Bob Jacobsen

Bob retired in 1988. He died peacefully, in the easy chair he liked to sit in in his garage at his home in Long Beach, on the morning of February 23, 2012. He was 89.

Bob dated his first two letters to the day, subsequent letters to months or a season (his last he dated “Summertime!”) or not at all. I refer to them by number, 1–16.

The graphics below, unless otherwise noted, are from my files or the internet. With a few exceptions I’ll note, Bob’s letters consisted strictly of handwritten text.

I’ve inserted bracketed notes or question marks where I felt something needed clarification or where I couldn’t quite make out Bob’s handwriting or otherwise failed to understand him.

In some of Bob’s letters, he’s responding to one of mine. If I made copies of my letters to Bob, digital or paper, I’m not sure whether I kept them. If I find them, I’ll post them. Pending that, or failing it, a reference to something I wrote, or perhaps to a picture I sent him, might be hard to make sense of. I’ll add explanations as time and my tenuous work ethic allow.

Letter No. 1

July 27 – 09

Dear Tim ;

         Very interesting letter and the pictures of crew men of the USS Macaw.

         I last seen any of the crew in March 1944 so my memory of them is quite dim.

         I look at the faces of the men and some of the faces are familiar but the names have long escaped my memory.

         Your dad was not like some officers who figured they only had a good day when they had shafted some enlisted man.

         I was the Messenger of the Watch. I would run errands for the Petty Officer of the Watch. When we tied up to a dock or anchored in port. Every hour you went to the bridge and read the barometer and logged the reading. One time I went to the bridge logged my readings, spotted a shelf of books and became engrossed in Knights Seamanship. Time flew by and all at once I found I had been reading for an hour. When I returned to the Quarter deck I was in deep trouble. So your dad gave me a good stiff “reaming out” The man on duty cannot be side tracked. I guess it took a hold. in ten years in the navy I did not let my self “stray” while on duty.

These sections would be joined together to form a dry dock that could handle a Battle Ship. From San Francisco to Espiritu Santos in the New Hebrides took us about 63 or 65 days.

         We left the New Hebrides and went to Wallace Island. This Island was owned by the French — French have a lot of Islands in the South Pacific — They sent all their Lepors and people with elephantitus to this Island. We escorted a transport there. Was a US Marine air strip on the Island.

         We left Wallace Island and several 100 miles above the Samoa Islands a strange thing occurred. Pacific charts show the ocean is 2 and 3 miles deep in those waters. One of our lookouts reported he could see bottom. People thought the guy has cracked up. But sure enough there was a reef — Several miles of it. So we charted it fixed its position. Now on charts you will find the Macaw Reef.

         We next went to Funa Futi and unload landing craft from a merchant ship. Escorted LST’s from Nichafatauc to Funa Futi. Were expecting to get our mail but Japs bombed Funa Futi and hit the fleet Post office.

        

         Not a good Idea to come to Long Beach. My wife and I both have bad eye sight — can’t drive any more so we sure could help you get around here — nor could we meet you anywhere.

Regards

Bob Jacobsen

P.S.

         On the Island of Funa Futi was an airstrip. Our planes were bombing the Gilbert Islands. Of course they had an officer club and bar. A Merchant ship was unloading supplies for the Club. A sling load of beer went into the Lagoon when the sling broke. We had 8 divers aboard, so they dove into the deep lagoon salvaged the beer. So every afternoon we had 2 bottles of beer per man. Great to party on the fan tail.

RCJ.

[Following note from RCJ’s wife, Pat, enclosed with the above.]

Tim:

Bob wrote you a long letter. I just wanted to add this info!! We both have macular degeneration, and our eyesight is quite bad. Bob had to give up his drivers license about a year ago, and mine will not be good either. So sorry we cannot make plans with you, but Bob will be glad to correspond with you, or if you call evenings he can talk to you on the phone.

We do not drive anymore.

Bob’s wife,

Pat

Bob will celebrate his 87^th birthday next week.

Long Beach, Ca

Aug. 7 — 09

Dear Tim;

The beer was 1 quart bottles of Lucky Lager. Was about 25 or 30 cases. Beer under water about 1 day. I don’t think we shared it with the officers club. Our reefers were pretty empty so we had cold beer.

Mr Cottrell was a Warrant Bosun — he left the ship at Pearl, Had ulcers, went to the hospital.

Chuck Pierson also left the ship at Pearl to go to the Submarine school.

Now you had 8-20 MM guns instead of 2-50 Caliber machine guns. Now you had Radar — Sonar  Meant more men to man all this. So we had about 120 men & officers. So the fresh water evaporator was inadequate. So at sea we had salt water showers, Crews head — small 2 showers, 4 toilets and I think 8 wash basins.

Mess deck had tables to seat 40 men. The galley small. Reefer limited. We had mostly stew — spageghti & sauce, macaroni powdered milk, powdered eggs — canned spam, canned beef hash, canned peas, beans & corn.

Berthing — bunks were added and crowded in wherever.

After the ship piled up on the reef — after a couple days it was decided, due to only so much potable water in the peak tanks, Only so much food — loss of all electric power all food in the freezers would go bad — It was determined to send a lot of mouths over to Midway. They kept engine room gang, electricians, ship fitters, metal smiths, carpenters, signalmen, cooks, some seamen & firemen. Sent ashore Radarmen, Sonarmen, Radiomen and others. I was one who was sent ashore. So I don’t know about the efforts to salvage the Macaw Nor her final days or hours.

After the Macaw went down, all the survivors were transported by the submarine USS Nautilus to Pearl Harbor where the men were assigned other duties and were scattered to the 4 winds — I had duty at the Pearl Harbor Submarine Base.

Was ships Cook, Jewel, who was from Salem Oregon. Manning Ships Cook from Oregon.

Strickland from Oklahoma.

Ehlers from Illinois.

Midway an Island I hoped never to see again. I seen it twice again. Went in there on the Oberon and we picked up a team of Sea Bees and all their equipment and transported them to Pearl Harbor — On the Cacapon we took a load of aviation gasoline for the Naval air station that was on Midway. Was no sign of the Macaw — I understand a demolition team blew her to pieces to clear the channel.

I was a seaman second class. Aboard ship they say, the only thing lower than a S2/c is whale crap — and its on the bottom of the ocean. As a S2/c my main memories were being on mess cook duty (KP) or being the Captain of the head.

I later served in the USS Oberon AKA14 and on the USS Cacapon AO52.

Turner — Florida Keys

Semotuck — Part Mohawk Indian from New York

Graff & Bolke — Buddies

Webb — Virginia

Keehn — Upper Darby, Pa.

Schrack — He and wife great roller skaters —

Main — Baker — Calligan all Ship Fitters.

Bloom — Big hard working seaman — Did most of Cable splicing.

Spoonamore — a diver. Him and Stout were good friends.

Francis — Ship Fitter

Munoz — CM1/c Filapeno.

Tomcovits — SC3/c.

Tibor — S1/c

Anderson S1/c

Vance S2/c

Luders EM1/c — Related to the ship building Luders who were building sub chasers & PC boats for the navy in WWII

Miller — S1/c — Oklahoma

Autin — BM1/c from New Orleans area.

Maas S1/c

The crew was very well mixed up — Men from all over the country. Lot of men who had 2 and 3 hashmarks — Some were reservist who came into the wartime navy with a rate. Some men just out of navy schools: Such as Sonar Men, Rader Men, Radi Men, Ships cooks and one Radio Electrician — Today’s Electronic Tech. Were some great guys and then some not so great. Some who would give you the shirt off of there backs — others you had to watch — they’d steal the shirt off of your back.

Had a guy from Paris, Texas. Can’t remember his name. We used to joke and say we wanted to get drunk in Paris so we could say we were plastered in Paris.

                           RCJ

Letter No. 3

Notes —

The salvage ship sent to aid the Macaw was a new ship and crew with no salvage experience. I never seen any real attempt to get the Macaw off the reef.

What the men who stayed on the Macaw did to try to refloat her I don’t know —

Those men who stayed aboard shunned us guys who had been ordered ashore. They thought we were “yellow” or deserters!

What did the guys talk about in the B.S. sessions, scuttle butt and “social time”: Women, girls, sex. Sexual exploits and hopes & dreams. Sports, sports, sports, food, brands of beer, bars, hookers, hunting & Fishing. Jobs, travel. When the wars over: All knew we would go back into the depression — The consensus was to get a job with a utility: Water, gas, electric  big oil company, Post office or a State, County or City job. Maybe go to College if Congress passed the new GI Bill they were talking about.

Home Life: Heard Southern boys tell how the first leather shoes they ever had was when they joined the navy — ditto for shirts & shorts.

I can’t believe they didn’t strip the ship and get all the weight possible off of her — stuff like 40 or 50 – 300 lb depth charges, 4 – 5 ton anchors on the stern deck. The diving bell — Two 26 or 27 foot whale boats that were still “griped” down when the Macaw went down — crews forward berthing 50 or more big bottles of oxgen and helium — The main boom and boat booms — steel and heavy Could have been jettisoned.

Notes – 2

could have jettisoned tons of ammunition. Along side of superstructure on both sides a lot of oxygen and acetylene bottles. Very heavy — After salvage hold all kinds of shackles, tow rigs — divers stages, Cable, Chain and dozens of metal chests with spare parts for about every piece of machinery — a lot of tonnage. Up forward in the boatswains locker: gallons & 5 gallon cans of paint, red lead, zinc primer, paint thinners. Blocks, Chain falls, lots of Cable. One anchor had been lost already. Other anchor should be dropped and one anchor chain 100 fathoms and the other chain 120 fathoms. A lot of weight when all this is combined. Jetison it — Hey your gonna lose it all if the ship goes down — Most of this could have been found and recovered.

Last, you had a diesel oil storage that ran from bow to stern — Between the outer hull plating and the lowest deck were nothing but tanks of diesel. Get oil barge from shore or pump it over board into the sea where it went when the Macaw was lost.

Origonally the Macaw sat on a even keel after going aground but in time those great seas out of the North Pacific drove her farther aground and finally into a grotesque looking position with bow high and a heavy list. I imagine that more of her compartments had been breached and flooded as she drove across the coral.

In the South Pacific when it seemed we would be years getting to the states the sailors dream was: Shack up with a gorgeous nymphomaniac whos dad owned a liquor store.

On stern of Macaw were 4- 5 ton anchors, why didn’t that salvage ship use them to anchor the Macaw so she would not drive harder aground? I would like to know what those people did, who stayed aboard the Macaw, to try to salvage her. I was never told what events took place.

For those who went down with her — I hope God gave them a special place. They deserve it.

Well done faithful servants.

Bob J

Notes 3 —

Memory returns on long forgotten events:

Anchored off of Banks Island, after evening chow a lot of us standing around on the “fan tail” shooting the breeze. Sky started to turn red. Soon the sun set sky was a solid tomato juice red. Solid, no streaks or patches. Then slowly pink and faded to dusk.

In Funa Futi also went to a movie. Sat on Palm tree logs and seen some B grade musical.

On Funa Futi was a ships store, about all of us bought K Bar sheath knives. Also a small stores, most of us bought Marine “Boondocker” shoes — Better work shoes than navy oxfords. From the natives we bought sleeping mats woven from Palm fronds.

Later in England Cook was censored by the Admiralty for the loss of the cannon. Cook felt it better to lose some gear than lose the ship and maybe the crew.

I agreed with Cook —

                           Bob J.

Note 4

Memories keep seeping back. Sailors for some strange reason want to call all exits and entry ways into and out of a ship a hatch. This is wrong and it makes it hard at times to follow the mens [???] abandoning of a ship hard to follow —

Hatches go through decks.

Doors go through bulkheads — walls.

The pilot house, wheel house bridge or conn — call it what you will, had 2 WT (water tight) doors. A port & starboard door which led out to the bridge wing.

I read some report how the Macaw’s crew had exited one by one through the port hatch. There were no hatches on the bridge deck or the flying bridge!

Memory dims, I am not sure whether the chart room had a WT door to the bridge wing or not.

When we put the Macaw into commission Sea Store Cigarettes were 40¢ a carton — Then they went up to 45¢ a carton. The old salts thought the navy was going to hell.

Wonder if Al Muti remembers after our ship party in Alameda about a dozen guys and girlfriends piled into an old 1932 or 33? Clunker and Al drove them to San Francisco?

By the way Al Muti used to cut hair — he picked up a lot of loose change cutting hair — no shaves.

Webb had a diamond ring he was always selling raffle tickets on.

This taps me out — whats left in my bank of memories will stay there. Might be families of these men still around. I do not want to tell things that would hurt anyone.

                                             Bob J.

5.

Mr. Graves in Garibaldi: I wrote him about the “boys” in Garibaldi who died in WWII, it was in regards to some type of memorial to them.

I also had some written accounts about Captain Robert Gray. He was the American who discovered Tillamook Bay — also the discover of the Columbia River.

You are free to get anything from Graves that would be of interest or aid you.

The crew of the Macaw had their favorite names for the Macaw: Rust Bucket — Bucket of Bolts — overgrown tugboat — Mac and some called her the Wacky Mac.

My work station on the Macaw was the boat deck. Seems like the other seaman assigned this duty was a Preston?

We kept it swept down — kept all gear neatly stowed. Chipped rust spots — primed and painted them — The two motor whale boats — Were either 26 or 28 footers. I kept the port whale boat clean — squared away. About once a week would drain the water beaker and fill with fresh water — Tropical rainstorms — would take out the “plug”  and drain the bilges.

In the bow was a locker with emergency rations: Malted milk tablets — crackers — cans of spam, cans of corned beef — fish line, hooks & lures — cups, a butcher knife — matches, signal mirror and flash lite. Motor machinist would check the motor — electricians would check the battery — Was a canopy that could be raised. Memory — don’t recall if there were any paddles — oars or sail?

Those “shooting the breeze” sessions must have had their affect on me — We thought the country would go back into a depression as soon as the war was over — Guys said the best deal was to get a job with a utility so I did — I went to work for Southern California Edison. Made a career and retired from them in 1988.

Letter No. 4

Long Beach, Ca

Tim; that picture of the crew of the Macaw has a lot of people missing: We had some of the crew transferred off at Pearl. I’m not sure if we lost a Chief Gunners Mate & a Chief Boatswain Mate at Pearl? I find in that picture A.P. Koepke is missing — Also a Chief Ship Fitter or he could have been a Metal Smith? Don’t see my good friend Maas S 1/c. Menimeyer, BM 2/c or 1/c, the Signalman 1/c Seroweste or was it Zerowesti?

Warrant Officer Dunn and Warrant Officer Lightner our Engineering officer are not in the Photo.

        Gunner Dunn and Boatswain Cottrel used to get around the ship and talk with the crew. They would listen to the guys who had “bitches” and see what could be done to iron the problem out. The rest of the officers never left “officers Country except to go to the bridge on duty. We never had personnel inspection nor did we have ships inspection with the hands standing by their duty station.

        Was a sad blow to hear that my good friend & shipmate has gone from this world — Al Muti and I met at Treasure Island Receiving Station — Al was from San Francisco, he use to invite me to his parents home for dinner. What a great cook his mother was: the table would groan from the load of food — Al and I had some great liberties.

        I know when Al got up to the Pearly Gates, God said to Saint Peter, “Open the Gates, he has already served his hitch in hell.”

        When I was sent ashore from the Macaw, with a number of others I remember I said to who ever was in charge of the detail, “Hey I’m gonna run down and pack my seabag.” The response was the launch from Midway is along side — get in the boat. Well send your gear later — They never sent our gear. Big regret loss of my photo album —

        When we got to Midway Sand Island we were all sent to various duties. I went to the base carpenter shop. I bunked it the barracks with the carpenters and pattern makers, so I did not see any of the other crew men. Never had any inkling of a volunteer list. Wonder if peer pressure from other Stewards got Vaughn to volunteer?

        They assembled all us people “on the beach” together one day — Captain Burton came ashore. He asked us how we were doing? He said that in a few days he thought they would get the ship off of the reef — Was a big extra high tide predicted. His big worry: I don’t want to be towed to Pearl, he was hoping he could rig sails so we could go under our own power  Captain Burton looked like hell. Looked old, care worn and like he had lost weight.

        I was not acquainted with the sailors from Midway who lost their lives in a rescue attempt.

        Another crewman not on that picture was Scott Coxon. A crew man who left the ship at Pearl was Johnson TM 1/c. Why a torpedoman was ever sent to the Macaw I will never know. I heard he got duty in a destroyer and died at the Battle of Samar.

        If the Submarine Flyer would have made that hard port turn about a half a minute later she would have been clear of the reef. If the Macaw would have headed inbound out on the starboard side of the Flyer she would have been clear of the reef. It was all reef studed water from the Flyer to Eastern Island. The chanel in & out of the harbor at Midway was a good deep chanel — well charted. Since the days when Pan American Airways built a base on Sand Island merchant ships had used the harbor.

        We left Midway harbor to go to the Flers aid. Me & Maas were at our sea detail station with Minimyer BM 2/c or 1/c. We took in the mooring lines from the dock. “Mini” was on our case to stow the lines away — not flake them out on deck as normal. He felt we had to get the fan tail deck clear cause we would be getting set to tow the Flyer off of the reef. So when we piled onto the reef we weren’t aware of it until an impact knocked us to our knees. Then several big waves came over the stern. We were in water to our waist — But after about 3 of these waves the stern seemed above the waves and dry. We then forward in time to see Stout SF 1/c come out of the WT door to the engine room and say it was flooded and Chunks of coral as big as GI cans on the deck of the engine room.

        Would be of great interest if you could get a copy of the ships log. (should be a micro film copy at some government agency). See who had the conn — what orders were given who was the navigator. Was no one taking range readings? The orders to the helmsman should be interesting!

        Have you got a hold of a chart of the Midway Chanel and harbor? Specially an old 1943-44 Chart? Then Pacific Dredge kept it dredged. Now its abandoned as a base and the Chanel would sand up.

        The Macaws diving bell washed ashore. I seen it sitting on the shore just off the head of a pier. Wonder if it made it to the states and on to one of the new ASR’s they were building?  Smooth Sailing

                                        Bob J.

add on —

        We stood a 3 watch system at sea : Say one section had the 2400 to 0400 watch — Next section had the 0400 to 0800 watch. Next section the 0800 to 1200 watch. The section that had the “graveyard watch” would have the 1200 to 1600 watch and so on etc — 1/3 of the crew was on watch at a time — off watch if it was working hours they were on their work station or sleeping. So you really got to really know about 1/3 of the crew. You and the other guys in your watch section ate together — Were on watch together — on your work stations together. Off watch and off work — on the fantail shooting the breeze and dazzling each other with “bull”

Small as the ship — you seldom seen the guys who weren’t in your section.

        Seems in leeasure time the guys hung out in Cliques. The deck apes (Seamen) hung out together — The Snipes (engine room gang) hung out together. So it went the bridge gang & radio men — the ship fitters, metal smiths & carpenters hung out together. Strange I never did see Funk, Auble or the store keeper out on deck. Don’t think they left there little “flat” down by the Chiefs quarters.

        Down in the tropics with that blaze of a sun sometimes we hung out on either the port or the starboard side — Depended on what course we were on. We would be on the side that the superstructure would shade that side. Speaking of the tropics — many a morning we would pick up a flying fish that had come aboard during the nite.

        I wonder what in heck did all of those guys who stayed on the Macaw from the time she piled onto the reef until she slid off and sank what did they do? What did they try to do in the salvage of the Macaw? Hope you can get some input on this from some of the guys who were there.

        Normally when a naval vessel is lost there is a Court of Inquiry to place the blame for the loss

        I am surprised she was not declared a loss and the crew removed: From the time she first struck to when she sank I think instead of just her engine room having the bottom breached, I would say the way she shifted a lot and forced over the coral, I would say about all her bottom was open. The way she slid off and sank she had no water tight integrity at all.

        At about every NOB (Naval Operating Base) you have small YT’s. Like 40’. Have a BM2/c or BM1/c for a skipper. Have 3 seaman and a MOMM for a crew. They push the “honey barge” (garbage scow) around to the anchored ships — shove ammo barges around, ditto supply barges — Help to dock and undock ships. Such a small yard tug was with us on our Convoy from Frisco Bay to the New Hebrides. We always wondered how big a crew they had, what was the bathing and messing arrangements? At an NOB they lived in the barracks on the base and at the base mess facility. About every 3 days they would pull up alongside of us. We would fill their diesel tank and water tank. Send them a sack of bread, 5 lb pack of Velveeta cheese, canned peas & green beans, pork & beans, cans of Spam and corned beef. Some times we gave them a cake the cooks made for them. Also canned peaches, pears and plums, cans of orange and grapefruit juice.

        Wonder if that little tug ever made it back to the states.

        The captain seems to have made a lot of promotions just before the end of the Macaw. I know AP Koepke broke out into a chiefs uniform — A lot of seaman & firemen got 3^rd class crows. Your letter was the first I heard Funk was promoted from 1^st Class to Chief.

                                                        Enough said —

                                                                Bob J.

Receipt of big packet — try to answer questions:

Port holes have a very heavy bronze circular casting. The glass is very thick so the biggest wave won’t break it. The ports swing inboard. Normal to have a chain hanging from the overhead to snap on and keep them open for ventilation in good weather. You close them and “dog” them down. The bronze fitting sits tight against a gasket and is water tight. Nite — Ship blacked out there is a hinged steel “dead lite” you close over the port to make it light tite. In all my naval experience it seems that the port hole opening is about 12” diameter.

        That was not an ARD dock we escorted to the South Pacific. An ARD was big enough to handle a fleet submarine or a fleet destroyer of 2100 tons. We escorted 8 liberty ships each towing a section of a dry dock. When those sections were all assembled they could handle a heavy cruiser or a CVL — Light Carrier. Two more sections of that dock were to follow. When all ten sections were assembled they could drydock fleet carriers and battle ships. In (June, July?) 1945 at Guam I seen the battleship Idaho in one of these huge drydocks. The Idaho was around 33,000 tons. She would not have made it in an ARD.

        What was the status of this Captain Connaly & this Lt Com Killis and the Lt JG who came aboard. Your dads narrative never names the navigator! Who is giving the orders? The O.D. The Captain Burton or this Captain Connoly?

        The anchor winches can be simple and it can be a complicated machine to those not to familiar with it. I counted that the Macaw had only dropped her anchor 5 or 6 times in her career before going to Midway. The wild cat is simple except that you have to know when to take your “Johnson” bar and shift it to free wheeling — When to set the brake — When to use your bar to shift it into gear so the motor can heave the chain and anchor in.

I note the Florikan ASR9 & the Greenlet ASR10 were at Midway. I wonder why they didn’t have them help pull the Macaw off of the reef? They, like the Macaw, had a huge towing reel. Had about 1200 feet of 2” wire and huge towing bits. By the way in the navy its always called wire — not cable. Wire is always measured in diameter. The manila lines are always measured by circumference. A 6” Manila line would be 6” in circumference ditto 8” and 10” lines — Never called rope.

        Funafuti in WWII was in the Ellice Island group under British rule. Wallis Island was a French owned Island.

        Try to have any of the guys who are still alive tell you of the living conditions on the Macaw while on the reef. The bathing, the cooking, the messing, the food. The water. The sanitary conditions. Watch standing — communications and morale.

        Old “salts” use to tell all the new sailors first time at sea to always have 2 condoms in your wallet.  Might need them ashore on liberty — or you might need them for abandon ship: You could put your watch in one — you could put your roll of greenbacks in one or your girls picture.

                                                        Nuff said —

                                                                BJ —

For 60 plus days I watched this convoy. I was a lookout on the after 3” 50 gun. On watch 4 on and 8 off for over 60 days. I sure know that convoy. The two escort ships on the port & starboard flank were AM’s — Fleet minesweepers — NOT destroyer escorts.

We the Macaw cruised ahead of the convoy — Usually a ½ to a mile ahead.

The liberty ships maintained a distance of about 150 yards distance from its neighbor.

        The second row of liberties was about 350 or 400 yards astern of the front row.

        The AM’s ranged up and down the port and starboard sides of the convoy. They had radar and sonar.

        First land sighted after we left the US was Rose Island. This is the eastern most Island in the Samoan Islands.

        It was always a big rumor that the Captain had been a champion swimmer while at the Naval Academy — Also rumor was he swam on the US Olympic team — Olympics of 1932 or 1936? You could probably find out writing to the Public Information Officer at the US Naval Academy.

                                                                RCJ.

Letter No. 5

Long Beach

Dear Tim —

        Read Jacobson’s narrative – was very interesting. They had courage and never quit attitude – Jacobson was an SON, which shows he was of Swedish or Norwegan origon — I am a SEN which shows I am of a Danish origin. I once had a knife like [he] mentions: a big blade and a marlin spike. I got it from a British seaman. When I left my last ship I sold it to a BM1/c who fell in love with that knife — I asked an exorbitant price for it — and he happily paid it.

        I met Al Muti at Treasure Island Receiving Station. We became friends — Al’s home was in Frisco. His dad & mom had come to America from Italy when they married. Worked their butts off — Saved and now in their older years owned 3 apartment houses. Al use to have me come to his home for dinner. Lord, what a cook his mother was — The table would groan under the load of food. Always glases of Dago Red wine. Al said his dad made his own wine. Said there were oak barrels of wine in the basement.

        One nite after dinner Al borrowed his dads membership card to the Italian American Club. It bowled me over. Beautiful dining, ball room, card room, billiard room and bar. Orchestra was playing a lot of old Italian folk music.

Orchestra began to play the big band music of the 30’s & 40’s. Al and I danced with some of the most gorgeous women I have ever seen — No, we didn’t “make out” but had a great time. Really bowled over a country boy from a jerkwater town like Garibaldi —

The Macaw was a small ship. She did not rate a barber, a tailor a shoemaker, a Chaplain, a doctor or dentist, No recreation officer, no educational officer, no physical ed instructor — No bugler and no movie projector.

Al Muti had worked in his brothers barber shop before he enlisted in the navy. He use to cut hair on the fan tail after we knocked off work. He charged two bits a hair cut — No shaves, no razor cuts — Al’s work station was forward in the Bosun’s locker — I was on the boat deck so we seldom saw each other except after working hours —

I remember I talked Al into going out to Berkley. We toured the California campus — Al, born and raised in “Frisco” had never been to Berkley —

Macaw commissioned she had a handful of S1/c and about 12 or 14 of us S2/c.

We were taught the basic knots — we learned the bowline, the French Bowline — I being a boy scout thought I was pretty sharp at knot tying — Koepke taught me a new way to tie a bowline. One you could tie in the darkest dark — They taught us eye splice, short splice, long splice, cunt splice — How to coil line & wire how to flemish & flake line & wire.

Koepke was a destroyer man — he showed us the correct workman like way — Minimeyer was a cruiser sailor; all spit & polish, ready for an admiral’s inspection. So Minni made us make our work real neat — splices laid in to where you couldn’t tell a line had been spliced.

One day Koepke came down the deck with a piece of line in his hand. He came up to me and said, Jake & I have orders to pick out 3 of you S2/c and turn your names in you will be made S1/c.” Koepke handed me the line and said, “Jake shut your eyes and tie that bowline I taught you.” So I shut my eyes, tied the bowline and Koepke said, “As of right now you are a S1/c.”

I seen in the salvage attempt of the Macaw that the USS Clamp had a splice pull apart — I would say those S2/c & S1/c on the Clamp never had Instructors like Augie Paul & Minnie.

I later worked 2 years in a logging camp, where I worked up to head rigger and never had a splice pull out.

In the picture the guy with the hat is Tomcovics, he is the royal baby — Off to the left with the “golden” manila hemp hair is the royal princess. Sitting in a Chair (throne) is his Royal Highness, King Neptune, AKA A P Koepke. I think Zerowestie was the royal doctor. Wants [Wents?] the royal executioner. We also had a royal barber.

Once a bunch of us went to Mare Island to a fire fighting school. Also at this school were a group from the cruiser Portland and the cruiser Chicago. Somehow we ended up in a contest with these ships: Had a “Handy Billy” contest, first once to get water on the fire won — Koepke & Semotuc drilled us and really had us up to speed. We beat those Heavy cruiser teams by about 30 seconds. They had to buy our beer at the EM Club that nite. For two more days we won in every evaluation — Free beer — 3 days. The head of the school wanted to keep Koepke & Semotuc as Instructors.

Koepke had many virtues — He was a real “Salt Horse,” a sailors sailor. One fault: He could not hold his liquor. At our ships commissioning party he passed out — Lay on the deck in the head. You had to step over him to use the urinal!

In December 1943 we arrived at Pearl Harbor. We had a ships party at a recreation beach. Barbecue beef, baked beans and garlic bread. We had a big tub of Ice & water and our beer cooling in it. So Koepke passed out and some of the guys dumped him in the tub of ice water to sober him up — I enclose a photo of this event. Note that the quart bottle of beer is Lucky Lager — The residue of our Funa Futi salvage.

Webb was probably the oldest man in the crew. He was out to make all the money he could — He ran the ships laundry. Washed our dungarees, sox, hats & underwear. You paid Webb to do your Blues, Whites or Blankets. Webb claimed his diamond ring was worth a $1000 bucks — He sold a thousand chances at a buck a piece. Webb had it rigged, the winner was always some seaman on the Sub base. Webb would pay the “Winner” $150 or $200 dollars __ then sell chances on the ring again. He had all the Sub Base, Navy yard, receiving station, Marine Barracks & all the ships coming & going. Webb was still at the Sub Base when I left.

Jack Cuniff, Toby Hannah, Maas, Toth, Wainscott, Bloom and others plus Autin BM1/c and BM were on the Sub Base. I use to see them all the time. They kept the piers (Sub Base called them SAILS) clean & ship shape. When a vessel came in they would tend the mooring lines, get the gangway over — same when a vessel was leaving. Then they just disappeared. Guess they went on one of the new Sub Tenders which were coming out in a steady stream.

Last day I seen Maas next he was gone — Webb, Manning SC3/c in the galley at the Sub Base & Al Muti in the ships service warehouse were all the last servivors at the base when I left.

A few days after the Macaw was commissioned we were out on San Francisco Bay doing various maneuvers and testing everything — We were headed back to the Moore Shipyard. The captain took a short cut — we drug bottom on the Berkeley mud flats — Screwed up the Sonar head — Not a week in service and we had to go in dry dock. Quarter master told me the Captain didn’t pay any attention to the Chart!

In Funa Futi, one day we started to go along side of the USS Terror a newly commissioned fleet mine layer. Capt. Burton had to much speed on the Macaw as we came along side the Terror, he backed down but not soon enough. Our forward movement raked the side of the Terror — the overhang of our bridge ripped into some of their superstructure A screeching, ripping, tearing of metal.    

Note: Terror was flying the 2 star flag of Admiral Hoover!

Scuttlebutt — Rumor? Burtons marriage was on the rocks.   Burton a qualified submarine officer had been kicked out of submarines for psychological reasons?

Most ships every friday you had “field day” Clean the ship.  Saturday the capt tours the ship and inspects it. In all my time on the Macaw we never had one personnel or lower deck Inspection — Other ships I was on the Captain would informally roam around the ship.   The AKA I was on he would come in the shop set on the work bench and have a cup of coffee and shoot the breeze.

I find Capt. Burton was at the Con — Was surprised to hear no mention of Converse with the Navigator — No check of the Charts — No mention of use of the Sonar __Radar. No mention of readings on Range markers. One bad order: When the Macaw hit the reef he ordered full speed ahead. Then he ordered full astern — Should never have ordered the full ahead, that drove you further into foul ground.

The storys of the men and these fights for survival are heart breaking.

The salvage of the Macaw sounds almost stupid. Time was of essence, yet it was 8 days before the Clamp arrived. Takes about 72 hours at normal steaming to get from Pearl to Midway — Florikan & Greenlet to [?] Midway & left and gave no help.

On the Macaw were 8 certified deep sea divers. Were never used to go over the side — Check under and around the ship. They could have packed that shaft so it would not leak.

Dredge only dredged for 3-1/2 hours. They could have dredged a hole big enough for a battleship.

Jesus, 2 1200 ft wire cables which were constantly in trouble on coral heads. There they were blocking the chanel.

Splices pulled out — Seas came up and the [?] rocked off.

The day they moved the ship 35 feet is the day they should have kept pulling flank speed, day and nite — Balls to the Wall — Gung Ho. But the Clamp was a new ship — Reserve officers and crew — No experience.

The Captain Wilkers [sp?] in charge of the operation I wonder what his qualifications were?

Oh God, we needed a Captain Cook!

In San Diego they use to have a Submarine Rescue Ship Association. They held a yearly convention. Don’t know if they are still a going organization. I think “Diego” is in the 11^th Naval district — You might be able to find out from some Public Affairs officer at 11^th Naval district headquarters in San Diego.

You have pumped my bilges dry

So long,    Bob J

Letter No. 6

Long Beach

January Feb. Mar.

Dear Tim;   Chief Brown, a tough man — physically and mentally. Most BMC’s spend their time chewing out the seaman — not Brown. He told the boatswain mates under him what he wanted and held them responsible. If a seaman screwed up — he chewed out the BM for not having properly instructed the seaman.

He never said anything to me. He would look over the boat deck  see it was ship shape and let it go at that.  I seen him and Minimeyer in an argument;  Minny was questioning Chief Browns qualifications and knowlegde [sic] — The Chief told Minny to come back on the fan tail and they would find out who was the best man — Minny backed down. Minny was ten years younger and 50 bls [sic] heavier — but he didn’t want that Chief who was nothing but raw hyde.

         I would say it Chief Brown’s physical strength and more importantly his mental toughness that held those men to gether and would not let them quit. All the officers, gold braid, Captains and Admirals that reviewed this case — I can’t believe that no one made a recommendation that Chief Brown should get the Medal of Honor or at least the Navy Cross.  If you have contact with any Congressman you should see if they could press for a Post humous award.

         When they nocked off ships work for the day they would pass the word: Give her a clean sweepdown fore and aft — to and fro — Get the fucking corners as you go!

         For Boatswain Mates the seaman said they are like seagulls — All they do is eat, shit and squawk —

         Remember you were in the North Pacific Ocean in February.  Those storms were sweeping from the Northwest. From Gulf of Alaska or winds from Siberia — The further from land the colder that water would have been.

         AK — a navy cargo ship. Haul cargo from US to overseas bases.

         AKA — Attack cargo ship — Haul cargo, landing craft, tanks etc to the beach head on d day. We also hauled the troops to man the tanks when we put them ashore.

         At every navy station, base, yard they had an Enlisted Mans Club. At these EMs they had a beer garden — called a Slop Chute — As we moved across the Pacific capturing one island after another we had recreation centers and beer gardens. I think the navy bought the beer on bids •   12 ounce cans or bottles.  I drank brands of beer I never heard of before or since. Like:  ABC, Blitz, Blatz, Goets, Rupperts, Narragansett, Iron City, Great Falls, Royal, Duke, Crystal, Golden, Star, Lone Star, Silver Star, Silver Fox, Sicks, Salem, Olympia, Crown, Schlitz, Miller, Pabst — Were more but don’t remember — Never ran into Bud. We heard it all went to Europe _ Drank beer on Islands along the equator termperature and humidity in the 90’s. Drank beer in the snow at Adak Alaska. By the way, all the Lucky Lager I had was good. — no sea water. Best beer I ever drank: Tsingtao. In China. You buy it here it’s no good. Has preservitive and will give a hell of a headache.

         Lester  he was known as Jeeter Lester: Book Gods Little Acre made into a Broadway show and a movie — Character Jeeter who was always scraching his crotch.

         Snuffy Smith, from the cartoon Barney Google. Snuffy was always ready to bounce a rifle ball off of someones punchin Hand.

         The nite before we went over the equator — all us seamen and firemen had Al Muti shave off all our hair so the shellbacks couldn’t butcher it.

No, I am 99.99% sure your dad was not the navigator. If he had been he would [have] noted that in his narrative  He would have noted all his moves as navigator — so he would have cleared himself in case of a court of inquiry!

         “Doc” had it made. When we left the states, 10 days later all colds and sniffles had cleared up. Out on the ocean the air was pure. No germs, no way to get any contact with germs. Doc Funk had a few cuts and bruises — Had a few men who had sexual diseases they had contracted from patriotic women who were screwing for victory — and money.  A few boils — a lot of men suffered from constipation — Body not used to steady 24 hour a day pitch & roll. His biggest case, a seaman with an attack of apendicitus  — We were headed for Pearl at the time. So Doc kept the guy packed in ice. I was taken off of my gun watch and given the guys wheel watch. I don’t remember the seaman’s name — It led to me and Lt Smith & The Captain a banging heads and my being [in] the right. I never got an apology from those “genlemen”. I was ordered off of the bridge and in the three months left on the ship, I never set foot on the bridge again. No, I won’t go into details of the affair. At the time I could see the Captain rolling those ball bearings around in his hand. Guys were always warning me that Lt Smith was going to nail my hyde to the barn door.

         Toby Hanagh [Hannah] with his Arkansas twang was a lot of fun — he used to kid me about my girl friend. He use to say his family was so poor in the depression — They had to jack off the dog to feed the cat.

         Toby had a brother killed at Pearl Harbor so he was a very bitter Jap hater.

         Futch [Funk] was nothing but skin over his bones. One of the skinniest people I ever saw. That cold water would really have did a job on him —  Nick name: Pill [Pile? Rib?] Roller or Penus Machinist! Shanker Mechanic!

         The 3 base sailors who went out to try to help save Macaw sailor lives were very heroic. But the powers that be allowed them to go out in a work boat. Not a surf boat. Doubt if any of them were trained in small boat operations in heavy seas? God Bless them — they tried!

         Priority was to build them as [?/ the armed?] the [?/ like?] Shields the combat ships. The Carriers, Battleships, Cruisers, Destroyers, Submarines and Patrol Craft — Next to build the ships to supply the combat ships: Tankers, Supply ships, reefers, ammo ships. Next to build the ships to invade: LST, LCT’s, LCM’s, LCI’s, LSD’s, APA’s  AKA’s. Lower priority non combat: ASR’s, Tugs, salvage ships — Tenders, mine layers & mine sweeps, net tenders, barges & dry docks.

Notes         Captain Burton had been over the equator on a submarine that went to Australia. He did not take part in the equator proceedings.

         One of my prized possessions is a yellow business size card that shows I am a shellback and was initialed by Neptunus Rex.

         I would bet that all them Gold Braiders who didn’t participate — but who got a card showing they were “Shellbacks. I bet the rest of their lives they showed the card and told what deep water salts they were!! As an old salt would say: The only thing “lower” than them is whale shit — and its on the bottom of the ocean.

         Log should have shown that we went to another Ellice Island called Nikafatau — We met some LST’s there and escorted them to Funa Futi. LST’s are Landing Ship Tanks — are about 320 feet long.

         Funa Futi was a staging base for the Gilbert Islands invasion

         We were busy unloading merchant ships. Thay had deck loads of landing craft — but their cargo booms couldn’t handle them. So we with our big jumbo boom would unload these landing craft. Later APA’s and AKA’s came in and loaded them to fill out their allotment of landing craft. Was a real shortage of landing craft. That’s why D day in Europe was in 1944 instead of 1943.

         We also pulled some landing craft off of the beaches.

         Those seamen from the farm belt came aboard right out of “Boot” camp. They were green as grass. Koepke, Scott and Minnemyer had them in good shape as able bodied seamen in no time at all.

         That movie in the rain Reminds me that the New Hebrides get around 300 inches of rain a year. The real champion is Bouganville that gets up to 400 inches of rain a year. Arid California could use a little of that.

         At sea we wore hats dyed a blue-black — White hats in port. Some guys wore chopped off dungarees as shorts. The only rule on clothes — no bare bellies in the crews mess. You had to wear a T shirt or a shirt.

         In the Army is a mess hall  in the Navy: Mess decks or crews mess — Two things were not done in the crews mess: You did not talk religion or politics.

         In the Army it’s the PX — in the navy it’s the ship store. You buy navy clothing at small stores.

         Were 2 barbecues — 50% of the crew went on first barbecue — other 50% of crew went on second barbecue.

         Commander Curtis had tunnel vision. He never changed his plans to refloat the Macaw. All those Gold Braid officers approved his actions — No suggestions or Alternate plans — Never ask any input from people like Koepke, Minnemeyr [sic] or Chief Brown. I asked Augie (Koepke) why they didn’t use our tow wire 2½” diameter and our tow machine and towing butts [bitts?] instead of all the Mickey Mouse rigging. Augie said he wondered the same thing — but nobody asked his opinion.

                                             Bob J.

Letter No. 7

May 2010

There was no Bush in the Macaw crew. That is not the Scott BM2/c that I knew. He was a head taller and thinner. Most of these pictures I have no Idea who is who. I could only guess. Its been over 66 years:

When us survivors got to Pearl, they sent us out to the Royal Hawaiian Hotel for ten days of R.&R.  At the start of WWII the Submarine Force took over the Royal as a R&R spot for the submariners when they come in off of war patrol. Were probably over a 100 submariners at the hotel when we were there. I think some of the people in these pics are not Macaw crewmen. Some pics on beach at Royal — Some in front of Moana [sp?]

It was only shortly before this that all the barb wire on the beaches had been removed. They decided that the threat of a Japanese invasion was over. Before that — beaches were off limits.

All through WWII Honolulu was under martial law. Curfew was at 6:00 PM. Everybody off of the streets. Civilians & Servicemen — All stores, shops, bars, movies were closed at 6:00 PM. Busses & taxis quit operating. I had enough beaches in Garibaldi and Barview [?] Oregon so I was not a beach hound. I spent a lot of time at the movies and a lot at the library, where I caught up on what had happened since we left the states. We didn’t get any news while at sea. So I was really scanning back issues of Newsweek — Time — Life — Look and Sat.  Evening Post. Into the newspaper files to catch up on the College football season — To catch up on the World Series and College basketball. Pro football was not much in those days. There was no NBA basketball.

Also the Black Cat bar where I drank Rum and Cokes. During the war they had imitation Scotch and Bourbon — God, they were horrible.

Read the newspapers and of course really sympathized with the poor civilians having to cope with rationing.

                                             Nuff said —

Christmas day — no barbecue — a super Christmas dinner on the Macaw Roast Turkey — Baked ham and all the goodies to go with it, to end up with nuts & candy. After Xmas dinner, Me, Toby Hannah, Chuck Piersen, Jack Cunif & Turner went up to the Block [Black?] recreation center. Had a couple of beers and bowled.

When we left the USS Nautilus on which we traveled from Midway to Pearl we were met on the dock with busses that took us to the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. That is the last time I seen any of the Officers. At the hotel they had there own quarters — ate at a separate dining room and had an officers only beach. At hotel we were notified what our next duty would be.

                                                      End —

Letter No. 8

More Flotsum

Long Beach, Ca

April May June,

Dear Tim;  I find your lack of any knowledge of Navy customs, rates nomenclature and rules to be distressing. You never served in the “Canoe Club and I wonder how much you and your dad communicated?

A new Chief Petty Officer (CPO) is an A.A. for one year. That is he is an acting appointment as a Chief and can be restored to his former role if he doesn’t seem to measure up to a Chiefs standards — He is on probation for a year. A Chief Petty Officer (CPO) P.A. Is a Permanent appointment Chief he can only be removed from his chiefs status by a General Court Martial. Findings approved by the Secretary of the Navy. Chief P.A. gets a big boost in pay over a Chief A.A.

Minemeyer and Augie Koepke were ship mates and friends but not buddies. In the navy seaman and fireman buddy around — but not with Petty Officers. It would break down the leadership role — seaman would “grab ass” and skylark with each other but not with the P.O.s. I had great respect for Koepke’s “blue collar seamanship — and for cruiser sailors spit & polish and everything tight and up to neat and excellent as Minnie tried to teach. Any of the seamen who left the Macaw and went to other ships for duty would find he was equal or better than most of the seamen on his new ship.

The Macaw had both Radar and Sonar (Remember I told you when Capt. Burton took a short cut across the Berkeley mud flats and fouled up our sonar head and we had to go into drydock to get Sonar repaired and we were only in commission for ten days.

Macaw forward drew about 14 feet of water (Draft) The Sonar head projected about 2 feet under the keel — So sending out our sound beams — 16 feet under the ocean surface the bow wave and sea creatures would not interfere. We only dropped one depth charge cause Burton wanted to see what the explosive pattern was. He damn near screwed up: He dropped it on a very shallow setting and we were going slow. That 300 lb depth charge exploded very close to our stern — damn near lifted our stern out of the water — Was a school of Bonita and there seemed to be a hundred fish belly up.

We dispersed the Convoy the nite we picked up the big target on Radar. Burton decided it was a Jap cruiser. We tried to raise it by radio and TBS — No response — So we loaded our main battery — 2-3” and we go within a mile and illuminated the target with our search lite. God it was good to see that big American flag flying over this big merchant ship. I can still see her. Most big cargo ships had 5 cargo holds — This ship had 7 cargo holds. Day in and day out while on watch we seen whales, sharks, porpoises, flying fish, schools of tuna. Knew when we were close to Islands cause we would see all manner of birds. Albatross followed us for thousands of miles. They use no energy — they rode the air currents. Never flap a wing. Just glide. When we dumped our garbage they would feed.

When we went to the Equator Initiation a couple of “Walruses” would peel off your pants & shorts and you would crawl bare arsed through the canvas tub full of rotten garbage while the executioner (Wants) was executing havoc on your butt with his club. When you came out of the tub he would give you a couple of big shots on your bare buttocks — I remember that Miller (OKIE) started to cry. So Wants really bashed him on the butt. I remember seeing Millers butt the next day — it was black & blue.

The convoy was gathered together off of Angels Island on San Francisco Bay. After 3 days we sailed down the Bay headed for the Pacific. We, the Macaw was in the lead — as we were the whole voyage. We were in single file — a long line of ships and tows. I was on the “fan tail” and I was looking at the hills of “Frisco” wondering if I would see them again. I was thinking this may be the great adventure of your life. Wondered how long before I would get back to the states? (was 24 months) We were heading off to war — we heard all the time of ships being bombed, torpedoed, strafed and hit with gun fire. Just heard of a Navy transport, the USS President Coolidge that was sunk by a mine off of the New Hebrides.

Rumors were wild: Were going to Pearl Harbor — to Samoa, to the Fijis, to Guadal Canal, to Nemea, to Australia. Rumor we will stay on convoy duty — we’ll get this convoy to wherever and be back in the states for another convoy.

You looked at your shipmates and wondered if you would all make it back or not.

After we got beyond the Farallon Islands we formed up into our cruising formation — a formation we would maintain for the whole voyage. Only our Captain, Exec & Navigator knew our course and our destination. We were never told where we were going until we got there.

Every day Zeroweste was real busy with the “blocker” [sp?] lite signaling to the other escorts or to the convoy commander in one of the Liberty ships.

Warrant officers are the officers who fill the gap between Chiefs and the regular Officer Corps. They are ex enlisted men who have a warrant that makes them junior officers who have all the rights and priveledges of officers — Live in officer quarters eat at officers mess & stand officer watches. The Warrant Boatswain is in charge of the Boatswains Mates and seamen in the deck force. The Warrant Gunner is in charge of the gunners mates and the gunnery department — the Warrant Machinist is in charge of the engineering spaces and the motor machinist mates and the firemen attached to it.

My Blue Jackets Manual went down with the Macaw, but in an old book store I found a copy — the 1940 issue — which I find still interesting.

If you want to get some sea time in, Read The Cruel Sea by Monsorat (SP) [his notation] or The Good Shepard by Forester. Your local or county library should have them.

In your dad’s stuff I would think there would be an Officers Guide and other nautical books —

                                    Nuff said —

                                    Bob J.

Drifting:

After WWI all through the 1920’s and 30’s Congress cut the navy to the bone. All departments of the navy put in for new ships but Congress wouldn’t come up with the funding. Then the war started in Europe and Congress gave the navy a blank check and said build all those ships you need: So Sub Force had 5 Bird Class Sub Rescue ships built. The Macaw was said to cost 7 million dollars. Us guys coming out of the depression could not vision that much money. The Macaw had been designed for a peace time crew of about 75. But the war gave her 2-3” guns — 8-20 millimeter AA guys — Radar & Sonar and a Technician to maintain them. The Macaw was not a comfortable ship. As Augie Paul said the SOB would pitch and roll in dry dock. I remember when Chuck Pierson was sea sick and “re[???]ing up” and we weren’t even under the Golden Gate Bridge yet.

Chow down was a problem with a mess deck that could only handle 40 men. When we knocked off ships work at 4:00p (1600) and liberty began at 4:30 PM (1630) it was a mad house in the crews head. 2 urinals, 3 toilets — 2 shower stalls and either 6 or 8 wash basins. And 2/3 of the crew all trying to get cleaned up for liberty —

The crews berthing had all these extra bunks sandwitched in all over the place. One bulkhead had the crews lockers — All your wordly possessions were in a locker —2’ X 2’ X 16 inches.

God, at nite when you would come down the berthing after being in the fresh, sea air at say midnite or 4AM and the fresh [?] on sour odors were like a sewer—Guys a groaning, snoreing, belching and farting. The fresh air blowers were inadequate — you hit your bunk and sweated. You fell asleep from exhaustion.

A week after we left “Frisco” it was found that our water distillery could not supply enough fresh water for our big crew, So the fresh water was shut off to the showers — a salt water shower was rigged on the fan tail. RHIP — Rank has its priveledges: I don’t believe the officers and chief fresh water showers were cut off.

Same was true for Chow — Our reefers (refrigeration) was to small for that big a crew. We had a continuous flow of stew — spaghetti, macaroni, noodles, Fish on Fridays. Powdered eggs, powdered potatoes and powdered milk which tastes like chalk.

When we got to Pearl we had a lot of guys leave the ship: The Warrant Boatswain, “Smoky” Haltoff GM1/c, Chuck Piersen, S1/c, Harris S1/c — a quartermaster 1/c.  A guy with appendicitis and the guy with a broken foot. We got some new guys aboard but never really got to know them. We went to Midway it was winter — weather was cool and rainy. We didn’t have the old get to gethers on the fan tail after we knocked off ship work.  Bad weather it was a bummer — no place to go : We didn’t have a library, a rec room or lounge. To write a letter you set on a trash can and wrote on a pad on your leg.

In the tropics the sun beat down on that steel ship and heated it up like an oven. The heat and humidity had us a streaming sweat. Once in a while we would hit a tropical rain squall. The rain would come down in a torrent — All hands not on watch would get out on deck, peel to the buff and shower and wash all the salt off. God, it was cold but refreshing. The cold rain would cool that steel ship down and it was bearable for a while.

Lot of guys suffered heat rash in there arm pits and crotches.

To put it bluntly = Smith was a “prick” — He seemed to think he wasn’t doing his duty unless he “shafted” some enlisted man. I was #1 on his “shit” list. I had to stay sharp and on the ball to keep his “knife” out of my back.

No, the Executive officer is not the navigator. Your dad was not the navigator on the Macaw.

Turner was on the Radar watch. He was from the Florida Keys. Was called Conch [Couch?].

That diveing team was not on the Macaw —Picture of 11 sailors were not from Macaw. The guy with your dad — no Idea.

You know what? I think that a lot of men, when they went home on leave — or after the war kind of enhanced there war time experiences — Made it more exciting for mom & pop or the girlfriend or wife to bring in all this Jap submarine scare — Sightings of Subs & aircraft. Torpedo scares.

Hey — I was on the after 3”-50 gun watch all that trip to the New Hebrides and on to Funa Futi — Wallace Island to Pearl and etc. We were what? 60 to 65 days at sea from Frisco to Espiritu Santos. I was on watch — 4 hrs on — 8 hrs off around the clock. In all that time the convoy was right astern of us. It never dispersed. Except for the 2 or 3 hours we took to Investigate the Radar Target that turned out to be a US merchant ship — That convoy was never out of our sight from the stern of the Macaw.

As my wife says: That commander who was in charge of the salvage of the Macaw made her think of the 3 stooges — He kept doing the same thing over & over. Never seemed to learn and change his tactics. Tunnel vision. All those Captains USN never made a suggestion or questioned the commander.

Cours the wife cried when she read all the reports of the men who left the pilot house and battled for their lives.  Chief Brown really held that group together.

Some days I put on my “go to hell” hat, the one that says World War II Vet. With my 11 ribbons from WWII — Korea and Cold War.  Go shopping. It’s a surprise how many people come up to shake my hand and say, “Thanks.”

When I went back to the states in June 1945 for leave and reassignment I went to the Treasure Island station in San Francisco Bay to get paid and get my leave papers and my next duty station. In the pay line was Moore RM3/c who had also come back to the states for leave and a new duty station. He was the last Macaw man I ever seen except for Piersen [Pierson?] & Muti after the war.

Keep moving — Harder to hit a moving target — Stay skinny, skinny people bury the fat people. Stay away from doctors — They bury there mistakes —              Bob J

P.S. Turner could not have been the Royal Baby — He was a Reservist — Just out of Radar School. No way could he have been over the Equator. All the people in Neptune’s court had been over the Equator.

Letter No. 9

Long Beach

Tim ;

         You have two hang-ups: For some reason you think your dad as an executive officer was the navigator. He was not the navigator. A Lt (JG) Windle was the navigator of the USS Macaw. I served in 4 different ships, on none of them was the exec the navigator.

         You seem to think every time you see a picture of Toby Hanagh that it is me. Toby was about 3 inches shorter and 25 pounds lighter than me. Toby & Al Muti were the shortest men in the crew, around 5 foot 3 or 4 inches.

         I was wrong. Turner was not a Radar Man — he was a Sonar Man. After Boot Camp he went to Sonar school. Graduated as a 3^rd class Sonar Man and came to the Macaw — the first ship he served in. He was not the Royal Baby. Why don’t you ask Tomcovits if he was the Royal Baby??

         That survivors picture of the crew has a lot of men missing from that picture. As close as I can tell these men were not in that picture: A.P. Koepke, Scott, Minnemeyer, Chief Brown Chief Fox  Zerowestie, Chief Frey, Parks, Munoz, Wantz, Boastwain Allen, Gunner Dunn, Machinist Lightner. Notice all these men were USN and had been in the prewar navy. Chief Frey had retired after 30 years service — enlisted after war started — in USNR-V6.

         Zerowestie had been USN in the pre war navy — Reinlisted in USNR V6 — after war began. V6 meant as a reservist you would be discharged from service 6 months after Victory –

         I think all these men, as a close knit USN group were over at the Chiefs Club as guests of Chiefs Brown & Frey – Celebrating the survival of the sinking — and a farewell party — They knew they would be assigned to new duty and probably never meet again.

Chief Funk had been USN — enlisted in USNR-V6 when the war began – RHIP — Funk had a big stock of medical alcohol, which was to be used to disinfect sick bay, clean medical instruments and in prescriptions.  If you were in the USN Clique, association, fraternity or band of brothers you could drop into sick Bay and Funk would fix you a prescription: Of grapefruit juice & alcohol. Us guys knew of this but as we always said when this USN guy got a break — Hey, they payed there dues. Years later when I was USN and a 1^st class I use to drop into sick bay for a “prescription” — I figured I had payed my dues. R.H.P.

         Funk had a wife and children – Wonder what ever happened to his wife?

         66 years later I can still hear that Arkansas Twang of Toby Hanagh. He had a good sense of humor. Can also still hear that Boston Brogue of Jack Cuniff.  Jack was a great poker player. I remember the nite at the Gooney Ville enlisted mens club that he won $3,000.00 bucks playing poker. Gambling was against the law in the navy — but was never in any way enforced. On pay day were games in officers Country, the Chiefs mess and among the white hats. Also Crap shoots .

         When we were in the states Jack won big money at poker — then he would go out to the horse track & lose it. Golden Gate Park I think it was.

Parks a TM1/c, I heard that he went to the Destroyer Johnston which was sunk at the Battle of Samar with all hands.

         Was a quarter master on the Macaw who I don’t remember if he left the ship at Pearl or after Midway? He went into Submarine service on the Sail Fish I think. Heard he was give a lot of awards and commendations for helping her be one of the top submarines in the amount of Jap ships she sank.

The other day I got out my bucket of suds — a scrub rag and on my hands & knees I scrubed the bath room and the kitchen floors — Just like a S2/c. Augie Paul would have been proud of me. Other day I also mowed my lawn — Pretty good for an old antique!

I would say that Chief Brown, Wants, Bolke & Stout were the most physically fit of the crew. AP Koepke was probably the least fit – Good living and a “beer belly” had made him soft. Stout & Spoonamore were real close pals – Always together – I think they had gone to the navy diving school together.

When General Quarters gong sounded — you dropped what ever you were doing and rushed to your battle station. Sometimes General Quarters sounded when men were at chow — Eating. — You left your meal and went to your battle station — After the secure from general quarters, back to the mess deck to find that dishes, bowls and mugs had slid off of the table and had shattered on the steel deck. God what a mess — broken crockery and food and drink sloshing around the deck — This happened several times — So by the time we reached Pearl Harbor we were very short of mess gear. Seems we were even using pie tins and cake tins for plates — So at Pearl a steam serving line was installed. We ate off of the stainless steel trays — No more family style.

                  drifting :

First deck division had the forward half of the Macaw The second division had the after half of the Mac — Autin BM2/c USNR had the first division — Koepke & Minnemeyer USN had the after 2^nd division. Koepke & Minnie had no use for Autin a USNR — “slick arm”

Ever Friday at noon chow we had fish – Usually a very unsavory fish that about 90% ended up in the “slop chute.”

A.P. & Minnie had prepared for this : In our locker back aft where we kept our chipping hammers, scrapers, wire brushes, marlin spades [spikes?], kids [fids? lids?] shackles, paint brushes etc. They had the electricians wire in electric service : a lite & a plug in. They had got a hot plate — a frying pan and a stowage locker. AP had me his “wood butcher,” build some shelves — They stocked the locker with ham, bacon, eggs, bread, cheese, salami bologna & potatoes. Come those Friday fish days we had a feast on the fantail. We use to look forward to Fridays. AP & Minnie would let Scott come back as out guest — But they would not allow Autin. They would tell him to get back to his 1^st division. “We don’t want you, you slick arm SOB.”

In the pre war navy it took 8 or 12 years to make 1^st class. It didn’t sit well with these USN petty officers with 2 or 3 hash marks (you got a hash mark after ever 4 years of service — Heres guy with “slick arms” no hash marks with a first class crow. (the eagle on the rate badge was always called a crow.

In the Korean war I knew just how A.P. & Minnie felt — I was a 1^st class with 2 hash marks and USN. I too cut no slack for those slick arm reservest with there crows. By the way after you got in 4 years of service and a hash mark you got 10% pay raise. After that ever 4 years hash mark would get you 5% pay raise.

By the way again : A Chief P. A. got $26⁰⁰ a month more than a Chief A.A.

In 1944 Eleanor Roosevelt (FDR’s wife) toured the Pacific area. She said that the American sailors had the cleanest bodies of any services in the world — and the dirtiest minds. Seems no sailor could ever use use any sentence without the use of the F_ _ _ word. Wonder if Eleanor had heard the navy white hats terms for his food and condiments, such as : Ketchup Red lead, mustard — baby shit, canned condensed milk — canned titty or armored cow, vinegar in baby piss, chicken — sea gull. Turkey — buzzard — balogna — horse cock, salami — pony peter — Cheese — tite ass (said to constipate). bread, punk – Creamed Chipped beef on toast — foreskins on toast. A hamburger beef in a tomato sauce on toast — called shit on a shingle. A hamburger beef with a grey gravy sauce — bear shit on a raft. Stew was called a train wreck. Lemon Aide was battery acid. Coffee was usually called Joe — but also Java, Jamoke and Juice. As some say the navy does not float on water — but on coffee.

         Every ship and station in the navy on Saturday mornings serves baked beans and corn bread for breakfast. This is known as : farts and hog feed. As I said in a previous letter : Ice cream Sundays were known as gedunks.

         Your flood makes me think of one my dads prayers God protect me from my friends.

While you were in Boston I wish you could have had contact with some of Jack Cunniffs people.  Jack use to tell about the high society in Boston and there “pecking order” : The Holmes only spoke to the Lodges — The Lodges only spoke to the Cabots and the Cabots only spoke with God —

         Cottrell was a warrant Boatswain. Warrant officers filled the nich between Chiefs and the officers of commissioned rank. He wore gold braid and rated a salute. He left the ship at Pearl _ Bleeding ulcers. Was a nice pleasant guy. Always a good word.

         Lot of scuttle butt about Capt. Burton. All wondered what a submarine officer was doing as our captain when the sub force needed every qualified officer they could get. Was stories that he had been booted out of subs because he was psychologically and emotionally unfit for subs. Stories he and his wife were in divorce. Story was that he found his “true love” in Australia.

         We never heard the USS Tarpon story —

         When we were on watch we always talked on the phones. We were tied together in a net – Lookouts, lee helmsman, radar & Sonar men, radio room, engine room, gun crew — It didn’t matter any time day or nite someone would ask where is the Captain — He was always around the bridge. He had a chair and he would be napping in the chart room or sitting on one wing of the bridge or the other. Some said he only left the bridge to go to the head — said the stewards brought a tray of food to him on the bridge.  He never left the bridge or officers country — Never toured the ship. In the navy you usually have a lower deck inspection every Friday — We never had a lower deck inspection once. In the navy you normally have a personnel inspection every Saturday morning — On the Macaw we never had even one personnel inspection.

         I think he was such a Captain Queeg that he did not trust his officers so did not leave the bridge area when we were at sea.

         The picture was very Interesting. The date of the picture makes me think it was the ASR before the Macaw – ASR10 I would say. The ship is still under Moore Drydock control. If it was under the navy it would have had a commission penant. If underway it would have had the flag flying from the main mast. If at anchor then the flag would have been flying from the flag staff at her stern and a union Jack from her Jack staff at the bow. Note : Cloud above foremast. All through the war pictures of navy ships did not show the radar antenna – That was a military secret.

         I had captains who would come into the shop and set on the work bench, have a cup of coffee and shoot the B.S. Capt. Byrby [Bysby? Bynsley?] had been in China during the war — he found out I had been in China after the war so we had some good chats about China. Had other captains who would drop into the crews mess and eat with us. Capt. Ramsey said, hey you guys eat better than us officers do. These were full 4 striper captains. Captain Byerly [Bryerby?] only went to the bridge if the officer of the deck called him on the phone and said he need the captains assistance — No Captain Queeg!

         The captain of the Tarpon ordered full speed astern as soon as his submarine hit the reef — She came clear of the reef – I will always think that Captain Burton’s order to go full speed ahead when she hit the reef was wrong — If he had ordered full speed astern _ who knows the Macaw may have come clear. That full speed ahead helped drive her more solid onto the reef.

         Burton was from an old Naval family. I imagine his whole life he heard: Honor and duty – Leaving the Tarpon under what seems to be a bad fitness report — causing the grounding of the Macaw — Seeing the end of his ship — Seeing men in the water fighting for their lives — I am now convinced that Paul Burton did not plan to be a survivor — I think he felt he had deeply tarnished and pitted the family honor —                        Resp –

                                                               Bob Jacobsen

Note : I am now 88 years old. Last survivor of my high school class of 1941.

Letter No. 10

Long Beach, Ca

Dear Tim;

         After the Macaw was commissioned we lay at the pier for several days. While there a Russian merchant ship tied up to the dock just opposite of us. She was into Moore’s for repairs. Was about the very dirtiest ship I ever saw. Had a crew about half men and half women.  Very poorly dressed. They were not allowed ashore. We had marine guards on the dock to keep them aboard. The Russians were not at war with Japan. They loaded war material on the West Coast and hauled it to Vladovostock where it was loaded on the Trans Siberian railroad and hauled to the European Russian war front.

         We stood 4 hours on watch and 8 hours off watch all the time at sea. What they saw when I was not on watch I did not always hear of. On my watch the only ship we saw from San Francisco to the Hebrides was the big beautiful 7 hold merchant ship with that pretty Stars and Stripes streaming from the main mast. I will remember her till the day they bury me. The only land I seen was Rose Island, The eastern most Island in the Samoa group. The only plane was a PBY patrol plane out of Samoa.

         Watches : 4 ON to 8 OFF from Boredom to Tedium!

         Stout was a very good man. Probably the best physical shape of anyone in the crew. Was always ready to take a dare or a gamble — but he had a good IQ. I never heard of the lite bulb incident — but heard he ate a wine glass in a bar in Oakland on a big bet.

         A lot of the crew, petty officers, girl friends and wives hung out at a bar by Merrit Lake in Oakland. Place had a juke box and dance floor. Hear the owner knew he had a good deal. He put out peanuts, popcorn and some nites put out wieners and marshmallows to roast in a fireplace.

         My Oakland girl friend was not old enough to go to bars — We went to movies, bowling or to dances.

         On a watch aboard ship at sea — on the bridge you Had a port and starboard lookout  on the flying bridge you had a sky lookout. In the wheelhouse you had a lee helmsman, a rader man, a sonar man — in the radio shack you had a duty radioman, In the engine room you had a MoMM, at the after 3” gun you had a man — all of these people had a phone and were all tied into a net. On day watches not much chatter on the phones. But especially on the graveyard watch – (midnite to 4⁰⁰AM) Guys were trying to stay awake and alert — so was a lot of talk over the net work. Lot of talk about sports: Baseball & College foot ball (NFL was a very minor deal then) Was no NBA — Golf was a rich mans game —We all thought tennis was a girls game or for wimps and queers.

         Lot of talk about the movies. I think we all favored Western or war movies. Favorite movie stars — and it ended up which movie star women they would like to take to bed — Lot of talk about the jobs they had before the war. Guys telling adventures in the 3 C’s in jail, riding the rails – following the harvest etc.

         I would tell of working in a fish dock. Gutting fish or cleaning and cooking 500 dozen crabs. (Gad I still don’t like crab salad or cocktails)  Lots of big talk about after the war and jobs – We all thought the day the war is over we would be right back into the depression.

         Popular saying, we thought it would be a long war : We will hit the Golden Gate in 48 and hit the bread line in 49.  So the talk was to try and get a job with a water co., gas co. or an electric utility _ or the Post office or some city job. Some said hey there building a lot of vet hospitals, try for a job there – Some said that with the GI bill that colleges would boom — get a maintenance job at a college — or go to college. God how the talk went on — on those long midwatches. Then some one on the bridge would say — hey Shitty Smitty is getting on the phone – Us white hats name for Lt Smith was : Shitty Smitty — not Snuffey.

         Then there would be a lot of falsetto voices telling Smith where he could go and what he could shove up his anatomy . After a hot tirade Smith would get off of the phone network — then we would be back at it – Some guys recited poems like : Dangerous Dan Magrew or other ditties. Some guys would sing some cowboy or western tunes. We would talk about hit songs — the big band music — the Southern boys would talk about the Grand Ole Opera. They thought that a Roy Acuf [sp?] was the greatest musical star I the world. And why wasn’t that damn Frank Sinatra drafted into the Army —

         Talk of hunting, camping and fishing.

         Talk of food — all kinds of favorites and ethnic foods – But the biggest talk was of women, girls, gals and all of the feminie wonders and it boiled down to talk of sex. Heard a lot of storeys of guys getting there first sex “lay job”  Lots of wierd sex tales. Guys telling how they “lost” there virginity – Remember one guy who told how his older sister climbed into his bed — another guy who claimed his good looking sexy aunt taught him all about the sex act. He couldn’t wait to get home on leave, in her last letter she said she had some new moves to show him.

         I made up some stories and told those — they thought I was a regular Don Juan or Errol Flyn. (you didn’t want these guys to know you were a virgin – I think a lot of the other stories were also pure B.S.

         In the Navy it is a unwritten rule that you never talk about religion or politics in the crews mess — we never talked about religion or politics in our great phone sessions.

         By the way : In all those notes and narratives of the Macaws sinking I never heard of anybody mentioning that they prayed — said the Lords Prayer or the 23^rd Psalm. Seems strange no one mentioned God or asked for devine aid? Your dad a good Catholic man did he ever mention this to you?

         In the great phone net we had lots of jokes: Brutal, Carnal mostly — Lot of ethnic jokes about the : Poles, Mexicans or the Niggers.

         Hey Augie & Minnie didn’t bandy words when they let Autin have it. They were as discreet as using a sledge hammer to crack a nut. They would tell him to get his ignorant lard ass out of there division — go louse up his own section of the ship.

         The story was that Autin could not read or write English and that Wainscott read his wifes letters and wrote the answers for Autin.

         Hey those BM’s from the peacetime navy were highly trained men. They knew basic signaling, base Quarter Master duties — basic gunnery, navigation, handleing of small craft either power or sail — Seamanship — A ships maintenance, fire fighting, damage control and above all LEADERSHIP — They were proud men — I was proud to say I served under them — and all I learned. They helped turn me from a big kid — to a man.

         Monterey — a peacetime playground of the rich was closed up tighter than a Clam during the war – Blacked out — Everything closed at 6⁰⁰ PM. Me, Maas and Muti whent  ask [out?] one at 6⁰⁰ PM. Nothing open cept a couple bars — We had a beer and were back aboard at 8⁰⁰ PM — Heard of ASO —but figured there would 500 Grunts and about a dozen hostesses — Never heard of any trouble with the ground pounders [?] – Ditto for the Barbecue at Nimitz recreation area.

         Wallis Island. Never foregeet it. Steaming up the chanel you would see off to Port the rusty remains of a ship which had piled up on the reef. Ahead you would see a huge rocky clif with a huge white cross painted on it. When we anchored we were soon surrounded with a host of outrigger canoes. They came out with loads of fruit and vegeatables to trade — but no one could think of eating what they brought. These people were the most ghastly sights we had ever seen : People with leprosy – Flesh rotting away – could see hand bones — leg bones, arm bones — half faces rotted away – Others with elephantitus : Women with breasts as huge as big watermelons — Men with testicles as big as cantaloupes — Fingers like sausages  arms big as legs — ears big as a head of lettuce – captain had us rig fire hoses and blast them off if they tried to come on board. This is a French Island — They used it as a medical Island. Sent all the lepers, elephantitus and TB patients in there Pacific possession to this Island — Thank God some of the “miracle” drugs developed during and after the war cured these deseases – We use to have a Leprosarium in Louisiana for the US lepers. Hawaii use to dump them on the Island of Malakai. As a good Catholic you probably know of Father Damien who went there to aid the lepers. He contracted leprosy and died there. I think he was Canonized by the Church?

We had a Marine Corps air strip on the Island.

         Interesting: Your dad and Captain Burton were kidding each other as they drifted in the current. It would be of great interest to know exactly what they said to each other. To bad your dad does not say in his letter to “McCarthy”

         One day 3 or 4 months after the end of the Macaw I was going to the Ships Service Store on the Pearl Harbor submarine base. I ran into Koepke and Fox. We exchanged a few words and how are you and etc. They were in a hurry to get to some meeting so we couldn’t yarn long — The big deal was that Koepke had on a Chiefs uniform. He had been a PO 2^nd class. I wonder if your dad as the commanding officer of the Macaw survivors could have promoted him — Same as he gave the survivors leave? During WWII the Commanding officer could promote men when ever he wished to. In the peacetime navy you had to be a First Class PO for three years before you could be qualified then a Bupers test and only the top grades got a CPO rate —

         High level Jap bombers came over while we were at Funa Futi — They hit the air strip — Hit a B-24 bomber and the Post Office. The USS Sumpter was not in port. If she got bombed it was either before we arrived or after we left.

         The guys in the pilot house with the flag : the guy on the right is Ehlers _ then Warner and the guy on the left is : my first guess Jake Wade — my second shot is A.P. Koepke. The guy in the middle with the flag is a quartermaster who was in the original Macaw crew. He left the ship at Pearl and went into submarines. The flag could have come with him from his previous duty — or it could have been made on the Macaw.

         The marines on Guadalcanal set up a “factory” making “genuine” Japanese flags — They sold them for as much as $50.00 to sailors on ships that came to the Canal.

         Strickland was an Okie — We called a dust bowler and a plow jockey – But he had what ever the animal magnetism that attracts women. I can recall he had a very pretty girl at the ships commissioning party in Alameda. He seems to have did quite well in Honolulu?

         When we were guest at the Royal Hawaiian ^SP Hotel I didn’t spend any time on the beach. I went to lots of movies — Was a branch library in Wakaki and I spent time reading all the Life and Look, Time & Newsweek magazines I missed. Also the Sports Afield & Field & Stream.

         You had to move fast in wartime Honolulu. Was a curfew everybody off the streets by six P.M. Civilians & service people. Black Outs

         Plus I enjoyed going to cafes & restaraunts and ordering what I liked — plus milk shakes & sundaes.

         All my life I have been on the great adventure: WWII — Korean War — Marriage — family jobs etc. But my next move will really be the great adventure — When I go to stand before my God and see what he has in store for me? When He puts me on his scales of justice I hope I can balance out.  God Bless America in spite of the politicians

                                                      Sea Dog — Bob

Note — Augie Paul called me a wood butcher cause he knew I had been to the navy carpenters mate, wooden boat construction and repair school in San Diego.

         At that school I met guys who went on to serve on the Florikan & on the Greenlet.

         At that school I met Muti & Pierson who were in the metal smith school.

         Note — My friend Pierson lived in San Diego —‘He passed away ten years ago — He had stayed in the naval reserve and retired as a Lt.

         Cuniff was very proud of his mother — who was a chef at the Palmer House – One of Boston’s top hotels. Jack had worked at a railroad yard on maintenance before the war.

         I will always wonder if A.P. Koepke kept in touch with Chief Brown. The Chief was A.P.’s savior. He wouldn’t let Augie give up even when he wanted to. I would think that Augie would have kept in touch as long as he lived?

         The nite that Jack Cuniff won big at the Gooneyville Club the club manager called the OD. And had a jeep and an armed guard drive Jack to the pier where we were tied up. Yes were lot of stories of big winners turning up dead — minus the money.

No, I did not gamble. By the time I left school in San Diego I knew I was not a winner — but a contributor — So I have never had the urge to go to Las Vegas and be a big winner.

One of the beter liked guys was Jewell SC ²/c. He seemed to take more pride in his cooking than the other cooks — Tried to season and make the food more tasty — Tried to make the foods appearance good so it was more inviting. He was from the Salem Oregon area. Manning was from Sweet Home Oregon — near Salem.

Ask Tomcovics if he can remember they kept his belly button area packed with a mixture of white lead paint and grease. Us polliwog faces were shoved down into this mixture — To kiss the royal baby — God, if he can’t remember that — he is in bad shape.

Pecking Order —

AS — apprentice seaman

S 2/c

S 1/c

PO 3/c

PO 2/c

PO 1/c

CPO — AA

CPO — PA

Warrant Officer

Ensign

Lt. J. G.

Lt.

Lt. Commander

Commander

Captain

Commodore — one star

Rear Admiral — two stars

Vice Admiral — three Stars

Admiral — Four Stars

Fleet Admiral — Five Stars

SM — Signal Man — Flags

QM — Quarter Master — Wheels

BM — Boatswains Mate — Boats

TM — Torpedoman — Torps

GM — Gunners Mate — Guns

RM — Radio Man — Sparks

CM — Carpenters Mate — Chips

SC — Ships Cook — Belly Rober [s/b Robber?]

                                             Dough Head

SF — Ship Fitter — Rust Buster

MS — Metal Smith — Tin Bender

EM — Electricians Mate — Lite Bulb snatcher

YN — Yeoman — Quills or Scribbler

SK — Store Keeper — Jack O’ the Dust

PM — Pharmist Mate — Penus Machinist

MM — Machinist Mate                         \         Snipes

MOMM — Motor Machinist Mate       }         Bilge Rats

FN — Fireman                                       /         Black gang

Letter No. 11

Long Bitch

November

December

Dear Tim;

A P.A.L. is a prisoner at large. He gets no liberty — can not leave the ship. Reports to the Master at Arms at certain intervals until he has been tried at Captains Mast and is sentenced for his alleged crime — or found not guilty.

         On the Macaw were port holes in the pilot house (about two feet in diameter) port holes in your dads stateroom, in the Captains quarters — In the Ward Room, In the crew’s mess — Two ports in the galley, one port in the Crews head. That’s it: There was no BRIG on the Macaw and no port hole for a brig. That story was the biggest piece of fiction I have read since I was a kid and read the Street & Smith Western Stories. Koepke was not the Master of Arms. He did not hold Reveillie. The Torpedoman was the Ships Master at Arms. He got up the cooks and mess cooks an hour before the crew to prepare breakfast. At about 6 ³⁰ am he turned on the lights in the crews berthing compartments then he came into the berthing yelling at the top of his lung : “Reveille — Reveille — heave out & trice up — Reveille, Reveille.” Then he would shout, “Let go your cocks and grab your socks.” He would then take about a ten minute break then come back with a big trash can lid and a wooden baton and any guys still in there bunks he would hold the metal lid by the guys head and bang on it shouting “Reveille”. Then he would leave and be back in five or ten minutes and take names of anybody still in the bunk. These men would have to put in two hours extra duty after evening chow — like scrubbing paint work or chipping rust spots.

After 8⁰⁰ am turn to for ships work the Master at Arms (MAA) went through the berthing compartments and any clothes, shoes or personal items on the deck — he confiscated and if you wanted it back you work off two hours extra duty — That’s life on the bounding main.

         The pilot house — the bridge, the wheel house — the navigation bridge all names for the same place. The wheel is called the Helm. The guy at the wheel is called the Helmsman. The guy who stands at his right is called the lee helmsman. He stands by the engine room telegraph pedestal ready to send signals to engine room to change the engines performance to a different mode. In front of the helmsman is the magnetic compas. There is a gyro compas on a pedestal on the starboard wing of the bridge — one on the port wing and one in the center of the flying bridge.

         On the port & starboard side of the pilot house you have about a four foot bulkhead (Wall) and in this wall is a port hole. The one on the starboard side is where Captain Burton was shouting his orders to the helmsman when Burton was on the wing of the bridge by the gyro pedestal where he was taking bearings. Under the port on the starboard side is a small deck where the Quartermaster makes his log book entries. Aft of this four foot wall on both sides is a water tite door.

         I would say the pilot house was around 20 feet wide and around ten feet deep. Also crowded in it was a radar console and a sonar station.

         One Saturday I was walking up San Pablo Avenue in Oakland. I seen a pretty blonde girl at the streetcar stop. I knew I had to meet her. So I walked up to her and said, “Can you please tell me how to get to the University of California campus?” So we started to talk and I ended up with a date the next day, Sunday. Her name was Colleen — a pretty Irish girl — We had a lot of great dates : Bowling, movies, going to her favorite Chinese cafe : The Tiensin — Dances, Milk shakes & Cokes at a soda fountain where we played all the big band hits on the Juke box. Fourth of July we rented a boat and rowed around on Lake Merrit. She was surprised I was such a skilled oarsman. Told her I grew up on Tillamook Bay. Rowed a boat since I was 6 years old. Owned a row boat.

         Things didn’t work out! I never saw that gal again when we left the states. She ended up with a tragic life. I still remember her in my prayers and hope God has given her a better happy life.

         USS Macaw ASR11 is holding a commissioning party at the Alameda Hotel, Spanish Ballroom 1800 (6⁰⁰ pm)  All hands are invited : The officers and their ladies, Enlisted men and their wives and all other personnel. (as I remember)

         I got to the party about 10⁰⁰ pm. I was late — as I went out to see Colleen. She was 17 years old. Her folks would not let her go to the party. I got to the ball room. It was as big or bigger than a basketball court. In the middle was a pretty fountain with a pool around the base of the fountain. In the pool were goldfish. At one end was the officers & ladies, on the side the Chiefs & wives or dates. Then tables of married enlisted men & wives or dates and at the other end in the corner a lot of seaman, firemen & dates. I went to the buffet table and fixed a ham sandwitch with servings of potato and macaroni salad. Went to the table where Strickland & his girl friend were as she waved me over — After I ate I went to the bar and had Bomber Highballs. Back at the table I heard that I had missed the captains welcome speech & your dads talk. But all the talk was about Koepke & his date. (I told you Augie couldn’t hold his liquor) Seems Augie Paul got “bombed” real quick. He and his girl were trying to dance. Seems they stumbled on the coaming around the pool and almost fell in. They said she said “You drunken son of a bitch I never want to see you again” — Said she ran to here table, grabbed her purse and was out the door.

         So Peggy wanted to know If I wanted to dance — “I said sure”— So we danced a couple of numbers — then sh she said that that Ohio Strickland danced like a Clodhopper plow jockey. Went back to table — damn Peggy sits on my lap and begins to smooch — Jesus I could see that Strickland is getting ready to explode — seems I Peggy says whe why don’t we get together on a date – I told her I had a steady girl friend but I was real flattered by her her offer – Then excused my self — said I had to go the rest room – So I went to the head . Holy cow there was Koepke passed out on the tile floor – Had to step over Augie to get to the urinal!

         Back out to the party — To bar more drinks and I just drifted around to see all my friends and do a little bull slinging. Stayed clear of Peggy.

         About 1140p came last call for drinks. In WWII — It was federal law all bars closed at midnite. Spose to help defense workers be in better shape and on time — Get service men back to station on time and in better shape and cut down on car wrecks.

         Al Muti had his dads or brothers big old black 34 or 35 Oldsmobile or Dodge? Luders had the wild idea of an “after hours” joint he knew in “Frisco” – So about 12 guys & gals squeezed in the car. Last I seen they were leaving the curb. Muti was yelling that they had to give him room to shift gears.

         What a bunch of hung over sad sacks the next morning!

         Chiefs & 1^st class got all nite liberty — Married men who had wives in the area got all nite liberty — All the rest of us had our liberty expire at midnite – Was called Cinderella liberty – Ships party nite we all got all nite liberty—

         1200 — 12 noon every dat day the Captain got noon reports

         Engineers reported amount of fuel on board. How much potable water on hand. The gunnery department reported ammo on hand. Medical department how many men on the binnacle list: That is men medically not fit for duty. The commissary department reported the rations and how many days we could stay at sea with said rations – The navigator reported the ships position.

         Wade — never heard him called anything but Jake. Enlisted men did not dance or even talk with Officers ladies. You did not talk to an Officer unless he addressed you unless you were Reporting to him. I have an Idea that Wade danced with your mom as the result of a bet or a dare. Wade was always considered to be the ships comedian!

         The bar that a lot of the men & wives and dates hung out in — I don’t remember. Hey the Bay Area was different during the war — we had a black out. No lighted signs on stores & bars. Windows shades. Street lights only about /5 1/5 as many as peace time. The west side of all street lights painted black. No lights on the Bay bridges.

         My favorite bar was also by Lake Merrit: It had a wall of laqured red wood — Into the wood was carved the profiles of the great sports people of the 1920’s — called the Golden Age of Sport. Like Baseball — Babe Ruth, Walter Johnson. Tennis — Big Bill Tilden, Football – Red Grange, Jim Thorpe, Golf — Bobby Jones. Track — Bill Cunningham, Swimming — Johnny Weismuller — Woman Sportswomen Babe Didrickson — Race Horse — War Admiral Man of War – Woman Tennis Player — Helen Wills Moody — Was a polo player — a Hockey player – Ice skater — Hennie Sonya Heinne — Boxer Jack Dempsey.

         I said falsetto in the deal of the guys telling Shitty Smitty the things he could orally or physically do to his body. I meant they were trying to disguise their voices – To talk in a false way so he would not recognize their voices.

Odds & ends

In all my years in the Navy — all the ships & stations : I never ate nothing but white bread. I never seen one bit of whole wheat bread. Nor sour dough bread.

During the WWII black out no neon signs a glowing. You saw no neon beer signs in bar-room windows or a light in taverns.

Strange : All the ships I was on as a crewman — a passenger or TAD — all the carpenters kit of tools had a level and a plumb bob. On a rolling, pitching ship where would you ever use them?

A guy at work once said to me : “Jake I don’t think you was in the Navy.” I asked him what gave him that Idea — He said, cause you don’t have any tattoos.

Most navy guys got a tattoo to show how “salty” they were. I never got drunk enough or stupid enough to get one. I was salty enough – Nuff said – Bob —

PS – Just got word another old school friend passed away – He made the navy a career — Was a 30 year man — a gold badge chief!

PSS – Happy Holidays — With God as the Navigator and Jesus as the Pilot.

My favorite movies or type —

         Mutiny on the Bounty – With Charles Laughton

Gone With the Wind

African Queen

Ben Hur

The Ten Commandments

Duel in the Sun

In which we serve

James Stewart movies

Gary Cooper movies

Henry Fonda movies — Note I was in the same barrack with Fonda & Tyrone Power in San Diego

Gregory Peck movies

— The Dodgers were my favorite ball team — since 1940. Muti and I went to a game in 1943 at old Seal Park between the San Francisco Seals & the Los Angeles Angels. Service men got in for 25¢.

In 1946 Al Muti and I went to a game at Kezar Stadium between the San Fran. 49ers & the Cleveland Browns — Browns won.

A life time hater of the New York Yankees . They try to buy the pennant every year – Love high school & college football.

Best old movies : Robin Hood with ErrolFlynn & Olivia Dehaviland — Treasure Island with Jackie Cooper & Wallace Beery.

Some of the women who inspired a lot of sex fantasies in the war years – Were 100’s more.

Betty Grable #1 pin up

Ann Sheridan – oomph gal

Jane Russel — Big boobs

Cyd Charise —

Carole Landis

Letter No. 12

Long Beach,

December

January —

Dear Tim;

         In the war years we had rationing for the civilians — Gasoline was rationed — Meat, sugar, coffee, cocoa, tires  leather shoes (2 pair a year). I went home on 10 days leave in March 1943 — The national speed limit was 35 miles an hour. I took the Greyhound bus from Oakland to Portland Oregon — It took about 20 hours. During the war — trains & busses were so over loaded. People were sitting in the “iles”. In 1945 when I got home on 30 days leave — my mom said I would have to go to the ration board. They gave me food stamps for meat — sugar, coffee etc — Gave me ration tickets for 30 gallons of gasoline — which I gave to my uncle Bill. In the blackout years people were to drive using only low beam headlights.

         About 3 weeks or a month before the Macaws commissioning we moved to “Ben Theesen’s” navy. This was a small receiving station tucked into a corner of the Alameda Naval Air Station — Over the railroad tracks and into “Ben’s” domain. While we were unpacking and getting squared away — a tall thin US Navy Lt. appeared. He called us to attention and told us he was Lt Ben Theesen who was the CO of this receiving station and we would comply with his orders & rules when we were over the rail road tracks and on the receiving station grounds;

         There were Waves in a barracks — we would not talk, signal or try to communicate with them — anyone caught would be marched to the base brig and get 3 days bread & water (In the navy this is known as 3 days Piss & Punk)  In the mess hall we would not sit at the tables reserved for the Waves. Ben said There would be no hanky panky on his watch. He said we would salute him at every meeting. He would check hair cuts — Any man needing a hair cut he wuld march him to the base barber shop and see [he] got a regulation hair cut. (Hair 2 inches or less) We would wear undress blues and he would check out out white hats & shoe shines. Lites out at 10⁰⁰ PM and no card playing or craps in the head after lites out. He would inspect our barracks & the head every day to see that we kept them clean & ship shape.

         This was the first time I seen Koepke, Minnemeyer or Scott — That afternoon Koepke told us that we would go to the boat landing and our ships boats were there — We would go over to Moorre Drydock & Shipyard. We marched (straggled) to the boat landing and took our boats across the estuary to the ship yard. All us seamen & seaman seconds & Koepke, Minny & Scott went to the rigging loft. Where all the firemen & various other rates went I don’t know.

         A foul of Ben’s law! At noon we took our boat trip back to the Alameda Boat landing and headed for the receiving station to eat noon Chow. Ben Theesen met us at the rail road tracks & said we could not enter — We were out of uniform — In dungarees instead of blues. Koepke after a long — long — long talk finally got an OK for us to eat but we would have to go to our barracks and change into blues — but it would not be acceptable in the future! After Chow we changed into dungarees and back to Moores.

         That after noon Koepke said to me to go with him. We went to the Macaws office in the Moores Administration building. That’s where your dad the Captain & the other officers were — submerged in paper work. Koepke explained the situation to your dad — He said, lets go see this SOB. So to the dock & a boat ride. Koepke told me to stay with the boat. They went to see Ben Theesen: Koepke said your dad had to threaten to take the case the CO of the Alameda Naval Air Station (a Rear Admiral) before Ben backed down. Now we could have our breakfast & noon meal in Dungarees — but when we returned at 4⁰⁰ PM we had to “instantly” change into blues. Wonder if you ever heard of Ben Thesen’s Navy?

         Slowly more men straggled into “Ben’s” station until we had the full crew. As I said all us seamen went to the rigging loft. A lot of old merchant seamen who were making up all the rigging for all the ships that Moores had under construction. We worked with these guys and what an education we got. In both manilla and wire cables — We learned all the splices the right way. Eye splices, short splices, long splices, crotch splices, Jack splices, back splices and Cunt splices. Some afternoons when we had worked ourselves out of a job, Koepke, Muti, Maas & I would go out the gate of Moores and across the rail yards to a bar and have a few drinks. Koepke swore us to tell nobody or we would all be in deep crap. Some days me and Maas went to a drug store with a soda fountain and had milkshakes.

         That commissioning party was held 2 or 3 days before the ship was commissioned. If it was held after the commissioning only 2/3 of the crew could have attended — 1/3 had to stay aboard to stand the watches.

         That bar a lot of guys hung out in was a hangout for a lot of telephone operators. Koepkes girl friend was one of these phone girls. (This was before dial phones) When you picked up the receiver a phone gal would ask you, “Number please.” The patch yard [?] in Oakland must have had 1000 gals on each shift — K’s wife was on the East Coast — Its like in the old New England whalers when they sailed off to the Pacific: They hung their Bibles and morals on Cape Horne and would retrieve them when they headed back for home —

         I won’t go into my female magnetism — But women used to pick me up. Nuff said —

         What a happy day — We were leaving Ben Theesen’s Navy. We packed our gear — a truck hauled it to Moores. We donned our dress blues and “sailed” across Alameda Estuary for the last time. At the specified time we all gathered on the fan tail of the Macaw. The Captain read his orders that made him the Macaws CO. He then signed the papers that a Moores executive handed him. This paper transfered the Ship from Moores to the possession of the U.S. Navy — The captain then said that the USS Macaw is now commissioned into the U.S. Navy. Make it so: Attention to colors – Men standing by the flag, the Union Jack and the commission Pennant all ran up their colors — (while Minnemeyer was blowing the appropriate ditty on his boatswain’s Pipe.

Then the order came to, Set the Watch. So Koepke and I who had been notified previously, we went to the gang way and stood the first watch. Your dad gave K all the times and so Koepke made all the proper entries in the log book. Were we busy; I think every gold braid in the Bay Area had to come aboard and pay their respects. So I was busy escorting them to the Ward room. Once an hour go to the bridge and log in the temp, the barometer readings, the cloud cover, sea condition and the wind direction & velocity. What a day!

         Time goes by: I’m out in Tsingtao China — its 1948. I get a letter from my mom. She forwards a letter from Colleen : While at the Sub base at Pearl Harbor in early 1945 I got Dear John letter from Colleen — This handsome soldier had swept her off her feet and they had married. So she said it would be best if we quit writing to each other.

         The letter was about ten days old. Mail was slow crossing the Pacific then. In China we got a courier plane from Japan about once a week. Colleen said she was at her wits end, was desperate didn’t know where to turn. She hoped I could help. The handsome soldier got out of service after the war — He was lazy and Colleen had to work and support him. Then he wanted her to become a call girl (a prostitute). She left and went home to her mother — Her mother had remarried and the stepfather raped Colleen! Colleen was now working in the dining room of the Martinez hotel. She said ever thing is so bleak — there is no one I can trust.

         I shot off letters to her — Told her if she needed money to let me know — Told her that the minute my ship touched the US I had permission to take off with all the leave [?] I needed — that I would be at her side. I told her she could go and move in with my mom — she would be welcomed like a daughter.

         What a heart breaker, I never heard from her again. I went to Martinez — She had left — no forwarding address — I searched ever avenue — Police — sheriff — Morgue — Newspapers — nothing —

         She will be in my prayers forever —

         Your bet on Glen Miller was interesting — My all time favorite Miller piece was String of Pearls – Put a lot of money in the juke box for that tune — But remember there was dozens of other big bands who were very good.

         Lots of other Hollywood girls I can’t recall there names — Some I recall, Anne Baxter, Celeste Holmes, Gene Tierny, Evelyn Keyes  Very pretty Rochelle Hudson. Kathryn Grayson [sp?] a good singer and huge “boobs.”

         Not a Giant fan but they had some players that were among my favorites like: Christy Mattewson, King Carl Hubbel, Mel Ott, Alvin Dark, Sal (the barber) Maglie and the last player in the National League to bat over .400 — Big Bill Terry.

         Note; When we set the watch on the USS Macaw, the engine room and electrical board watches were also set — and maintained until the engine spaces were no longer habitable.

         Parks — Torpedo Man First Class – TM 1/c — Was the Master at Arms and the ships “Police Man.”

         I screwed up my numbers! [a reference to his page numbering] One of my all time favorite sport movies was: Pride of the Yankees — the Lou Gerig story. Next to Gehrig was the Knute Rockne story which had Pat Obrien and Ronald Regan in it.

         You know when the Macaw went on the reef and the water began to pour into the engine room and generator room Ú What was the reaction of the people on duty in those spaces — Was there panic? Was there fear, did anyone almost get trapped? Would be interesting to have reports on what happened.

         Note : One of the first big, super hits of the “Bug Band Era”, was : Stardust. Ever after it was the standard that all the new pieces was judged by.

         Wonder how many of the Macaw crewmen are still above ground?

         This “new Navy” with women and women officers — Black officers and the new homosexual navy is not my bag. Bye-Bye Iron men and old sea dogs.  Bob J

Letter No. 13

Long Beach,

Jan – Feb [2011]

Dear Tim;  In high school and in the Navy most of my friends have been Catholics. On the Macaw my best friends were Muti, Maas and Jack Cuniff. On the Oberon AKA14 my best friend was a QM1/c who was a Catholic. We were in Tsingtao China and he wanted me to go to Mass with him at the Catholic Church — he said I would find it interesting and educational. He was rite. This church had been built by the Chinese. All the statues of Joseph Mary, Jesus, the Saints and Angels had all been carved by the Chinese : They all had the Oriental, Chinese features.

         My Catholic friends never tried to proselytize you into going to church. These guys who belonged to these, “Holy Roller” churches were always on your case to go to the churches. I was and still am an old fashioned Methodist. I believe in God, the Bible and Jesus. Nuff said!!

Webb: Was next to Frey CGM the oldest man on the ship. Webb was out to make all the money he could. He once told me that after the war he would go back to Virginia and have him a country store. On Treasure Island he used to shine shoes — hand wash clothes — Aboard the Macaw he ran the ship laundry. Only washed our dungarees and officers Khakis. He would wash & press blues or whites for a price. Ditto for blankets. He had laid in a stock of Mrs Saybus Coffeettes [sp?] before we sailed. He sold them  He did not smoke or drink — Never knew him to go on liberty. He was saving ever penny.

         At the sub base at Pearl he also worked in the laundry. He use to get a huge pile of the Honolulu Advertiser newspaper. They would sell out instantly — then he kept selling the diamond ring chances.

         In the Navy the deal on loaning money is 2 for 1 — I.E.  If I loan you $5, on payday you have to pay back $10.   Webb loaned money — ever pay day he was waiting as the guys came out of the pay line with his little black book. Wonder if he ever got his country store?

         Manning had the love of his life in Oregon. When he went in the navy he gave her his Ford Coupe to drive. He planned to marry her. Manning got a survivors leave and went home on leave. Found his true love had only been out screwing her friends and didn’t have any enemies. Hey, we use to all stay clear of George. He was “teed” at the world. Never a good word, just a “black crepe” spreader

         Muti worked in his brothers barber shop before he joined the navy.  After evening chow he would set up his barber “shop” on the ‘fan tail’. You could get a hair cut for “two bits” . — no shaves. Muti was only about 5’5” or 5’6” tall.  His wife only came to his shoulder— what a beauty. She looked like the little dancers you see on jewell boxes.

         Maas was real enthused about the GI education bill — He planned on College after the war — I hope he made it!

         In the navy pay day is the 1^st and 15^th. every month. You can draw all your pay or let it “ride” on the books.  Lots of pay days I only drew 5 or 10 bucks. Some pay days nothing. I only needed toilet soap, tooth paste, razor blades. I didn’t gamble. In port a few beers — a movie, some books & magazines.

In June 1945 went to the States for 30 days leave and reassignment of duty.  Went to Treasure Island. Was told where to be at 1300 the next day. When we would be payed, get our leave papers and our next duty.Next day I checked in, checked the pay list — in alphabetically order and got payed : The paymaster said: Hey you are the sailor everbody has wondered about. You’re the guy with almost $1500 bucks on the books.” I put my thumb print on the pay chit and showed my ID card and was paid. In that pay line was Moore RN3/c. We chatted a bit. Moorre is the last Macaw sailor I ever seen — except Muti & Pierson after the war. Cottrel left the ship at Pearl — he went to the hospital — had a bleeding ulcer.

Cottrel use to come around and want me to sharpen his pocket knife.

         We could not throw anything over the side that could float — Tin cans had to have holes in them top & bottom. Lot of the rations such as canned goods was packed in wooden boxes. Koepke had his “wood butcha” go to the galley every day and get all the wood boxes. These I would take apart and stow in a neat pile under the after 3” gun mount. When we got to Espirito Santos we had a boat load. We loaded them and took them over to the beach where we stacked them and set them on fire — Some how one of the seamen (memory fails me can’t remember his name) ripped his forearm on something and severed a vein or artery. Blood really flowed — We couldn’t staunch it. I took a shoe lace and a stick and made a tourniquet and got him back to the ship and “doc” Funk. I remember telling “doc” I wanted my shoe lace back — don’t remember if I got it back or not?

         Pierson left the Macaw and he left Sub service — Was on a Destroyer Tender,  then the Battle Ship Iowa: He was on the Iowa after the war — was at Bremerton Washington and came down to Garibaldi to see me. Wow — what a great weekend we had. He couldn’t get over what a primitive place I lived in. He lived in San Diego. Died about 5 years ago.

         On the Oberon AKA14 we at one time had Oakland as our home port. A lot of the crew hung out at Charley Tys Bar on San Pablo Street in Oakland. It had a tiny dance floor and a juke box. Had a lot of “B” girls hanging out there. The word was they charged $5⁰⁰ for a “quickie” — Except Mary, who had an artificial leg. It was said she charged $10⁰⁰ for a “jump job”. One day on my way to Albany I stopped at Charlies for a beer. I seen Mary, so put some coins in the juke box and asked her for a dance. As we danced I asked her if it was true she charged $10⁰⁰ for a quickie while the other girls charged $5⁰⁰ — She told me she was worth more. As she said, “How often do you get to screw a one legged whore?”

Note — on July 31, 1943 your sister was born. July 31 is my birthdate.

         At work a guy said, “Jake, I don’t think you were ever in the Navy. I asked him how he figured that. He said, “Cause you don’t have any Tattoos.” He was right  I never had a tattoo — Never wanted one — I was salty enough — The Bible, where God is telling Moses all the thing they can do — and can’t do — He tells Moses that tattoos are for Pagans (Savages).

         My dad was in the navy in 1911 — a 100 years ago. He was stationed in China on a coal burning gun boat. He brought me up to always be neat and clean and ship shape. So even today I keep my hair short — clean shaven, shoes signed — conservative dress. Not a slob. Even Lt. Ben Thiesen [sp?] would approve. You always wonder what happened to “pricks” like Ben and Shity Smitty when they returned to Civilian life?

         My friend, the QM1/c, on the Oberon AKA14 stayed in the Navy and retired after a 30 year career. He retired as a full Commander. He married a beautiful Japanese girl. Had a marriage ceremony that was a Catholic Mass and a Japanese Shinto Ceremony. Made there home in San Diego. He died of a heart attack shortly after he retired.

         Will always remember the World War II mermaid statue in Sydney Australia. Dedicated to all the war dead. It said, They gave up all there tomorrows so you could have your today.

                                    Rocks & Shoals.

         My memory is a bit hazy but I believe there were 26 or 28 articles for the government of the US Navy. Among them were;

         Cowardice in the face of the enemy can be punished with the death penalty.

         HomoSexual Conduct or Sodomy can result in hard labor in the Naval prison and dishonorable discharge.

         Hazarding a ship or grounding a ship through neglect, poor navigation, poor seamanship or poor reasoning can result in reduction of rank and a Dishonorable discharge from Naval Service.

         Paul Burton knew of this article and it must have been a heavy load on his conscience all those days he lived after the Macaw grounded. He knew that his Navy career was over and he had put a huge black blotch on his military families proud name.

         In the pictures I have seen of P.W. Burton he looked to have lost a lot of weight. I think that suiside is very likely — though his physical condition would also say he was a good subject for hypothermia.

         Last winter 2 fishermens boat capsized off of Long Beach. Coast Guard rescued them in 20 minutes. They said the men were suffering severe hypothermoy. The water was 57 degrees F. The men were kept overnight in the hospital. The men in the Macaw were several hours in the pilot house in very cold water having the body heat drained out of them before they ever left for the open seas. Funk who was the skinniest guy on the ship — Bones with skin stretched over them must have suffered a great deal from the cold.

         You are right, Koepke owed his life to Brown — but also to Vaugn, If Vaugn had not helped Augie those 2 minutes might have save his life. Wonder if he was awarded any posthumous awards? I doubt it!

         Jake Wade (all I ever heard him called was Jake) He was the ships clown. Everyone liked him.

         One day in Funa Futti we got word a Jap submarine may have released torpedoes with Japs operating and guiding them into the harbor. I will never forget Jake Wade patrolling up and down the Port side with a shotgun with orders to shoot at anything he saw moving in the water — Don’t recall who was on the starboard side?

         Seems that new hands who hadn’t ben to sea suffered real severe constipation. Funk gave some a black pill called the black bomb that “blew” them open. Others a shot glass of a black liquid that kept them on the “throne” all night. Lot of other newcomers to the sea suffered appendicitis. At Pearl he had one crewman go to the hospital for an appendectomy. Also at Pearl we lost Cottrel, Piersen “Smoky” Halitoff [Holtoff?] GM1/c and the quartermaster. Hated to see “Smoky” go. He had stuck up for me against Shity Smity. He told Smith that he had been standing gun watches when Smith was in short pants and he did not need Smith to tell him how to run his watch!

         When the crews berthing was flooded out, where did the men bunk down? Your dad said the food was good. What kind of meals did they have? Did the enlisted men & the officers have seperate messes or did they all eat together? What kind of watches did they stand at nite? Look out watches — signal watches, security watches?

         What were the sanitary measures? After all the salt water pump in the engine room wasn’t pumping water to the heads for flushing.

         A CM is a Carpenters Mate — Normally called “chops” but Augie Paul called me his wood butcher. He had me make him a pair of wooden shower shoes. I can recall after evening chow we would gather on the fantail. Can still hear Augie clip-clopping down the deck.

         I remember one guy standing by the starboard rail waiting for the noon chow. He was idley fingering his gold wedding ring when it slipped — plop into the deep Pacific. It will be there for a “trillion” years. Don’t remember his name.

         Burton was a Naval Academy graduate — At the Academy he must have had a heavy “dose” of navigation and seamanship but he (after years of service) did not seem to excel at either — Re — Right after the ship was put in commission — not a week old and he steamed across the Berkly mud flats and along [?] the Sonar head — we had to go in to dry dock. At Funa-Futi he steamed up to the USS Terror and ripped up her superstructure and quarter booms. The Terrors Captain came out and was yelling to get that goddamn hazard to navigation away from his ship or he would have his gunners mate sink her!

At Pearl he couldn’t get the Macaw backed clear to the open roadsted so we could turn our bow to the channel — Tried for a half hour — All the docks and ships and Subs soon became loaded with people watching the spetacle — he finally called for a tug boat to assist us.

         The bar over the railroad tracks was a blue collar working mans bar. Railroad men, stevedores, ship yard workers and merchant ship seaman and some old hookers hung out there. The bar the telephone girls patronized was an upscale bar by Lake Merrit.

         Ben THUSEN was his name — what an SOB!

         Colleen — no I don’t want to pursue the matter. It has ripped up my heart enough — I shall find out all in the next world. God Bless Her.

         When the Korean War broke out, we were in the Arctic Ocean between Pt. Barrow and the Canada border. We were scared that Russia would come into the war. We had to go through Bering Strait. Alaska on one side and Russian Siberia on the other. You can see them both as you go through the strait.

         We were sent to Port Chicago where we loaded 3000 tons of ammunition — All the ammo ships were in “mothballs” We went to Korea and we were so efficient that they kept us off Korea for two tours of duty rearming the carrier task forces — Came back to San Francisco in 1952. I had orders to shore duty (Key West, Florida) At sea I had let a lot of money ride the books. Left the ship a Federal check in my pocket for $2000. Plus the money over that in cash.

Got a airline ticket to LAX. Stopped in a bar for a drink. A gorgeous girl came and sat down by me and said: “I would sure enjoy a long time shack up with a handsome dog like you.” I thanked her for the kind words but explained that I was off to Long Beach to see my true love. She gave me her address in case my true love went on the rocks.

         Decided to go to the home office #1 bank of America and cash my check. Wow what a deal — They couldn’t believe a white hat sailor could have such a big check. They had me in an inner office, gave me coffee and Danish while they checked out my check. I think every body in the bank had to come and peeer at the sailor with the big check — Finally they paid me my 20 – $100 bills — Damn wish my “old pal” AP Gianinni ^sp had still been alive I would have asked him to Vouch for me.

         1949 was an interesting year. We left San Francisco Ship Yard and we went via Panama to the East Coast. Norfolk, Bayonne New Jersey and the Brooklyn Navy Yard — Back to the west coast, a quick run to Hawaii — then to the Arctic Ocean. Back to the States to Benecia Calif — where we loaded tanks and artillery for the Army and delivered it to Yokahama — then we went to Midway Island and loaded up all of a Sea Bee companys equipment and hauled it to Pearl Harbor. Think we were at Oakland for our Christmas. Woa, wait a second. We started 1949 by evacuating the last Marines out of China at Tsingtao when these commies chased Chiang Kai Shek and the Nationalist to Formosa.

         On the nite before my wedding I got out my little black book. I tore out all the addresses of girl friends that were scattered around the globe. I then flushed them as well as a lot of photos of girl friends.

         I had girls I dated as well as girls friends who were just pen pals : Like one girl : I bought a set of whites. In the pants pocket was a note from a girl in the Uniform plant in Brooklyn. She gave her address and said she would love to have a sailor pen pal. We wrote to each other a number of years, until she married.

         Maas is in the extreme left hand corner of the Midway group picture. I sure hope he had a great life and lots of good happenings! He was a good ship mate.

                                                               Bob —

[Note at top of last page]:

—›  Short arm dislocation [sp?] at midnight — how exciting!!

[Note in margin of first page]:

Thanks for the blown up picture. I use to have a lot of pics in my album but I guess my kids & grandkids “ripped” em off.

Letter No. 14

Long Beach, Ca.

March — [2011]

Dear Tim ;  In my Don Juan days I had a girl friend in Seattle. I think it was around 1951 I get a Dear John letter from her. She was marrying a logger from Ca Cougar, Washington. When Mt Saint Helen blew its top it buried the town of Cougar and its towns folk. I have often wondered if Irene had the fate for such an ending?

         I could write a big book about all of my amorous affairs — but I won’t. I am happily married and what my wife doesn’t know about my affairs of the heart is best for me.

         I had 6 round trips across the Pacific Ocean . That is  I crossed it “back to back” twelve times. So I knew women on both sides of the “pond”

         Sailors referred to the ship as a “bucket of bolts,” a scrap heap or a rust bucket. Sailors saw a real nice looking girl with the right bumps and curves they called her a destroyer or a cruiser — a heavy set or fat girl was called a battleship — Older women were battle wagons!

         In 1949 we hauled a load of tanks and artillery to Yokahama Japan — on the way back to the states we stopped at Midway Island. It was being decommissioned. All the planes were gone — The gooneyville submarine base was deserted. Was a crew of Sea Bees — who were piling a mountain of stuff on the dock for us to haul to Pearl Harbor. We helped all we could to reduce the stock of liquor at the old Navy base rec center. They wanted to get rid of all the booze. Beer was 5¢ a can — Bourbon or Scotch was 10¢ a shot of scotch or a high ball. They had magnums of champaine for 50¢ — We bought it and poured over each other — Some of the worst hangovers in my whole life.

         In 1954 I went into Midway on the tanker. During the Korean war they reactivated the Navy air field. The chanel had shallowed up — We had to anchor outside. A small yard tanker shuttled back and forth hauling aviator gas and jet fuel to the Island. All the old sub base barracks, galley, rec hall and shops were gone. Not a sign of any remains of the Macaw — They must have had to use a tremendous amount of explosives to destroy her. She was a very heavy built ship. God it must have taken a lot to reduce that tri-pod mast to little pieces of rust.

         Still wondering what the berthing deal was on the Macaw after the crews berthing flooded out? Also the messing — did the enlisted and officers have separate — or did they all mess together?

         Hey, Webb told me he was from Suffolk Virginia and emphasized it was the home of the famous Planter Peanuts? On all the ships I served on the laundry[laundrys?] on [?] washed the sailors dungarees, under wear sox and hats — Only washed the officers and chiefs work sun-tans underwear, sox and hat covers. The laundry had to press the chiefs & officers sun-tans — pants & shirts — That little hole Webb was in with the big washer, dryer & press must have got up to 150 degrees — It had no port hole — The door opened on a passage way not to the open deck — Hey Webb at Treasure Island had his little money deal — He washed blues and he had an ironing board and an Iron & pressed them — 75¢.

         In 1957 I went to work for Edison. The first generating station I worked at was Redondo Generating Station. Right across the street was the Redondo Harbor. Webb or CG [EG?] Mate Frey had to be the oldest man in the crew. My God, Webb was only 11 years younger than my Dad, and my dad also served in WWI. He was then a MM1/c on a heavy cruiser.

         At Ben Thiesen’s Navy I understand Ben would not let Webb run his laundry As I have said, Webb never went ashore on liberty, or drank or smoked. Yes, he did go ashore or in the pursuit of “pussy” but for economic reasons. He bought stuff he figured he could make a profit on.

         At sea, as I have said before, after evening chow a lo9 of yhr crew gathered on the fantail in there cliques. Webb would come out and announce that he was open for sales. He would note he had Mrs Saylors delicious Coffeettes for sale — Thes looked like tootsey rolls — But if you bought one you probably never bought another. I think Webb lost money on that deal. He also had combs, fingernail clippers, nail files, shoe laces and chap stick. Hey if you ever go to sea be sure and have chap stick. Cause your lips can chap in a big way.

         I figger if Webb got married she must have had money or a good job. I can’t imagine that Simon Legree spending any of his money to support any one.

         Hey, the war was over, we didn’t have to invade Japan. Us vets felt immortal. We had survived. Seemed all spring & summer of 1946 we were all trying to make up for lost time: Drinking like fish and out like Tom Cats ever nite in the pursuit of Pussy Cats — I rented a place to live — didn’t think my mom, a very religious woman, would approve of my life style. It would do me in now but then I worked ever day on the log ponds and I was out Tom Catting ever nite — Seems ever nite I would meet another Vet — I met guys from other schools I had played basketball, baseball or track against. Was always great to see they had survived — What great bull sessions. And what tales were spun — My apartment seemed to be a Mecca on Saturdays and Sundays — Guys & dates and friends & beer & booze were in and out at all hours. Some would bring food — What great surprising feasts we had. One of my favorites was Denny & his wife — What a jewell she was. He worked at the Blitz Wienhard brewery in Portland. He always brought a case of beer. What a heart breaker to hear that he committed suicide when he caught his wife having sex with his brother —

         Some Saturdays we went clam digging — Then a feast on Clamburgers & Clam Chowder. Guys would bring salmon, Halibut, Rock Cod, Black sea bass, Red Snapper — etc. Oysters — fried oysters or Oyster Stew — Guys & girls brought all kinds of pots — pans, dishes & silver ware — a lot of it from local cafes. Of course we had a record player & guys & gals brought 1920, 1930 & 1940’s records. The living room was our dance pavillion — Saturday some times we would go en mass to the Country Western dance at the Fairview Grange hall. Saturday was no limit or curfew on our activities — but on Sunday nite I had a 12 O’Clock midnite rule at Snug [sp?] Harbor. Monday is a work day. We hung it up at midnite.

         I about broke a lot of hearts when I put out the word — the last Sat & Sunday in August is the end of Snug Harbor. I am leaving for Berkley California to enroll in the University of California.

         Years later when I visited Garibaldi I would have people ask me to come back and have a deal like Snug Harbor. Remember one lady who said those were the best days of our lives. Made me think of the movie : The best years of our lifes lives.

         Yes, Sand Pebbles was one of my favorite movies. The book was a good one — I have read it a couple of times. The author was a retired Navy Chief who served on the China Stataion in the 1920’s & 30’s. What a shame he died of a heart attack as he was in the process of writing a sequel to Sand Pebbles. A good book about the US Marines in China is : Rumors of War — by Brady.

         Just remembered Ben Taylor use to drop by our Sat & Sunday bashes for a beer and a bite of chow — Ben was the Good Cop. He and I had been friends since the 5^th grade. Ben had lost a leg in a bulldozer accident — Was just thinking what a “match” Ben and Mary the one-legged Whore could have been.

         I forgot Wallis Island where PW Burton almost fouled up. At Wallis Island the chanel from the ocean to the lagoon is very, very narrow. Has a coral reef on each side. We should have got underway 15 or 20 minutes sooner — or later than we did. A army transport was coming into the lagoon. We met her her [sic] right in the middle of the chanel. The two ships had to almost scrape sides to keep from being on the coral reefs : Visibility was unlimited — You could see that transport for an hour before it got to the chanel.

         Yea [?] I forgot. When we sailed out of Pearl from the Sub Base we normally headed strait out the chanel — but one day we took a starboard turn and sailed around Ford Island — That put us right in the restricted area where the PBY’s and other sea planes took off and landed. I imagine Burton got a chewing out for this —

I think he did the same in San Francisco Bay where we sailed right across the area where the Clipper sea planes took off and landed.

Wow what good cooks : I can still remember some of  the best Sloppy Joes and the spaghetti and tasty sauce. Once we had a kettle of Lima Beans & Ham — Hey that gas a mixture of beans & beer was brutal. It about peeled the wall paper. We adjourned to the beach to air out. I remember Nita said she blew a hole in her panties — No more ham & Limas!!

Wonder what that sunami did to those low lying Islands like the Ellice, Marshalls and the Gilberts? They are only 3 or 4 feet above high tide. It is said that by the end of this century they will all be under water as the worlds oceans rise.

The LA Times & local TV seems to think the Pacific Ocean ends at the Oregon border. Never heard a bit about how the Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alaska coast did in the tsunami?

In the navy we only had white bread — never whole wheat. Corn bread & baked beans on Saturday breakfast. Also once a week we would have either canned prunes or canned Figs, which would help keep you “loose”!

You wondered if married men stepped out on their wives? A famous old Navy toast goes: Heres to our wives and our sweet hearts, May they never meet.

We had those great “bull sessions” over the phone on those swing & graveyard watches. Heard a lot of guys dreams & hopes about after the war. Wonder how many of those dreams and hopes ever worked out?

I hope and pray that every man landed on his feet in the job and career he hoped for.

Time to bring this cruise to a moorage. I have drifted enough.

                                    Bob (Jake) Jacobsen

                                    (old raw hide)  1946

PS.  The guy in the engine room who said did not blame Burton — I agree with him — The ship should never have been sent out in that weather.

PSS — The 3 seamen from NOB — should never have been allowed to go out to rescue the Macaws men — They would have had no training in heavy surf operations!

PSSS — The Japanese Tsunami hit Midway Island hard. It killed thousand of baby gooney birds still in their nest — Wiped out thousands of gooney bird eggs!!

PSSSS — My wife says that the salvage attemps on the Macaw sounded like the Three Stooges or a Laurel & Hardy play!

Letter No. 15

Rocks — Shoals — Rough seas

Gales and squals.

Long Bitch

April – May – 011.

Dear Tim;

         Flash back to 1943 — The Macaw on shakedown on San Francisco Bay. We would then go to Moores Shipyard for a day or two while the shipyard adjusted or repaired things that were not quite right. At the dock us S 2/cs like Muti, Hannah and me would be over the side chipping the rust spots, painting primer paint on. We would go over the side on bosun’s chairs or stages. You worked from the rail to the water. Then you could climb the manila line and go up over the rail — those who didn’t have the arm strength had to swim around to the gangway — not very much fun — the water was dirty, full of turds, toilet paper, rotting vegeatables, dead cats, rats and etc. Me and Toby could climb the lines like we were monkeys — I remember that Bloom and others had to swim.

         Flash Back — 1946 — the war is over — In Garabaldi is a new plywood plant — I got out of the navy and went to work there rafting logs on the log pond. A 18 foot ash pole — with a steel point for pushing logs. These peelers were from 3’ to 8’ or 9’ in diameter and 35 to 40 feet long. If the current, tide or wind was wrong you really worked to push & pull these logs to where they were to go. Damn I was really building some arms & legs.

         One nite me & Ed Baker were in a bar — The owner said he would give us a couple beers if we would replace some burnt out lite bulbs in the ceiling. We said a deal — So he brought out a rickety ladder and bulbs. I climed the ladder. Ed grabbed my legs — said he would steady me — Then he said: “Jesus Christ what are your legs made of, Iron. They feel like pegs.” He then hung the nick name raw hide on me —

         Couple weeks later up at Nehalem in an old loggers bar — back to about 1900 — I loved the old carved back bar that came around the Horn in 1903. I was drinking beer and peeling and eating pickled hardboiled eggs and shooting the bull with Albert and Pete — when wham that damn Ed Baker banged me on the head with a pool ball and said, “I’m breaking eggs!” I told him it hurt like hell and to knock that crap off. Back to my beer & eggs when whamo that damn fool rapped me again and said, “I broke another egg.” I told him it wasn’t funny and if he did that again I would shove pool balls up his ass or down his throat!

Would you know it that idiot came up and really banged me on the head real hard — Hey I was off of that bar stool in an instant, grabbed Ed and threw him on the pool table — then I was bestride him on the table and beating on his head with pool balls. By the time the guys pulled me off — Eds face was black & blue, his eyes getting black and a couple of teeth busted off.   Ed never bothered me again.

         Me & Kansas (he was from Kansas) were in a tavern one nite in Garabaldi (Garabaldi had 5 taverns) We were having a couple cool ones — we were trying to decide where us tom cats would go pussy cat prowling. I’ll be damned if a Dave Anderson, a saw mill worker, didn’t come over to our table and say, “I think you are a couple of queers.” Hey I saw instant red — I was up so quick, like lightning, I nocked Dave down and then was kicking his ribs in — I also stomped his glasses into a jillion pieces.

         Then the word was out — don’t mess with that f—— raw hide or he’ll kill you.

         Time marches on — It is the end of summer — just before I close, Snug Harbor. That’s the name I hung on my happy place I rented. A bunch of us went up to the dance at the Legion hall at Nehalem. I got to dancing with a pretty girl — a little plump, real friendly. It was a hot nite — we walked down the street to a café and had a couple Cokes and some more Chit-Chat — On the way back to the hall a guy about 5’11” & 190 or 200 lbs came out of the shadows and said “Hey you smart ass, to good looking guy, I’m going to beat hell out of you for stealing my girl.” “When I get done you won’t be so smart or so damn good looking.” Hey I knew I could not beat this big guy in a fair or unfair fight — so I said to myself — think fast Jake — so I said to him, “hey you want to run that by me again why you want to beat me up?” He started to talk and that’s when I used all the steel in my leg to kick him in the left shin — with my heavy leather soled shoes. I hit his shin, he let out a yell and bent over to grab his ankle (I wonder if I broke it) When he bent over I brought my right knee up under his chin — with all the strength in my leg — God it sounded like a rock crusher — all those teeth breaking — He was out on the ground — I told the girl to take care of your boy friend — I got a hold of my gang and got out of “Dodge” before they could form a posse.

         Hey I’m not proud of what I did but I did not care to get butchered — No hero — vo valor.

         In 1949 I was into Midway on a Navy Cargo ship — in 1954 I was on a Tanker — the USS Coeajlon [sp???] AG 52. [Name & number???] The beer at a nickel a can was Budweiser. We used to call beers like Brown Derby — Green Death.

         In high school I played guard in basketball — Center Field in baseball — Lead off hitter — In track the short sprints the 100 & 200 yard dash (Meters were not used then)

         In football I scrimmaged with the team but was not on the team

         As Chuck Pierson said when he visited me after the war — You people are primitive — He said we were still in the 1800s. About half the homes had outhouses — a few had bath tubs — no showers — So most of us boys went out for every sport so we could take a shower at school.

         Tennis we thought was for sissies & queers — Golf was for the rich. Soccer had not been heard of.

         When I went to U. Cal — I first lived in Albany — then I got a good deal in Berkley — a big old house a block off of Shattuck Ave. Was owned by an old retired Sea Captain & his wife. Their kids were all gone. Had three vacant bedrooms up stairs. Had a back stair way — I could come and go and not disturb them  The dear old lady told me that there would always be fresh sheets, towels on the table at the foot of the stairs. Just put the dirty stuff in the hamper.

         I was enrolled at U.C. under the GI Bill. Uncle Sam payed all of my tuition, books — even my student body card. Then I got $90⁰⁰ a month to live on. I signed up for nite classes. Then I set out to get me a job — no strain — I got three jobs in one day! Don’t know if it was my healthy honest look, my blarney or just luck. Westinghouse — Bell Telephone and Western Electric Union — Ended up taking the job at Western Union — cause I would be inside out of the rain & cold winter..

         I caught a street car (yes they still had street cars) 2 blocks from my rooming house. At U-C I was going to major in Physical Education & History — Hoped to be a High School coach and teach history in the classroom. Once a week the physical Ed class met in the gymnastics gym. We were to learn how to correctly use all the various apparatuses — like parallel bars, rings — Pommel horse — rope clime — The instructor asked if any of us could clime the rope _ (about 40 or 50 ‘ long) about 30 students. No one volunteered. He said can’t any of you try — I said, it’s a piece of cake. He said if you think its so easy lets see you do it – I took off my jacket & shoes  grabed the Manila and went a zooming up the line — touched the target at the top and came down. The instructor was dumb-founded. He said my God you climbed that rope in world class time. (At that time rope climbing was an Olympic event.) He asked if I had did the rope climb before and I told him no — but I was an old sailor who figured I could do any thing that had to do with lines or rigging. He said he would turn my name in to the varsity gymnastics coach. I also got called in for an interview with the basketball coach — but I told him I hadn’t touched a ball in over 5 years and wasn’t interested.

         Went to the football games free on my G.I. student body card.

         Had met a girl and things were just going to good and then the S___ hit the fan!! —— Wait hold the fan a minute!  I wrote a short article in English class — the instructor called me into her office – Not to chew me out — but to know if she could submit the article to a club she belonged to. She had never heard of anything like my article how wolves get rid of fleas. I told she could have the article and all rights there to –

         Now the Fan:

         My mother wrote and said my grandmother was dieing of cancer _ That I had to come home and help her take care of her . (I am an only child, no brothers or sisters.) Mom bombarded me with these “come home” missles. I called her on the phone and told her that this was my great chance for a career and security. No avail then I got telegrams : Come home, now.” — “If you love me — come home”!

         So I checked out of Cal — checked out of my job at Western Electric. The Supervisor said that I was the best man they had. He said they were just ready to promote me with a substantial pay raise.

         Sure hated to check out of my room—The old sea captain said that as a sea dog I would always be welcome to come back in—anytime.

         I could mentally hear a door slam shut on my dreams and that chapter of my future!

         Damn, got home and no way did my mom need me. Two of her sisters had come to help and another sister who lived in Garabaldi was there to help every day.

         So went to work in a log camp — started as a choke setter and soon worked up to rigger—big money $1.75 an hour. Then I got the “cherry job” I wanted: Booman at the Sause Brothers log dump. Wow $1.92^1/2 an hour & lots of overtime — About a dozen log companies dumped these logs at the dump – As they floated down the river we would sort them out and guide them into the correct log booms. Peelers in one — saw logs another — wood logs into there slot and cedars into rafts. I was soon the top dog on the river — these other boom men were older and from working for years out in the cold, wet winters they were slowed up with lumbago, rheumatism, arthritis and the various injuries they had, had. So I could see I didn’t want to do this forever — but as a young guy it was a job I loved.

         I stayed at home, did not revive Snug Harbor. Didn’t do much drinking or Tom Catting. Was piling up a lot of money in my bank account — About this time the State of Oregon voted to give all of us WWII vets a bonus — you got so much for each month in service and you got extra for every month over seas — was a maximum and I got the maximum.

         Reuben Pickett — what a waste — what a shame for such a fine young mans life to be cut so short — You mourn for the future he never had — for the wife — the children & grandchildrens line that will never be.

         We know how his family were in pain over his passing. My wife & I lost our oldest daughter  She was taken by ALS — Lou Gerigs disease. Not a day do I not think of her. She is always in our hearts & prayers. We go to Forest Lawn Cemetary to visit her grave site. She is not there — but we feel her presence.

         Burton came ashore once from the Macaw. He looked like hell — He had lost a lot of pounds and he looked hagard. Yes he seemed upbeat — he thought with all the pumps, air compressors and with all the pulling wires squared away that the next time the weather was good they would float her off and into the lagoon. You know, now I’m wondering if they got her off if they would have made it to the lagoon. They had so much trouble with all the pumps. With all the leaks — If about one of the pumps or compressors had “crapped” out — she would have sank in deep water —

          Sure sails could have been rigged — bit it was not feasible  Would have taken all the canvas on the Macaw and probably on Midway to have sewn all the sails needed. You have to have spare sails in case a squal or storm rips out a set.

         With all the leaks in her bottom I think they would have had a hard time keeping her afloat at the dock. I think they would have needed to bring an ARD (drydock) out from Pearl Harbor, so they could get under her bottom to make temporary repairs. And the powers that be would have said a tug will tow her to Pearl or the States.

         Paul Burton would have likely been removed as CO of the Macaw  The day the Macaw was brought in the lagoon he would have had to go to the Court of Inquiries into the grounding of the vessel. I think Burton was just doing some wishful thinking that he would sail the vessel to Pearl. I think with all the “black marks” on his record — he would never command even a garbage scow. Would have probably spent the rest of the war in command of a LMD — Large Mahogany Desk — shuffling paper work or counting mess kits with the knowledge that at the end of the war he would be discharged — No carreer!

         Yes I seen a lot of sailing ships : On the China coast big Junks — on Sasebo Japan after the war there were 3 big sail ships — 3 masters about 350 feet long. Two were whalers the third hauled coal from northern Japan to Sasebo.

         All the WT (water tight) doors on the Macaw opened out word. In all the vessels I served on all the WT doors opened outboard.

         If they had got the Macaw to the dock they would have been hard pressed to keep her afloat. Just one pump or compressor foul up they would have been on the bottom. If Captain Cook was there he would have said to strip the ship of every pound you can get off of her — If Cook had been there — instead of that half ass salvage officer & Capt Connaly the Macaw would have been salvaged — and all those men’s lives would not have been lost.

         The ammo room the guy was sleeping in was called the Clipping [?] room — It was about ten feet deep—6 or 8 wide and the bulkheads were shelfs with 20 MM magazines. Each magazine held 60 rounds of 20 MM AA ammo.

         They critisised Cook for the loss of all the cannons he through over the side—but they had to agree he saved the ship & lost no lives—Capt Conoly — Burton or the Salvage officer can’t say that.

         Some of the crew use to call the Macaw—the Wacky Mac! When we got to Pearl we lost several of our crew — guys to Sub duty—others to the hospital. So we got replacements. One new guy I can’t remember his name. He use to go down the deck a bobbing & weaving and shadow boxing. He claimed he was a professional boxer. We all felt he was a little punchy — a ding bat—

         Hey some of the guys when going on liberty would use various expressions in regard to sex. Remember some guys saying they were gonna get some  crotch. Some old guys saying they were gonna get some quif. The old saying was gonna get my ashes hauled. One was to go dip my wick. Get a girl and pump bilges – Find a girl and torpedo her- – Go on the beach and learn all about the birds & bees.

         Bob Smith was about four years ahead of me in school. In the war he was a radio gunner [?] on a bomber and went down in the North Pacific on a flight out of Alaska. Smiths Tavern — no relation to Bob Smith was my favorite place to stop in for a cool one after work. One nite I stopped in and was drinking a beer when Bob Smiths mom & dad came in – She walked up to me and asked what are you doing here— I told her just having a cool one. She said no what are doing being here alive — She said my Bob never came back from the war and you have no right to be here — You should be dead.  If my Bob can’t be here — you have no right to be here — Hey what the hell can you say— I shook the dust of Smiths tavern real quick — I quit ever going there — Each nite the Smiths seemed to be there — so I got my cool ones else where.

         Crazy damn world with a lot of crazy people.

         I could write a couple of books about all the adventures Ive had—like the woman who walked up to me in a bar and said: If I unhook and let my brassier go quick—all the wrinkles will come out of my face —

                                                                        Again, Nuff Said

                                                                        Raw Hide — Jake —

PS— Sailor says he is going to get some Pune Tang. Guy says if the girl is to ugly you put a flag over her face and screw for Old Glory.

Letter No. 16

Long Beach, Ca

Summertime!

Dear Tim;

         On TV some times I see a US Navy ship just back from a overseas deployment. The ship ties up to the dock — the crew comes a pouring ashore to meet there wives, girl friends, family and friends. I am always just amazed at the sailors: About 90% look like “boots” There white hats look booty and the uniforms look sloppy!

         When our Macaw crew first started to assemble — either at Treasure Island or Ben Thusen’s “Navy,” Either  Minnie or Augie Paul took us Seaman Second Class under there wings. They said we looked like hell and were a disgrace to the Navy — They showed us that you send your work hats to the laundry — But your liberty hats you hand wash and while wet you form them into “salty hats. Showed us the correct way to wear our neckerchief. Had us go to the Navy tailor and get our uniforms tailored so they fit right. They gave us a sense of pride to wear our uniforms. Looks like those navy ships of this generation needs some Augies and Minnies!

         After WWII I was discharged from service at Bremerton Wash. Took the bus to Portland, Oregon. Got in to late to catch the bus to Garabaldi — so got a hotel room — got out my “black” book and called up Irene. I met her at Rockaway on my leave. She had just got discharged from the Army Nurses Corps. She said “lets celebrate”. We each bought a bottle of Bourbon — went to a club — got a “set up” of Ice and mixer. I mixed my booze with 7^UP— Irene just tilted her bottle and gurgle, gurgle, gurgle — Wow how she could put the liquor away!

         Next thing I know it is morning and Irene is waking me up. Saying, “Jack, damn you when we hit the bed you were asleep instantly, you never gave me a cheap feel or a Quickie.” I told her, “Irene the next time I am in Portland we will have feels, Quickies and longies, before we start to drink. Irene said she would look forward to it. Damn what a hangover — we went to breakfast — lots of coffee. Said our good-byes — and I never saw Irene again. Hey she was a great gal — Hope she had or has a wonderful life!

         After leaving Irene I went to several good men’s stores — Bought slacks, shirts, ties, sox and a nice jacket and Brown dress shoes — getting “tooled” up for a civilian life. Then the bus to Garabaldi.

         Most of the Country was having a big unemployment problem with all the defense plants closing and millions of guys getting out of service. But in North West Oregon it was all boom. At Garibaldi a big saw mill was being built — a big plywood plant almost ready to go. In Tillamook a new saw mill and a plywood plant ready to roll. I hardly got off the bus before I was offered jobs. I got the job at the plywood plant as a boom man.

         As soon as I started getting pay checks I moved into the place I rented and called Snug Harbor. My mother was a very religious woman and I knew that my drinking and pursuit of “crotch” would not make her happy.

         One day Ed Baker came by and asked if I would like to go the Fairview Grange dance on Saturday. Said he would have his brother in laws car. Course I said yes. So on Saturday I put on my Classy new Clothes and went to the dance. Grange was a farmers outfit that was political, economic and social. They had a good orchestra that played country-Western and big band music, the women put out a table of cake, pie, cookies, salads coffee and lemonaide —Free —

         On the stag line I seen a girl I knew and danced with her. Ed Baker was dancing with a woman with a touch of gray in her hair.

         I seen a girl on the stag side I wanted to dance with —

         After the war the Veterans Administration opened an office in Tillamook. They asked all Vets to come in and get their papers photographed and filed. So I went to the office — noted the girl at the VA office was in her 20’s — Pretty face, the right bumps and curves — all the bells & whistles.

         I noticed she wasn’t dancing. I thought mabe she don’t dance or is waiting for her boy friend. I finally went over and asked her if I could have a dance — She told me — I thought you would never ask. She said I was the best dressed and the most handsome man at the dance. We danced several dances — went over and had coffee & cookies — then the “VA girl” said let’s go out to the car — I want to hear your history I will tell you my story and then we can decide if we will get together on some dates.

         Holy Toledo, we went out and I don’t think my feet were on the ground. I thought this is it — the big adventure — My head was in the clouds — This was the princess — hey this was the bonanza — I had hit it rich. My ship had come in!! WOW!

         Then I opened the cars back door and the whole world went to hell!

         There staring us in the face was Ed Bakers bare butt —He was pouring the rod to the lady with the gray hair.

         The VA girl let out a little shriek then yelled, “You bastard, I’m not that kind of a girl” — She took off at a run — yelling “Stay away from me, you bastard.”

         So all my attempts failed as I tried every way possible to get to communicate with her — So my dreams all were for nought.

         One of my bright happy spots in my memories is Florence. She and I were friends from 1945 to 1951. When I was in the Bay Area we dated — When out of the area we went with others. She loved to go to movies, dances, bowling, Chinese food, baseball (the Oakland Oaks of the old Pacific Coast league) Cock tails talk and humor — She said she would never marry. Her dad beat and battered her mother. She said she would never let any man have that much control of her life. She had a very good job. She said she might later go into a convent. What a great gal she was. Hey, we never had sex. I never got in her pants as the saying goes.

         Augie Paul would say that you are a land lubber, a plow jockey, a sod buster — No salt water in your veins — that you wouldn’t know shit from Shinola!

         WT doors (water tight) have six dogs — 3 on the hinge side and 3 on the opposite side.

         The port holes are hinged at the top — has a chain hanging from the over head with a hook on it — so you can hook the port open for ventilation.

The Try Pod is a 3 legged mast with a leg to port — a leg to starboard and a big leg forward — it supported the big jumbo boom that could lift about 25 tons — The main reason we were at Funa Futi was to use our boom to unload landing craft from the merchant ships — whos booms didn’t have the capacity.

         The Crows Nest was a steel tube about 21” or 24” in diameter and a bit over 6’ tall with a cover. It had a opening about 6” wide and around 2/3 of its body for the look out to see through. In all of our phone talks & all the B.S. on the fan tail I never heard of anyone being sent to the Crows Nest. In the tropics it would have been an oven very conducive to heat stroke.

         On the Port side of the Pilot house — next to the ladder going to the signal bridge was a ceramic insulator for the radio antennae to go on down to the radio room. It had a piece of steel tubing shaped in an arc as a guard to keep you from hitting the high voltage when radio was in use.

         Affectionate names that some of the crew had for the Macaw were: Wacky Mac — Bucket of Bolts — Rust Bucket — Big sweat box.

         My memory gets cloudy after 67 or 68 years. Hard to recall faces & events little incidents — I’m up to almost my 89^th birthday. The Macaw saga was just one event in a long life of events and a few miracles —

         Witmarsh I remember well. Was a well liked, quiet guy. Was one of the best Mo Macs on the ship. He joined the navy to stay out of the Army draft as did most of those USNRV6 men we had aboard. Last thing a lot of us ever wanted to be was grunts and ground pounders.

         In the Korean War my ship got a lot of new crew men aboard. We went from a peace time crew of around 100, to a war crew of about 250 men. One of these was a First Class who became a friend of mine. He was very surprised that as old as I was and a First Class PO wasn’t married. In 1951 we went into Long Beach Navy Yard for an overhaul. My friend, who was married and had a house in the Long Beach area, invited me to his house for supper — his wife had invited a Scoth-Irish, Swede girl from her office. So we met — started dating. Became engaged in 1952 & were wed in June 1953. We had a lot of things we agreed on: Dancing, Big Band Music, good food, cocktails, good movies, high school and college football. Small town kids — she from a farm town in Iowa and me from Oregon — Both Methodist Church — like twins — Were both conservative Republicans. Didn’t like the Welfare Country the US has become — Don’t like debt — We like cash — don’t like that high interest that credit cards charge.

         The nite before I got married I got out my “black book” and tore all the girls addresses out and flushed them down the toilet. Ditto to all the pictures I had of all these girls I had known — flushed them too. I made a vow that I would never cheat on my wife. So 59 years later I can say that I lived up to that vow.

         So today I am kind of a role model for the whole family.The vet of WWII and Korea. My kids, grand kids nieces & nephews all look up to me with respect. They — have kind of put me on a “pedestal” ——————— so — there will never — no — nada negative ever be a book by me about my wild bar room & woman days from 1941 to 1951 — I could only lose the respect of my wife and my family —   I went out and lived my life — I lived on the raw side. Other people don’t seem to have a life of there own and must live it through the exploits of others.

         Mr Wolf (or Mrs. Wolf) is being eaten alive be by fleas — can’t rest can’t sleep — Day & nite being chewed up! One day Mr. Wolf says, “Enough” He goes down by the lake or river. Wolf looks around for a piece of bark, chunk of wood, wad of moss or a rock or stone to put in its mouth. Then it goes down to the water and begins to slowly, slowly, slowly back into the water. It drops its tail and very slowly backs into deeper water. Fleas hate water and keep moving away from the riseing water. Its back is under water — the wolf points its nose straight up and it slowly submerges its head until only its nostrils are above water — then it release the object in its mouth — which is covered with fleas. It ducks its head, gives a vigorous shake of its head and rolls for shore — and some peace & rest.

         I note a man killed and his wife mauled by a grizzly bear. If you are in known bear or Mountain Lion country do not wear red. Red cap, jacket, scarf or sweater — If these animals see all that red they think it is an injured creature and an easy prey. Advice from the old woodsman — Jake (Kit Carson) Jacobsen.

         In 1955 — about 2 weeks before I got discharged out of the navy we had an admirals personnel inspection on that tanker I was on. The admiral came briskly down the line of men — until he got to me — He stopped and really looked me over — then he said: “Where did you learn to wear your neckerchief like that”? I said, “I learned it from an old salt, in World War two.” He smiled and went on down the line —

         Next day on the bulletin board was a notice: The Admiral said that PO Jacobsen was the outstanding man at the inspection. He said the rest of the crew should learn from Jacobsen how to correctly wear the uniform. So once again I thanked those two great seaman of the “old” navy — My role models: Augie Paul & Minnie.

         Moore Dry Dock Company was founded as a small boatyard in 1898  In World War I it built 50 deep sea ships between 1917 and 1921. It built ships, factories, bridges, dredges. It built the caisons for the Golden Gate and the Bay bridges. World War II the yard covered 42 acres — then it expanded to 31 more acres. Shortly after it added 55 acres. By 1942 the work force grew from 4000 workers to 26,000 workers. What happened to Moore Drydock Company after the war — I don’t know.

         From Pearl Harbor to Midway is a 3 day trip. I think on New Years 1944 we were at sea headed for Midway — No, you don’t party aboard ship on Holidays — The Navy is not a cruise line. On Holidays you have special dinners.

         Funk, Pharmacist Mate was the skinniest guy I ever knew. Just bones with skin pulled over them. Those hours in the pilot house in the cold water must have really drained his body heat. When he went out the WT door to face the raging sea he would have had little energy to fight for survival. On the other hand Chief Brown was like a piece of oak with lots of energy. Captain Burton had a tough time cause he had lost a lot of weight — Augie Paul had a tough time and lost his will to fight cause he was soft and flabby. — mowed and edged my yards — Pretty good for a 85    89 year old —

PS — Your dad was tough mentally and physically. He was slender but had a body of rawhide — a survivor!!