Can’t forget the cruise of 72, that’s when my ears started ringing.
I served in the Engineering Department and as Main Propulsion Assistant (MPA) on an LST. As part of my duties as MPA I inspected the engine rooms each day. The ship was powered two 16-278A Diesel engines in each of two engine rooms. The engine rooms also contained an eight-cylinder in line diesel engine to generate electricity. They were unmuffled and to speak to the duty engineman, I would have to shout into his ear from an inch or less away and he would have to do likewise.
When I returned to our homeport of Yokosuka after my first deployment to the Delta, I went to Tokyo to visit a family I had met. After I departed the train and entering their quiet neighborhood, I noticed a ringing or buzzing in my ears. That was the first time I had noted the phenomenon and it has never left me. I do not remember noting a hearing loss, but I could have either ignored or denied it, which is in keeping with my behavior. After leaving the Navy in1972, I worked in accounting and finance, where the loudest noise I heard was a calculator.
Anyway, I filled the claim and qualified for 10% disability and a small check.