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were you a fresh air snipe???

cool story, I was on the kennedy in ‘78, commanded by jerry o tuttle....

he started as an e-1 and eventually became a vice admiral, truly a seaman’s captain..

he would get in line for chow with the rest of the enlisted men and would get a tray of what they were serving that day... if it was not up to standards, a cook would be in the brig...

anyway one day I was in line for chow, and the skipper was in line several people ahead of me..

suddenly, right next to the skipper, a snipe hole opened up and out came the dirtiest, unshaven, long haired snipe I had ever seen..

I guess the skipper had not seen one like that either, because he sent the guy directly to the barber shop en route to the brig..

priceless memories...

were you a fresh air snipe??? cool story, I was on the kennedy in ‘78, commanded by jerry o tuttle.... he started as an e-1 and eventually became a vice admiral, truly a seaman’s captain.. he would get in line for chow with the rest of the enlisted men and would get a tray of what they were serving that day... if it was not up to standards, a cook would be in the brig... anyway one day I was in line for chow, and the skipper was in line several people ahead of me.. suddenly, right next to the skipper, a snipe hole opened up and out came the dirtiest, unshaven, long haired snipe I had ever seen.. I guess the skipper had not seen one like that either, because he sent the guy directly to the barber shop en route to the brig.. priceless memories...

I started out as a non rated in B-Division B as in Boilers. I worked in Test Lab which coordinated the fuel and boiler feed water. That had me in The Hole most of the time sound tanks treating feed water etc. I lasted about two months and had to be medically wavered out due to an Inner Ear issue which about 18 years later would disable me in civilian jobs.

I was transferred to the Engineering Log Room till CHENG decided what to do with me. He took an interest to me and kinda mentored me as did the Auxiliaries Officer. The Aux officer didn't know why I was in the log room and asked me one day. I told him and he asked if I had any skills. I told him the truth and said Yes AC&R I had civilian schools and worked in it. He asked me if I thought I could handle the Aux spaces which were lower in humidity. I said I'll give it my best try. He said put in the Chit and next day I was in AC&R shop. I think it took a week to qualify me LOL.

A fresh air snipe? Yeah about half and half really. Our gear was on the 6th deck all the way up to the RADOME at the base of the mast. But then again some BT's worked on the 03 level.

We tied up beside you many times in Norfolk at pier 12. I think Pier 7 the upriver side was the third carrier berth now there's five. They built a pier between 12 & 7. Sorry you guys drew the short straw for the Iranian Crisis.

My first Captain was a former POW shot down early on and did his time in Hanoi Hilton. We watched him get Rear Admiral at change of command.

I bet the old man pissed a Captain or chief off sending the gut to the brig. None of us were scrounges. But many a day we looked like we fell into a grease pit. The guys working full time in The Hole had it a lot worse. It could be 20 hour days at sea and the last thing on your mind when you see a chance for sleep is a trip to the Barber shop. We came to the shop every morning clean and in clean uniform. If we knew we were going to be working on something pretty involved the clean uniform may have been stained and ratty looking. No sense in messing up your good ones. In general the chiefs and even the engineering officers overlooked uniforms as long as you could be counted on. IOW being in port the chief on your non duty night might come to you at midnight and say "Forward IC package A/C unit is down can you go have a look?" He comes to you because you have the knowledge and skill and won't be pissed off. The next day or whenever chief takes care of you. I slept through GQ once in my rack after staying up all night after working all day to get FWD IC's A/C unit back up.

Then we had another problem worse than someone dirty. Guys that no matter what refused to get dirty for any reason meaning we did their work load. That was one reason for an old time hazing tradition that still occurred even when I got out. It got you used to getting dirty. The ones who would not do the dirty work ended up as PPO or compartment cleaner.

It sounds like the guy your skipper caught came out of the starboard hatch at 5 pump room which was right in front of the chow line in front of the Galley windows IIRC. BTW I had a beard also LOL. Except for my Fire Dept T.A.D.'s.