Bootcamp and Beyond

A younger E.A."Pat" Garrett

Bootcamp and Beyond

I graduated from Boot Camp at San Diego Naval Training Center at the end of

December 1945 and was told to report to the Naval Receiving Station Terminal

Island, Long Beach. From there I was told to report aboard the USS Cumberland

Sound, AV-17. She was a seaplane tender that was being converted to be a part of

Operation Crossroads, the Atomic Bomb test at Bikini Islands in the Marshall

Island chain.

Upon reporting aboard, I was assigned to the second division, which was

responsible for every thing aft of mid ship, deck wise. After a few days on

board, the leading petty officer told two other petty officers to take me down

and teach me how to “run” a boat. We went down the gangway and over to a

re-arming boat. This is a boat that was designed to carry two torpedoes for

loading onto aircraft. We, the three of us, took off up the harbor and I figured

soon they would show me how to run the boat. Instead, they headed for a bar with

a dock and after docking told me to stay with the boat until they returned. A

couple of hours later, they come down, fire up the boat and we start back for

the ship. I remind them that they are supposed to show me how to ‘run’ a

boat.

“ Okay” they say, and proceed to make a landing on a barge tied up near by,

pulled off, make another ,landing. “ says, that’s how its done, now you try.

I made a pass at landing alongside the barge. Was not too bad, so they say “

You got it” and off we went back to our ship.

The next day I am assigned as coxswain of number one skimmer, which was a

twenty four foot, inboard Chrysler six cylinder speedboat. What was very

interesting is that at the time I was rated a seaman second class, about the

lowest rate you could have. I was told that if I knew my knots, I could be

promoted to seaman first. I showed my knowledge of knots, but never received the

promotion. Then I was told that if I knew the signal flags, I would receive a

promotion to seaman first. I did that also. I was still a seaman second class. I

would sleep in my boat, up on its mooring while underway ,as it was far better

than down in the compartment. On arrival in Hawaii, I made liberty runs into the

harbor with Officers as it was far better than the other fifty foot liberty

boats. The running of the boat was quite easy for me and was very enjoyable.

On arriving at the lagoon in Bikini, we anchored and put the boats in the

water. The target ship were all anchored in their various positions. The Los

Alamos people on board the ship needed to go to each and every one to make sure

there were certain things in place. We did this as a routine. Just before the

first drop of the atomic bomb, every non target ship did a rehearsal of a pull

out from the lagoon to check the time needed. On the day of the rehearsal, I was

told to stand by with my boat as I would not be hoisted aboard  but would remain

to carry out other duties. I reported to the gangway, picked up a LCD from first

division, who said he would be in charge. I shoved off and the ship pulled out.

We spent the day motoring about the lagoon. But, a couple of times the boat

engine just sputtered and quit. Then it would start right back up and we would

continue along. Later that day, the ship pulled back into the lagoon and I

pulled up to the gangway to off load the LCD. Normally, I would proceed from the

gangway back to my boat boom, but the O.O.D. calls out “ standby Coxswain”,

I call out that my boat has engine trouble and request to go to the boat boom.

The O.O.D., calls out, Standby. Cox wain. Within a very few minutes, two

motormen’s come running down the gangway, followed by nine of the most senior

officers on the ship, including my division officer, the ship executive officer,

and the ship chief medical officer. A total of nine senior officers. The skimmer

has four seat per side,plus the engine box in the center, which is where my

division officer was sitting.(Low man on the totem pole). I shove off from the

gangway and proceed to shore. I tell the motormechs what has happened with the

engine and how it has cut out, then re-started. We get half way to the beach

when the engine quits again, the motormech  goes back, lifts the engine hatch,

fiddles around, says” try her again” I do, and we are off again.

I find the dock quite crowded with boats all trying to get in to the landing.

Seems that everyone needs to get in to get new chits for whiskey at the Officers

Club. I off load all my officers and back off the dock as directed by the beach

master and lay off until called back in. As we lay off, the engine stalls again

and the motormech goes back again and pulls the engine cover off, fiddles around

and says , Try again’ She starts rights up and we idle around until called

back in to pick up our officers.

The harbor master calls us in, but it is on the “ Wrong Side” of the dock,

a Chinese landing, which means, it is a harder landing to make as it is on the

wrong side of the dock, no sweat as I still make a good landing” remember I am

still a second class seaman”, pick up all nine officers, back away from the

dock, turn and make my way thru all the boats around the dock, get about sixty

yards out from the dock, when the engine dies, again....I slip the gear lever

into neutral, and reach over and push the starter button..........There is a

terrific explosion...I look back....and there is no one behind me in the boat,

every one is gone, my bow hook is gone, all the officers are gone, I turn to

grab the fire extinguisher that resides right behind me because I know that

there are two twenty gallon tanks of aviation gas in the rear of the boat , then

the motor mech grabs me and heaves me over the side of the boat, I hit the water

and watch as the boat burns and then the gas tanks explode, first one, then the

other.  I got picked up by a boat and was taken back to the dock, the motormech

was picked up by another boat that kept trying to get close enough to pick him

up, but the Coxswain kept backing the boat away from him , up until he was able

to yell out and convince him that he should stop and get him out of the water.

They took me back to the boat dock where most of the other officers were

standing. Except for the Chief Surgeon, who was still missing, everyone else was

accounted for. Soon the Captain of AV-17 arrived and gathered everyone up and we

boarded his boat for a trip back to the Cumberland Sound. Riding back to our

ship, I was sure that the Navy was going to hold me responsible for the loss of

an officer plus a boat and my career was over. On arriving back at the ship, I

was sent to sickbay for a check up. There was not a scratch on me anywhere. They

gave me a shot of brandy and sent me back to my quarters to clean up.

While I was in the shower, my shipmates were teasing me and I made the

statement’ Well, I do not have a boat to run, so I guess I have all sorts of

time to my self..” Immediately, the face of my leading petty officer appeared

in my face with the words ‘ Garrett, tomorrow morning you will take charge of

number one motor whaleboat. You got that!!!!”

The Chief Surgeon was located on another ship, seems the boat that picked him

up went right back to its own ship instead of bringing him to the dock. Side

note’ The Chief Surgeon would not ride in a gas powered boat for a s long as

he was on our ship. If he wanted to go ashore, they put a diesel powered boat in

the water just for him. He said he had had enough of gas powered boats to last

him a lifetime. So for the rest of my stay on the Cumberland Sound, I ran fifty

foot liberty boats, whale boats and anything else that would float.

Dec 19, 2008