I know the dates I have here are not right, It was a long time ago I was 20 years old then now I am 66, if you know the correct dates or where I am wrong let me know. I was aboard the USS Maury AGS-16, I was a BT3 at the time, when the Navy ask for volunteers for a new Ship. The only thing they told us was that it was going to be put in commission in Philadelphia Pa, and home port would be in Ca. I Volunteered in 1958 and so did the two FN's on my watch. I don't remember what month I volunteered but it was the first part of 1958. They took all 3 of us. The crew was assembled in Norfolk Va. about July 1958 I thank. We went to what they called precommissioning school. I thank we were there for 30 days. There was another AGR crew there at that time but I don't remember which one it was. It had to be AGR-13 or AGR-15. From Norfolk we went to Philadelphia Pa. We did not go aboard her when we got to Philadelphia. We stayed in barracks for some time, I don't remember how long we were in the barracks but the ship was for form finished when we went aboard her. So we did not have much to do till the yard was finished with her. We put the ship in commission Sept.29 1958 and I was ships company until Sept.1959 at witch time my enlistment was up and I was discharged.If anybody has a Interpreter agr14 shoulder patch I need one.
If you have one that you can give me e-mail me at rys@centurytel.net
When Jerry Vuncannon EM3 left the Interpreter he had been on board longer than any crewmen at that time. There was not any of the crew left that was there when he reported for duty. He was on board from Nov.6 1959 To Sept.28 1962
My name is David L. Spriggs. I was assigned aboard the Big "I" from September 1962 until August 1964 home ported at Treasure Island, San Francisco, CA.
I was an SN, assigned to Deck Division. My LPO was BM1 Brian Walker. Been so long since I was aboard that I've lost track of many of our crew's names although I do remember SKC Lysell (I cooked for the CPO's during my mess cooking time.) Also, BM2 Holmes. Skippers were LCDRs Lloyd Beatty and Joe Biron. XO was LT James Andersen.
My collateral duties were ship's artist. I painted the rating board on the mess decks, performed the art work on the ship's cruise book and other similar jobs as requested.
I returned to USNR duties in 1964 and was honorably discharged in August 1967. I re-enlisted in 1977 USNR and retired from the reserves in March 2002 as a Supply Corps Lieutenant Commander.
If there is anything I can help with, let me know. My email address is: dspriggs2@msn.com.
Doyle Dancy sent us this story.
I DO NOT KNOW IF ANY OF YOU REMEMBER IN THE FALL OF 1959 OR SPRING OF 1960, THAT THE INTERPRETER COULD HAVE HAD A MAJOR DISASTER.
ABOUT FIVE OR SIX DAYS BEFORE WE WERE TO BE RELIEVED, THE DC'S WERE INSPECTING THE HOLDS AND DISCOVERED TWO EIGHTEEN INCH CRACK'S WHERE THE BULKHEAD AND DECK WERE WELDED TO EACH OTHER. WELL, THIS WAS"NO PROBLEM" BECAUSE "ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS SCARF OUT THE CRACK AND RE WELD" NO BIG DEAL, RIGHT? WELL, WHEN THE DC'S WENT TO GET THE WELDING RODS, THEY DID NOT FIND THE PROPER WELDING RODS, THERE WERE NONE TO BE FOUND ANY WHERE AND THIS IS WHEN "THE SHIP HIT THE SAND" CAPTAIN MARTIN WAS NOT AMUSED AT ALL. WE WERE TO WEATHER IT OUT AND GET IT FIXED WHEN WE GOT IN PORT.THE NEXT DAY WE HIT A BAD STORM, HEAVY SEA'S AND HEAVY ROLL'S. HOURLY INSPECTIONS WERE ORDERED BY CAPTAIN MARTIN, THE CRACK'S WERE HOLDING AT EIGHTEEN INCH'S.
NOW, EVERY ONE WAS A LITTLE ON EDGE BECAUSE WHERE THE CRACK'S WERE WAS APPROXIMATELY MID SHIP'S AND THE RUMOR WAS THAT THE LIBERTY SHIP'S BROKE IN HALF AT FRAME "THIRTY-TWO." ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BULK HEAD WAS THE FIRE AND ENGINE ROOM AND WE WERE CONCERNED TO SAY THE LEAST. I THINK SOME OF YOU REMEMBER JAMES RILEY BT1, HE TOOK FULL ADVANTAGE OF THE SITUATION AND DID NOT LET US FA'S AND FN'S FORGET FOR A MOMENT THAT THE SHIP WAS LIKELY TO BREAK IN HALF WHILE WE WERE ON WATCH. WELL, WE MADE IT THROUGH THE STORM AND JAMES RILEY. WHILE IN PORT WE GOT THE CRACKS FIXED AND WE HAD EVERY KIND OF WELDING ROD MADE IN THE DC'S SPACE WHEN WE PULLED OUT FOR THE NEXT PICKET. THOSE WERE THE DAY'S!!!! THE ONLY DC'S I CAN REMEMBER ARE SANDY, DC3 AND GEORGE WATT, DC3
IF ANY OF YOU REMEMBER THIS DIFFERENTLY PLEASE LET RICHARD KNOW, THIS IS THE WAY I REMEMBER IT. DOYLE DANCY
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