Saved By The Book

We had moved out to Big Coppitt Key in 1965.  Chuck had begun to have problems with his equilibrium when he was still at Fleming Key. He went to the dispensary one night and the Dr. on duty told him, "I can’t diagnose you with Vertigo, but I am sure that is your problem.

My father had it and I am very familiar with it. The only way you can be diagnosed with this is to eliminate everything that can cause dizziness. You need to learn how to rehabilitate yourself now in the way you move and do things."

By this time he had about 18 years in the Navy, and in his entire Navy career he’d had only one Captain’s Mass; which was for being late, but he was never late again, and he always went by the book from that day forward.

His marks were always 4.0 across the board during all this time. When he was promoted to Chief Petty Officer he was entitled to wear gold hash marks on his sleeve because of his outstanding record. He was called a “Fine Sailor”.

Still at Fleming Key, the Captain of U S Naval Air station came out one morning and told Chuck he wanted him to put the Jet boat in the water, Chuck said, "Sir I don’t have anything to do that with except the Cherry picker, and I don’t think the pad eye will hold."

I am not sure what a Cherry picker is, I just know it is a piece of heavy equipment that you move heavy loads with.

Again the Captain stated he wanted the Jet boat (a shallow water rescue vessel) in the water. Chuck said, "Sir you know that I have submitted three chits (formal requests) to have the pad eye tested and they were denied, and I do not think it will hold up."

The Captain said, "Chief Haven, if I give you a direct order to put that Jet boat in the water, you will obey the order, won’t you?"

Chuck, "Yes Sir I most certainly will and I would like you to put that order in writing."

He came home for lunch, and went back to work at 1:30 p m. As soon as he returned to work he hooked onto the Jet boat with the Cherry picker and as they swung the boat out over the dock, the pad eye tore out and the boat fell, it hit the dock and split the boat down the side. 

She would be out of commission till repairs could be made. He had to call and report this to the Captain, and by 1:50 p m he was relieved of duty at Fleming Key and transferred back to Boca Chica Naval Air Station to AMD Ground Support

His marks were lowered considerably and he was being threatened with early dismissal from the US Navy, had this happened his entire Navy career would have been in vain, down the drain, and he would have lost all medical and retirement benefits.

They made him sweat for nearly a month. He could not get an audience with the Captain to even discuss the situation. In his desperation he eventually decided to go back to Squadron 12 and have a talk with Commodore McGuiness. 

Chuck explained the situation to him, and the Commodore advised him to go back to the Office of the Captain and formally request a Court Marshall.  "Chief Haven, you write on the request that I will represent you and the Admiral will assist me, and I will also personally give him a call."

Chuck went back out to Boca Chica Naval Air and did exactly that. Just as suddenly as his marks had been lowered they were raised back up to 4.0 across the board and everything was squashed. No more threats of early dismissal. Had it not been for his previous outstanding record, and his always doing everything by the book it would have been a much different ending of this story.