My Friend Nick

Nick
Photo Coutsey of Carmen Day Williams

Nick was a silversmith on the Island of Cedar Key; he earned his living by making custom pieces and repairing jewelry. His hobby was gardening, and he was a master gardener. He and I swapped seeds and cuttings over the years.

His yard always flooded completely with salt water in every hurricane or tropical storm that hit Cedar Key, but in spite of this he had one of the most beautiful gardens on the island! 

He harvested seaweed by the truckload that he used as mulch as it broke down it fed the plants. He grew all kinds of veggies, plants and flowers. He also grew Papaya trees in back of his house and when they were in bloom their fragrance perfumed the night air in his entire neighborhood.

Nick had a gregarious nature with a fantastic sense of humor, and he loved to cheer you up with some of his stories that would always make you laugh. He was one of the great characters of Cedar Key and Cedar Key had quite a few of these!

I had known him for quite a few years and had moved away by the time this story happened; I always visited him when I came to town. My visits to Cedar Key never seemed complete till I stopped by and had a visit with Nick.

Tina and I had gone for a ride around the “Big Dock” and we stopped by his house for a visit. After hugs and greetings we sat down for some catch up conversation.

In the center of the table sat a shot glass of water with a tiny white flower with the stem sticking down into the water, to keep it fresh.

Eventually someone mentioned the flower, and Nick said, “Oh yes Annette, how do you like my miniature gardenia?  It smells so good that’s why I brought it in.” I answered, “I love it Nick, but that’s a Grand Duke Jasmine not a miniature gardenia.”

And the friendly argument was on. He bristled slightly and said, “Annette you don’t know what you’re talking about, I know it is a miniature gardenia,” conversation grew quiet for a minute and I answered, “Nick I do know that is a Grand Duke Jasmine.”

He said, “I’ll show you that you are wrong.” He got up from the table and got his gigantic Horticulture book, he took great pride in his knowledge of Horticulture. He looked through the Gardenia section and couldn’t find it listed.

He closed the book and acted a bit disgusted that he didn’t find it.

I suggested, “Nick look in the Jasmine section.” He answered a bit huffy, “No, I will not because I know it’s a miniature gardenia I don’t care what you say.”

“Okay do you mind if I look?” “Be my guest” and he shoved the book across the table to me.

I turned to the Jasmine section and immediately found it listed as The Grand Duke of Tuscany Jasmine! “Here it is Nick” and I turned the book around for him to see. He said “Nope, that’s not it.” There was a picture in color of the flower and also a full size leaf in color. He absolutely refused to admit he was wrong.

“Nick go outside and pick a leaf and compare it.” “Absolutely not” he answered in a very huffy manner! “Okay” I said, “It’s not really that important to me, you believe what you want to!” I thought he was seriously angry and I did not want to argue and have a serious conflict about a flower, and I knew I was right.

Looking at the top photo above, the plant in discussion is the one at the left entrance of the door going into his house, he is sitting on the doorstep. 

I hushed and all was quiet for a couple of tension filled minutes, and I’m thinking maybe we should leave? Tina had stayed out of the discussion. I was just about to suggest that we leave and suddenly he started laughing that deep belly laugh! His anger had been pretended!

A Portion of Nick's Front Yard
Photo Courtesy of Carmen Day Williams

He said, “Annette if anybody in the world knows what that flower is it would be you!” Still in a little bit of shock I asked,” Why do you say that Nick?”

“Because, I stole those cuttings from your yard,” he was laughing so hard he almost choked! He told me he was passing by on his bike when mine was in bloom and it smelled so heavenly he could not resist taking some cuttings. 

He said, “I know you would have given me cuttings if I’d asked, but stealing them was so sweet, I just didn't bother to ask.”

Nick's House On The Right
Photo from Tropical Storm Debby

I was so happy that he had not really been angry for being wrong and also very happy that he had taken those cuttings with or without permission. “Nick I need some cuttings from you now, when we moved out to the mainland, mine died the first winter.

I didn't realize how much colder it was in the woods than on the island and I didn't cover it well enough and it froze and died. 

Chuck’s grandma Collins gave me the first cuttings I had of that Jasmine and she told me the name of it when she gave it to me, I hated so much to lose it. And now I’m happy to find all is not lost!”

Another Portion of Nick's Front Yard
 Photo Courtsey of Carmen Day Williams

He got up and went outside and brought me six already rooted cuttings, this was so Nick, he was a wonderful character and I miss him so much.

I wrote this little story in memory of Nick not long after he passed away in 2011, and I intended to eventually publish it on my blog. Yesterday Carmen posted the great photo, and sent me others and gave her permission to use them.

Rest In Peace my friend!!!

My Answer

About noon time he came in, and ordered a beer and he didn't look so rested either, but he had gotten some sleep. I was a little busy with other customers during the noon rush, but soon slowed down, and I took a much needed break. I sat down on the stool behind the counter and he was sitting across on the opposite side.

He spoke up and said, “Well are you or ain’t you?” I knew what he meant, but I wanted to hear him say it again when he was somewhat sober. And I asked, “What are you talking about; are I or ain’t I doing what?”

He chuckled and said, “Are you gonna marry me or not?” I thought about it for a few seconds and said, “Yes I’m gonna marry you?” And then he said, “Pack your duds and let’s get underway I have to check in on the Boat tomorrow morning, and it’s a long drive from here to Key West!”

My boss lady was sitting close by in her easy chair, and I looked at her with a question in my eye. She said, “Go for it girl, you won’t ever find a better man than him, he’s a fine man I've been knowing him a long time; I’ll find somebody else to work, and I've been wondering just how long it was gonna take you two to figure out that you’re in love, everybody else knows it, and we have known for a long time

It was a good 8 hour trip to Key West; we arrived in the wee hours of the morning. We checked in at the El Parado Motel and grabbed some much needed sleep. He asked for a wake-up call, because he had to muster aboard that morning, if memory serves me right at 7:30 a m.

He checked us out when we left, he wanted to try to get basket leave so that we could come back home to get married. If he couldn't; then we would get married in Key West. He had to go in early to the barracks and change out of civvies into dungarees and then report to the Boat.

I sat in the car and waited while he was changing; neither women nor civilians were allowed in the barracks. But I felt like a fish in a glass bowl, all the guys were scoping me out, and so were the wives who were bringing their husband’s to work.

Boats Docked in Key West

When he came back and got into the car, we rode down to the Boat. Again I sat in the car and waited, for quite some time. Finally he came back and he was jubilant, he got the basket leave, another 10 days!

I asked why it took so long and he said, “The Yeoman had to write it up and the Captain had to sign it, and all of the guys were razzing me about getting married!” I learned sometime later what he meant by that statement.

A Pontiac like hers

A 1955 Plymouth like Chuck's

We had to go back to the barracks for him to change again. While I was waiting a really heavy-set lady pulled up in a pink and gray Pontiac beside his car and parked, and she sat there staring at me with a big grin on her face, she was making me really nervous.

She actually had a crew cut, and I had never before in my life seen a woman with her hair cut like that. She just kept staring and grinning. We both had our windows down; Key West climate is like sitting in a steam bath.

I finally spoke up and asked her if something was wrong. And at last she chuckled, and spoke with a drawl, but not southern, “I’m just checking out the one that finally caught ole C B!”

I asked a bit defensively, “And just what is that supposed to mean?”  She answered, “Now honey don’t get all riled up, you’ll find out in due time!”

At last Chuck came back to the car, he laughed and said, “I see you've met Bobbie she is one of the Boat Mama’s, she takes care of all us drunk sailors and makes sure we eat, and she gets us back to the Boat on time if we are too drunk to drive, we hang out at her and Hickman’s house a lot, and then he told her my name.”

I said, “I’m pleased to meet you”. She answered, “Ah Annie, (she dubbed me immediately with a nickname) you’re not even half as pleased to meet me as I am to meet you, and that’s a fact!”

Chuck said, “Now Bobbie that’s enough, don’t you be telling her all my secrets, we have to hit the road again, we’re going go get married!” She answered, “I’ve already heard all about it, and I’ll see you when you get back, and then I’ll fill her in!”

She was the very first Boat wife that I met, and she was one of life’s greatest characters! As I got to know her I grew to love her dearly, she kind of tucked me underneath her wing and taught me the ropes about being a ‘Submarine Sailor’s’ wife. She became one of the best friends I had ever had at that point in my life.

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.