Memories Page 4

Terry Hammon, Johnny Ideran and I(Curtis Thurman) stayed over on the beach in Capetown too long and got a bit tight(don't know how we ever even got back) one night.  When we came back, we decided we absolutely had to have something to eat.  Course galley was closed, but we banged around in there like a bunch of clowns and finally one of the reefers opened up.  All that was in there was some baaaaad milk, and if memory serves me, Johnny gave it a fling against the wall.  We had most of it cleaned up when CTR1 Mincheff(I believe) came in and was counselling us and Johnny gave him a #@%& you  Cliff Mincheff was a cool guy and let if blow once or twice while he and we tried to calm Johnny down.  But Johnny finally got in one last #@%& you and Cliff had to write him up.  So, he got busted.  Terry and I also got written up for banging around in the galley etc after hours, but we only had to go to XO mast with Lt. Sowada - a reeeaaaal Sea Daddy.  Mincheff was a real stand up guy and spoke up for us about cleaning up the mess and trying to help our shipmate.  And, the XO, being the really savy old sea dog he was, gave us a 30 day restriction - to be served at sea when we got back underway.  That man showed awesome good judgement and made a better sailor out of me.  Also, if memory serves me right, XO was a RM3 on the Arizona when she went down in Pearl in 41. 
We were Golden Shellbacks, Crossing the Equator at Prime Meridian on 10/29/62
Curtis Thurman CTI3/2 62-63

The stories of that year are many, most involving liberty and booze, but we will let them die.  The only sea story was during shellback activities.  I had been thru the inition while on the York County the year before.  There were only about 6 of us shellbacks against some 75 pollywogs.  The other 5 shellbacks were caught the night before and worked over by the wogs.  I escaped with my hair by disapearing after supper.  No one ever found out nor did I tell that I went up on the bridge, engaged Master O'Reilly in conversation and was subsequently invited to spend the evening in his cabin until all the wogs went to bed.

I slept on number 2 hatch on deck during hot nights near the equator.  One night I woke up about 2 AM a bit shocked to find myself bathed in a bright search light.  We were about 20 miles off the coast of Angola.  The ship with the light was about 200 yards away and moving fast.  There was enough moonlight to see the outline.  It looked like a Cruiser.  To this day I wonder of what nation.

Jack Bair Crew 61-62 CTR2/1

I was the first Commanding Officer of the Military Detachment aboard the Valdez from the fall of 1961 to the late summer of 1962.  I participated in the original outfitting of the Valdez at the Brooklyn Naval Shipyard and the Sea trials prior to our departure for the West Coast of Africa.
     Our first stop after leaving Brooklyn was Freetown, Sierra Leone.  From Freetown we proceeded southward, stopping at a number of ports, and eventually ending up at Capetown, south Africa.  My favorite ports were Lagos, Nigeria and Capetown.
     I have many fond memories of the good times I shared with my shipmates.  The food was always good and the fellowship could not be beaten.  We knew we all had to rely on each other and that we were a long way from home.
     I particularly remember organizing and rehearsing repel boarders drills, during which we took station at various places on the ship, armed with pistols and rifles, and ready to not only defend ourselves but also to dump our classified documents in weighted canvas bags.  The civilian crew was not very happy with our drills!
     The port stops, usually at about 2 week intervals, were always welcome and provided opportunities for local sightseeing as well as learning about the local cultures. 
     I know I have some pictures in an album stored away somewhere.  I will try to find them and send you copies of some of them.

Timothy F. Wellings, Jr.  CO Crew 61-62

I hope he finds those pictures...