Food Storage

From: Girard Kelly

Dave, one time we were in San Juan and the locals were selling stuff in small boats back by the fantail. Well They brought a jug of wine ; looks to me about 5 gallons in one glass container and put it in the starboard after shaft alley for safe keeping. Every once in awhile they would go back and have a nip. Well I was standing by my rack when this Engineering Officer pass me at a high rate of speed. I guess he caught a couple of guys. Well anyway; when he came in the shaft alley, a guy was taking a swig, seen the officer and drop the whole glass container ( 2 1/2 gallons ). They were ordered to clean it up and got a ass chewing. Never heard anything about it after that. The Officer didn't want to let it go any further.

From: Neal Rabinowitz

I was in the Boston yard then too, and you're right, I only remember underway replenishments. We used to have two or three things on our "Inop" list, for 8 o-clock reports, but when we left the yard that list was 3 1/2 pages long and Chief Mead was pulling his hair out. When we left the yard, and on the way to Gitmo, the fathometer, sonar, air search, all crapped out, and when the surface search crapped out Capt. Massimi said he couldn't get through the Windward Passage without at least one of them. I worked with Ken Adams (ETR3) for a long time on that surface search, and he figured out some way, that I don't remember, to get it working and we made the passage ok.

From: Ken Cruikshank

We were in Boston Navy Yard for some repairs during the winter of 67/68. It was a Sunday I was “resting” behind the main electrical panel in the aft engine room. Suddenly a large box of pastries landed on me. The cold iron watch apparently found it and didn’t want it to go to waste. I don’t remember being on a work party to ring stores on board when we were in port. I remember underway replenishments where some things fell down the outboard aft engine room hatch.

From: Neal Rabinowitz

With all that food around, I still never saw any really fat snipes, except for one old 2nd class BT who worked in the forward boiler room. I don't remember his name, but he was the 'baby' when the ship crossed the equator during the 67' Vietnam cruise (just before I got on board). I think he got busted two grades during the 67' Med cruise for a stash of hooch too. During that Med cruise some Greek guys used to row up to the fantail in Crete selling small bottles of Ouzu for a buck. Too kuch of that stuff would make you insane.

From: Jim Warren 1961/1965

The trick was what do with, say potatoes, wrap them aluminum foil with butter and salt /pepper and set them on the nozzle control valves on the HP turbine(850 degs) for about 10 mins.this works for chickens to.We had the Mn. Fd. Water pump casing polished and cook steaks on it, had a temp.256 degs. just right for slow cooking. I was on one ship and they would not let engine or fire room personnel handle food stuff. but we found a way around that by using “A”gang who had a key to the reefers. I would not refer it to stealing, that sound harsh maybe we were making sure that the food was safe consumption!!!!!!!!!

From: Dave Cupples

Funny story, but I believe you!!. we used to keep the forward engine room "inside asile" hatch open during all stores replenishments.. Coffee was # 1...peanut butter was # 2..Chocolate milk was # 3 but we had to drink it up fast for spoilage, etc. Any potatoes of course would slide down the ladder.

From: Girard Kelly

one time we were in San Juan and the local,s were selling stuff in small boats back by the fantail. Well They brought a jug of wine ; looks to me about 5 gallons in one glass container and put it in the starboard after shaft alley for safe keeping. Every once in awhile they would go back and have a nip. Well I was standing by my rack when this Engineering Officer pass me at a high rate of speed. I guess he caught a couple of guys. Well anyway; when he came in the shaft alley, a guy was taking a swig, seen the officer and drop the whole glass container ( 2 1/2 gallons ) They were ordered to clean it up and got a ass chewing. Never heard anything about it after that. The Officer didn't want to let it go any further.

From: Neal Rabinowitz

The Boston yard then too, and you're right, I only remember underway replenishments. We used to have two or three things on our "Inop" list, for 8 o-clock reports, but when we left the yard that list was 3 1/2 pages long and Chief Mead was pulling his hair out. When we left the yard, and on the way to Gitmo, the fathometer, sonar, air search, all crapped out, and when the surface search crapped out Capt. Massimi said he couldn't get through the Windward Passage without at least one of them. I worked with Ken Adams (ETR3) for a long time on that surface search, and he figured out some way, that I don't remember, to get it working and we made the passage ok.

From: Ken Cruikshank

From: Neal Rabinowitz

From: Dave Cupples

Note: The Forward Engine Room 'inside' ladder had a sheet of aluminum all the way down from top-to-bottom. It was great for 'sliding grocery items down to the lower level. Outside of outright stealing, I'm not sure what the Navy Term was for this '"tricky-dick, items missing from the pallet "was called?

From: Girard Kelly

I was just sitting here thinking: You know how straight John Tauer IC2 was Once he got real nervous ; Come to think of it he was nervous a lot. Well when we went into dry dock for the Fram job in Philly and they were pulling up the deck plate in the IC room to run new wire. I had no idea where this stuff came from. "Honest". They found cans of fruit, tuna fish and a bunch of other stuff ( goodes ). When they use to bring on ship stores, we made sure that we would have a couple of buddy's station just out-side of the IC room door. A lot of those cases would get transferred into the IC room; you know---- for future storage.

p.s. anyone else care to comment on the pilfering?