USS ENTERPRISE CVA(N)-65 The world's first nuclear powered aircraft carrier. Newport News Shipbuilding Newport News, VA

September 1961.   Headed for the Big E!!

We loaded our Ford with my seabag and the few household necessities needed to sustain our family till our furniture (HHE) arrived by moving van in Hampton. We couldn't take any un-essentials because of the camping equipment we had to take along. But that was a positive, in that when we arrived at our final destination, our camping equipment could be used in our new homes until our furniture arrived. There were many times when we slept in our sleeping bags on the floor in our new home until our furniture caught up with us. We also had to use our ice box for storage. Since the cooking range is an integral part of a house, we never had to resort to cooking our meals on our Coleman, but we did have to cook with and eat out of our camping utensils. As I said, Ann could make do with what she had. I would bet that only a military wife could understand that. We headed east towards Las Vegas, arriving there in time for a little fun on the wheels and dice tables. We ate a huge buffet lunch while there (in '61, all the casinos had free buffets) and lost a few bucks on the dice table, but departed with a few silver bucks, which we still have today. We probably broke about even in the gambling department, counting the free chow for the family, we probably came out ahead. We had only a few hours to spend in Vegas, then headed on north to Utah. North of Las Vegas, we took a side trip to Valley of Fire State Park on the shores of Lake Mead. It has all sorts of weird rocks and cliffs. We spent an hour or so looking around and taking a few pictures, the continued on our trip to Utah. By the time we got back on the highway, it was dark. We continued on St. George, Utah where we spent the night. It was only a short drive the next morning to our destination of Zion Canyon National Park.

We arrived in Springdale, Utah in mid-afternoon. We stopped to fill up with gas, aet a few supplies, and then headed into Zion Canyon. Upon arrival, we set up camp in the GROTTO CAMPGROUND which was within the shadows of both the Great White Throne and Angels Landing.

 

Our camping equipment consisted of:

_ 1--Coleman 2-burner gasoline stove

_ 2--Coleman 2-mantle gasoline lantern

_ 3--4 sleeping bags (Janet slept in a clothes basket)

_ 4--4 Army cots, the type with canvas bottom that folds up

_ 5--1 playpen to keep Janet corralled

_ 6--1 large Sears Ice box

_ 7--1 9 x 12 Tent (Canvas)

_ 8--Normal accoutrement of axes, saws, ropes and other junk.

_ 9--Lots of clothing for any event.

_ 10--Faith

We spent three nights and two days exploring the sights of Zion. The floor of the canyon is probably 1000 feet deep. It was eroded by the Virgin River, which now flows gently along the floor of the canyon. You can find and view every shape of cliffs, rocks, rills and one of the things that it makes it so different is that every cliff and stone changes color as the day progresses. It is all so interesting. We hiked up and down the canyon. The sight of that great monolith called the "Great White Throne" is awesome. Weeping Rock is awe-inspiring, as are many inspiring sights that God had wrought in such a small place.

We broke camp reluctantly and headed east towards our next famous destination. We headed up the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway which climbs in easy grades by a series of 6 switchbacks some 800 feet in less than 4 miles and then takes you through mile-long Zion Tunnel. Open galleries along the tunnel provide vantage points from which we viewed the Canyon and took many pictures, especially of the Great West Wall with the Beehives on the left and the Sentinel on the right. The Sentinel is 7157 feet above sea level. As you ascend further, you pass Checkerboard Mesa and finally reach the East Entrance Station. From there, we drove on to our next destination, Bryce Canyon National Park, which is located northeast of Zion Canyon. We motored up US 89 from Mt. Carmel about 43 miles till you arrived at the Bryce Canyon turnoff which took us to the rim of the canyon.

The two parks are entirely different. In Zion, the campsites and most activities are in the canyon, while at Bryce, the campsites and all activities are on the rim, and you may hike down into the canyon. We set up our campsite at the North Campground, and since Bryce Canyon's rim where our campsite was located was greater than 7,500 feet in elevation, we came prepared for cool to cold nights. We anticipated it and were not disappointed, as it was nearing mid September, and nights are cool to cold there the year round. Bryce Canyon is unbelievably beautiful. You really have to see it to understand the depth and grandeur created by erosion that has taken place to create this place of beauty. We hiked down into the canyon on switchbacks going and coming. We had to carry Janet all the way, and Charles a good part of the way. I believe Laura hiked all the way.

Laura and Charles were always very good campers. We never had any problems with them on any trip or location. I am only saddened by the fact that our two youngest children were not old enough to remember and participate in all the beautiful experiences and sights we experienced camping the National Parks and Forest campgrounds. I would love to take them to see the same sights we saw when they were too young to fully appreciate them. It would be a fantastic experience, but alas, it will never happen. I have always been saddened knowing that I would not be able to do it.

After a couple of days exploring Bryce Canyon, we departed for Grand Canyon's North Rim. We retraced our path to Mt. Carmel and took US 89 through Kanab, on down to Jacob Lake, where we headed south on Ariz. 67. We ascended Kaibab Plateau and had a pleasant drive across the high desert and it plateaus and canyons through Kaibab National Forest to the Grand Canyon National Park North Rim. We set up camp at the North Rim Campground adjacent to the Lodge. Union Pacific built huge lodges in some of the western National Parks many years ago when passenger trains were in their hey-day. They used to run excursions to them, Grand Canyon and Yellowstone in particular.

The North Rim is better than 8,200 ft. elevation, so it is closed in the winter, and since this was mid September, it was cold. It snowed on us the one night we stayed there. We were camped in a grove of huge fir trees and it was beautiful, though the canyon itself didn't provide us with the same sense of beauty as did Zion and Bryce Canyons. Probably it was just too big and awesome to take in on a windy, bone-chilling afternoon, and with the snow coming, we didn't want to get snowed in, as that was one eventuality that we had not prepared for. So after a hot breakfast, as only Ann could provide in such trying circumstances, we retraced our path to Jacob's Lake and rejoined US 89 to head east and south. We crossed the Colorado River at the Marble Canyon Bridge, and entered the Navajo Indian Reservation. We transited the Painted Desert, going east on Ariz. 264. We crossed both the Navajo Indian Reservation and the Hopi Indian Reservation, which sits right in the middle of the Navajo Reservation, to Window Rock the Indian Capital. Shortly after leaving Window Rock, entered New Mexico, and US 66 at Gallup, New Mexico. It was getting on close to night, so 40 miles east of Gallup at Prewitt, we turned south to Bluewater State Park and a campground.


"My Bag is Wet, Al!"

 

This turned out to be a disastrous night. Bluewater State Park is on the Continental Divide, and though not mountainous, it was on the high desert. It was cold. It also rained that night. To make matters worse, I was sloppy in putting the tent up and a corner of one flap was left inadvertantly tucked inside the tent. The shower was no big thing, it didn't rain very hard. We had already camped in rain with no problems. but with that flap tucked inside the tent, all the water that normally ran harmlessly to the ground, now ran inside the tent and in a stream directly underneath Ann's sleeping bag. Well, after awhile her bag started soaking up the water and finally it woke her.

I was rudely awakened sometime around 0300 in the morning, anyway it was early, by Ann pinching on me. "Al, my bag is wet!!". "ANN, IT CAN'T BE. THERE ARE NO HOLES IN MY TENT!!". "Well, just get your hand out of that bag and feel under my bag then". "OK HONEY, JUST HOLD YOUR TATER...WHERE DID THAT WATER COME FROM???". "Al, I'm cold. What do we do now. I can't sleep in this mess". "IT'S THREE O'CLOCK, YOU GET THE KIDS UP AND DRESS THEM AND I'LL STRIKE CAMP". "Just put the kids in the car, they'll go back to sleep". "OK, WHILE YOU'RE GETTING THE KIDS READY, I'LL GET ALL THIS EQUIPMENT LOADED AND READY TO GO. I'LL TIE THE SLEEPING BAG OUTSIDE SO IT WILL DRY OUT".

That was the most miserable packing job we ever had to do. Just try striking camp in the middle of the night when everything is wet and in half darkness. Our Coleman lantern put out it's feeble beam, but that still left a lot to be desired. Finally, we got every tied on the car and in the car, and left a few things hanging out of the window to dry and we motored away. We finally looked like the gypsies that we had become. We drove till shortly after daylight, which took us to Tucumcari. We ahd driven approx 300 miles since leaving camp, so we were getting tired and hungry. They had a nice city park alongside route 66, so we stopped to cook breakfast and drink our morning coffee. It tasted unreasonably good that morning and we luxuriated in being dry and content again. There was a washeteria nearby, so Ann used some time to catch up on the diaper washing. We took all this in stride. Nothing fab. But we, and I'm sure most military families, have had some experiences, which at the time seemed terrible, but later became part of a mosaic of lifetime experiences that make a great life. Ours was no exception.

Our next night's destination would be Quartz Mountain State Park just north of Altus, Oklahoma. We pitched an overnight camp, ate, caught up on our sleep and left early next morning for Alabama. We returned to US 287, went through Wichita Falls, Texas and hit US 82 at Henrietta. All our problems were not yet over. As we left out of Texas at Texarkana, we started noticing noises emanating from the rear of the car. Finally, as we pulled into Magnolia, Arkansas and found a Ford agency to have the car checked out. In a couple of hours, a rear axle bearing was replaced and we were on our way to Mom's, which we reached before bedtime.

The ENTERPRISE Years

After visiting our parents/grandparents in Ala, we made it to Hampton, Virginia to report for duty aboard USS ENTERPRISE CVA(N)-65, the world's first nuclear powered aircraft carrier, and the world's largest ship. In fact there were so many first's that belonged to ENTERPRISE that we forget many of them.

We moved into our new home at 1803 Darville Drive in Hampton. It was near Langley AFB, so it was convenient to the commissary and BX shopping for Ann. At this time, she still hadn't learned to drive, but the time was getting near when she was going to have to learn. I was soon going to be gone for long periods of time, and it was imperative that she learn to drive.

When I first reported aboard, ENTERPRISE was still under construction in Newport News, so I commuted daily to Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock shipyard. The pre-commissioning crew drilled, studied, and prepared themselves and the ship for sea duty. During this period, we had our "fast" to the pier cruise, which was a shore-based "intro to the 'flat-top' Navy". We lit off all systems and tested them under actual conditions, including the nuclear propulsion unit while still tied to the pier. We did a lot of drilling in order to operate it perfectly while at sea and under wartime conditions. While we were embarked on our "Fast" cruise, Laura fell off a picket fence in our back yard and broke her arm. Kids always seem to know the most inconvenient time to do things like that. While I was away. But then, maybe it was the right time, because I could never stand to see my kids hurting.

During the Christmas season of 1961, Enterprise threw a big Christmas party on board for the children of the crew. It was the biggest Christmas party I have ever seen. There must have been 5,000 children there and the ship gave each of them a Christmas present, plus cake and ice cream, and SANTA CLAUS. Laura, Chuck and Janet all enjoyed it immensely, especially the presents.

We had a problem with Santa Claus in 1961. We had ordered several articles from his shop at Spiegel's in Chicago. We kept waiting for the order to come in, and a few days before Christmas, we gave up and went to our local Sears store in Newport News, and completed our shopping. Sure enough, the items magically appeared after Christmas, but we sent them straight back with a piece of our mind. Spiegel of Chicago has been on our black list ever since.

We went to sea prior to commissioning for sea trials or builder's trials in late October. On board were such notables as Vice Adm. Hyman Rickover, Vice Adm. Frank O'Bierne ComNavAirLant and Rear Adm. Ralph K. James BUSHIPS. We departed the pier at 0930 Sunday morning 30 October 1961 for the first time underway on nuclear power. The trials were extremely successful. Newspapers all over America chronicled our successful mission and we were all excited and proud to be the very first sailors in the history of the US Navy to sail so large a ship.

Finally. November rolled around. First, I turned 34 years old. Then on the 25th, ENTERPRISE was commissioned into the US Navy. We had over 10,000 guests seated on the hangar deck, plus the 3000+ crew members in formation for the ceremony. It was one big party. Every one who had liberty got treated to a oyster roast by the city of Newport News. Since I had duty, I missed out on the oysters. Our commissioning was televised, We were featured on TODAY, and Walter Cronkite came aboard to do a special. It was certainly a time of celebration, but ahead of us were many months of lonely, arduous sea duty.

On 1 December 1961, I was recommended for advancement and nominated to take the examination for advancement in rating to ETC (Electronics Technician Chief) by Lcdr. J. H. Bilkey, our Electronics Officer.

ENTERPRISE At Sea

 

We wasted no time after New Year's in getting to sea. 3 January found us on our way to becoming a true operating ship of the fleet. We went over to the de-perming facility off Portsmouth to get the magnetism removed from the ships hull, then to Crane Island anchorage to take on ammo. We operated in and about the VACAPES area during the month of January and while in-port, rode liberty launches back and forth to Fort Monroe, where we commuted to. Those January mornings made for a b-r-r-r cold ride back to the ship in the early morning hours, but we didn't particularly mind, since we were getting a chance to spend a night at home, and that time was becoming more precious as time went on. Also during January, we served as part of a John Glenn orbital recovery force during Project Mercury. We were part of a back-up team positioned east of the Bahamas.

On Wednesday January 17th, the first plane landed on ENTERPRISE by CAG-1 skipper George Talley. His would be the first of a virtual stream of planes to land on our deck. During the month of January, Ann was busy also. She hosted a pinochle/pot luck party for Beverly Tucker, Gaye Smith and Linda Condon. Also the Enterprise wives were busy with their meetings and other activities. She also was being a FULL-TIME mother to Laura, Charles and Janet.

We returned to our anchorage in Hampton Roads on Wednesday the 31th of January for some unforeseen replenishment. We were able to go on liberty (2/3rds of crew) as weather permitted, with liberty boats going to Fleet Landing and to Fort Monroe.

Big "E" Shakedown

We left our anchorage early in February and arrived in Mayport, Florida 7 February 1962 for 24 hours to pick up air personnel from Cecil Field. I managed to get liberty that night and went in to downtown Jacksonville, but I didn't get to make it out to Cecil Field. While ashore I called Ann collect from Jacksonville, running up a tab of $2.85. I should have talked longer, and would have if I had known long distance rates were going to go up as much as they have in the ensuing years! We left on the tide around 1300 the 8th heading for Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

On Friday February 16 1962, the 1,000 landing was made aboard ENTERPRISE while operating off the coast of Cuba. A Shakedown Cruise is mainly what the name implies. A ship goes out for an extended period testing all systems and correcting routines, whether machine or personnel until everything is operating as a unit. It's where we learn to get good at our jobs. It usually lasts for about 6 weeks. A very intensive 24 hour schedule is maintained. The first lesson learned is that wars are fought around the clock, not on a 9-5 schedule with free weekends. That's one reason that "War is Hell"

We returned to Hampton Roads Sunday April 8th at 0900. On our way back from GTMO, we ordered to host President Kennedy and a whole host of notables from SECDEF right on down to Senators, Congressman and other VIPS to a short visit after he reviewed a fleet of 48 ships from the cruiser Northhampton. We and the Forrestal put on an air show demonstrating several air-to-air missiles fired from our planes in mock combat. He also used our facilities to broadcast a message to all the sailors aboard the other ships in the fleet.

I had a surprise awaiting me when I returned from the Shakedown Cruise.

My girl had learned to drive and had a valid license!

I was flabbergasted with the fact that ANN HAD LEARNED HOW TO DRIVE AND HAD HER LICENSE!!! I was so proud of her that I could have popped. That was a great day in our lives. We no longer had to worry about spending our Saturdays and evenings doing grocery shopping. We had more spare time to spend together, and now she could take the children to sick bay without my having to take off from work or her having to get a friend to take her. The best part though was that when I was gone on long cruises, she would be dependent on no one for transportation. When you have a house full of youngsters, you might need to go at any given moment. I felt so much better about her being alone after she got her license. I don't know how we ever made it before she got her license. But then, neither her mother nor my mother drive. So, I call that a big day in her life. I was extremely proud of her. No more killing poor innocent chickens!!

During this period, the kids acquired a puppy, and a "slip and slide", which was popular with them and the neighborhood kids for one day, or until I saw what a disaster that "slip and slide" made of our lawn. Of course the puppy did also, but he was in the back yard.

ENTERPRISE'S first 4th of July was spent in Boston, where we had gone to celebrate the Boston "E" Party!! We had more than 15,000 visitors to board during our short stay there. While there, I was fortunate enough to get to Fenway Park to watch the Red Sox play the Yankees. While at the game, I was also fortunate enough to catch a foul ball, hit into the stands behind first base. I still have it among my souvenirs.

Shortly thereafter, we left on our first Med cruise which was an abbreviated cruise because of our trip to Boston. We were really on a "show-off" trip, demonstrating our prowess as a nuclear carrier to everyone who was anyone in military circles. While in Naples and Cannes, we hosted TV shows, radio shows, royalty, fashion shows, newscasters, and the general public. We went to great extent to show our prowess in building state of the art ships. We had such notables as Bing and Kathy Crosby, several US Senators, and Italian President Segni, and many others too numerous to mention. We hosted Don McNeil's "Breakfast Club" show that originated for many years and was heard nationally from Chicago. He came over and did his 4th of July show from our hangar deck while we were in Naples.

We returned to Pier 12 on 11 Oct 1962. I had been assigned permanent Shore Patrol duty for our in-port stay, patrolling out near Ocean View. Five days after we returned, I was abruptly pulled in from my Shore Patrol Duty and told to report on board with my seabag, ready to get underway. We were soon gone again to take part in "Kennedy's" famed CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS. We spent 7 weeks steaming around in square circles near Cuba. Because we had just returned from a Med cruise, the CO sought and received permission to grant annual leave to some crew members. I was one of the lucky ones chosen. I was helicoptered ashore to Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, and caught a C-130 Hercules to Norfolk, via Jacksonville. The ship returned from the mission on the morning of 6 December 1962. Because of high winds, "E" had to anchor out in Hampton Roads until 8 December. Helicopters were brought in from Cherry Point MCAS, NC to ferry the liberty party to and fro NAS Norfolk for the two days we were forced to anchor out away from Pier 12.

Several notable things occurred in January prior to our next Med deployment. First, we had a helluva ship's party at the Norfolk Municipal Auditorium. It was held 22nd and 23rd Jan. It took two nights to ensure all hands had an opportunity to attend. It was a fantastic party. Second, on a short cruise off the VACAPES, Senator Barry Goldwater flew aboard in a jet. We were also awarded "Ship of the Year" by OUR NAVY magazine.

I took leave from 0001 22 Apr 1962 till 0800 7 May 1962. We wanted to do a little trout fishing for four or five days way back up in the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee. Driving down Interstate 85 in North Carolina, I let Ann take the wheel for the first time on the freeways and let her work up a taste for high speed driving. She was tentative and very careful, but she did an excellent job, even though every car on the road passed us. We stopped off at the Cherokee Indian tourist trap near Bryson City to take a few pictures of their teepees and drink an RC Cola and went on. We continued on to a Forest campground just east of Tellico Plains in the Cherokee National Forest. It was on the banks of a small trout stream and there we pitched our tent in the shade of some tall trees. We stayed there for four days of rest and relaxation. Finally we packed up and continued on to Alabama to see our parents and show off the kids!

Ann was elected Recording Secretary of the Enterprise Wives Club for the 1963 term. President was Carol Cherry, Vice Pres. was Mrs. JB King, Mrs. Herb Spence was Corresponding Secretary and Bev Tucker was Chaplain. Their picture appeared in the Newport News Daily Press Wednesday Jan. 16, 1963

February 6, 1963, ENTERPRISE commenced her second Med Cruise, which was to last approx 7 months. On March 6th, the 13,000 landing was made while operating in the Med. We made the typical ports during the cruise....Cannes, Naples, Athens, and all the others. Notes of interest on this trip included one very important item that improved my Navy life. On March 27th 1963, ENTNOTE 1430 was published, notifying me that I had passed the examination for Chief Petty Officer and would assume the rate effective 5/16/63. Also making it with me was B. T. Dudley. We were scheduled to be in Cannes, France when that happy day came!!

16 May 1963. The most important day in my naval career to this date. It was the culmination of my dreams, career wise, and if I never got any further, I was a success! On this date I was promoted to Chief Petty Officer along with my shipmate and great friend, Bevely "BT" Dudley and I were so happy that at midnight for u civilians, 2400 hours, or 0000 16 May, we dressed up in our brand new CPO uniforms, boarded a liberty launch, and went ashore in Cannes to show off our new rank and take in some of the extra hours that CPO's rated for liberty. (White hats had to return to the ship two return from liberty two hour earlier than CPO's!). Ann had purchased all my uniforms and mailed them to me because we were running around in the Med. She did a damned good job outfitting me, and that's just another plus for MY WIFE!

To start off with, I would have never made CPO were it not for ANN. She was always inspiring me to be better, and she was like the ROCK OF GIBRALTAR, dependable and truly, a caring wife. She NEVER gave me cause for worry about such things that sea-faring men worry about...things like infidelity and worse.

Captain Frederick Michaelis relieved Capt. Vincent dePoix as CO. Also at 2130 hours on June 26, 1963, the 20,000 carrier landing was made, making Capt dePoix the only carrier skipper in history to be CO of a single carrier while 20,000 landings were made. The previous record was held by a CO on the Forrestal with 17,525. During this time, ENTERPRISE has steamed better than 100,000 miles. On July 4th, 1963 Don McNeil and his "Breakfast Club" broadcast originated from our hangar deck, and we all marched "around the breakfast table" with Don in celebration of our country's birthday. Their program normally originated from Chicago. Also during this cruise, Bing and Kathy Crosby paid us a visit. I got their autograph, but lost it somewhere in the ensuing years.

On September 5, 1963 we returned to pier 12 in Norfolk on September 4th to a tumultuous welcome. We had been gone seven months and had sailed ENTERPRISE 49,000 miles. It was almost a year to the day that we had returned from our first cruise. I came home to a new home. While on this trip, Ann had moved us to a very nice house at 5416 Silbert Road in Norfolk. We hated to leave Hampton, but it was much more convenient to work for me. It was near Lakewood school and in a very nice area off Tidewater Drive, convenient to everything, including the base. We have many good remembrances of our little home on Silbert Road. It seemed like a large house at the time, but when we rode past there in 1984, it didn't look at all that big.

One of the things we did while there was build our two speaker cabinets of real walnut boards, right on the living room floor. I made the precision cuts of the walnut boards at the hobby shop at NOB. I paid $1.25 a foot for that walnut (12" wide). Now it runs over $5 a foot. We still have them with the original cloth on the front. (It needs replacing now).

Wayne was born while we were living in this home. The memories flood back to the sunny kitchen, and the fine times we had while Enterprise was in port. That's the place where I stuck my finger in a man's chest and told him if he valued his life to stay away from my wife and house. It was also our home when Ronald Reagan made his first campaign speech in favor of Barry Goldwater for President in 1964. It started him on his political career in the Republican Party. I still remember it very well.

Amongst all the many picnics we had while living on Silbert Rd. one I will always remember occurred on a cold and windy afternoon in January 1964 just before we left on yet another Med cruise. I wanted to get one last picnic in to have something to remember while gone for the next nine month. We went out to the beach overlooking Hampton Roads, in amongst the small wind-blown trees and sand dunes where Willoughby Spit joins the mainland. There were several picnic tables in the small park, and it was a great place for the kid to run off excess energy. We built us a fire for warmth and cooking. Next to the food, the campfire is the most important thing about camping and picnics. A picnic or camp without a campfire is not a true outing in my book. Anyway, the kids paid no notice of the weather, romping and running like always. It was a week or so prior to departing on the last Med Cruise I was to take in. It was either picnic now or wait for 9 months, and I didn't want to wait that long.! I needed another memory to help sustain me on that long cruise.

 

 "Med" Cruise III & SEA ORBIT

 

As if on an annual schedule, we departed Pier 12 at Norfolk Naval Station for Cannes, France and another tour of duty in the Med. It was to have a different twist to it than the previous tours. It was to end with a splashy return trip in the other direction that would carry us around the world!

We did our normal naval training exercises and made the same port calls as we had in previous years. We again visited the ports of Cannes, Naples, and Barcelona and looked for the old familiar haunts. Later, in July, we got the word that we would take part in what was to be a historic cruise. We would join up with the only other nuclear powered surface ships and circumnavigate the earth. We would be Nuclear Task Force One, and we would be on Operation SEA ORBIT.

On Thursday 30 July we went alongside the stores ship (AF) Rigel shortly after sunrise at 0400. We hit the deck for reveille at 0300 in order get an early start on the at-sea transfer of stores needed for the cruise. We would get nothing else till we pulled alongside Pier 12 in Norfolk in October. We took on 700 tons of stores, including 30 tons of potatoes, 55 tons of beef, 23,760 doz. eggs, 14,400 96 oz. cans of sterilized milk, and 12½ tons of vegetables, while alongside Rigel. It's kind of like packing the family car for a two week vacation in the desert where there ain't no stores.

On Friday 31 July, 1964, just after noon, we nosed past Gibraltar into the Atlantic, and officially began Sea Orbit. We conducted air shows almost every day for visiting dignitaries as we coasted down the Atlantic Coast of Africa. They were flying the dignitaries aboard on our COD (Carrier Onboard Delivery) planes daily.

We crossed the Equator at 6 minutes after 6 (0606) on 6 August, a calm, clear and coolish 70 degree day. It promised all the hoopla normally encountered when invading the domain of Davy Jones. I am reproducing the original Menu for the evening meal of that date. It was decided by the Shellbacks that all pollywogs would be required to attend the evening meal...anyone skipping could expect further dire consequences. See Addendum for MENU.

The next day (we were going into winter, since we were now south of the equator) was 62° with winds of 20 knots across the flight deck..quite a cool day. As we steamed around the Cape of Good Hope on 11 July, just 11 days after leaving Gibraltar, the seas became quite rough. It was mid-winter and seas of 18-20 feet which was causing the ship to roll 10-15% or more. This lasted for approximately 8 hours. We finally rounded the Cape, entered the Indian Ocean and headed up the east side of Africa. Near Port Elizabeth, we finally came close enough to Africa to sight it visually for the only time on the trip. We sailed up between Mozambique and Madagascar and since we were headed almost directly north again, we were headed back towards the Equator and Summer time again which entailed us changing our uniforms back to whites again.

On August 15th, after 15 days at sea, we sailed into Karachi, Pakistan. We had sailed a total of 11,212 statute miles or 9750 nautical miles since leaving Gibraltar. The estimated mileage for the total cruise was 34,500 miles.

I didn't set foot in Karachi. That was one port in which I had lost nothing, and didn't intend to. I was saving all my money, what little I had, for liberty in Australia. We spent two days in Karachi (20 and 21 August), and headed south of the Equator again and another Winter season. We arrived in Sydney on the 3rd day of September and left on the 7th, much too short a time for a beautiful, friendly place like that. The people were so friendly. We could buy no meals, we could buy no drinks, we were just treated royally. People would stop you on the street to chat and invite you to visit them, or for a drink. That was one port I hated to see pass under the fantail.

Home was beckoning. We were halfway home, and heading down-hill. We made a speed run to Cape Horn, and set the speed record between Sydney and Cape Horn. We crossed the South Atlantic in 10 days at an average speed of greater than 25 knots. It was cold and the sleet was blowing across the flight deck as we rounded Cape Horn. Once around, we headed north to Rio de Janeiro and summer on the beaches of Ipanema. On Wednesday September 23 at 1230 we entered the beautiful harbor of Rio de Janeiro. We spent several days in Rio, but again, I didn't go ashore this time. I was ready to get on home to Ann and our children. It had been a long time!!

Heading to Oak Harbor

Saturday 3 October at 1515, the sailor returned home from the sea! It was such a great reunion. Ann was great with Wayne, the stork was due to visit her within TWO DAYS, so she came prepared to spend several hours on Pier 12. She had her folding chair to sit on while waiting and had put the kids on their best behavior. If you have ever waited for and watched a major naval vessel moor, you know that it is a slow process. Moving 85,000 tons around is a touchy proposition and the Skipper and tugboats, along with the port pilot, take precautions not to dent either the ship or the pier. Also, once moored, the gangplank has to be installed. For a ship the size of ENTERPRISE, that is a major undertaking.

While all this was going on most of the sailors were milling around on the flight deck trying to spot their loved ones amongst the melee of humanity that frothed about 50 feet below them on the pier. The exact opposite was occurring on the pier. Kids were yelling, wives and girl friends were all looking up, trying to locate their particular sailor in all the white uniforms. It's not an easy task, but it always gets sorted out in the end and loved ones and friends are ultimately joined. Thousands, probably upwards of 10,000, waited breathlessly as we were warped to Pier 12 by our tugs. It was exciting, frustrating, and chaotic, but like all homecomings, it was GREAT. I still remember the spine-tingling chills and thrill of anticipation that I experienced EVERY TIME we neared our home port of Norfolk. The euphoria we experienced never abated.

With my shore duty orders in hand, I was preparing to say a fond and long awaited farewell to the greatest warship in the world. I never expected to return to ENTERPRISE, but the future had a trick called déjà vü was to direct me to that same place later in our life.

The month following our return was spent in a frenzy. I could have left the ship for my new duty station as soon as we returned, but like 1961, Ann was expecting again. A sense of déjà vü assailed me. As before, the execution of orders were held in abeyance, waiting for Ann to give birth. Our timing in choosing birthing dates sure left alot to be desired. It seemed that Ann had a penchant for delivering just prior to an impending transfer. Then, when she was expected to perform, she seemed to be shy and reluctant, like a starlet who needed several rounds of applause prior to coming onto the stage. She got real good at it, doing it twice in a row for the last two children, and just missing on the first two by not more than 6 weeks. Laura and Chuck came awful close to transfer time. We had just got to Great Lakes when Laura was born, and barely made it to Jacksonville prior to Chucks birthday, so she was always in there trying!! It seemed that Ann liked to enter a new home with a new baby!! This was getting ridiculous.

We marked time, waiting on Wayne to make an appearance. We spent the time getting our household effects ready for shipment. We always sent two shipments, one a smaller Express shipment, limited to minimum items needed for survival until the arrival of the main shipment. We also bade farewell to many good friends, many of whom we never had the opportunity to see again. For Ann and me, transfers were always a time of great expectatons, and also time of extreme sadness at having to leave behind so many old friends who had been there whenever you needed them.

Wayne (Tot Beau) made his belated appearance while Ann was taking a siesta in Portsmouth Naval Hospital, Portsmouth, Virginia on Saturday Oct 31...Hallowe'en Day!!

Ann has made the joke many times that she went "Trick or Treating", and got tricked!! Beau loves that! I was being a "house daddy" to Laura, Chuck and Jan and trying to keep them fed and in school. Nancy Carlisle, the wife of a shipmate, ably assisted me in taking care of the kids while Ann was in the hospital and kept Janet while I was at work aboard ENTERPRISE.

It was during this trying period that I was accused by Laura of cooking eggs that looked like pork chops. I admit the eggs were a little overdone, maybe even a little burnt, but it was just because there was too much grease in the skillet. You know how eggs look sometimes when the skillet gets too hot (yeah, seared). I was cooking with gas, and I have never ever won any ribbons for being a cook. I can make a passable hamburger, but even then, my kids would walk a mile to get one cooked by their mother in preference to mine. I don't blame them one bit. I would also!

On Tot's birthday, ENTERPRISE left Pier 12 for the short journey across Hampton Roads to her pier at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Corporation's shipyard in Newport News. When we arrived, she was warped into the same berth she occupied when I first came aboard in early October 1961, a bit over three years earlier. I had made the full round trip on ENTERPRISE. That was enough, or so I thought at the time.

I have lots of good memories but there are also memories that entail the many lonely days and nights that Ann and I were forced to spend apart from each other during the best years of our lives. The separations were endurable while we were at sea, but when we had to spend the duty nights aboard ship while my wife and children were just a few miles a way in the same city, well , that was a bit tough to take, especially when you had just returned from being six months at sea. But the hardships kept us young, and we stayed in love with each other in spite of, and probably because of, the hardships. I believe that if all couples had to live like we did, marriages would be strengthened. So many civilians never really get to stress their marriages and thus, when adversity befalls them, they have nothing to fall back on.