MY first Duty Station.Here is my story,share yours.

[Acaciavet]

 

Gentlemen, I posted 9 weeks ago a story of me going to boot camp 40 years ago. I told of
My adventures with the baddest ass DI that ever walked the parade grounds at Cape May, a BM1 Carl Turner. This story was posted in the Porpoise club because it might scare off potential recruits. Well as Paul Harvey says now the rest of the story!

I graduated on time and was excited about going home for 10 days. About mid week I received a set of orders in the mail. It instructed me to report aboard the USCGC Acacia
In Port Huron Michigan. I arranged air travel to Detroit and was given a air taxi to Port
Huron.

I spent the whole time on the planes studying the Blue Jacket Manual, I didn’t want to screw up going aboard the ship, and after all I just spent 8 weeks in the most squared away Company in the Coast Guard. It was all military. The Air Taxi landed at St Clair County Air Port and guess what was sitting on the runway? A Coast Guard Helo. Well I figured this was my transportation to the ship. To my surprise it took off with out me, well I thought what a bunch of *****s. I called the ship and said that SA Goodspeed was here and were they going to send a car? I was told to go out the gate step on to M29 and put out my thumb. Some one in the QM shack said I will go get him.

I met my first friend; QM3 John Cox picked me up and drove me to the ship. I walked up the gang Way stopped at the Top and said permission to come aboard. I heard a voice from inside the QM shack say, I beg your pardon? I again said Permission to come aboard. Well to my surprise a fellow SK3 Jack Allice, in a Notre Dame Sweat Shirt and undress blue pants came out and said, hold on. He then picked up the PA and announced, NOW HEAR THIS boot arriving. This was Sunday and the old man was ashore. QM1 Jack Liddell was the OD and he took my orders and asked me if I wanted to call home to let my folks know I made it ok. I said yes and called my home, my Dad answered and I said pop I got on the wrong bus, he said what happened? My reply was there is a McHale’s Navy and I am in it. This started the 4 best years of my life. I love that boat and every guy I ever sailed with, so folks 40 years ago I reported to my first duty station. And now you know the rest of the story.

[vftb]

 

My reply was there is a McHale’s Navy and I am in it.

Ain't that the truth (especially the black hulls).  We had more fun than should be legal (even in a war zone); what I have to remind myself sometimes is that in spite of the fun we did a job better than anyone else could do it 

[Jack]

I went to Groton for ET school after boot camp and upon graduation was given to orders to CCGD3 for reassignment. A phone call to find out how to get to the district office was made and with the directions I was told by the yeoman that I was slated for the mighty CGC Owasco in New London.  When I made it to the district office in the battery I was told that I was going to go to Radio New York at Moriches as they were shorter on ET's than the Owasco, where I asked was Moriches, the yeoman said he thought that it was out on Long Island but wasn't certain and to ask at Penn Station ( who had cars in those days). So off to Penn Station, toting a seabag on the subway, at least it wasn't rush hour. At Penn Station I was directed down to the Long Island Rail Road concourse where I bought a ticket and was directed to the proper track. I boarded the train, found a seat for me and another for the seabag and off I went. A short time later the train stopped and the car emptied of passengers, not knowing better I remained until the conductor came thru and told me that this was the end of the line and I had to get off. On the platform I found out that I had an hour or two wait for the train out to Moriches. I noticed during my wait that every new train seemed to have more persons than the previous one. Finally my train is called, the stampede started, I believe that I went with the flow until I found a seat, in which I plopped down and put my seabag on the seat next to me. I then was given my first lesson in being a commuter by a not so friendly voice telling me to move over and that seabags did not get a seat of their own, so over I went with the seabag on my lap. A hour or so into the ride the car emptied enough so that my seabag could have a seat of its own, another hour passed and I found myself alone in the car, shortly afterwards we came to a halt at  Moriches, out I go onto an empty platform and the depot closed and nobody in sight. I managed to find a phone booth and contacted the only number listed under Coast Guard and got what I later learned was a watchstander on tower watch at Moriches Lifeboat Station, after relating who I was and where I was to report to he said to stay where I was and a vehicle would pick  me up shortly. About an hour passed by and a gray CG pickup appears out of the darkness who takes me out to the Radio Station where I reported in to RM1 Robinson who was watch supervisor who arranged for a rack at the Lifeboat Station a 1/4 mile away (no ride this time, walk) ,I spent about 30 days there while it was decided if I were to remain  at Moriches or go out to the Radio Annex on Fire Island, finally a decision was made and off to Fire Island I go. This time travel was by  36' MLB with an EN3 as coxswain and I was the crew. Several hours later I am at Fire Island LBSTA where I get in another pickup, ride two miles down the beach, thru a cut in the dunes and end up at the Radio Annex, my home for the next 20 months. Three of us were single and lived there, the married guys left for the station at 1530, rode either a 30 or 40 footer to Captree State Park where their cars were parked (about 5 miles from the nearest community) they returned to Captree the next morning at 7:30 for annother boat ride and then a ride up the beach, us single guys when we went ashore either slept in the backroom at the bridge toll booth or on the Pt Dume if she were moored at Captree until the morning boat.

[Square Knot]

 

CGC Blackthorn WAGL-391 was my first duty station, except for the two weeks I spent in the Transient barracks at COTP, NOLA. There wasn't much unusual about my reporting aboard, the ship was just coming out of drydock at Higgins in New Orleans, and everything was pretty much SNAFU. Don't remember wether I saluted the colors or even asked permission to come aboard. The ship being in NOLA was excuse enough for everyone to be pretty well "Lay'd Back".

After getting squared away and laying claim to a "LOWER" bunk, things went along pretty much normal, mess cook, watch stander, chip and paint, soogie, clean sweep down fore and aft, "EVERY DAY". Made a few friends and we went across the street from Higgins one night to the "Safari Room" to see "Fats Domino". It was so packed we couldn't hardly raise our bottles of Falstaff beer.

We finally got underway back to Mobile, Al., home port of the Blackthorn and sister tender Salvia, and the daily routine remained about the same everyday till we "finally" got underway for a buoy run all along the Gulf Coast east to Panama City, Fl. This was about a two week "working cruise" daylight to dark every day and I was beginning to learn all the different things, first hand, we had to do to the buoys once they were pulled up on deck, "WHEW" what a stinkin' mess.

I had an oppurtunity to go to work in the ship's office and I jumped at it, but it was temporary till the new Yoeman came aboard. After that, a school at Groton came open, not my first choice (EM), but got me off the ship and into (RD) school. This was about a 5 month tour and not really a bad one. I learned more about seamanship there than probably anywhere I was from then on. The food was excellent and except for the usuall BM strikers that thought their s**t didn't stink, was an enjoyable tour.

The skipper was a mustang LT. who came up from a Warrent Officer. The Exec. was an Academy graduate Ltjg. The Exec. was mostly a pencil pusher and, one day, had the conn to pull in and dock at Mobile. Everything was good till he backed down the engines too hard and they went off line and we took out the shore tie with the port anchor.
I don't remember him "ever" having the conn after that. We were running on internal power for two days till the shore tie was repaired.

Hard to say how my Coast Guard tour would have turned out had I stayed on the Blackthorn. I might have been one of those BM strikers.

 

[BuoyJumper]

The CGC Mesquite (WAGL/WLB-305) was my first and only duty station in the CG.  The way things started off for me in the CG went sour pretty fast.  After graduation with my company Oscar 64 in Cape May in July of 1966, I got some leave.  So I spent a few days in NJ with my family and since I was to report to D9 Cleveland for my assignment anyway, I decided to spend the remainder of my leave with my girlfriend (now my wife of 40 years) at her folks home in Wheation, Illinois.

We spent every minute together and being starstruck and in love, never really took notice of anything else that was going on in the world at that time.  A day before my leave was up, I went to Ohare to take a flight into Cleveland so that I could get my orders.  When I arrived at the airport there were hundreds of picketers all over the friggin airport, something about some labor dispute and strike against ALL the major airlines.  "Holy ****, what was I going to do now" I thought to myself.  So I started going from terminal to terminal trying to find one of the small airlines that weren't out and I discovered they were all overbooking their flights because so many had been left stranded by the strike.  After sleeping in the airport all night and having been bumped off of a number of flights that had been overbooked, I began to realize that if I did not get on a plane in the next hour or so I would be AWOL.

Out of desperation I called DHQ and I was told to get there just as quick as I could, anyway I could.  Well to make a long story short I finally caught an extra bus that had been added to the route by Greyhound due to the strike and arrived at DHQ 6 hours AWOL.  What a way to start out!

I got my orders and took a bus to Green Bay and then another bus to Sturgeon Bay and reported in to the Mesquite moored at City Dock.  I checked in at the QM shack and the Master at Arms, RM1 Gene Small came down the gangway to usher be aboard.  He looks over my orders and kind of rolls his eyes and shakes his head and says, "In trouble already, aye kid?".  "Looks like you are in for your first Captain's Mast for being AWOL."  It just so happened that the CO of the Mesquite was the biggest ***** in the ninth district.  Now this is a no ****, everyone hated this man.  The XO, OO, EO, DO, all the Warrants, Chiefs everyone under his command.  Our Ensign was so terrified of this man, he put in for and got an 82-footer in Vietnam (the Point Caution) just to escape his tyranny.  Now that's what I call desperation!

This CDR sadistically handed out punishment for every minor infraction and I would be facing my CO for the first time, at a Captain's Mast for being AWOL.  OH ****, I WAS SO SCREWED!  Well I had my mast, I was shaking so bad and my teeth were chattering like the anchor chain running out of the hause pipe but I got through it.  Got 30-60 (30 days restriction to ship and 60 hours extra duty) and that was my initiation into the Coast Guard.

[Acaciavet]

The CGC Mesquite (WAGL/WLB-305) was my first and only duty station in the CG.  The way things started off for me in the CG went sour pretty fast.  After graduation with my company Oscar 64 in Cape May in July of 1966, I got some leave.  So I spent a few days in NJ with my family and since I was to report to D9 Cleveland for my assignment anyway, I decided to spend the remainder of my leave with my girlfriend (now my wife of 40 years) at her folks home in Wheation, Illinois.

We spent every minute together and being starstruck and in love, never really took notice of anything else that was going on in the world at that time.  A day before my leave was up, I went to Ohare to take a flight into Cleveland so that I could get my orders.  When I arrived at the airport there were hundreds of picketers all over the friggin airport, something about some labor dispute and strike against ALL the major airlines.  "Holy ****, what was I going to do now" I thought to myself.  So I started going from terminal to terminal trying to find one of the small airlines that weren't out and I discovered they were all overbooking their flights because so many had been left stranded by the strike.  After sleeping in the airport all night and having been bumped off of a number of flights that had been overbooked, I began to realize that if I did not get on a plane in the next hour or so I would be AWOL.

Out of desperation I called DHQ and I was told to get there just as quick as I could, anyway I could.  Well to make a long story short I finally caught an extra bus that had been added to the route by Greyhound due to the strike and arrived at DHQ 6 hours AWOL.  What a way to start out!

I got my orders and took a bus to Green Bay and then another bus to Sturgeon Bay and reported in to the Mesquite moored at City Dock.  I checked in at the QM shack and the Master at Arms, RM1 Gene Small came down the gangway to usher be aboard.  He looks over my orders and kind of rolls his eyes and shakes his head and says, "In trouble already, aye kid?".  "Looks like you are in for your first Captain's Mast for being AWOL."  It just so happened that the CO of the Mesquite was the biggest ***** in the ninth district.  Now this is a no ****, everyone hated this man.  The XO, OO, EO, DO, all the Warrants, Chiefs everyone under his command.  Our Ensign was so terrified of this man, he put in for and got an 82-footer in Vietnam (the Point Caution) just to escape his tyranny.  Now that's what I call desperation!

This CDR sadistically handed out punishment for every minor infraction and I would be facing my CO for the first time, at a Captain's Mast for being AWOL.  OH ****, I WAS SO SCREWED!  Well I had my mast, I was shaking so bad and my teeth were chattering like the anchor chain running out of the hawse pipe but I got through it.  Got 30-60 (30 days restriction to ship and 60 hours extra duty) and that was my initiation into the Coast Guard.


    Jumper,you win I heard stories about that CO from some guys that reported aboard my ship later on. Like I said it was four years of my life I woulnd't trade for anything. Semper Par boys

[JerryM]

Damn, Ron, if you still love the Guard after that kind of an intro, you would have been a "lifer" like me if you had run into my kind of luck.
From boot camp, I went to 30 weeks of Basic Electronics school, so I had almost a year in the CG before I reported to my first operational unit - Electronic Repair Shop (major), USCG Base Galveston, Texas in the fall of 1960. The first time I met the CO of Base Galveston (Captain Leslie G. Haverlund - former Lighthouse Service), I was on the long walk from Ferry Road to the Base. Captain Haverlund pulled up alongside and said "How about a lift?" I thanked him and got in his car (TR-3). As I closed the door, he said "I guess you must be Murdock." & I replied "yes Sir". He proceeded to welcome me aboard & hope that I would enjoy my stay. I was only there about a year as COTP Houston had been short an ET for a month or two when hurricane Carla hit, but Galveston was, in fact an enjoyable tour.
One of my favorite moments at Galveston occurred during a materiél inspection at Galveston Jetty Light Station. I was working on the standby radiobeacon transmitter when the inspection party (The Captain, one Lt(jg), one Yeoman, and two Ensigns) came into the beacon room. I got up from the deck where I was working on the bottom drawer of the transmitter & came to attention, & the Capt said "carry on", so I returned to what I was doing - as one of the Ensigns ran his white glove over the top of the timer rack. The Captain, in a really annoyed tone, said " MR. _____ we don't do that **** here, this is an OPERATIONAL unit!"
As I said earlier, after hurricane Carla I was transferred to COTP Houston where my CO, CDR Raymond J. Evans, was the most decorated living Coast Guardsman    - having been in the same boat with his closest friend, Douglas Munro at Guadalcanal. I had a good year at Houston (subs & quarters) - with lots of opportunity to do boarding from 40 boats & AMVER boardings &c. (I got a special kick out of ticketing a Navy Chief for non CG approved PFD - he and others in his boat were using PFD from his ship). Sorry all you USN guys - I really do apologize for being such a *****, but I had just been certified as a boarding officer, and MOST government issue boating safety equipment is not (or at least in those days, was not) certified to meet CG specs.
I really wanted to go to sea, and CDR Evans knew how I felt, so he helped me to get my first sea duty (EASTWIND) - which I may detail at a later date, but when my orders came over the teletype, I was working on the antenna for the FM base station atop a water tower about 50 yards from the admin building. When the message came across, CDR Evans walked outside and yelled "Murdock - to my office". I was there in under 5 minutes & he handed me my orders - with congratulations for getting what I wanted. He retired before I left, so I was able to attend his retirement ceremony. I believe (and hope) CDR Evans is still retired - somewhere in the Seattle area.

The Coast Guard was VERY good to me, and I met and served with many people who should have their own pages in the history books (and a few who can be found to actually have their own pages).

Jerry

[BuoyJumper]

Damn, Ron, if you still love the Guard after that kind of an intro, you would have been a "lifer" like me if you had run into my kind of luck.

Jerry

Yeah Jerry, it was a pretty rough start but I got over it.

I had intended on making the CG a career striking for ET when I enlisted in the fall of 65.  My father's murder while on a business trip to Boston changed everything in my life, my Mom's and my brother's.  Looking back on my first Captain's Mast, (I had a second about 90 days later for not being in undress blues for chow one evening, even so I was still working on deck) in retrospect the CG did the right thing.  It was my responsibility to be at DHQ on time and I knew if I did not make it there would be consequences.  I'll guarandamnteeya this .... I have never been late for anything ever since.  In fact most often I arrive anywhere Mrs. Buoy and I go a few minutes early.

A side note, once that CDR was transferred in July 1967 to be the District Legal Officer in New Orleans, there wasn't a single Captain's Mast in the remaining three years I was aboard, although there were plenty of times when there could have been.

[JekelKat]

I repeated my orders to my company while standing at attention in front of the squadbay. CGC MADRONA? OK... so I looked on a map (NOT a chart  ) and was shocked to see exactly how far way Charleston was from my hometown on Brooklyn, NY. The furthest away I'd ever been was western PA. Yeah - I know pretty pathetic. "Holy crap! It's two hands away!" (It was a small map)

So I report aboard. 22 years old... straight from Brooklyn with the accent and everything. I requested permission to come aboard - saluted the National Ensign - entered the hatch and promptly became disoriented. Found my way to the galley where I was escorted to the 55 degree berthing area (which was freezing that day - and stayed that way the entire time I was attached). No one was around that day - sports day - so I didn't have much to do except unpack. I did so - quickly and had nothing to do, so I proceeded to iron my working blues... another SA walked into female berthing, giggled and told me there would NEVER be a need for me to iron my working blues and that I should make sure to get watch standing boots because my shiny pretty boots would never look the same again. They didn't... when I left my boots were brown and looked like velvet they were so torn up. I loved every minute of that boat. Even when I got in trouble...   

[rustybayonet]

My first duty station wasn't the sea going salty dog stories the rest of you had, nope, because I volunteered [ya, I know - don't volunteer for anything,dummy] for the original Honor Guard and made it, I was off to beautiful downtown Curtis Bay and the next 18 or so months at the Yard.  Roughly the next year and a half for this wet behind the ears 18 year old proved to be something.  First time in Washington, and then went there 2-3 times a week --- first national crisis - Cuban Missile - they were worried about DC, --- ships were at the Yard for repair, get them done and out, close down any unknown shipping in the Chesapeake Bay because 'they might' come in to Washington -- after that was over a 40 footer went out to free a yacht from a sand bar, one crewman from the SAR station went over the side to look at the problem, [striking in sick bay during my spare time - guess who was on duty to bring his body in], then three days later on the Honor Guard Funeral Detail, we left him behind at the cemetery  .  My first "shipmate" gone.  Then the country had a problem in Dallas, forty-four years ago next Friday.
There were good times also and I made it thru them  .  After the Honor Guard I was transfered to a SAR unit in Toledo, but only for a short time because Headquarters needed me back at Cape May as permanent party pushing boots, then after that the rest was purely bad travel agent because they said I was needed at Alameda - yep you guested it -  pushing boots.  So my career was spent mainly pounding gravel in DC and at boot camp - and no, I don't shine shoes anymore - when they need shining I throw them away and buy new.

[sparky]

Ok so it's my day to post stories on USMILNET.
My first duty station out of boot camp in Alameda 1963 (Alpha 41, Bob Williams QM3 CC) was ET school in Groton. I lasted 10 weeks before I flunked out because that is what I learned in high school. If you don't do your homework somehow you'll still get by. Well I didn't. Spent the next 60 days doing galley/mess hall duty. At that time anyone that flunked out of school did mess cooking automatically for 2 months and then went to a big white one in the 1st, 3rd, 5th or whatever district sitting on weather station for months. However, when my orders came through I was assigned to USCG Base, Sault Ste Marie, MI. So that was my first real duty station. I flew into some air force base, got to the Soo Base somehow and spent about 18 months swabbing decks, cleaning heads, messcooking and partying and then went to EM school. New things I learned about in the Soo. Hockey, Frostbite, Drinking, Canadian Girls, Hospitalized twice for exhaustion, Chippewa Indian girls, the importance of not flunking out of another school. Passed EM school in the top 3 of my class and went to the ACACIA WLB 406 in Port Huron Michigan and that's another story.