Photo courtesy of Matt Szkopiec AD24 Assn. Shipmate Locator
mattsszk@accn.org

Everglades AD-24    09/52 - 00/54

"Glades", Swamp Lady to many, provided my first CIC Supervisor billet.  Think of it, a tender with eleven radarmen.  I arrived to an impending Sixth Fleet deployment and two RD3s, seven RDSNs (... make that 6 RDSNs and one SN, I think) and one RDSA; only one (RD3) of which had any real sea time.  On turnover, Everglades hosted COMSERVFORSIXTHFLT for the tour.  In those days tenders (ADs anyway) didn't moor in Naples for 6 months, they steamed with other ServFor ships in a Task Group, screening ships and all.  Ultimately I split the gang into two watches - 6 on, 6 off while underway - usually 8-10 days at a time between ports.  I spent most of my time on the CI net (Combat Information net - contacts, course/speed, CPA, etc).  During one NATO-like exercise, we steamed as Guide with a bent-line screen made up of different "small boy" types of several nations.  Spending so much time on the radio, I got to know the voices - for those with "English speakers" like the Greeks and Turks, (yes, they actually got along - at sea) it was always the same person - day or night.  For that exercise, the screen voice calls were Puppy Able, Puppy Baker, etc.  It cracked us up when first we heard Puppy OhOOO-boe from the English and Pu-Puppy Peter from the Italian.  T'was a long 10 days for sure - the weather was pretty rough on those little guys (roughly - we might call them PCs).  The troops didn't like the grind of course, but without fleet experience, we had to work hard to keep the faith.  And they did, they made it work.  After that cruise, the thirds both made second, all but one of the rest made third, and I made 1st.  I like to think the cruise had value.  It was during this tour that I drew on RD1 Clifford, more than once asking myself  "What would he do?"  Actually, it really can be "lonely at the top".

We went to the Bethlehem Steel Shipyard on Baltimore's Key Highway for four months (I think).  There was something called the "Drapes" across the road and up the hill unofficially known as ... mm., no - better not.  This was a large gang of teeny-boppers and others who seemed to prey on the folks below - in our case, there were several crew beatings and also several torn up crew owned cars parked along the lonely Key Highway at night.  Police apparently had little control over - or little will to control - the hoodlum activities.  It all pretty much ended after a dungaree liberty. 

As time passed in Norfolk, I felt in a rut what with Comm drills, Admin inspections, and being land-locked.  Determining that I'd never make chief without more sea experience, I asked for destroyer duty and left - back to Newport.             

There were:

BTFN Franklyn C. Bangs, Leominster, Mass. - We made many Norfolk to Boston runs together, alternately driving our own cars.  Frank and his family became my good friends.  He found my very first motorcycle which I bought for $500 - a 1951 Harley 45 cu. in. with bad rings and a big, big smoke cloud.  It was bright red with lots of chrome - of course.  I just HAD to have a machine after a ride Frank made happen.  We were driving back from Mass. one Sunday night and made our regular stop in a diner in Tappahannock, VA.  There he started talking with a "leather jacket" riding double with a "friend".  Next thing I know the "jacket and friend" are driving - we are riding - my first.  Frank got hit in the head by a bug nearly putting us both OOC - he was rocked for a while (somewhere between 50 and 70 mph).  We swapped vehicles again at the Newport News ferry.  My friend passed several years back.

RD3 Glen Brock (Texas) and RD3 Sallee (?):  We had our moments, but these two men were the mainstays of holding that Med cruise together.  They really worked, and after a to-do I had that took me off the watch bill for several days, they had it all to do.  A Tech Rep who was allowed to participate in CIC functions began some one-upmanship with respect to ship operations (maneuvering recommendations and such).  I believed he had over-extended his role and voiced that to my department head.  What the story was I don't know, but he apparently had someone's faith.  I felt that I'd been relieved, reported that fact to OPS and announced I'd be below should I be needed.  I think it was the third day that the word came down for me to resume my duties.  I've no idea what is fact or fiction, but I never did see that fellow in CIC again.  I had no "ramifications".

RDSN John Chaknis, Panama City, FL.:   Among other "events", there was the night he and another RD, coming down the pier very late, were "dueling".  Sword play at Midnight?  Something like that - they'd bought some souvenirs and decided to play the role.  In the late 1980s, early 90s, I was in Panama City several times on business.  He wasn't in the phone book.

RDSN Donald Geddes:  At Geddes' invitation, I attended a college "Hop" at his fiancé's Frederick, Maryland school.  College guys came in from all parts of the country for this annual event.  Traditionally, girls chipped in to pay the guys' motel bills; the guys paid for dinner, corsages, etc.  This was all very Virginian, very southern.  We had about six guys stuffed into a one-bed motel room (cots and sleeping bags appeared - by morning I think there were more than just six).  Dinner was great - big steaks on sizzling metal plates - $10 a pop (1953 dollars).  Well, there are always "leaders" right?  And this "leader" liked to talk - to command attention (particularly from neat young ladies).  The steak was getting cold, the table of 5 couples, some raptly listening to, and jabbering with, the "leader" - others (like me) fidgeting.  Finally, this high school drop-out, wearing the uniform of his nation and the "crow" of some respect by and for men of caliber, pointed down the table, and in a rather commanding voice said, "Please pass the KATCHYUP!"  Silence.  Absolute, sudden silence.  As if in shock these people acted like the world had just ended, I mean - no one puts Red Lead on steak - (but they can, without recourse, allow good food to grow cold, right?).  My introduction to college society, circa 1953.  The dance was good and my date sweet - a nice girl - who I never saw again and wouldn't know if we were to meet today.

Everglades was sold for scrap in 1991 - see AD-24
History:  Haven't found a source yet - any help out there?

USN Years
USS Hailey DD-556