Post by bjroan on Feb 15, 2015 15:19:50 GMT
Glad to make the rendezvous, hove-to on a gentle swell at the end of a long and pleasant passage, absent a few squalls.
Bernie Roan. Commander, USCG (Retired -- these 20 years). Now Chief Counsel, NASA Johnson Space Center. Three cruises on the USCGC EAGLE ('69, and two in '71). While in her, one search and rescue in the whaleboat ('give way together'); learned knots and splicing crosslegged with SN 'Scottie' (really: the burr, and a kilt on liberty); stern lookout as we hightailed it away from Hurricane Blanche (I heard classmates had to go aloft and take in sail on the midwatch -- some claimed we dipped the mainyard, but you know sailors' tales -- I was below that night); I've seen 150 hammocks in two tiers swaying as one with the ship's roll; know all about futtock shrouds ('up and over') and had exactly the same reaction as HH; came THAT close to getting a finger in a block because my mates failed to 'hold what you got;' captain of the mizzen on my last cruise.
How did that happen? First, 'The Happy Return' in about 6th or 7th grade. I was hooked. Read everyone, multiple times as a kid. I've got three sets of first editions ready to pass on to grandkids -- three CSF-signed books, one per set. Everything I read about about that mid and that young man was ME (well, except I liked music and later found out I had Bush's stomach). If my grandkids want to know what I was like, they only need to read the books.
Tried for the Naval Academy and the Coast Guard Academy, made them both. Picked Coast Guard for the prospect of more responsibility earlier. I was actually in Portsmouth as a cadet, but with only three days of liberty, a bunch of us Irish-American classmates went Portsmouth-London-Holyhead-Dublin and back. Never did any historic tour of Portmouth, or visit Highbury Street or the site of the old George, and I've always regretted that.
Operations Officer (Second Lt?), Commanding Officer, Executive Officer (Number One, First Lt) of three different cutters. I was diverted from being CO of a larger cutter -- 'needs of the Service.' Somewhere along the line they put me through law school (a real 'sea lawyer'), and so my second career. And so, here I am.
Bernie Roan. Commander, USCG (Retired -- these 20 years). Now Chief Counsel, NASA Johnson Space Center. Three cruises on the USCGC EAGLE ('69, and two in '71). While in her, one search and rescue in the whaleboat ('give way together'); learned knots and splicing crosslegged with SN 'Scottie' (really: the burr, and a kilt on liberty); stern lookout as we hightailed it away from Hurricane Blanche (I heard classmates had to go aloft and take in sail on the midwatch -- some claimed we dipped the mainyard, but you know sailors' tales -- I was below that night); I've seen 150 hammocks in two tiers swaying as one with the ship's roll; know all about futtock shrouds ('up and over') and had exactly the same reaction as HH; came THAT close to getting a finger in a block because my mates failed to 'hold what you got;' captain of the mizzen on my last cruise.
How did that happen? First, 'The Happy Return' in about 6th or 7th grade. I was hooked. Read everyone, multiple times as a kid. I've got three sets of first editions ready to pass on to grandkids -- three CSF-signed books, one per set. Everything I read about about that mid and that young man was ME (well, except I liked music and later found out I had Bush's stomach). If my grandkids want to know what I was like, they only need to read the books.
Tried for the Naval Academy and the Coast Guard Academy, made them both. Picked Coast Guard for the prospect of more responsibility earlier. I was actually in Portsmouth as a cadet, but with only three days of liberty, a bunch of us Irish-American classmates went Portsmouth-London-Holyhead-Dublin and back. Never did any historic tour of Portmouth, or visit Highbury Street or the site of the old George, and I've always regretted that.
Operations Officer (Second Lt?), Commanding Officer, Executive Officer (Number One, First Lt) of three different cutters. I was diverted from being CO of a larger cutter -- 'needs of the Service.' Somewhere along the line they put me through law school (a real 'sea lawyer'), and so my second career. And so, here I am.