On AD-26, in late 1978, everyone had gotten out or transferred. I found myself standing in the shop wondering. Here I was, by myself. Unknownst to everyone the ship was going out of commission in late 79. I called the detailer and was told that there was a ML3 on the way, and should be there at any time. A few vdays later the CMC brought down a ML3. He was not the one I expected. This young man had been working in the tech library, did the courses, took the test, and made it!!. He had never laid eyes on a mold. Now this was a challenge! We began having school time all day. Every day I complained to my boss about not having any bodies. Short time later the ML3 transferred in. Then I  turned the training over to him.We had 4 months before we were leaving for the Med.I went to the CMC and told the situation was becoming serious. The safety manual stated that there had to be 4 people to pour metal. The very next day he came down to the shop and told me that he had a body for me. He'll be down the next morning. He said the the young man had been thrown out of every dept. on the ship. He had a real bad attitude and was close to being discharged.This young black kid showed up the next morning.I told him "Welcome to my world. What I say goes here,and want goes on in this shop is our business only."I had one of the other molders to go down to our storeroom and get a new riddle and shovel. When he brought them back up, I took a black marker and put his name on it. I told him that soon you were going to be married to there two items.I showed him how to use the riddle properly. I told him to return after lunch, because I had a project for him. He did have a sour attitude. I figured that I had to do something about that. I decided to break him. After lunch I turned him over to the other two. I said that I wanted him to remove all of the petrobond sand out of the bin onto the deck. Then he was to riddle all of it back into the bin, making sure he found all of the fines.I told the other two that they could take turns watching him, and to come get me when he was done, no matter what time. Also if there was a problem. I told him to take 1 hr. break for dinner, but not to stop. until it was finished. There was about 3 tons of sand, so I knew it would be awhile.At midnight they woke me up and said he was done. When I got to the shop, he was very dirty and sweaty. I told him to nwash up and go eat midrats. I said to return soon as he ate. I half way thought that he would not be back, but he did show bock up. I had the ML3 instruct him on the use of the sand muller. I went into the office and put on a pot of coffee. I said that I wanted the Olivene sand mulled with the right amount of water, dumped on the deck, then riddled back into the bin. I told myself that this is it. Either he'll make it or not. I stayed till around 3, then went back to bed. The next morning I excused him from quarters because he was still working. He finished just before noon. I told him to go shower eat lunch and go to bed. Told him to be at quarters the next morning. He couldn,t hardly stand. That man ended up being the hardest worker that I ever had. In 1988 I was on the Hunley and we were in Charleston for 6 months. The OOD called one morning and said that I had a visitor. He said he would escort him to the office. I almost fell out of my chair. It was him, as a ML1. He said that when he left the ship he went to A school. And what did my heart good is when he told me" I have spoken about you to my wife a lot. How you were the one that saved me from myself. Who knows where I would be now if it wasn't for you." 

When I made MLC we were about halfway thru a med cruise. The MR1 that was in charge of the machine shop also made it. His last name was Osborne.One afternoon the ENC that ran the boat shop came in . He had a piston ring in his hand.He said that there were no more in Supply, and he was going to have to get some made. Then he said"Do you know what this piston ring was made of?".Now this guy was known to be a very serious individual. Never smiled,all business. He handed it to me,I flexed it a few times, put it up to my nose like I was smelling it. Then I licked with my tongue."Hmmmm, it's cast iron".He took a step back and asked how I did that.I told him that it  was from experience.I told him that we could make a billet that the machine shop could cut rings from.I told him to see chief Osborne in the machine shop to verify that it was cast iron I got right on the phone to Osbornes office.I said," hey Ozzy, the ENC is on the way up with a piston ring. Do the taste test on him." Ozzy laughed, and said ok. That evening we were sitting a the table eating. Ozzy was sitting across from me.He told me that the ENC was truly amazed. Just then the ENC came and sat down at our table.There were probably 12 CPO's at that table.He started carrying on about the two young CPO's that had really helped him out. He began telling everyone what happened. Half way thru it, everyone at the table stopped eating , and was just staring at him. A few began to laugh a little. He turned very red in the face, stood up and pointed at us both." Iwill get back at both of you." By then all of the CPO,s really began to laugh. Then he stormed out of the mess without eating. Our amster chief was there and told us not to sweat him. Two weeks later he came into the shop, apologized for going of like that."It was pretty funny" was his remark. Then he actually smiled.    

When more bodies began to arrive, we had one hell of a shop. First was a young kid right out of A school by the last name of Brown. He was small and thin. He couldn't have weighed much more than a 14x14 bench mold. He worked hard, but the Navy just wasn't all that suitable for him. First off when he went to sleep, nothing would wake him. I was nalways telling him that with the almost daily fires we had on that old ship, it was dangerous. Myself, if we lost power in the middle of the night , I came awake. Anyway next we got in a ML2 by the name of Don Reed.He looked like Hoss on the bonanza tv show. He was shorter, but built like a bear. No neck. The civialian procurement program was in full swing. He worked at a aluminum factory, but all he did was start and stop a conveyed belt.He came in as a ML2. Never having seen a sand mold. Then came Jerry wright. Same thing. He had been in before as an airdale, but worked in a foundry outside, doing maintanence.he was 6ft.2". Had a huge handle bar mustache.The captain loved it.Then we got in a young kid out of A school. I forget his , but he stood 6ft5in.A very hard worker.Then we got in a amn that I was with on the Canopus in the 60's. He was an MM2 then. Claiborne Carter. He stood 6ft9in. Thay had to order medical bed for him, because the standard rack did not fit him. Thaat was it . Me and two other A school graduates that had seen a mold.Bright held class every morning before we went to work. Quite an experience.

When I had 6 yrs. in I changed my rate from SH to ML.Prior to A school I  was sent to the Vulcan for OJT. That was for 90 days. It was to see if I could cut it. After a school I went onboard the Shenandoah. When I arrived I went right down to the shop.There were two people there in coveralls, on their knees cleaning out from under a core oven. I asked where the chief was, and they both stood up and asked which one. One was MLC Langston, the other was MLC Bright. And that was it!!!. Noone else.When they saw they had a fresh ML2, they were very accomadating. They handed me a pair of coveralls, handed me a pattern and said they needed a dozen molds.I wondered what in the world was I getting into.Langston was leaving and Bright had just arrived. They told me some Molders had been orderd , but not there yet. A month later Molders began to trickle in.Bright left as a MLCS three years later. We did some serious work. I was there for five years and left as a MLC.Then you were  rewarded for the job you did. 

After I had the fiasco with the RO, I was gaiven a MM2 and a GSE1 to help me review the thousands of job orders for the up comimg 12 month yard period in Boston. It was about 90 days before leaving that I realized that my annual eval was relly late. I looked into it I was told that the RO wanted to have input. I thought why?? I only worked for him for about 3 weeks. I went to see the XO about it . He came aboard the same time I took over as 3-M coordinator. I told him that he may not be aware of why I was not in the repair dept. My evals were really late and the RO wanted to have input. He told me that if they were not decent to let him know and he would take care of it. A few days later  I was given my copy. WOW!!! talk about a surprise. they wre the best evals that I had ever had. I called the repair master chief and asked him if he hed seen them. he said yes. I told him that the man was crazy. he said that I was the only person to stand up to him like I did, and he did respect me for that. I started thinking that I still would not trust him. sure enough a dept. head meeting for the ship package review, he told me that I didn't have to live in the barracks with everyone else. He said he had a room reserved for me on a barge that would be alongside. Also I was going to be his assistant overhaul coordinator. I knew that meant I would be available 24/7. If everything went well, I would be a shoe in for E-8. I went right up to my office and called the detailer. I asked him if he was really going to let a MLC sit in a yard for 12 months. I told him that he must have a billet open somewhere. He said that he was looking for a body for the new Shenandoah. It was heading for the med. soon and he needed to find a MLC real quick. I said here I am. Two weeks later a had my orders. everyone tried to get them cancelled.I left a week before they got underway for Boston, reported to the Shenandoah on a Friday and left for the med on Monday morning.Good career move? I will never know, but I was only away from home for 6 months instead of a year. 

In 1983 time frame I was sent to the Vulcan AR 5. Ml2 Herb Munker was the shop sup.,and Young was I believe a MLFN.I was exited about this, being a huge shop. They had about 10 molders onboard at the time.after a couple days I noticed that all they did was plaques. I was really surprised at this.I had been to that shop before and they werealways involved in good work. I asked Munker what the hell was going on. He said that all the RO would approve was plaques. He said that he had a MLFN working in the repair office as a gopher.I told Munker to have the young man to stop by and see me.He came by the next day and I asked him to keep track of all the jobs that the RO rejected. A week later he brought me about a dozen rejected jobs.The jobs were for impellers, pump casings,etc. The next morning I went to the repair office with the job orders in my hand.Told the master chief that I wanted to see the commander. He took me right in. I asked the commander if he was fully aware of the foundrys capabilities. I set the jobs on his desk. I told him that he could make a name for hisself by fully utilizing the foundry. I said that all those kids in the shop made more that plaques in A school. He asked me if I was telling him hoe to run his department. I said of course not, then a laid a copy of a standing order from CINCLANTFLT that there would not be anymore brass plaques made under any circumstances. He told me that I had said enough and that I was excused. That's when I stuck my hands out, and said,"see these hands? They will not make anymore plaques for you."At that moment he jumped up, removed his collar devices, came around his desk yelling all sorts off names. he poked me in the chest. he said you will do as I say, or your career is over. I had my 20 in, so that was no threat. I knocked his hand away and told him that I was a CPO, and not to ever curse at me or touch me. I told him that I would not hesitate going to CINCLANT and get an audience with the Admiral. In the middle 70's I had a tour at the compound and knew my way around. Just the the master chief opened the door and said for me to go outside. The commander told that he did not want me in the department. I told him that is how he takes care of his problems. This was on a Thursday morning. I was hot enough to f___!! The master chief told me to go home till Monday, then come baqck and see him. I became the ship 3-M coordinator. Had an annual inspection in 3 months and a 12month   yard period to get ready for.  I made sure that Repair towed the line with the maintanence.# yrs. later I was at SIMA Norfolk putting the new foundry together. I had ML2 Stratman. We finally poured our first job. I got a job order for plaques. I went upstairs to RSG and found the person that had approved. Guess What? It was him, but now he is a captain. He asked me what I wanted. I said that I had a job order for plaques. he asked me if we have to go thru that again. I said"I certainly hope. He took it and thru it in the trash can. Then he told me to have a good day. His name. Don't remember. I wiped out of my memorie bank.    

My mlcs had been recently transferred, and I was the shop sup as a ML1,on the old Shenendoah ad26. a young Lt. Mpa from a ship we were working on came in the shop to check on his main shaft bearings. I told him when they should be up to the machine shop. From there he went right to my div. office to verify it. My master chief called and I told him that I had answered all his concerns. The next day I made MLC> A few days later the Lt. showed up again. I told him we were pouring it that afternoon. He said thanks chief and left. I waited a while I called my div. office, and was told that he had not stopped by. That is when I realized that I had instant reliability just being a chief.