told my wife, packing my
bag. “I’m going to EPTOPAC to get those
orders cancelled or changed.” Lucky me. I knew a chief yeoman who’d also been on the
Ranger. He knew how I felt about
returning to Ranger. I told him I’d
accept orders to any other ship in the Pacific Fleet. “Ever been on a sea plane tender?” he
asked. “You’re on one now, USS Salisbury
Sound (AV-13) based at White Beach Okinawa.”
Not bad duty either. I was in
charge of the damage control hangar deck area.
Very good duty.
Final
Salute 6 JAN 1965
|
Final Salute 6 Jan, 1965. 
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