Naval Hospital, Boston , MA
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  • So, it looks like Putnam and I were at Chelsea during the same time.  I was Oct 1966 to Aug 1968.  Was engaged to a Wave, played softball, had a place right off base; hungout with John More, Jim McConnell, Matt Menglekoch and Waves, Linda Sigl and Vicky Basillio, among many others.  Despite the ongoing Vietnam war and the regular inflow of patients from Vietnam, it was a time I look back on with fondness.  One makes the best of the circumstances and for anyone that was a corpsman, you find the dark humor that helped to keep ones sanity.  In the twenty two months that I was there I was in the Emergency Room, the ICU, the Neurosurgical ward (with a Dr. Katrinas), the Psych ward as a transcriber, and finally the bag room where I got an awful lot of reading done.  

    I remember the EM club with a great deal of appreciation since I was underage to drink off base.  I played softball for two years, '67 & '68.  We came in 2nd (Runner Up) in the Boston Area and received jackets for our success.  My recollection is that what is now the Tobin Bridge was called the Mystic River Bridge.  While I did my college later in life, while married, I feel that my time at Chelsea was my college partying days.  We did do a lot of that.  

    Robert (Putnam) we have to have encountered each other, though I don't remember any.  

  • Orders to USNH Chelsea directly from A school Great Lakes early 1963, despite my request for Honalulu, Norfolk and Florida. LOL. Ed Noonan and I road the train from Chicago to Albany, NY and then on to Boston after Corps School. The next three years I worked Ward 15, 14 and main Ortho surgical ward. Eventually I applied for and was transferred to the Ortho Clinic where I loved every day of my duties! After getting my RN at Mass Gen'l and mustering out of Chelsea NH August of 1966, I returned to my previous college where I graduated with a degree in English/ Speech & Drama. I worked several civilian hospitals while I was attending college in far western PA, Meadville. And, in later years, after 19 yrs as a department store manager, ended up in the OR at Grove City Hosp. in PA. In '81 I relo'd to Houston, looking for a good paying OR job, where I ended up working for WalMart management teams for the next 16 years. Travel with Walmart eventually brought me back to my beloved Gettyburg, PA, where I mustered out of Walmart and into retirement. I'll never forget my wonderful years at USNH Chelsea, my buddies and the great city of Boston, MA...looking for Mike Scott, Mike Keller and Gary Sommers: all Chelsea shipmates...

  • Where to start. Forgive the rambling, I was stationed at Chelsea Naval from 1966 to 1968. I initially was assigned to the Nursery. I remember a hot nurse by the name of Denise. I remember one corpsman by the name of Joe. I was reassigned from Ward duty after contacting a staph infection. I was assigned as Barracks Master At Arms(BMAA) . It was my duty to make sure everybody made roster, uniform of the day, personal hygiene etc. From there I was assigned to the Laundry room under the guidance of “Pop” Halloreen (sic). He eventually resigned and I was put in charge. I remember the civilian in charge last name was DiPasqilie (sic) and the head seamstress name was Ann. From there I was reassigned back to the wards as a Senior Corpsman float. I can't remember much about this duty. I remember I was constantly going from one ward to another because I had the keys to Narcotics cabinets. I remember having wheelchair races in the tunnels leading from the Dependents building to the Main building . I remember the day Judy Garland came to the wards. She was so drunk out of her mind, she fell coming up the steps to the Main building. She sang “Over the rainbow”on every ward after a piano from special services was provided. Sorry about rambling, but it seems like a life time ago( it was). My only regret is I didn't stay in touch with my friends and take any pictures of my time at Chelsea. If this brings back any recollection to any of you , please let me know. Would love to hear from you.

  • It is great to see this site...I was stationed at Chelsea from Mar 73 to Aug 74 working in the Education and Training Department as a HM2 coming from the 2nd Marine Division, Camp LeJeune, NC, via Medical Services Technician School, Portsmouth.  I worked HM3 Davidson, HM2 Hasselbacher, HM3 Harrington, HM1 Overly and HMCS Bauer and ENS McGinn.  Great memories and crazy times. Moved to the Main Hospital when it started shutting down.  I retired after 30 years as the Command Master Chief, 2nd Marine Airwing, Cherry Point,NC in 1997. Chelsea will always have special place in my thoughts.

  • Hahaha! Yep, that old PKU stick in the heel! I hadn't realized I was leaving that kind of legacy! Remember that we had to close the curtains so the parents and others could not see what we were doing? There were those times I "accidently" left them open! OK,it's not that I really enjoyed it! Or...did I? So lomg ago now I can't remember!

    Welcome aboard shipmate! Nice to have a memory back! Even if it's that one!

  • If you were the one that liked doing those heel sticks on those newborns, then it probably was you.  I do remember that piece.... I hated sticking those little babies... and I do remember that little tiny lad closet across the hall.  I do remember that we never had to muster with the others and I did not get a haircut for a long time.  I have some old pics of Chelsea.... I will have to dig those out and scan them.  Take care shipmate.

  • Well, Senior Chief since you forgot who....coulda been me! I spent from April to August in the Nursery and a little time in L&D. Usually only when they were busy over there and shorthanded. But, since the downsizing was already in the works, the dependents building saw less and less. I can see that emprty newborn ward across the hall and remember that "lab closet" we used to run the bilirubins and hematacrits! (sp) Plus I always remember how there were never enough scrubs to change into! I wish I could remember names and faces.

  • How very interesting to find a few of you folks still around.  I was stationed at Chelsea from about March of 73 til it was decommissioned.  I was one of the last folks to leave.  When I reported there, I was assigned to SOQ (Sick Officers Quarters).  Chief Lebeeda (not sure of the spelling) was in charge of us ward Corpsmen). I spent some time in L&D and newborn nursery also (there was another male corpsman with me.... forgot who).  Chief Screws was the CPO during the decommissioning fiasco.  Great Chief.  I ended up spending 23 years in the Navy, retiring as a Senior Chief. Good ole Chelsea.  Some good darned times there.... The Zumwalt era. 

  • I'm glad to see NAVHOSBOS alumni finding their way here! I didn't quite make it to DECOM. But,some memories even age can't erase! How many others remember the big events that shape those memories? Even though we were not in a war zone, sometimes life brought us challenges! Things like the Delta crash at Logan in the Summer of 73 and the Great Chelsea Fire in October of 73!

      To this day I am molded by the experiences that a young sailor got to add to their life story. However, each of us had something unique to carry forward and share with our children. I am not sure I expected a stint in OB and the Nursery were going to be on the menu! But, Ohhh the stories!

      Not to get too deep into it but, I remember one that came as a result of having to stop a problem delivery and rush a patient on a gurney through the underground passages,  up to the OR which was in the main building. There was the added factor of a gloved hand placed in a very precarious position and a "Corpsman" concerned about how close a scalpel might come to his fingers once a surgeon started in on a Cesarian! 

  • LOL.. Xin Loi, I forgot I already told Jim that it was my car and picture of Chelsea... Just read what I wrote years ago. I have a lot of pictures of Nam, but just a few of Chelsea. I have to find them and upload them one day soon.

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Chelsea Corpsman and Proud of it.

I was stationed at Chelsea as my first duty station right out of A School.  I was assigned to Ward A by Chief Labeda and was later transferred  to x-ray and worked for Chief Pontbriand.  Both of these individuals had a deep impact on my life and they both helped me to mature.  I was at Chelsea for the bridge collapse, the fire in which 20 city blocks Chelsea burned and her de-commissioning.  I transferred to SERE School after the de-commissioning.  Chelsea washy best duty station in 20 years of…

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Chelsea Jan '69 - Dec '69.

Greetings. Request permission to come aboard.I was at Chelsea right after Corps school in San Diego. I worked on Ward G for a few months and then was transferred to the delivery room. I also remember the run up the long tunnel for blood and other lab stuff. Transferred out in Dec '69 for Vietnam and served as a Corpsman in the Combined Action Program. Wanted to come back to Chelsea, but they said no because of the pending decommission. So I went to the Hospital in Bremerton, WA.Only lived in…

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Chelsea memories

Geez...I was just playing around on my computer and there it is...I was at Chelsea out of Great Lakes Hospital Corps School July 67. I was there until sometime late 68 I think. I was on Ward 2 and the critical care ward. when I arrived and was the senior corpsman when I left. Senioir corpsman when I started was a Montgomery....think that was his name. Have memories of a nurse Carlin...I lived in the barracks near the bridge...could touch it out the window. Michael Huesman from Long Island was…

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GREETING Folks!! 1970-1972 GOOD OLD CHELSEA

I was stationed at Chelsea directly from San Diego Corps School. For 2  years I was the Senior Corpsman of Ward 14, DIRTY ORTHOPEDICS. Stayed at the barracks first year and moved into an apt. with 3 other corpsman. Met my first Wife there too. Wonderful Memories! Make contact please to share my remaining memories. NCO Club was a hot placeWent to Camp Lejeune for my next duty station.Curt Hiller, HM3

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