Comments

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  Edward A. Blumberg May 27, 2014 at 3:10pm

  Did not get your reply re; The Purple Onion.

  Ed
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  Edward A. Blumberg May 27, 2014 at 8:14am

  Hey Mike, Speaking about Norfolk.... You remember the Jolly Roger right? How about the "Purple Onion????
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  Donald E. Kemp June 28, 2013 at 9:13pm

  Michael,

  I remember Being in Old San Juan during the Cuban Missile Crisis, there must have been another trip after I left Vulcan. Things were kind of tense there at that time. There were many Cuban nationals and Cuban sympathizers in Puerto Rico. We had many confrontations while on liberty; mostly from across the street thank heavens. The 5&2 girls were out in force then also. They put me on shore patrol in Old San Juan as an E3. I had to keep any sailor out of the shacks over the hill from Luna St. That was a nervous watch (8 to 12PM). Glad when it was over.

   

  AAHH yes, St. Thomas. That was a great place. That's where I remember eating the banana chips. Yes, Bluebeards Castle was a good place to eat. I could not get over how beautiful the harbor was where we anchored. Clear blue water and could see the bottom and all the lobster traps. That trip was a whisky run. Remember the brig was full of booze.

  Don
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  Donald E. Kemp June 28, 2013 at 7:15pm

  Michael,

  Missed the NATO cruise because I was given the choice of getting out 2 weeks early or staying for the cruise. Unfortunately, I took the early out; wish I had gone on that cruise now.  Sounds like Edinborough was good to you.

   

  Do you remember going up the Western Scheldt up to Antwerp from the North Sea? If you were on deck you passed a beautiful small town in Holland called Terneuzen. I had the pleasure to live there for 6 months or so while working at Sidmar Steel now known as Arcelor Mittal. Strange how things like that work out.

   

  I do remember the sailor getting killed when the door closed on his head. They said it was a freak wave in the harbor. I recall overhearing a conversation between a chief Hospitalman with the striker who tried to save him. The chief told him there was nothing he could have done. The striker was devastated.

   

  I went back to Norfolk about 3 times looking for Vulcan and twice she was not at pier 5, but was deployed. The 3rd time was in 1991 and my wife and I were on a harbor cruise to NOB to look at the ships and again no Vulcan. When we turned around to return to port I saw Vulcan's silhouette coming into port. I told the cruise skipper that was Vulcan coming in and he didn't believe me. He looked into his book and looked at me and said "How do you know that is Vulcan?" I told him I lived on her for 2 years. He swung the cruise boat around and made a pass on her just as the tugs picked her up. That was an emotional  time. After I got home I got word that Vulcan was being De-commissioned in July 1991. Appearantly when we saw Vulcan she was coming back from Desert Storm. I found where I could get reservations for the Vulcan De-commissioning and 1st Reunion party. Got to go aboard Vulcan for the last time and had a great party at the Virginia Beach Convention center. Got a few pics around here somewhere if you want to see them.

   

  Regards,

  Don

   
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  Donald E. Kemp June 28, 2013 at 8:40am

  Michael,

   

  I got aboard late Sep 62 or early Oct 62 and was still in holding company when the Cuban Missile Crisis

  began. Was assigned to R3 div. I joined the Navy Reserve in Canton, OH went to 12 weeks of boot and then

  to 12 weeks if ICA school and went active in Sep of 62.

   

  Wish I could remember all the guys names. I do remember Al Baker MR3 who worked in the upper machine shop,

  Jesse Green EM3, r3 Div; Joe Steveson, R3 Div; Richard Wheeler, R3 Div;, Goerge Nastos EM2, R3 Div;

  Stone R3 Div; Ianucci EM3 R3 Div, Black IC2 R3 Div; Smith ICC, R3 Div; and I'll probably remember others later.

   

  I was on the bowling league and R3 Div won the championship; we beat the officers.

   

  I remember a hurricane we were in at sea coming back from the Caribbean and the rescue of the

  small yacht Northern Light, and another time when we helped put out the fire on the USS Anteres at sea.

  We went to Gitmo to supply water to the base for a few days till an evap ship arrived.

   

  These are some of the things I remember. I'm sure you were there for some of them.

   

  I found more shipmates on the "Together We Served" web site, but none I served directly with.

   

  Regards,

   

  Don Kemp
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  Lindsey E. Ford HMC (SW) June 22, 2013 at 12:08pm

  Welcome aboard! May you have Fair Winds and Following Seas.
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  Darrell A. Nelson ENC Retired June 22, 2013 at 11:17am

  Nice to see you here,  welcome aboard.