By Jerry Rollins, CMA2
Vevay, Indiana
I was sitting in my well used and form fitting recliner this morning sipping` coffee and remembered that 49 years ago today I started my journey to follow my Uncle Bob, who was a Seabee during WWII.
I lived on a small farm in southern Indiana and worked on larger farms in the area. Think it rained the whole month of June. I contacted Chief Wheat, the Navy Recruiter at Bloomington and told him I was ready to go. I was 17 and the family said, “go for it’.
On July 13, 1955 I was on a Greyhound to Indianapolis. That building in Indy was a sight to see. Over a hundred young men all butt naked lined up with billet numbers on their chest with grease pencil. That same day we left for Great Lakes by train. This young farm boy was almost sure he had made one big mistake!!
After boot camp it was off to the west coast for Class “A” school and California Women. Now things are beginning to look better. After a few months Uncle Sam decides that I have had enough fun and off to Morocco to do what I was trained for. What a bummer that was. Think that was bad?
Now comes the bad part. They put us on an LST and cross the Atlantic for Davisville, RI in the wintertime. Thought I was one smart cookie and get a bottom bunk next to a ladder well coming in the compartment. Not so smart!! Had frozen buns every night.
Always wondered how that ship stayed together after standing watch on the tank deck and see it bend like a twig. Sure were a lot of green people living on soda crackers and sucking on lemons. Never did figure how they could stand the lemons.
After two weeks of that life it took us a few days to learn how to walk on land again.
In July it was off on another voyage to Puerto Rico on the LST 1156. Man, it was hot. Another shipmate and I decided to sleep in the gun turret one night – another bad idea. The next morning our faces were caked with salt spray. Face felt like someone had put plaster on it. Guess young sailors live and learn. Things you do not soon forget.
Many a good memory of the nine years spent in the Seabees. In my opinion every young man should spend a little time working for Uncle Sam. It isn’t a bad life after you learn the ropes.
Think I will get another cup of coffee and get in the recliner and recall some more of those memories almost 50 years ago.