Highlights

 BOATSWAIN'S WHISTLE-PIPE ABOARD

WHERE THE FLEET GOES, WE'VE BEEN

MINEDIV45 CONSISTED OF THE ALACRITY MSO520, EXPLOIT MSO440, OBSERVER MSO461, AND AFFRAY MSO511. THE GRAND OLD GAL AFFRAY; SHE WAS THE ROUGHEST RIDE OF MY LIFE. I CAN STILL SMELL THE DIESEL FUMES CREEPING INTO THE RADIOSHACK. TWELVE ON AND TWELVE OFF. SLEEP? WHAT'S THAT? I COULDN'T WAIT TO GET OFF; NOW I'D GIVE ANYTHING TO GO BACK. BUT I DID HAVE FUN AND MISS HER. IN 1971 I RODE THE EXPLOIT TO THE PANAMA CANAL; SHE NEEDED TELETYPE REPAIR. GREAT CREW, GOOD FRIENDS. PHOTO: MSO-511 BY HARRY KEITH

You are visitor