Wetherhorn

First Duty Assignment – 1

Just a bit before the students at OCS completed the course and received commissions the Navy Bureau of Personnel interviewed each one. We were asked if we wanted to serve ashore or afloat. Everyone was cautioned that we were, after all, naval officers. As such we were expected to select a shipboard assignment. One newly married man chose duty ashore in order to be with his wife. He was sent to the Naval Communications Facility on Adak Island. The location was a mostly barren rock in the Aleutian chain extending from Alaska. It was bitter cold, even in the summer.  Others wisely chose sea duty. That led to another series of choices. We were asked what kind of ship we wanted, what department we wanted to be in, and which home port we would like to have.  I decided that I wanted to be in a smaller ship where, I surmised, I would have a better opportunity to have more responsibility. The smallest thing available was a minesweeper. Minesweepers operated out of Charleston, SC or Long Beach, California. Knowing that much, I went for my placement interview.

The first question I was asked was what kind of ship I wanted. The answer was, of course, a minesweeper.  That was fine. My interviewer wrote it down and asked for my second choice. The Personnel Bureau promised to make every effort to give each new officer either his first or second choice in each category. I told him I wanted a minesweeper. That was already noted. I needed a different second choice. But I insisted that I really wanted a minesweeper. Rather than engage in a protracted discussion the interviewer offered to put in amphibious ships or Auxiliaries as a second choice.  I consented.

Because of my grades and background the interviewer told me I was particularly well suited to serve in the Operations Department. I didn’t argue about that either. Then it was time for the last choice. What home port would I prefer? I asked for Long Beach. And what was my second choice? Charleston, SC. That brought up a new conflict. A home port could be in either the Atlantic Fleet or the Pacific Fleet. You could not select ports on the opposite sides of the country. So I said Long Beach was OK.

When our orders came out I found I was assigned to a helicopter carrier in the Pacific Amphibious Forces based out of Long Beach. Before reporting to the ship I was to attend Combat Information Center and Air Intercept Control courses in Glynco, Georgia. That meant working in the operations department. So I ended up with 2 out of 3 first choices. But the contrast between a minesweeper and a helicopter carrier was enormous. Another student in my section asked for duty in an aircraft carrier. He got sent to a minesweeper. I did not want to try to swap with him because the school assignments I had meant I would spend almost 5 months in advanced training before going to California to join my ship. That was the longest stretch of training allowed as Temporary Duty. Temporary Duty meant that I would be paid an additional daily allowance for meals and quarters. That money would let me pay off all my existing debts for uniforms. Officers had to buy their own uniforms and a required minimum outfit included at least 2 blue winter uniforms, 2 white summer uniforms, khaki work uniforms, and the accompanying items like shoes, hat, belts, and insignia. The cost of all of it together was equal to a few months’ pay for a newly commissioned ensign.

While in Glynco I had some interesting experiences.. The Jewish contingent at the base consisted of myself, a jet engine mechanic, and an electronics technician. I met them by going to Friday night services at the local Jewish reform temple.  One day we were informed that n Israeli merchant ship was at the civilian port. The three of us thought visiting that ship would be an interesting thing to do. We piled into the car that the technician owned and drove into town that evening.  The story was true. There was an Israeli ship located there. We tried to go through the gate and were firmly turned away by the guard. We could not go in without an invitation from the ship. I was sure we could arrange that. But the guard wouldn’t contact the ship for us to ask for an invitation.

“I don’t speak their language” he said.

I told him I spoke Hebrew but he was still adamant. We could not go in nor talk to the ship. It occurred to me that Glynco was a really small town. Where do sailors go when they have free time in a foreign port? To the nearest bar, of course. So we drove into town and went back and forth down the only street where bars were located. Sure enough, on the second pass, we heard someone speaking Hebrew on the street. A quick conversation through the car window was followed by an arrangement for us to meet at the port gate the next day, which was Sunday.  We were joined that morning by a young lady from the congregation and were met at the gate by our new friends from the night before.  Once on board we met the captain and a few others and that was when the really interesting part began.  The ship was having trouble with some of the electronic navigation equipment. there was even a company specialist who had arrived to fix the gyro compass. The specialist needed some alcohol to  complete his repairs, but it was Sunday, and the young lady who came with us happened to be the daughter of the owner of a local pharmacy. She called home and arranged to get the required alcohol from her father.  Meanwhile. our own technician looked at the electronic navigation equipment. He  quickly determined that the antenna connection was touching a part of the metal structure and was simply grounded out. He moved and tightened the connection and the problem was solved. The captain was very grateful and invited us to stay on board while the ship left port. We could return with the harbor pilot before the ship actually reached the open sea.. We accepted the offer.

 

So, there we were, three Jewish members of the US Navy, all going out to sea for the very first time. When the ship passed the outer harbor limit the crew dropped a rope ladder over the side. We had to climb down the ladder and jump onto  the pilot boat. The pilot boat turned out to be a tiny motorboat with an outboard motor. As the ranking officer, I went first.  It was a new adventure to jump off a rope ladder dangling from a large cargo ship to a tiny motorboat bouncing up and down on the bow wave made by the ship as she headed out to sea. We ll made it safely. Otherwise I wouldn’t be writing this.