OK Shipmates - Here's your space to relate all of those stories you've been telling all these
years! Eventhough most "Sea Stories" usually begin with the phrase "This is a no - shi---er", please
leave out all the expletives so we don't have to shield young eyes from our site. Please tell us of your favorite
times, great stories, liberty exploits, or whatever floats your boat. If you need more space, just submit a second time
and our webmaster will combine them for you. 
Ray Lough (ST 65-69 Blue) Sea Story
On one of those delightful "northern patrols" I had the Sonar Supvr
watch. Cdr Stacey 'wandered' into the sonar shack and put on a headset and commenced to track a contact. When asked
what it was I reported the contact as a merchant vessel. The Cdr. disagreed and insisted that it was a warship! After 'trying'
to explain the differences Cdr Stacey was insistent that we had a warship bearing down. I asked him if he was relieving me
of the watch. His reply was to "get the COB (A.J.Lord) out of the 'rack' to classify the contact. After a few
minutes poor COB listened to the contact and looked at our 'other' devices for classification and confirmed my call.
Cdr. Stacey wasn't satified with that so he got Don Harrison out of the rack since he was our SOSUS expert. Don confirmed
what the COB and I thought. Still not satified Cdr Stacey called for a periscope verification of the contact. We came to periscope depth and looked at the contact. It was the QEII on her maiden voyage
from London. After leaving the Conn Stacey never came in the 'Shack' again while I had the watch. You can bet I walked
softly the rest of my time on Calhoun!
 |
|
Here's where you'll find the start of the seafaring tales! Simply scroll down the page
to see the stories.
Gerald Stine (QMSN 68-68 Gold) Sea Story
I was on the fairwater planes and
having normal conversation with everyone else on duty. For some reason the talk turned to my beard. I've never had a heavy
beard, and in boot camp I could go 2 or three days without shaving. Well, the Officer of the deck made the comment that my
beard was sorry looking. Watching my gauges and not turning to look at him I commented, "It's not any worse than
the Captain's."
Just then the Captain walked past heading forward. About 15 minutes later he returned, clean
shaven, stopped put his hand on my shoulder and said, "Stine, if I were you, right after watch, I would go shave."
I did!
Jerry Tierney (ST 64-67 Blue) Sea Story:Bill Hylers e-mail containing The Thanksgiving Menu of the blue crew in 1966 brougt back to me ,another memory
of that 4th blue crew patrol.
How many that made that patrol recall listening to what is now referred to as the imfamous
tie between The Universty of Notre Dame and Michigan State University Football Teams in November of 1066.We stayed at periscope
depth and received it on The Armed Forces Network. It was great practice for the diving team!Capt. Connally was a big college
sports fan.
The following Saturday it was Army VS Navy.We arrived in Charleston a couple of days before Christmas and
turned the boat over to the Gold crew on Christmas Eve. I have many fun memories ofmy days aboard The Calhoun,many happy,
a couple sad. Hope to hear some sea stories from my shipmates.
Jerry
Jim Magin (MM 65-70 Gold)
Sea Story:
One Mid Watch on a cold Arctic Patrol I was making a steady 33 turns at the
SPCP when Capt. Frank wandered aft to visit his favorite space - Maneuvering Room. Seizing the opportunity, after he
had been hanging around for awhile, I asked if he would relieve me so I could make a trip to the head. Accepting the EOOW's
permission to be relieved, I journeyed to the ULAMR2 head. Relieved, I took my time to return. It was a slow night. After
a visit with Chief Sherman hanging out at the ULAMR2 workbench I returned to the back side of the SPCP. Earlier, we had stowed
a coil of 1/4" tygon tubing (for use by the ELT's, of course)with one of its ends strategically placed under one
of the guages on the vertical section of the board. The guage was directly in view of the Throttles operator. Enjoying
one last puff of a Lucky Strike, I wafted my exhale into the other end of the tube, slowly releasing the smoke under the guage
and billowing out and upward over the front of the guages. Being the ever alert and excellent watch relief that he was,
the Skipper loudly announced "Fire in the Steam Plant Guageboard!" The EOOW dutifully repeated the alert over the
2MC and summoned me to return immediately to my station. The smoke dissipated, the drill was announced over, and, as he clamped
my right hand to the forward throttle wheel with his huge fist, with pressure I'll always remember, the Skipper announced,
"Magin has the throttles - PERMANENTLY". During my final SS quals, conducting his review, he asked me to list
all the sources of potential fire in the vertical section of the SPCP. What a Leader and friend to all his Gold Crew
Capt. Frank Thurtell was!
|