Running the skimmer

      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

Atomic Bomb Test at Bikini Islands 1946

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

pull 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 referral, 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, Coxwain. Within a very few minutes, two motormech 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 motormech 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. 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

Pat Garrett - Monza 1960 

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 motormech 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 treated by another boat that kept trying to get close enough to pick him up,

but the Coxswain kept backing the boat up until he was able to convince him that

he should stop and get him out of the water.