Cupid's Arrow In The Heart

USS Quillback SS 424

USS Quillback Insignia Patch

At the end of his tour aboard the USS Atule SS 403 he was transferred to the USS Quillback SS 424). And he served aboard her from February 10, 1956 until June 09, 1959. It was during his time aboard the USS Quillback SS 424 that we met and got married in 1957.

By the time we met he already had over nine years the Navy, and he was a 1^st. Class Engineman, and had been attached to the USS Quillback SS 424 for a while at that point.

He came home on ten days leave and stopped by the place where I was working at in Lake Wales, and we met for the first time. After his leave was up he went back to Key West.  I switched jobs and worked another place for awhile, but I saw him each time he came home on leave or weekends after that.

Not long afterwards I left Lake Wales and went to live in San Antonio, Texas for about six months.

My sister and her husband were stationed there in the Air Force at Lackland Air Force Base, and had a six month old baby. She had to have surgery, and long story short I went out to live with them, and  take care of the baby during her hospital time and while she was recovering.

Arrow Through Both Hearts

When I came back to Lake Wales I got my old job back, and who walks in on my first night back? You guessed it, and he was just coming home on another ten days leave. He asked me out on a date that night and three weeks later we were married, at this time we had known each other for more than a year, but had never dated!

He had just returned from a trip to ‘Gitmo’. He had the trunk of his car full of all kinds of rum. He had layered it with blankets to cushion it. Each sailor was allowed to purchase an allotted number of bottles of rum to bring back with them. 

Not all of the guys on the Boat partook of alcohol, and he would talk the one’s who didn't into buying their allotment for him and he gave them their money back. 

He hauled it around with him everywhere locked in the trunk till it was all gone; he dared not leave it on the Boat or in the barracks while he was on leave. A couple of nights before his leave was up, we went partying with a couple of friends that we had both known for quite some time.

The guy owned and operated a small service station, and we wound up at his station before the night ended. We were all four about three sheets in the wind. 

Stacked Soda  Crates

Old Coca Cola Ice Box

Chuck was sitting on a stack of old wooden Coca Cola crates next to me and I was sitting on top of the drink box that sodas were iced down in.

He began the conversation with, “You know my leave is almost up, and I have to go back to Key West.” I answered, “Yeah, I know, and I sure am gonna to miss you.”  As he was talking he was beginning to lean in the opposite direction.

He said, “And there is something I want to talk to you about before I go.”  I asked, “What do you want to talk to me about?” He had leaned a little more to the left, and began to slowly topple over, as he was falling he yelled out, “I want to ask you if you’ll marry me?”

And wham; he hit the floor and those crates scattered all over the place with him in the midst of them. I cracked up laughing, all of us did, it was so funny at the time I thought so then and I still do, but I leaned over and told him, “If you’ll come back tomorrow when you’re sober and ask me that question, I’ll give you an answer!”

He dropped me off at home about 6:00 a m, and it was too late to go to sleep I’d never wake up early enough, I had to open the place I worked on Sunday mornings at 10:00 a m, so I just showered and changed into work clothes and went on in to work a little early, but I was a long way from being bright eyed and bushy tailed.

Shore Duty

When he left the USS Batfish SS 310, he was transferred to Shore Duty at the US Naval Training Center in St. Petersburg, Florida. He was stationed there for two years. 

Old Two Lane Skyway Bridge

During his time there he drove a Navy vehicle across Tampa Bay in the opening day parade of the old two lane Sunshine Skyway Bridge on Labor Day, September 6, 1954. (click on the above name Sunshine Skyway Bridge to view a slide show) 

It was a really big deal in those days, the joining of Pinellas and Manatee Counties with a bridge across Tampa Bay.

The  new bridge replaced the ferry from Point Pinellas to Piney Point, this was a tremendous improvement for commuters. Later two new bridges were built with four lanes, and portions of the old bridge were taken out . The remaining portion of the Old Bridge is now used as Skyway Fishing Pier State Park.

The Park has a north and south pier, with easy access, lighted, has bait shops, fishing tackle and supplies also food and drinks available and it is open 24/7  year round. There is a fee to use the Park, and you would need to call the Park to find out the amount that is charged.

USS Atule SS 403

This was a fun thing for him; to be among one of the very first people to drive across this bridge!

USS Atule Insignia Patch

When his tour of shore duty was complete he received orders to report aboard the USS Atule SS 403, based in Key West, Florida.
He served aboard her from December 20, 1954 till February 10, 1956.

Air of Authority

Another story he told that was quite interesting. He said, “One of the greatest displays of authority and power I have ever seen without a word being spoken or a shot being fired was when we were tied to the dock.”

I am not sure which port they were in when this story took place.  Wherever it was there were vendors with their wares spread out on each side of quite a long dock, and evidently they were not supposed to be there.

Illustration Photo

Chuck said, “A policeman stepped up onto the dock, he stood for a few moments looking straight ahead. Then he very slowly and casually began to walk forward toward the end of the dock, with his hands folded behind his back. He never spoke a word nor looked to the right or left, only straight ahead.

Behind him as he continued walking, it was silent pandemonium with vendors scurrying quickly to remove their wares, and disappear off the dock .  When he reached the end of the dock; he just stood there still and silent for a few minutes, gazing out over the water. When he turned around to walk back the dock was completely empty of vendors.”

Chuck was quite impressed by the air of authority carried by this policeman!

One of the really funny stories he told about that happened on another one of the West Pac runs, and I think they were someplace in Japan. The story was about three guys who missed the last launch bringing crew members back to the Boat from being on Liberty on the beach.

I do not even remember their nick names. He said, “We had just turned out for morning colors and roll call on the deck, and we heard somebody yelling, we all looked up and here they come sitting straddle of and paddling a light pole with boards.

Illustration Photo

They were in various stages of dress or should I say un-dress. One was wearing his boxer shorts, one had on a shirt and the other had on just his pants, and nothing else, no shoes, socks, or hats. They were still feeling no pain and they as well as everyone else thought it was hilarious!"

They had been playing strip poker in some joint on the beach, and lost most of their clothes, they were having such great fun time just slipped away, and they missed the last launch and had to make it back to the Boat the best way they could.

The Boat was not tied up to the dock she was anchored out in the harbor.

They were late and of course, and they had to attend a Captain’s Mass and were restricted to the Boat for a period of time. I always loved to hear him tell that story.

The Famous USS Batfish SS 310

USS Batfish SS 310

USS Batfish SS 310 Insignia Patch

He was transferred from the USS Volador SS 490 to the famous USS Batfish (SS 310) on April 18, 1952. He served aboard her till December 05, 1952. 

He made the trip back to Stateside aboard her. He absolutely loved the trip through the Lock System of the Panama Canal Zone!

Panama Canal Zone

He did not serve aboard her during her years of glory during WWII he was too young, but he was very happy that he did get to serve aboard her for a little while. She was a highly decorated Boat in WWII.

Her crew members on the 6th War Patrol received 10 Bronze Star Medals, 4 Silver Star Medals, and 1 Navy Cross Medal. It was during this War Patrol that she sank 3 Japanese submarines within a 4 day period that earned the Boat and her crew The Presidential Unit Citation Medal; which the entire crew on that patrol were authorized to wear.

Batfish Battle Flag

This was one of the most fascinating trips that he made during his time in the service! He said, "I stayed top-side during the entire trip through the Canal, and got badly sunburned, however it was so fascinating it was worth it!"

Directive Sign Outside the Park 

Key West Florida

The USS Batfish SS 310 arrived in Key West May 9, 1952.  She was now an Atlantic Fleet Boat. Today she is a Museum on display at War Memorial Park in Muskogee, Oklahoma. And how she got there is another very interesting story within itself.

All of the submarines that I write about, as well  as others, have web sites that those who are interested can go online and look at. There are tremendous records available as to their size and history from the time the keel was laid and where, till they were decommissioned, and where they are now.

Many have crew lists available, numerous photos of the Officers and crew members. Many have sea stories from the crew members, and they are so worth reading. It will give you a glimpse into the lives of those who serve on these Boats in peace time and war!

Leper Colony

Island of Molokai

While he was stationed in Pearl Harbor, and when he was in Port he was dating a young woman whose parents lived at the Leper Colony on the island of Molokai. He accompanied her a few times when she went over on the water taxi to visit them.

He was really amazed, and impressed at how these people who had been ostracized and banished from Society to this remote and deserted part of the Island, accessible only by boat, had made such a good life for themselves. He loved the time he spent in Pearl Harbor and on the West Coast, but after he came back stateside, and after we got married he had no desire to go back, but I had a desire to go.

Islands of Hawaii

Overlook of Leper Colony

Many years later I made a trip to the Hawaiian Islands and I visited some of the places he had told me about. I did not get to visit the Leper Colony, but I stood on the side of the mountain that overlooks it.

I could see from the place I was standing on the mountain side looking down how secluded it was, just a small point of land jutting out into the sea with a sheer mountain cliff behind, there was no way for any of them to escape.

Father Damien

A Church built by Father Damien

I read all of the plaques and legends at the Overlook, and I too was amazed at how they had survived.

I also read about how Father Damien had made it his life's work to care for these people that no one wanted. I found it very sad that he would die of the same disease of those he spent his life caring for, both spiritually and physically. I consider his life’s work to have been the Love of God in action!

There was no way for any of them to escape, they were secluded and left to fend for themselves and to eventually die, but they turned their abandonment into a cause with tenacity, and chose to live out their time, and make a life for themselves here.

His Original Resting Place

Pandanus Tree

Father Damien died April 15, 1889 at the age of 49, and was originally laid to rest at Kaluapapa, Molokai under the same Pandanus tree he had slept under on his arrival to the island. Later his body was removed and returned to Tremolo, Belgium. 

They had been rejected by Society, but they had each other! Chuck would have been so very happy to know that there is now a cure for Hanson’s Disease. His visits to this Leper Colony touched him deeply.

Pineapple and A Deck Of Cards

Ripe Pineapple

During the five years Chuck was stationed in Pearl Harbor he grew to dislike the taste of Pineapple intensely. 

When the guys were low on funds and most of them always were especially just before payday because in those days the pay was little more than peanuts! They referred to payday as the day the eagle flies!

They would take some steaks and other food from the galley which could be grilled on the charcoal grills, and some gilley which was torpedo juice and it was pure alcohol, and go down to the beach and they would mix it with pineapple juice and party harty!

A couple of times he drank too much and he got really sick and barffed, he said,"It was so delicious going down, but when it came back up it really burned my throat and made it raw, and I eventually lost my taste for pineapple completely!"

A Fanned Deck

He also lost his desire for playing poker on those West Pac runs. He said, "There was this kid aboard whose Dad was a professional gambler, and he was a single parent." 

This kid grew up under his Dad’s tutelage, and he said to Chuck, "The only toy that I had ever had to play with was a deck of cards."

The kid said, "There are only 52 cards, and anyone can learn to fan them out and back, then turn them and call them." Chuck said, "He could do this time after time with a new deck, he didn't cheat, he didn't have to, and I also decided that playing poker was not for me either."

Chuck always sent his pay check to his home bank, and he always carried checks to use in any port they visited. No credit cards in those days! Once on another West Pac run they went ashore someplace in Japan, not sure where. 

He partied a lot and ran out of checks, but was not through partying. So he tore a piece out of a brown paper bag about the size of a check and wrote it out just like a check mainly as a lark.

He printed in big letters across the top the name of his bank, then wrote pay to the order of the business wherever he was, dated and signed his name, not dreaming they would cash it.

They accepted and cashed it, and when he did come home again and went into his bank to check on his account, and there on the front wall was his brown paper bag check; nicely framed and displayed for everyone to see.

He was quite impressed that his hometown bank would not only honor his check, but would display it in that manner for a sailor! But this was in the days when we were known personally, and not just as a number on paper!

White Rats

I am not sure how long Chuck served aboard the Guavina till he was transferred to the USS Queenfish SS 393. And I am not sure how long he served aboard the Queenfish, but I do know she was one of his favorite duty stations!

USS Queenfish SS 393

A Queenfish Patch

Another Queenfish Patch

He was at Mare Island for at least a couple of years and then the Queenfish was ordered to to Pearl Harbor and he rode her to Pearl Harbor. Submarines were called Boats by the sailors who served aboard them. The Boats were always referred to in the female gender. He spoke of his time aboard her often.

He was later transferred to the USS Volador SS (490). He came aboard her on December 14, 1950 and served on her till April 18, 1952.  During his time aboard these Boats, all of the maneuvers were in the Pacific and the trips were referred to as West Pac runs.

  

USS Volador Patch

USS Volador SS 490

There were always sea stories, and I don’t always remember the details of which stories happened on which Boats or the runs of any of the Boats before my time with him. 
I just remember some of the best ones that Chuck told.  All of the stories I tell you are from memory.

He told them so often, and he was such a great storyteller, they stuck in my mind.  I want to record them or at least as many as I can remember before I can’t remember at all anymore. Most sailors had nick names and unless I knew someone personally, and knew their real names, I only knew them by their nick name.

On one of the West Pac runs, one of Chuck’s buddies was called Lippy, and he had a great taste for Sake. He was hitting it pretty hard, and all his shipmates were concerned about him drinking so much!

They rode him hard teasing him, and told him, “ Lippy if you keep drinking that rice wine you’re gonna start having DT’S and you’ll be seeing things that aren't there.”  He just laughed, and ignored them and kept on drinking the rice wine every time he had liberty, and went on the beach.

They got more and more concerned about him drinking so much and they decided they would play a trick on him and maybe get his attention.

Some of the guys went shopping on the beach, and bought a dozen white rats, and brought them back to the Boat in a little cage. When Lippy went ashore on liberty the next time, they turned them loose in both the engine rooms before he came back to the Boat.

They knew when Lippy would come back; because they knew what time he had to stand his watch in the engine room. When he returned he was feeling no pain, but not too drunk, or so he thought to stand his watch.

They all went about their business as usual, and most of them could see him, at least all the guys in the engine rooms could and everyone on the Boat knew about what was happening.

After he changed out of his civvies and into his dungarees he came into the forward engine room to stand his watch.

It wasn’t long before he began to see the white rats, and at first, he would walk over and look at it and then shake his head and rub his eyes, and then get busy doing something. But soon he would see another one and would do the same thing again.

Someone might walk through the engine room and he would ask them, “ Do you see anything unusual in here tonight”, and they would answer, “ No Lippy, why do you ask?”,  and he’d say, “Ah never mind”, and then go back to work.

Several White Rats

After a little while he would see another one or two or three; because they were running around everywhere in the engine rooms. Finally one climbed up on top of the engine cover and it sat there and looked at Lippy and wiggled its little nose at him. Lippy walked over and stood almost nose to nose with the rat.

Chuck said, “I was watching him and he would reach his hand out to touch the mouse, and almost did and then change his mind and shake his head. He would stand there nose to nose with this little guy, but he was afraid to touch it. He thought he was seeing things.”

And then he asked me, “C.B. do you see anything out of the ordinary in here tonight, and at the same time he was nose to nose with the rat and the thing was wiggling its nose at him.”

Chuck asked him “What are you seeing Lippy, are you seeing pink elephants or what?” And Lippy would answer. “Nothing I ain’t seeing nothing, I just asked that’s all!” This continued for awhile. The guys were dying with suspense, and about to pop trying to keep from laughing.

A White Rat

The last time Lippy stood nose to nose with the little guy and almost reached out and touched him, and he asked, “ C B are you sure you don’t see anything in here that doesn't belong in here?”  Chuck asked gruffly, “Lippy what the hell is it that you think you are seeing?”

Chuck reminded him that they had cautioned him about drinking too much Sake.  He said, “Nothing, I don’t see a thing, but I don’t feel so good, I think I’ll get somebody to relieve me and I’m gonna hit the sack.”  

Chuck said, “When he left and went to his bunk in the after torpedo room, all of us just cracked up laughing, and it took most of the rest of the night for us to catch all those white rats and get them off the Boat so Lippy wouldn't find out that we had played a trick on him, but it did get his attention and he backed off on drinking Sake, but never admitted that he saw anything.”

No one ever told him that they had tricked him, and he never said a word to anyone about seeing all of those white rats. The guys got a lot of mileage out of that sea story for a long time. It was told and re-told many times.

Submarine sailors who rode those old snorkel Boats were, except for leave and liberty; confined 24/7 to a space approximately 310 feet long, more or less a few feet or about three fourths the length of a football field, but only about 27 feet wide give or take a few inches. There were at least 75 to a 100 men aboard give or take a few at any given time.

They did have quarters in the barracks, but did not spend a lot of time there, this was just a place to stow their extra gear, clothes and things. And home was the Boat wherever she was, either underway at sea or docked.

When they were underway and at sea which was a great deal of the time; because they were sea going sailors, and if they were not on watch, their only entertainment was movies, playing cards or other games, drinking coffee, and telling sea stories, and believe me the sea stories were endless, and some of them were priceless, the stories helped keep them sane!

The Submarine Force was a smaller Fleet within the US Navy, and most of the sailors who rode those old snorkel Boats were like extended family, most of them knew each other whether they were west coast Boats or east coast Boats. If you were in for even one hitch you got to know most of the others either personally or by reputation through the sea stories!

Coffin With Wheels

While he was stationed at Mare Island, one weekend he and several buddies decided to make the long run over to Las Vegas for the weekend. Perry, the guy who owned the car had just bought it ~ a brand new Packard.

1950 Packard

And he, of course was driving, besides Perry and Chuck there were five other guys. All except Perry were under the influence. Chuck told me they were on a long lonely straight stretch of desert highway with nothing for many miles.

They eventually came up behind another car headed in the same direction as they were going. Chuck was a back seat passenger and he could see the speed odometer from where he sat and the last time he looked as they were passing the other vehicle it read 105 mph.

When Perry cut back in he cut it too close and his rear bumper clipped the front bumper of the other car. This caused them to flip upside down, and skid. I don’t recall the exact footage of how far down the pavement they slid before it came to a stop, but it was quite a distance.

Chuck said, “It must have knocked me unconscious when we flipped and hit, and when I came to it was so deathly quiet, and my first thoughts were I’m dead, and just as I was about convinced that I was dead because of the eerie silence, the radio began to blare with that corny old song ‘Tennessee Border’. He said, I hated that song, but it sounded like heavenly music to my ears!”

He had no idea how long he’d been unconscious, and it was very dark out there in the desert, and then some of the others began to stir and call out to each other. They were packed in there like sardines.

At long last a Highway Patrolman or a Deputy Sheriff came by and stopped. The Officer shined his light in on them and they began to stir and crawl out from wherever they could find a place to crawl out at.

Chuck said, “All seven of us crawled out of that car alive and only one guy had a small injury, his arm had gone through a broken window and had cut his wrist a small cut that had bled on the sleeve of his jacket a little bit. He said the engine was where the front seat had been.”

None of them were too shaken up about it at the time; because they were all drunk except Perry, the car was totaled! The guy driving the other car had been able to maintain control of his vehicle, and was able to bring his car to a stop and he was also uninjured.

Chuck said, “The next day after we had sobered up, we went back and had another look at the car before we headed back to the base, when it flipped upside down, and slid down the highway it had worn all of the metal down to the door handles.”  They didn't make Vegas that weekend!

Coffin With Wheels

He said, “I shook like a leaf in a hail storm for days with my imagination running wild; just thinking about what could have happened to us, but we had all walked away unhurt, and from that day forward I had a much healthier respect for vehicles, but I came to see them as nothing more than a coffin with wheels!”

Buddy System

When military men/women go ashore, or go on liberty in any port they are briefed on rules of conduct, and the culture of whatever port or country they are in, and what they should or should not to do.  

It is always strongly suggested that they use the buddy system.  Never go anywhere alone!  Sometimes they just don’t listen to good advice and many wind up in trouble of some sort. 

Many a serviceman/woman has been headed back to the Base alone, having had too much alcohol to drink, or just not being aware of their surroundings, and have been mugged and rolled. 

Many have had to be hospitalized for long periods of time because their injuries were so severe.  And some have been crippled or even died from injuries of one sort or another.

Chuck had been out partying with some of his buddies one night and decided to go back to the Base.  His buddies were not ready to leave, and so he went alone.  He was a fairly short distance from the base and decided to walk back instead of hailing a cab.

He was walking along and got a weird feeling that he was not alone. When he looked around he realized he was being followed.  There were three guys coming up behind him, and two were on the opposite side of the street, coming up faster than the three behind him.  

He was in a part of town that had the alcove or recessed store fronts with the sides angled in on each side to the front door, which was set back deep inside.

He came to one that was ideal to duck into, it angled sharply and was deep enough he could back up to the front door and they could only get to him one at a time, if that was their intention.  He figured it was, and he figured it right. He quickly snatched off his jacket and wrapped it around his left arm, as a small measure of protection in defense.

Switchblade

He always carried a pearl handle blade and he did know how to use it effectively in defense of his life, if he had to.   He kept it sharpened, and ready to use, if the need ever arose.

He jerked it out of his pocket, and snapped it open, and then assumed the stance.  When the guys approached the store front, they were about to rush in on him, but the Leader of the gang saw the knife. 

He stopped short, not in as much a hurry as he had been.  He was not expecting a lone sailor to be armed, and ready for an attack.

He backed up a little; the other guys were pushing him from behind; encouraging the Leader, let’s go in and get him.  The Leader said “No let me think about this.”

 

He said to Chuck, “You hold that knife like you really know how to use it.”  Chuck answered, “There’s only one way for you to find out, he beckoned come on in, you can only get to me one at a time, so if you want me you’re gonna have to come in and get me.”

The guys were urging to rush him, but the Leader said, “No we’ll wait him out, he’ll have to come out sooner or later, and we can take him easy then.”

They did a standoff, thinking Chuck would yield first because they thought he should be nervous and scared enough to make a wild run for it, but Chuck told them, “ I've got all night, no place else I have to be for quite awhile.”

They eventually decided they might give it a try and were about to make another rush, but the cops pulled up, and the guys ran. The cops gave Chuck a lift back to the Main Gate, and some more good advice about not going it alone.  He never traveled alone again!

No Such Place

Chuck and Wilbur (Red) joined the United States Navy on December 18, 1947.  Both went to Basic Training at Great Lakes Naval Training Center, and then on to Submarine School at New London, Ct.

USS Guavina SS 362

USS Guavina Insignia Patch

After finishing Sub School Chuck got orders and was sent to the West Coast; his first duty station was The USS Guavina SS 362 at Mare Island near Vallejo. She was in the yard for an overhaul.

A Boat in Dry Dock

I am not sure where Wilbur’s orders sent him to, and it was about twelve years before they saw each other again when both were stationed on different Boats in Key West.

He got off the bus and caught a cab. The cabbie says, “Where do you wanna go?”  He told the driver, “I wanna go to Valley Jo, California.”  Cabbie says, “There ain’t no such place as Valley Jo, California.”

Chuck answered him, “I know damn well there is, I've got a set of orders right here from the United States Navy that says there is, look right here, as he showed him his order’s he pointed out each letter to the driver, V-a-l-l-e-j-o, if that ain’t Valley Jo, I’ll kiss you’re a**!”

The cab driver laughed and informed him as to how the word is correctly pronounced, Va-lay-o.  Chuck was a little embarrassed at his ignorance, but he never forgot the pronunciation of it again after that lesson.

Most guys are so young when they enlist in the Military they aren't even dry behind the ears yet, and many are naive having never been away from home or out of their own element before. But most are quick learners; they absolutely have to be in order to survive.

Chuck loved boxing, and at some point while he was stationed on the west coast he decided he wanted to try his hand at it. He trained and boxed in the featherweight division of ‘The Golden Gloves’ the amateur boxing association. 

Golden Gloves

He had four fights, and won all four fights by a knock-out during the short time that he boxed in competition in the ‘Golden Gloves’.

He said, “The last guy I fought broke me from wanting to box, even though I won the match I only hit him once in four rounds, and I knocked him out with that one punch. And at first I thought I had killed him  I saw his eyes glaze and I reached out and caught him and laid him down.”

He said, “I really did some heavy duty thinking before I decided to give it up, but I thought to myself, I saw nothing but leather for four rounds; he was that fast, he couldn't hit hard enough to really hurt me. But he had cut my skin with little nicks all over my upper body enough; so that I was as bloody as a stuck pig!

And I thought one day, I will eventually meet a man who can hit as fast as he can, and as hard as I can, and that guy will kill me, so I gave it up.”  Chuck’s punch was about the same as being kicked by a Missouri mule.