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All Hands
NOTICE!!!! Wednesday, 21 July 2005
Steve Eakin, Ships Historian, has now received and scanned all nine of the CURRITUCK (AV-7) Cruise Books. They are 1946-47, 1951-53, 1954, 1956, 1961-62, 1962-63, 1964, 1965, and 1966-67.
Also on the CD are pics and history of all large seaplane tenders, with over 4700 pics in all. There are also crewmember submitted pics as well.
The cost for this CD is $18.00 which includes priority US Mail. Thanks to all who contributed or loaned their books to Steve to help this project.
For info on obtaining one of the CD disks, Steve may be contacted at
4545 Hugo Road
Grants Pass, OR.
97526-9711
E-Mail him at
NOTE: It is my understanding that the small cost of the CD just covers Steves expense and the shipping cost. This is a non-profit venture Steve has taken on in the interest of providing information and maintaining the history of the USS Currituck. The information is provided here for the interest of those who may wish to have part of that history. Click Here to see the old AV-7 Guestbook. It's in text format.
NEW Click here to see queries from shipmates and family members. If you care to do so, here is a couple of stationeries for you to download for use in Outlook Express. Right click on each of the four files below and save to the folder C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Stationery and select the one of you choice when you use Outlook Exoress. See the Help in Outlook Express on using stationery if you are not familiar with ststionery. It's really pretty easy. One of the stationeries looks like the background on this page, and the other is the flying geese with AV7 across them. Thought it would be a neat way to e-mail shipmates. Enjoy.
This is a non-profit Website.
The newer guest book may be accessed from the home page.
If you want to add a query, email me at kc5vlf at leaco.net and I will place it on the queries page as time permits.
All are urged to look and see if someone may need info you may be able to provide. Thanks..
05/21/2007
This came to me from Bob Hartman who got it from Lloyd King, an EN2 that served on board the USS Polk County with Bob. Lloyd is the webmaster for the USS Polk County website. He is a retired U.S. Forestry Dept. ranger who worked mainly up on top of the grapevine (Gorman/Frasier Park area) and lives in Bakersfield, CA. He served his whole 4-year enlistment on board the Polk County (LST-1084). I don’t know who sent it to him.
Author Unknown
Willy and me were lollygagging by the scuttlebutt after being aloft to boy-butter up the antennas and were just perched on a bollard eyeballing a couple of bilge rats and flangeheads using crescent hammers to pack monkey shit around a fitting on a handybilly.
All of a sudden the dicksmith started hard-assing one of the deck apes for lifting his pogey bait. The pecker-checker was a sewer pipe sailor and the deckape was a gator. Maybe being black shoes on a bird farm surrounded by a gaggle of cans didn't set right with either of those gobs.
The deck ape ran through the nearest hatch and dogged it tight because he knew the penis machinist was going to lay below, catch him between decks and punch him in the snot locker. He'd probably wind up on the binnacle list but Doc would find a way to gundeck the paper or give it the deep six to keep himself above board.
We heard the skivvywaver announce over the bitch box that the breadburners had creamed foreskins on toast and SOS ready on the mess decks, so we cut and run to avoid the clusterfuck when the twidgets and cannon cockers knew chow was on.
We were balls to the wall for the barn and everyone was preparing to hit the beach as soon as we doubled-up and threw the brow over. I had a ditty bag full of fufu juice that I was gonna spread on thick for the bar hogs with those sweet bosnias. Sure beats the hell out of brown bagging. Might even hit the Acey-Deucy club and try to hook up with a WESTPAC widow.
If you understand this, you're regular Navy.
You may recall that the Currituck visited Santa Catalina Island at or about 1960. The Captain gave us liberty from 1600 'til 2300 while at the island. We were to get underway at midnight. My duty station was on the bridge as QMOW (quartermaster of the watch). E.R. Weiss, SN was the helmsman whenever we got underway or entered a port. Seaman Weiss and I went ashore to visit this beautiful island. We went to a few "exotic" bars and Weiss introduced me to a drink called "Singapore Sling." I don't remember how many we had before reporting back to the ship, but it was a sustantial number. While getting underway, the XO Cdr. Bliss asked me a question on the bridge. I answered promptly in a military manner and then he asked me if I had been drinking. Duh! "Yes sir, Commander," I responded. He looked worried and said that the liquor on my breath was strong. I volunteered that Seaman Weiss introduced me to a drink called Singapore Sling. Now he really looked concerned as he pointed to Weiss and said, "The Helmsman?" I responded in the affirmative. He shook his head and walked away mumbling to himself...
We called Capt. Bolam "Foghorn" (not to his face) after an incident on the Bridge. There was a colored kid on the helm and when you steadied on a directed course you sang out "Steady on course 270 (or whatever) Sir". When he sang out that he was steady the ship kept turning then he added "Least ways I was Sir". Capt Bolam hollered out "BOY !!!! We laughed our tails off for months over that one. Colored kid about croaked over that one.
One event that stands out in my memory is when the Gunnery Division got chewed out for coming close to blowing the tugboat out of the water (the tug that towed the target). I remember that one because my post during firing practice was on the starboard bridge.
On one occasion they blew the target out of the water which as I understand is not the objective. Supposed to come close, but not destroy the target. On another occasion they dropped a salvo off the starboard bow of the tugboat! The captain of the tug (a CPO) radioed Captain Bolam that "the last salvo was very close to my starboard bow and seeing it's late in the day and everyone seems to be getting tired, let's call it a day." That was the day Bolam reamed them out!
Hello,
I grew up in the Canal Zone and was an 8 year old Cub Scout in 1960 when the Currituck transited the Panama Canal. I lived in Balboa on the Pacific side and my dad worked at Miraflores Locks. My den mother, Mrs. Dyer, got permission for us to transit the canal on the Currituck. We rode the Panama Railroad from Balboa to Gatun and walked over to Gatun Locks from the railroad station. We boarded the ship by a gangway in either the middle or the lower lock chamber while she was being raised. She (Mrs. Dyer) told us that while the US Navy would allow us to ride on the ship, we would not be fed and should bring something to snack on. Well, nothing could have been further from the truth! I remember the kindness and downright friendliness of all of the sailors that day. We were certainly fed, and fed very well! I had several cups of coffee with these delicious biscuits that looked sort of like a light brown/tan colored brownie of sorts as well as regular meals at normal mess times. All in all it was quite a day, one I will never forget. We disembarked late that afternoon when the ship docked at Rodman Naval Station across the canal from the port of Balboa.
My only other remembrance of the Currituck was in 1967/68 when she was conducting maneuvers in the Galapagos Islands and the SP-5B Marlin flying boats were coming in to the Pacific side of the canal and refueling at the old mine docks out on the causeway to the fortified islands. They also had an anchorage set up for them and it was really neat to watch them maneuvering with the reversing props on those R-3350’s. Shortly after that I heard that she had decommissioned and the flying boat era was over for the US Navy.
You can post this if you wish. Your website brings back fond memories of my childhood in Panama!
Regards,
Jeff Jarvis
601 Brookstone Way
Louisville KY 40223
From Ronald J. Maciejowski, of the US Navy Cruiser Sailors Association..28 July, 2004
From :"Paul Stephens" paulandann at pastep.freeserve.co.uk My uncle was assigned to pilot the American Sea Plane Tender 'Currituck' into
Milford Haven - West Wales - in the mid 1950's.The ship was visiting us as part
of a larger tour,my uncle witnessed the commanding officer announunce to the
crew ' should any of them cause any form of violation whilst ashore,then all liberty on this tour or following the ship's return to home waters,would be cancelled.' All behaved,as they were like gentlemen,and local children soon learned the phrase - ' Any gum Chum .'
Alas, this was not the case with Royal Naval Ships;for long before the arrival of
the ' Currituck' and long afterward.
N.B. Our town although not founded by Americans,was enlarged by a reverse
colonisation by people like the Starbucks of Nantucket.
TO THE CREW OF THE 1950'S - THANK YOU VERY MUCH
TO THE PRESENT CREWS - YOU HAVE A LOT TO LIVE UP TO
In a postscript to the above, Paul reports to me: Thanks Paul, for your memories...Nathan
23 Jun 2003..Recieved the following info from Mike, whose Dad was on the USS Currituck and the USS Hancock. A movie here DOES take a while to download using a phone based server, but worth the wait......Nathan
dear web master
My father served aboard the Currituck during 1956-1957.
He was a photographer. He spent 20 years in the navy.
He and I currently maintain a web site for the
USS Hancock which he served three years aboard.
His site, www.usshancock.net had a photo gallery during 1967-1970 in which he was chief of the photo lab.
We have found lots of pictures of the Currituck among his
collection spanning his 20 years of service. If you would be
interested in the photos let us know. Tell us if you have
high speed internet service or you would like to give us an
address to send a c-d burned for your site. Recieved from MAUREEN MCQUISTON, 25 Jan, 2003 (edited)
I noticed my mother has written an e-mail looking for information on my grandfather Henry "Hank" Slawski. I am looking for info as well, but more specifically, info on the ship's softball team that existed during WWII. My grandfather was a pitcher on that team and I was wondering if any photos or literatue exists about some of the games they played. I have some photos that he collected and will be glad to (have them) put on the website as soon as I can. If anyone out there can remember him, or played on the softball team with him, I may have a photo or two of you. Recieved by e-mail from Maryann Claringbold 3 October, 2002. Can we help her find a photo of the Currituck...
Hello, Recieved by e-mail from Martin.
I served on the Currituck from mid 1953 to December 1954. (We had a crazy guy -ex pro football player) who was the master at hi-jinks..This is a true story that I submitted to Readers Digest
From: 10 February, 2001 This actually happened - I was there.
Our Ship, The USS Currituck, over five hundred feet long, had returned to the Naval Shipyard at Portsmouth Virginia for major renovation during the Korean war. She was placed in a huge dry dock with another navy vessel. The water was pumped out, draining the dry dock and both ships were slowly lowered onto the supporting blocks under their keels. We were to spend several busy weeks here, while the yard personnel and sailors would be engaged in major refitting and repairs and painting.
One sailor, a truly colorful character, was being punished for his outrageous and constant pranks and was ordered to spend each day chipping old paint from the side of the hull. We couldn't see him but we could hear the paint grinder all day long as he worked from a scaffold hung between the ships hull and the walls of the dry dock. Day after day his work continued as ordered by the Captain.
In typical navy fashion, the ship alongside us had to leave ahead of schedule even though our dry dock work was unfinished. It meant refloating both ships, backing the first ship out, and lowering our ship into position on the blocks again. As the water was being pumped back in and the ships were rising, we could see the side of our ship for the first time in weeks.
There, in full glory, a hundred feet long and twenty feet high, was the result of the sailor's work. Chipped in the old paint was his name PHILGABEL ! They told him to chip paint - They didn't say how.
My father, Hugo Auburn Barton from Cordova, Alabama was on board the USS Currituck in 1943 or 1944. He was attached to Admiral Wagoner's Naval Aviation Command in the Communication's Division. There were about 25 of them in this division. Landed at Manila, pictures of the Naval Station which was completely bombed out are great. Also has a list of men in his group (W. P. Abbott) among others. Lived in Quonset huts at Sangley Point because the Malinta Tunnel had not been cleared; several Japanese soldiers surrendered to the Grave-diggers at that site. He resides in Florence, Alabama and would like to hear from any of the old group who are still around. Let me know at HABarton at Worldnet.ATT.net and I will pass any messages to him. 31 Jan 2002 Name: Charles R. Groves
This from Russ Mamere 8 May, 2001. He is looking for shipmates of Ron Nehls...
Fantastic site! maybe you can post this: I'm looking for anyone that remembers my father, also named
Raymond Lucas,
who served onboard sometime between 1949 and 1960. He could
have been and
Airman or AE at that time. Looking for any information, good
or bad,
especially any good liberty stories. SKCS Raymond Lucas (rlucas at D7.uscg.mil) From Sargentbc at aol.com Thu Feb 08 18:56:39 2001
I'm writing this for my dad John Edward Sargent. He will be 76 in April and
I told him that I had found this web site. He currently lives on a farm in Alabama.
He was assigned to the Currituck as she was being outfitted in Philedelphia.
He was a Machinist Mate. He was one of 13 sailors that was assigned to her.
He remembers getting a list every morning and going to these big warehouses
and finding material and equipment for the ship. He talked about mess gear,
tool boxes and everything else a ship would need. He remembers that the
Wisconsin and he believes the Astoria were also being outfitted and were
tied up in the same area. There was another ship there but he can't remember her name.
He talks very fondly of his time on the Currituck. Battle of Leyte, sailing
up the river into China and the storms they endured. In the photos on this
site, there is a picture of F4 fighter aircraft on her deck. The photo says
something about them being carried back to Pearl Harbor. He says that they
never made it. They are somewhere in the ocean the other side of Pearl.
Just thought I would drop a note. If you have any particular questions, I
would be glad to ask him. If I get him talking about it, he will never stop.
I to am a former sailor and spent some great years on the USS Sampson DDG-10
and USS Puget Sound AD-38. Hey Nathan, Dear Shipmates, The references are just "GREAT". If you need to download some information, it is available in MS-Word and Wordperfect format. I am having a ball looking at the photos. A lot of which are not in cruise books. The photos are in JPG format, but you can change them to any format to suit yourself.
There are "7"(yes, Seven) cruise books represented on this CD. There would have been more, but Steve needs the following cruise books to complete the collection. 1955-1958 and 1966-1967. If you have either one of these, send them to Steve so he can scan them and include them in his GREAT work.
Steve Eakin Steve has no idea that I am writing this letter, but i felt like everyone would want one of these CDs, so just had to write this. The CD is $15.00 PPD i n USA. That is a real bargain. All this does is help pay for supplies he uses. If this CD was ordered commercially it would be more like $115.00, or more. If anyone has ever deserved an "ATTABOY" it is Steve,
Thank you for all your help Nathan.
Love you Pardner. PS: Steve, hope you approve. This was written in love, and I hope you receive it that way. I pray that God will continuee to bless you in all you undertake. Thank you for being my Friend.
Prayer List: Please remember our shipmates in your prayers. If you know of someone that needs prayer, add them to the list.
I have two Friends I want you to pray for that God will continue to heal them.
Steve Eakin Some of the things I'll never forget, about my tour aboard the Currituck, was the time after leaving either Kaoshung or Keelung, Taiwan, we were in the Formosa Straits and a Typhoon was bearing down on the area.
We were between Taiwan and the Chinese Mainland, so we didn't have much choice on the course to steer to outrun the storm.
We steamed in the effects for 3 days straight.
Some of the things I remember vividly were....
The Blinding spray if you dared put your head up over the Signal Bridge's Forward Splinter Shield. Other memories include....... I wouldn't trade those days and memories for anything in the world. (The following is an E-mail from Stan to Ed that Stan sent on to me. Nathan)
The message that follows was a response to another AV-7 shipmate. It might interest you.
Stan Virden & Beth Via Hi, Ed -
Reading over your message reminded me of that shore bombardment we conducted
in the Delta. We fired 57 5" rounds of WWII vintage, getting a lot of air
bursts we didn't intend. We actually made a second run at that place (a VC
logistics and training site) on a later date, but didn't fire, because we
couldn't connect with the spotter plane. CAPT O'Neill was pretty ticked off
while we unrepped a few days after the shoot and he saw carrier planes
attacking the same place. "Hey!" he cried out while I was standing near him,
"that's MY target!" On the way back to Con Son some kid, left alone in the
upper level, port side 5" powder magazine, just aft of my stateroom, blew
his fingers apart playing with a hand grenade fuse. I was the investigating
officer on that one, and can't say that my sympathy for him ran very high.
You may also recall that the little amphibian plane that shuttled back and
forth to Saigon every day stove in its bow and had to land ashore on Con Son
for several weeks. I rode that trip once, and had to strip to my skivvies,
wade out to a 40' launch, and report on board dripping wet. Our admiral
(COMPATFOR) made that trip every day. When the aircraft finally got fixed he
made it a big thing to depart in clean whites, but had to board the motor
whaleboat to get to the plane, as all other boats were too large to go under
the wing. The sea was choppy, and the boat swept away from the accommodation
ladder just as he was stepping in -- the drink, that is. First we saw just
his gold braided cap floating on the surface. Eventually, he crawled into
the boat, stood up, and pointed dramatically toward the plane, in which he
soon departed. Fun times. Did anybody notice the war?
I was also on board in 1964 when we visited Saigon, which was a trip full of
stories. Later, when we sailed into Cam Ranh Bay I was on the recon team
that went ashore to develop a report for CINCPAC on whether this was a good
place for a base. It was. We built one. After the war the Soviets operated
it for years.
Also from Stan.....
Pacific Stars and Stripes, Tuesday, August 10, 1965
There has been but one break in the routine and monotony. On June 23, the Currituck was passed [probably this is meant to be "pressed"] into service for shore bombardment. Her two five inchers [I recall that three of the four were brought into play] pumped 68 rounds into a Viet Cong concentration 70 miles south of Saigon; and the crew's boredom and tension broke up in jubilant cheers as they were told they had destroyed three of four targets.
also:
The Observer, Saigon, Vietnam, July 10, 1965
Seaplane Tender Shells Viet Cong Saigon (MACOI) -- The USS Currituck, a 14,000 ton seaplane tender, is the first seaplane tender to have ever conducted a shore bombardment.
The unusual mission for the tender too place June 23 when Currituck left the seadrome, a small island off the coast of South Vietnam, to provide shore bombardment against selected Viet Cong targets in the Mekong Delta region.
Using five-inch guns, the Currituck lobbed sixty-eight rounds into a training post, into administrative areas, and an ammunition dump.
A pilot of a U. S. Army aircraft observing the action informed Currituck the results of the bombardment were good.
" The United States Navy Cruiser Sailors Association is seeking members. Membership is open to all Ship's Company, Marine Detachment, Aviation Division, Flag personnel and Midshipmen the served or are serving aboard cruisers of our Nation's Fleets. Contact Ronald J. Maciejowski, Membership Chairman at clcanavy@aol.com for additional information."
To :********
Subject :uss currituck -mid 1950's
Date :Tue, 5 Aug 2003 22:13:23 +0100
"For the record the pilot that brought the ship into Milford Haven was Charles O. Hyatt,he sadly died at the age of 47 in 1963."
best regards Mike Jr.
(webmaster note: The link that was to the photo gallery Mike mentioned is no longer valid. If I can find a new one or if Mike contacts me, I will re-post the link.)
MAUREEN MCQUISTON
mmcquiston at sbcglobal.net
My name is Maryann Claringbold. my father (Henry "Hank" Slawski" was on the "Tuck' during WWII. I would like to know if there are any books, CD's etc. about the ship that I may purchase, Also, I am interested in buying a photo of the ship that I may frame.
Thank you
email: mclaringbold at hotmail.com
Martin LeVan
Box 664
Somis, CA 93066
(mlevan at gte.net)
Submittal for : Humor in Uniform
Bless you all!
Hugh Alan Barton
The following is also in the guestbook. I thought it would possibly get attention here also.Anyone who can help locate these guys, e-mail Charles.....Nathan
Email: groves at wans.net
from Virginia Beach, Va.
Comments: Fellow Signalmen. Charlie Wheeler has contacted me and asked about another SM shipmate,Pete Daley, a name I had forgotten. What about Kemp? Masters(MC/MacMasters?) Foti? The LaGasse Bros? Let's all look on the various Military websites for our "Gang" Members. Especially Russell Granger and Arnold Huff. email me guys...
Rank SM3-1(SMCM Now)
Division C-S
On Board MAY 1960-NOV 1966
My
brother-in-law (RON NEHLS) served on
the Currituck during (I believe 1956,1957- 58 period)
Ron died
at age 42 from
heart failure
I am trying to put together some history of his navy days for
his family. His
wife (Janet) my sister also passed away last month of cancer.
She was 65.
All
I know was that he was stationed in Norfolk, VA for the time and
he talked
about P. Rico
he was a great soft ball player.
I have an avid interest in the
experiences
he had aboard your ship. If anyone can remember serving with RON
NEHLS please
e-mail me: RMamere at aol.com
Oh, he was from LORAIN, OHIO
miss him much!
It is really an honor to chat with you and I really respect the
loyalty you
all share in that fine ship and your naval
experiences.......good luck, Russ
Mamere.
From Raymond Lucas, Wednesday, 18 April 2001...NOTE that Raymond is using two e-mail addresses...
Raymond Lucas, raymondlucas at yahoo.com
7th Coast Guard District, Marine Safety Division
District Response Advisory Team
(305)415-6872 (New number)
fax (305) 415-6875
Thanks
The following from Joe Peake....12 Jan 2001
(Joe, you didnt sign this...shame-shame)
Would you print this on the Currituck Web Site? All Hands need to see this.
I just received a CD full of Currituck History and good information, and so many Photos I can't count them, from Steve Eakin, USS currituck Historian. This guy has spent Hundreds of hours making up this CD. There are OVER 4,000 Photos, personally scanned by Steve, and countless references. This is the finest CD I have ever viewed.
1054 Visalia Drive
Costa Mesa, Ca 92626-2117
sseakin at earthlink.net
Me
John Lipot
From Chuck Groves...31 Dec 2000
The continuous, long, slow roll She did during these 3 days.
The Sandwiches and Oranges that were all the Galley could muster up safely.
Using my Blanket strap to hold me snuggly in my rack.
Being able to "lean on the wind", on the Signal Bridge, at a 45 Degree angle(or more) without falling down.
The Husky we got from the Mayor of Anchorage, that we kept on the Signal Bridge and walked up the hillside, for exercise at White Beach.
The Grand opening held for us, at the New EM Club at White Beach, Buckner Bay, Okinawa.
The pre-opening week of the World's Fair in Seattle.
The Open House for the Ship there and our getting into the Fair Early.
"Splicing the Main Brace" in the Space Needle Restaurant.
The Friendly people(and Gals) of Vancouver, B.C.
The fabulous fishing at Dutch Harbor, Cold Bay, Alaska.
A big Wind Storm there.
Being stranded ashore.
Then the return Back to San Diego and our loved ones(and our wives too, Haha).
Chuck Groves
SM1 C-S Div.
P. O. Box 475
Gulf Shores AL 36547
(334) 967-4287
vivahaus at gulftel.com
