What Is A Soldier

James Robert Adams
Military Photo

You have chosen to measure your life in moments,

For soldiers live only for today!

Tomorrow doesn't come for the soldier,

Death is only one step away.

You will train, you will drill,

You will fight and you will die

Yet perhaps someday you will pause

And you will wonder why.

Now the answer to this question

Is very hard to find,

For it’s little more than experiences,

Folded away in your mind.

It’s all the times you've stood and watched,

The sun slip from your sight,

Across those rows of crosses,

That stand so straight and white.

It’s all the times you've dreamed alone

And all the dreams you've shared

With that someone special,

The girl who really cared.

A Photo of His Medals

It’s standing in your uniform

Your mother by your side,

Knowing her eyes are filled with tears

Because her heart is filled with pride.

It’s those bright summer days of childhood

It’s those solemn winter days of age,

It’s all the blues of springtime,

It’s all the falls of beige.

This poem was written by my first cousin, James Robert Adams born June 6, 1942.  His name is on the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington D. C.  He graduated from West Point on June 07, 1967.  He was a 2^nd LT. and commenced his tour of duty in Vietnam February 14, 1968 was KIA March 20, 1968 and he is buried in Arlington Cemetery.

Because of how this poem is worded I think he might have written it sometime between graduation and shipping out to Vietnam.  His mother would have been at his side after the graduation ceremony with tears of pride in her eyes.

At what point he had visited Arlington National Cemetery, I have no clue unless it was when he visited my brother Neal occasionally who lived in Washington D C at that time.

Before he shipped out to Vietnam he visited my brother one last time and left a big trunk with him; to keep for him. Sometime after my brother moved to Key West, and it was several years after Jim was KIA, he opened the trunk and this poem was among the contents.

I sometimes wonder if my cousin Jim had a premonition of his death when he visited Arlington and that resulted in his writing this poem. There were several other poems in the contents of the trunk, but this was the only one that mentioned the rows of crosses in Arlington; which is now his earthly resting place.

Bully Netting in Key West

Bully Net
With Aluminium Pole

I will explain to the best of my ability for those who do not know what this means because many will not know if I don’t explain. It is a type of dip net used to catch Florida Lobster. Sometimes called spiny lobster and some call them longusta or just gusters.

Ours was homemade with a wooden pole, used also just to pole the boat around. Picture it as being L shaped.When you saw a lobster you turned the pole up. Lines attached and you held the line and the bag upside down.

Place the bail over the lobster, and drop the bag while still holding the line. The lobster will always swim upwards and backwards. Then lift the pole up and the lobster is bagged. Then release the lobster into the live well.

Chuck and I loved to go bully netting on every slick calm night that we possibly could. Our two children were quite young and we made a comfortable bed for them under the bow cap. They slept while we poled around and caught lobsters. If there was the slightest ripple on the water you could not see them well enough to catch them.

Florida Lobster
Also Called Bugs

We kept plenty in our freezer, at that time there was no limit; except on the size of the lobster and we had a gadget to measure when we caught one. 

We didn't get a lot of slick calm nights in Key West so we had to take advantage of the ones that we did get. 

However over the years our children Stormy and Bo did a lot of sleeping under the bow cap of our boat.

We lived in Sigsbee Park Naval Housing with a canal behind our house that led out to open water. The nearest flats were the flats around Fleming Key and around the old Sea Drone that the Sea Planes had used as a landing strip when there had been an active Sea Plane Base here during WWII.

I always worked the spot light and Chuck worked the bully net. When I spotted a lobster; their eyes reflect red when the light shines in them, I could work it around in almost any direction I wanted it to go in. 

They did not like the light, they would try to ease around and crawl backwards to get out and stay out of it, so they were easy to steer as long as you didn't make a sudden move or noise.

One night when we were out we spotted one that didn't want to do what I tried to get it to do. It kept backing away, but we kept working it. Finally it decided to bolt and try to get away from the light.

It bolted right up onto the beach, and Chuck pushed the boat on up to the beach and stepped out and picked it up it was a really big one, the tail weighed about a pound. The tail is the only part we ate, these kind have no claws, they have antennae. We had lobster quite often and it was a great supplement to our food supply.

I prepared it in all kinds of ways. Sometimes I split the back hull and removed the meat, cut it in strips. Then dipped it in a tempura batter and fried it. Often I made a salad with it, this was Chuck’s favorite way to eat it, other times I just broiled it. Once in awhile I made a lobster thermidor.

All the years we lived there this was legal, and we could go almost anywhere. Today there are restrictions and some areas are closed completely. Like many things of the sea, the industry was greatly over-fished and things had to change. The most we ever caught in one night was five dozen. Most nights it would just be two or three dozen.

If we didn't find them crawling on the flats near the Sea Drone and Fleming Key we would venture out to other flats around what we called Christmas Tree Island, the island was built from spoil when the Navy dredged the channels deeper for the bigger boats. It's official name is Wisteria Island.

Wisteria or Christmas Tree Island

It was just a vacant island in those days; except for quite a few old wrecked boats and a lot of Australian Pine Trees, which is how it came to be called Christmas Tree Island.

Heart Shaped Sea Bean

These Came From the Rain-forest in
the Amazon

There was also another little Island near it, I don't remember its name, both were two of my favorite places to collect shells and sea beans.

These sea beans came from various plants in the rain forest in the amazon and various other places and floated in on the tides and wash ashore on our beaches all around Florida. I had quite a collection of sea beans and shells.

So if there isn't a lot of lobster crawling you just enjoy the wonderful display of nature.You see a lot of sea creatures at night that you don’t see during the day.  

Backside of Christmas Tree Island

Horse Conch
Pronounced Conk

One of the nights when we had gone out to Christmas Tree Island we found one of the largest horse conch shells either of us had ever seen on the backside of the Island. 

Chuck was able to dip it up with the net and I kept that shell for many years.

We would see all kinds of tropical fish as well as very large fish such as Red Snapper, Yellowtail Snapper and numerous others. The water is so clear you can easily see the bottom in 20 to 30 feet of water. 

Transferred To Shore Duty

Boca Chica Naval Air Station

Chuck was transferred from The USS Sea Cat SS 399 May 4, 1964 to Shore Duty at Boca Chica Naval Air Station. On his arrival to duty at the Naval Air Station they put him in charge of repairs to some Wells Air Start engines that were located at the very end of the runway, on the very backside of the Base.

They gave him ear plugs to wear because this was where the Jets taking flight cut on their after-burner which produced a very loud boom. He was there until he got those diesels rebuilt, and then he was attached to Fleming Key also a part of US Naval Air which was a different location, and it was a shallow water rescue service.

Fleming Key Bridge

He was in charge of maintaining all boats and engines there. We were still living in base housing in Sigsbee Park at that time.  It was a lot closer for him to get to work by water or on land, than going out to Boca Chica.

Fleming Key was accessed by a bridge from Trumbo point. During WWII Trumbo Point had been a Seaplane base, the area where the Seaplanes landed and took off was called the Sea Drone and this is where Chuck and Neiderfer, one of the guys stationed at Fleming Key used to hoop net for Florida Lobster at night. 

Trumbo Point

Another one of the the guys named Leroy Goforth also ran a boat and netted for lobster, they all had a lot of fun doing this and we had a lot of pleasure eating their catch, and there was extra money in our pockets.

For those of you who don’t know what a hoop net is I will explain as best I can. It is a big metal ring about the size of a hula hoop, maybe a little larger; attached to it is another net and has a larger hoop ring that bags. When the net is put overboard the bait is attached to the center of the bottom of the larger bag.

Hoop Net

When you pull the net up with the rope attached to the hoop the bag comes up and forms sides all around and you catch whatever is in the bag. They would run their nets about every hour till midnight.

They caught a lot of legal size lobster and sold it to Felton’s A& B Fish House, they also caught a lot of stone crabs, but at that time the Fish House was not buying any stone crabs.

So on the weekends we would boil the crab claws in a wash tub, and everyone stationed on Fleming Key and their families would have a feast, the excess stone crab catch was always released and they only took one claw!

Last Boat on Sea Duty

USS Sea Cat SS 399 
Chuck was transferred from the USS Grenadier SS 525 on October 21,1963 to the USS Sea Cat SS 399 and served on her till May 4, 1964.

I was just out of the hospital and in the full metal body brace and could only be up for 15 minutes twice a day, the rest of the time I was flat of my back.

USS Sea Cat Insignia Patch

The Boat was getting ready for a trip, I’m pretty sure it was another Mediterranean trip, but it could have been the North Atlantic. Chuck put in a request for a hardship leave.

The Captain (Skipper) said, "I'm sorry Chief Haven, but I really need to have you aboard on this trip." 

Chuck said, "Sir, you have enough spare parts aboard to rebuild those engines from the floor up, and every Engineman in this department is fully trained and competent to handle the job, if it's needed."

Skipper still said, "No,  I'm sorry Chief Haven I absolutely have to have you on this trip I just can’t leave you behind. 

Chuck explained the situation again and said, "Sir I will not leave my wife and children in this condition, and I can’t afford to pay to have someone take care of them for me while we're gone, and I will not make this trip." 

Silver Dolphins
Worn by Enlisted Men

He unpinned his Dolphins from his chest and threw them in the garbage can and said, "I have been riding these Boats for seventeen and a half years, and I have never asked for anything. 

Riding Boats is volunteer service and I disqualify myself as of now, I am no longer a submarine sailor."

The Skipper said, "No, no you can’t do this; you are too good a submarine sailor to just throw it away." He reached in and picked up Chuck’s Dolphins and tried to give them back to him, but Chuck refused.

The Skipper called Commodore McGuiness up in the Squadron and explained the situation to him and he said, "Bring him up here to see me, if he will come."

They went up to see the Commodore and he asked Chuck to tell him his side of the story, and Chuck did. When he finished the Commodore said to him, "I have a little project in mind that I’ve been thinking about for awhile now." He told Chuck what he had on his mind and asked him if he thought he could handle the job and Chuck said, "Yes Sir."

So the School for the Boats was created in the Squadron and Chuck was placed in charge of getting it up and going. The Commodore handed him his Dolphins and said "Put these back on Chief, we'll transfer you to another Boat, and  you can ride her four hours a month in order to still draw your hazardous duty pay."

The school worked out well, guys could qualify to ride submarines a lot quicker if they went through the School for the Boats. In order to qualify they have to cross train and learn at least the basics of every job on the Boat. As soon as they qualify they are awarded their Dolphins.

The Inspection Hat

Another Engineman on the USS Grenadier SS 525 that we were close with was Gene Courmier.  We always called him Little John because he was huge.  I still keep in touch with him and his present wife Martha.

At the time we were stationed with him he was married to Shirley. One of the stories I remember about them, they had a party at their house one night at Big Coppitt Key. I know that Hoffman and Barron were there, they were also Enginemen.

Another guy who was there, and I don’t recall his name, but he had a prize winning handlebar mustache. He kept it trimmed and waxed and in great shape, and he was of course quite proud of it.

He got pretty drunk and passed out, and while he was passed out the other guys decided to shave half of his mustache off. Submarine sailors do this sort of things to each other and to them it was great fun.

USS Grenadier SS 525 in Toulon, France
photo by Alan Shapiro

In April of 1962 the Boat made a trip to the Mediterranean Sea. One of the ports they stopped in was Toulon, France. I am not quite sure if the photo above was the April 1962 trip or a later one.  A bunch of the guys from the engine rooms went over on the beach together. 

Dixie Cup Hat

Little John couldn't find a hat to wear so he borrowed one from Hoffman, and it just happened to be Hoffman’s inspection hat. 

They partied hardy and were sitting on the deck of a bar they were at the time, with their feet dangling over the railing on the side of a hill.

Hoffman having had too much wine; got sick and had to barf  He didn't want to barf over the side because people were walking down below. So he laughed and snatched the hat off Little Johns head and barffed in it.

He laughed a deep belly laugh and said, “Hey old buddy, I just puked in your hat.” Little John said, “That’s okay Hoffman it was your inspection hat.” Then Little John laughed and laughed. Crazy guys!

And then there was Ding Dong Bell, who missed the Boat one morning. They were having quarters on deck, looked up, and behold, here comes Ding Dong behind a boat on water skies. He is dressed in his uniform.

1940 Cadillac Limousine

Ding Dong also had a really nice old car I don’t remember what kind it was, but the guys always teased him about his Al Capone car. I am not quite sure if his car was a Cadillac or not but this car looks  a lot like the one he had.

Fallen Warriors

Just as many of you, I come from a long line of warriors. I have many of them documented for several generations back for about two hundred years. I will not list all of them in this story.

Warriors are described in Webster’s as: one who fights in a war or battle. And they come from all walks of life before they are warriors. Some were farmers, tilling the soil, others were fishermen. Still, some were just boys with no occupation at all, before they became soldiers or sailors.

This story is dedicated to all of the men/women who have served for all generations for the cause of Freedom, whether in peace time or war. 

Freedom is not free; there have been millions of gallons of blood spilled for the cause of Freedom. The Freedom; that we have always enjoyed in America. They deserve the utmost respect of everyone that enjoys the Freedom they provide.

Some have asked why men/women would join any Military service knowing they put their life on the line when they sign on the dotted line and swear an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign or domestic.

I can tell you, it certainly ain’t for the money; it is for the love of Freedom, and love of Country, love of family, and themselves. Greater love has no man than to give his life so that others might live.

The main three that I will mention in this story are fallen warriors. The first one was in WWII, the second was in Korea and the third was in Vietnam. I knew all three of these warriors personally, and their deaths left a big hole in the hearts of our family members.

Family Photo of Jack McDuffie
A Few Days Before He Left

My daddy’s youngest brother Jack McDuffie was born August 15, 1921. He served in the CCC’s before he was drafted into the United States Army. He took his training at Camp Blanding in December 1941.

He was a Pfc. Company A, 32^nd Infantry, and he was KIA by a snipers bullet in the “Battle of Leyte” on the Island of Leyte in the South Pacific December 14, 1944. He was 23 years old, and he was the apple of my eye. He is buried in Whitewater Cemetery, Holmes County, Florida

My cousin Billy McDonald was little more than a boy when he went into the United States Army. Billy was born March 20, 1933. He was a Pvt. Company B, 32^nd Infantry. He was KIA September 23, 1950 in Korea.

Billy was 17 years old, and he is buried in Calvary Baptist Cemetery, Santa Rosa County, Florida. I have no photo of Billy.

James Robert Adams
Military Photo

Next is my cousin James Robert Adams born June 6, 1942. He graduated from West Point June 7, 1967 as 2nd Lt… 

He commenced his tour of duty in Vietnam February 14, 1968. He was in Company A, 505^th Infantry, United States Army. He was KIA March 20, 1968. His name is on the Vietnam Memorial wall in Washington D.C. and Jim is buried in Arlington Cemetery.

Numerous other family members have served in various branches of our Armed Forces, most have come home safe.

Two of my granddaughters are currently serving in the United States Marine Corp.

Nicole Villareal Bastian, born June 14, 1981, graduated the Citadel 1999-2002 Corp of Cadets, Captain 4401 MOS Judge Advocate, currently serving.

Three Marines
Nicole Villareal Bastian, Amber Marie Haven, Warren Villareal

Amber Marie Haven, born August 24, 1990, graduated Boot Camp, Parris Island as Pfc. April 23, 2010. Promoted to LCpl. October 1, 2010 MOS Combat Camera. Currently serving.

Kaitlynn M. Lewis

One more family member currently serving on active duty as well is a paternal cousin. Kaitlynn M. Lewis, born May 29, 1993. She enlisted in the United States Navy January 6, 2012.


Kaitlynn is a Seaman, Career Field, General Ships Maintenance
Stationed aboard the USS Leyte Gulf at Virginia Beach, VA.

The Cuban Missile Crisis

John F. Kennedy was our President of The United States of America, and in September and October of 1962 the “Cold War” was heating up fast. 

Russia was supplying Cuba with missiles. Cuba was denying they had missile bases in Cuba. But a U-2 spy plane flew over and filmed four missile bases being built.

President John F. Kennedy

President Kennedy was considered to be a soft touch as far as Russia was concerned, but they totally underestimated him. 

Our President was far from it, he ordered a blockade across the Atlantic and he told Russia "You will not send any more missiles into Cuba." He firmly took this stand, and he would not back down regardless of threats of a nuclear war!

Chuck, center, nearest camera,
on the deck of the USS Grenadier SS 525
in the Key West harbor March 1962

My husband was a submarine sailor and at the time he was stationed aboard the USS Grenadier SS 525 based in Key West, which is located across a 90 mile stretch of the Atlantic from Key West to Cuba.

On an early morning in late October, he’d had the duty the night before so he was aboard the Grenadier. I still can not remember the date, but I vividly remember the day! The phone rang, and woke me up. Our conversation went like this:

Me - hello

Chuck – Baby Love get my sea bag packed, and get it down here within 30 minutes, if you don’t make it in that time I’ll be gone!

Me - Where are you going?

Chuck - I don’t have time to tell you, just do it!

Me - But how long are you going for?

Chuck – Just get it down here, bye!

I rushed to get it done as quickly, as he had asked, and drove as fast as I possibly could to get his sea bag to him, with a gauntlet of emotional thoughts assaulting my heart and mind.

When I arrived he was standing on the dock, he ran across and grabbed his sea bag gave me a quick peck on my lips, and yelling over his shoulder as he ran for the gangplank, “We are sailing under sealed orders, don’t know where to or how long I’ll be gone, you won’t get any mail while I’m gone, take care of our kid’s, I love you, bye!” As soon as he crossed the gang plank it was pulled in and the Boat got underway.

When I arrived home and opened the door my phone was ringing, I answered and it was my daddy, he said, “Get yours and the kids clothes packed Ted (his sister), and I are coming to get you.” I asked, “Why?”

Daddy asked, “Haven’t you heard the news?”

 “No I’ve been too busy getting Chuck’s sea bag packed and taking it to him since he called early this morning and woke me up.” He answered, “That crazy Cuban s-o-b Castro is on T V, threatening to blow Key West off the map with a missile, you be ready to leave when we get there.” The time was now 8:00 a. m...

They arrived at my house about two o’clock p m. They made an eight to ten hour trip in six hours, and I am happy to say I was glad I was not riding with them on the way down!

I was all packed up and ready to go when they arrived, we loaded up and headed out. It was a really scary situation, from Key West north, to just past Moore Haven, it was a solid bumper to bumper convoy of Army and Air Force moving south into the Keys with all equipment needed to set up our own missile sites along the Keys!

The trip back to the mainland and home to Dade City was at a slower pace, you could not have passed a car in front if you had wanted to. There were no breaks in the solid convey. I stayed with my folks for about three months.

An Old Missile Launching Pad
Somewhere in the Keys

Castro never shot off the missile at Key West; I decided it was time to return home. And still, the entire Keys were solid with missile sites and they remained for quite a long time.

When my husband returned home, he could not tell me where he had been, all of the men aboard had been sworn to secrecy. I did not know where he had been till about ten years after he retired from the Navy and all this information had been de-classified, he then shared it with me.

Some of the Officers and crew having
Thanksgiving dinner on the dock 

Officers and crew of USS Grenadier SS 525
 having Thanksgiving dinner
on the dock in Gitmo 1962

During this time the Boat was one of the Boats that took part in the blockade that President Kennedy ordered. 

Along with the Balao SS 285,Threadfin SS 410, Trutta SS 421, Chopper SS 342, and the Quillback SS 424. Numerous surface Ships also took part in that blockade.

Then the Boat was sent to Guantanamo (Gitmo) in November, they were the only Boat in the Harbor at that time. They had their Thanksgiving dinner on the dock they were tied up to.

Chuck said, “Sitting on the deck of the Boat many times during this time I would have the loneliest feeling come upon me that I had ever experienced in my life.”

Photo by Wekipedia

Up until this time Guantanamo had been a busy sea port, and now it was deserted except for one Boat in the harbor; with the threat of a nuclear powered war hanging over it!

Years after he retired and we had moved to Cedar Key, he met two guys who had also been there during this same time. One had been in the Seabees Construction gang; they were building bunkers, laying down roads on the top of the mountain separating the Base from the rest of Cuba. He became Chuck’s nephew-in-law, A J Brown.

The other was a Marine, Arnie Bible who was up on top of the mountain; he and his Company were on guard, just in case an attack came from this direction. They could both look down and see the Submarine in the Harbor, but at that time none of them knew each other. They all came home safe and eventually met, and shared their experiences!

Old Cedar Key School

This is just one of my many stories of being the wife of a sea going sailor till he retired. And though he was born in Lake Wales Florida, he spent a lot of time in Cedar Key when he was growing up; it is located on the central west coast of Florida. 

He also went to High School there till he joined the Navy in December of 1947 and then he went to Submarine School.

All wives or husbands of Military service active duty men/women spend a lot of long lonely time waiting for our mates to come home. This is just one of the sacrifices we all make for our country to keep America a FREE Nation.

It saddens me to see the state our nation is quickly falling prey to. The only way it can be changed is for America to become a praying nation again as it did during WWII!

Alan J Shapiro

Note:  Photos of Chuck and the USS Grenadier were courtesy of Alan Shapiro. He donated them to the USS Grenadier SS 525 web site, and he also gave me his permission to use them in my story. Mr Shapiro served aboard the USS Grenadier SS 525 as an enlisted man and as an Officer 1960-1969.

More Extended Family

USS Grenadier SS 525

Chuck was transferred from the USS Marlin SS T-2 March 19, 1962 to the USS Grenadier SS 525 and served aboard her till October 21, 1963

USS Grenadier Insignia Patch

USS Grenadier Plaque

Jim Bainbridge was also stationed aboard the USS Grenadier SS 525 and Chuck had served with him briefly on the USS Quillback SS 424, but I didn't meet him or his family at that time.

They came over to our duplex on Truxton Road one night to have dinner with us. At that time their youngest was Christopher, and he was a baby. Besides Christopher they had Jimmy, Allen and Laura (Biffy) and she was a toddler.

Living with them was Meme, Molly’s sister and her daughter Bonnie. Housing, in Key West at that time was a critical situation, and you had to take whatever you could find that was available just to have a roof over your head.

They were all living in a one and a half bedroom trailer at Big Coppitt Key with one tiny A C window unit. Key West climate is like living in a steam room. They were on the list for a four bedroom duplex unit in Sigsbee Park, but had no clue as to how long they would have to wait.

Our duplex was a three huge bedrooms, with central air and heat. We invited them to stay with us till they got their own unit. Molly was bowled over; being from Newfoundland, she was not familiar with southern ways. 

They took some of their beds out of storage and moved in with us for three weeks till their unit became available. Navy folks are extended family, but then most Military folks are that way. 

All of us are a long way from home, and we had to make home wherever we were at any given time. Molly and I became best friends, and we still are best friends forever. 

It worked out great, I did all of the cooking, Molly and Meme took care of doing all of the dishes. We all did laundry. They shared the grocery bill, we had enough space no one felt cramped. And the best part for them was staying cool.

Molly makes the very best German Chocolate cake I have ever eaten. It became a tradition. She made one every year for us at Christmas, and she always decorated it with a Candy Cane poked down in the center, and a sprig of Holly with red berries.

A German Chocolate Cake

She and Jim would bring it over on Christmas Eve and have coffee and cake with us, after we got all the kids to bed, and while waiting till they were all asleep. Then they went home to put presents under the tree; like we did after they went home.

Besides God, and my husband Chuck, Molly was a great support to me during my recovery from alcohol and drug addiction, and she did not even realize at the time that I was recovering. She was my best friend and I could talk with her and Meme about anything at anytime I needed to talk. She lived one street over in Sigsbee Park.

The tradition of the German Chocolate cake and having coffee and cake together on Christmas Eve continued even after we all retired and lived in Cedar Key, for many years. 

I no longer live there and I really miss spending that time with her on Christmas Eve and having coffee and her delicious German Chocolate Cake and chatting. We talk on the phone, but it is just not quite the same. The memories are priceless!