I was promoted to Master Chief Electronics Technician while serving as AOinC of Navy Radio Transmitter Station, Summit, Canal Zone

Our first home in the Canal Zone located on Farfan Radio Station   Our second home at Summit Transmitter Station just south of Gamboa.  It is a HUGE home and Ann loved it. Ready to go to work...Uniform of the Day was always whites in the Canal Zone.                                                               Ann and me in front of our home at Summit.   Inspection at Farfan Radio Station.  I am on back row, extreme left.

BACK TO THE WEST COAST --


OF PANAMA

June 1967 En Route to NCS Panama. We visited our parents. While there we took the kids to visit the Birmingham Zoo, the Zoological Gardens and the Japanese Tea garden, Ave Maria Grotto in Cullman, and all the relatives and outlaws. The day finally came when we had to prepare to leave. Paul, My step-father-in-law,  and I drove our car to Charleston to ship it via sea to the CZ. We caught a Delta flight and flew back that night to Birmingham. On Tuesday 13 June at 1150,  we boarded Eastern flight #287Y for Atlanta, and after a very brief layover boarded Eastern flight 955Y to continue on to Miami. We arrived over Miami in the midst of the huge thunderstorm. Planes were stacked up all over the Everglades. Eventually, our flight had to return to Tampa to refuel. Finally, back over Miami, we were given permission to land. We had requested our Eastern pilot to radio Pan American to be sure to hold our flight for us if we were delayed too long. We were late three hours when we landed.

We hurried and fussed, finally corralling all our carry-on luggage (which was a lot for 6 persons moving to a foreign country), and dashed to the Pan American check-in counter. It was a long walk between Eastern's gate and the Pan American gate, but we grabbed a passing Red Cap to help with the luggage. We got there and found that indeed, they had held the plane for us. We boarded, and then waited a bit longer so they could get our meals aboard. They didn't want to load the meals if we didn't show up. At last, Pan American flight 83Y departed Miami for Tocumen Airport in Panama, Republic of Panama. (R. de. P.) with all the Sharpton's aboard.

After a flight through and around storms with huge anvil shaped clouds, we saw the lights of Panama beneath us, and as we flew over the Isthmus, we saw the lights on the tall transmitter towers of Naval Radio Station (T) Summit. Little did I know that I would soon be the Assistant Officer in Charge of that facility a very short time later.

We landed at Tocumen Airport on the outskirts of Panama City, Republic of Panama, and stepped out into the highest humidity I believe, that we had ever experienced. It was just like walking into a steam bath. That humidity took some getting used to, but eventually we were to get used to it, and not be bothered to much by it. We arrived at 2230 on the 13th of June, 1967 and was met by RMCS Cecil Jeffers, our sponsor. At the time, he was Ass't Officer in Charge of the Transmitter Station, the job I was to assume on his transfer back to CONUS. He showed us to our temporary quarters at Ft. Amador, on which NAVCOMMSTA BALBOA was a tenant activity, and which is the headquarters for the Army's Southern Command (USARSO). We had departed Oak Harbor the 2nd of May, so we had been travelling for almost 6 weeks.

We had a large completely furnished duplex; the furnishings were sparse but adequate for temporary living. We noted at once that because of the high heat and humidity, it was going to be tough sleeping, even though the houses were wide open to errant breezes. The walls were mostly screened windows, no glass in them whatsoever, and with wide roof overhangs. During the rainy season, it rains copious amounts of water, daily. Let me further add that the rainy season extends from the first day of spring until the first day of winter, a total of nine months. During the winter months, the weather is great, the humidity is relatively low, and the temperatures are moderate, similar to early summer in the states.

We didn't report for work until after we had spent a few days of exploring the area. We found the Canal Zone to be clean and neat, whereas when we left the Zone and entered the Republica de Panama (R de P), we found it to be dirty and littered with junk of all kinds.

Much of the Pacific end of the Canal zone is taken up by military installations. The installations listed in the table are located within 10 miles of Balboa on the Canal's Pacific terminus.

Our first permanent quarters were on the Receiver Station at Farfan, which is a tenant activity of Howard AFB. The Navy has housing there plus the Enlisted barracks, garages, swimming pool, small EM Club and mess hall. Our duplex was within 150 yards of the swimming pool and barracks. We had palm trees all around, and it was a very tropical setting. One of the first things we did was to purchase a 22,000 BTU air conditioner and install it in a window. We then installed clear plastic sheeting over all the window openings, turned it on and never turned it off during our whole stay in the Canal Zone, with the exception of the few hours it was being moved from one home to another. I mean it ran continuously for three years.

I commuted to work at the Transmitter station until RMCS Jeffers rotated back to the States. It was about a 20 mile drive which was time consuming and inconvenient. My commute took me past NAVSTA Rodman, Ft. Amador, Albrook AFB, and Ft. Clayton getting to work, plus go through downtown Balboa. So I had a fair drive each way.

We assumed the position of Assistant Officer in Charge of the Transmitter Station, and moved into the house designated for that billet. It was the largest house we have ever lived in. I imagine it was about 3,600 square feet of living area. It was about 60 x 60 square, 2 stories, with the ground floor sectioned off into 2 screened play rooms, and 1 maids quarters with bath, and a wash room with bath. I mean, it was awesome. We loved it. We had enough furniture for it also. We had 2 couches and nine chairs, all rattan, in the living room, along with the normal accouterment of coffee tables and desks, a very nice formal dining room suite and a large kitchen which Ann didn't have to clean. She had a maid who came 5 days per week to do all her chores. She sat around like Mrs. Van Astorbilt, just running around and getting sassy.

The transmitter station was located about 15 miles up the canal on the road to Gamboa. Gamboa is a small CZ town with a school, huge swimming pool, community buildings and quarters for many CZ workers. It is a company town, just like Balboa and all the other CZ towns, wholly owned and operated by the Panama Canal Company. While in the CZ, our children attended CZ schools at Gamboa, Ft. Howard, and junior high school at Curundu.

The Canal Zone Zoo was located right across the Gamboa Road from the entrance to the transmitter station. They had all kinds of wildlife that was indigenous to the area, along with all the flora and fauna of the area. We used to spend hours walking in there and enjoying it.

In 1969, I took the test for Master CPO at the Receiver Station at Farfan. When I got home, I told Ann that I had to get an eye exam, because I had trouble reading that test. I was squinting at all the questions. I really hadn't noted my eyes being that bad till then. As a result, I went to the eye clinic at Gorgas Hospital to be examined, and they prescribed glasses for me.

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Speaking of the Receiver Station at Farfan, which was on the Pacific side of the Canal (western, since the canal runs almost north to south), I have recently been in contact (Jan 2005) a shipmate who was an ET2 at Farfan just after I departed Balboa.  We have exchanged several letters recalling the goings on during our tenure.  Below is one of his letters.

I hope some of you who read this and recognizes Bill will visit my guest book and procure Bill's email address and dash off a note to him and relive a few memories. 

Thanks Bill, and if you have any more contributions....(pictures, tales, gossip, or what not concerning our duty at dear old NBA to pass them along, and I will try to get them in here.

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I passed the test, and was promoted to Master CPO in 1970. I had finally reached my goal. Only about 1% of the Navy ever make Master Chief, so I felt quite proud of myself. I was the senior Navy Enlisted man in the Canal Zone. As a result of the promotion, I was reassigned as Assistant Electronics Maintenance Officer of the Communications Station, and we were transferred again, back to headquarters downtown. After a few months in that position, I was wishing I was back at Summit. For starters, we had to move from our huge home to another duplex, this time aboard NAVSTA Rodman. Secondly, it was all office work, and I seldom got a chance to get outside, and the inside work was too confining. But I had it, and I made the best of it.

One thing we did often was party. Since I was the senior Naval enlisted man, Ann and I were invited to many parties given by our sister services. We were friends with the Command Sergeant Major of the Army forces there, the Chief Master Sergeant of the AF, the Marine Sergeant MajorHugh Lewis. Every service usually had a birthday party annually, but of all the parties we attended, the Marine Corps birthday ball held annually on 10 November is the best. At the time I was there, the Navy never had a billet for Master Chief of the Command as they do presently.

     Bowling was the one thing we did for fun, and we did lots of bowling. Ann and I bowled at least in 4 leagues per week, and in the winter of 69/70, I bowled in 5 leagues. . I raised my average up to 175. We bowled in leagues on all the bases. Most all of our friends were bowlers. People like Lee and Pat Carpenter, Ski and Jean Wisnoski, Jo and Doc Dougherty, Rudy and Brenda Hudson of Athens, Ala., Ted and Grace Carlton, Clem Monge, a civilian tech, Linda and Cecil Jeffers, Bob and Peg Benoy, Jackie and Fred Williams, Joan and Ken Painter (next door neighbors), and Doc and Pat Eades. There are many others, but at the moment, their names escape me. Ann and I won a box full of trophies, most of which we have already disposed of, but we still have a few for memories sake. Ann won Most Improved Bowler in several leagues, as I did, and she won many 1st or 2nd High Game Handicap or High Series Handicap trophies. Neither of us were ever able to attain a "Scratch" trophy.

Friday, 21 June 1968 is a day I will always remember. It is the day that I was admitted to Gorgas Hospital, for what they termed Supraventricular Tachycardia, etiology undetermined. What all that means is that my heart got on a tear and wouldn't slow down, and they were undetermined as to what caused it, or what to do about it.

The way it occurred was so unusual. It was a very humid Friday afternoon, and I had taken off from work at noon. I had been next door at my OinC's quarters, where we had been drinking beer and playing Ping-pong with RMC "Ski" Wisnoski and Lt. Laukitis. We had been having a good game, but I had quit to go home to get ready to go bowling. After I showered and dressed to go bowling, I noticed that my heart hadn't slowed down to it's normal pace. Before we left for bowling, I told Ann about it, and she made me call up Doc Eades, our resident Corpsman and tell him to meet me at sick bay. He met me and when I told him what the problem was, he listened a second or so with his stethoscope, and called Ann to come get me and take me to the hospital at Gorgas, about 20 miles away. She sped across the Continental Divide, down Gorgas Highway, through Balboa and around Ancon hill to Gorgas Hospital. She drove right up to Emergency, and told them I had a heart problem. They put me on a gurney, took a listen and hooked me up to the EKG machine. After a quick EKG, they got together to decide what to do. I mean, my heart was really pumping away and it was so loud in my ears that it was really hard to concentrate on anything else. But I felt no discomfort either, just apprehension.

They gave me a shot of Xylocaine, and IMMEDIATELY my heart relaxed to a normal beat, and at the same time, just suddenly, everything got so QUIET. Not that it did, it was just that my heart had quit beating so hard and fast....it was back to absolute normal. I could hear again, and I was ready to get up and go on to the bowling alley. They wouldn't let me do that. I told them that I was well, with no problems, but they would not hear of that. They put me in Intensive Care Unit for five days and then kept me in a ward for five more days. On Monday 1 July 1968, Ann retrieved me from the hospital and I returned home, tired and weak, but pronounced ok and fit for duty. I'll never forget that ride back home that day. It had been my first first- hand experience with a hospital, and I was glad to be back with my loved ones!

Activities in the CZ

(or messaround time)

 While in the Zone, we were both active in civic affairs that had to do with the furtherance of the Navy. Ann was instrumental in starting a chapter of Navy Wives Club of America. She, along with a few other interested wives, worked until they were able to get enough members to receive a charter for the club. Ann was the first President of that particular local. At the same time, I was instrumental in starting a chapter of the Fleet Reserve Association in the Canal Zone. I was also elected and installed as the first President of the local Chapter.

Charles was into scouting in a big way. Probably one reason was Marine Staff Sergeant Cunningham. He was a great Scoutmaster, and Charles doted on that guy. Chuck was so active that he made Life Scout before we returned to the USofA. He was also tapped for the Order of the Arrow during their annual camporee. Ann and I attended the ceremony and watched as it was presented to him in an inspiring ceremony. It was very impressive. He was fortunate in having known Sgt. Cunningham and the Boy Scouts. They did and were into everything from swimming to you name it. He continued his love of scouting, making it almost to Eagle. Unfortunately, we moved during that process, and he never again could generate the interest needed to continue in Scouting.

Laura was also very active in girl scouting and swimming while in the CZ. On one occasion, I went camping with the girls. I had a very good time, keeping all the boogers away from them. They were camping on Ft. Amador, on a spit out into the Gulf amongst all the old forts, in a very beautiful spot from which you could see water off on both sides of the camping area. She won several ribbons swimming on the Rodman swimming team. She swam in several meets in the CZ.

Janet started school in the CZ. Her first school was at Howard AFB, but we soon moved to Summit,which necessitated her transferring to the Gamboa schools and then back to Howard AFB again. Janet was the sweet "daddy's girl" and caused many a tender thought in my mind.

Wayne enrolled in kindergarten at Howard AFB during our last year. While living at Rodman, he learned how to ride Laura's bike, even before he could sit on the seat and reach the pedals. I don't know how he did it, but when I finally realized he was riding a bike, I was amazed.

In March of 1970, we bought our first and only poodle. He was a pure bred toy and he was a beautiful champagne color. His name was Jenny's Little Bit of Sundown. We called him just "Bit, Little Bit", or, or as I called him most of the time "Bito" pronounced "Bee-to". He was an intelligent and lovable dog. We paid $200 to Peter Stephenson and Bito was worth every penny. We probably got at least $10,000,000 worth of love from that dog. He was always a joy to have around, and we often joked about the fact that he cost more than all our kids put together. "Bito" was an integral member of our household, a veritable member of the family. We had another pet, though you could better call it a wild animal, though it was only a small marmoset. We called her "Squeaky", because when she talked, she squeaked. She liked to eat dead flies and bugs and most anything else you might want to give her, even an old Marlboro cigaret. She survived also until we had been in Gautier several years.

We did our swimming and picnicing mostly at Ft. Kobbe beach, where there were a really nice sand beach and Bohios adjacent to the beach for picnicing. Of course all the Bohios were thatched in the tropical tradition, and were very apropos with the setting. I have always wanted one in my back yard, but don't have the palm fronds to make one.

For TV, we had SCN and of course, we could watch all the Panamanian stations, but we couldn't speak Spanish, so we didn't watch too much of that. SCN (Southern Command Network) had TV only during the evening hours. Mostly we listened to SCN radio, and we subscribed to the Miami Herald, and to a couple of English speaking Panamanian papers, which were very good newspapers. One was the Panama American. Each political faction had their own paper in Panama. Just prior to our departing, we bought a mola from a gift shop in the El Panama Hilton. It was run by Flory Saltzman. It was the Innovacion Gift Shop El Panama Box 1719 Balboa, CZ. It is priceless and still hangs in our living room.