USS South Carolina CGN-37

I was a member of the First Increment of the Pre-Commissioning Crew for the USS South Carolina, DLGN-37 (changed to CGN-37 after commissioning).  I was initially assigned to the Pre-Commissioning Crew of the USS Nimitz, CVN-68, but it was behind its construction scheduled and my orders were cancelled.  I was still on the USS Enterprise, CVN-65, and the ship was preparing for another cruise to Vietnam.  I then requested the South Carolina and was glad to receive my orders.  When those orders were also cancelled due to construction delays, but I was able to talk my way into having my orders reinstated along with those crew members who were married.   I was the only single member of the crew at that time and was housed in an apartment (provided by the Navy) with two members of the Pre-Commissioning Crew of the USS California, DLGN-36.  The South Carolina was in the Newport News shipyard for the first couple of years, then it was moved to Norfolk prior to commissioning.  Five of us rented an old house in Hampton  once the ship was ready for us to occupy full time.  Two of us were IC-1's, and there were two EM-2's and an ET-2. 

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