The U. S. Army transport Hugh J. Gaffey left Bremerhaven Germany December 28. 1948, bound for New York with a small load of passengers and troops aboard. No one thought much about rough weather but two days out we struck a storm that rolled the ship over on her side and then smashed towering seas against her as she started to right herself. Port holes cracked and exploded like pistol shots. The shatterproof glass was gone before any one in the main lodge realized what had happened, and the water with part of its force spent, swished back and forth, knocking people down like ten pins. It ran down the main stairway like a full fledged river, and into the dispensary and hospital where the troops scooped it up by the buckets as the staff tried to wade around giving first aid. An oxygen tank broke loose in the operating room and rolled merrily back and forth from one bulkhead to the other breaking bottles and causing havoc wherever it hit.. But the Chief character of this story nearly lost his life.

Gus Brown, third mate, age 57?(thats what Gus says) was on the prom deck securing a ladder when wave 1 struck on the starboard side. Now Gus has held a Masters license for 30 years, and has sailed with the best of them. He was the skipper of the Eleaner Bolling, Admiral Byrd's ship and piloted her safely though arctic waters. His adventure at sea fill not one but three volumes. He rescued Rip Davy off ( ) Island and has been skipper under sails, steam and diesel, but never before did he look death so closely in the face. Before he could grab ahold of anything another wave struck and washed him along toward the fan tail, Somewhere, somehow his heal caught in behind two pipes and that's where the crew found him, battered and bruised and lacerated, but still navigating.(Gus you number wasn't up).

Gus doesn't say much about his narrow escape. Just takes it as an everyday occurrence and claims He's going to keep his date in Brooklyn the night we dock, come hell or high water.

Well Gus we wish you luck all there is. There are few enough of the old times left from those days, when they made wooden ships and iron men and to day, its ion ships and well They don't all have what it takes like you did' We're all mighty proud to be your shipmates and we hope we can just keep sailing along with you for a long long time, because we know what it is to meet a regular guy and Gus you're regular.