US Navy 1

Before I received my orders from Personnel, I became ill - very ill. I had the shakes; I had the chills; I was sweating; no explanation. One morning I literally passed out in the barracks. The Chief in charge called the infirmary and they sent over two Corpsmen with an ambulance, picked me up and took me to the hospital. First diagnosis - yellow jaundice!

All I needed was another shock. One day I would have an attack, the next day would be relatively calm. During the course of these malaria or yellow jaundice days attacks, I don't know at that time what it was. I thought it was malaria; the doctor said yellow jaundice. One day he would take my temperature and I was really shocked - I was sick! I was shaking like crazy and they couldn't put the thermometer in my mouth to take my temperature orally - and they had to use the other end.

I heard the Corpsmen talking - what's the temperature? 104! Are you sure? 104! Take it again. 104! They hit the panic button and called for the nurse. She came in and asked: "What's the problem?"

"The temperature is 104."

I had really hit the jackpot and for some reason, that 104 was a blessing. It broke the fever barrier and consequently I got better. In the interim, the Personnel Department had sent my orders over to the barracks, and the barracks had returned them to Personnel with a notation that this man was in the infirmary. The infirmary in turn sent the orders over to the hospital where it went through the paper mill. The staff doctor interviewing the transfer wrote a letter back to Personnel requesting that the order be rescinded and recommended that I not be sent to sea; that there were no guarantee how long these attacks would last and there was no guarantee when they would come back and that if I had been sent to sea, the attacks would occur at a more inopportune moment.

The doctor in charge showed me a copy of the letter he had sent and I was most grateful. Consequently, the personnel department at Treasure Island rescinded the order and sent new orders. I was to go home for 30 days then be reassigned to the receiving ship at Boston, commonly known as the FOGLE Building throughout the Atlantic coast, for reassignment. I finally got discharged from the hospital, went to San Francisco, bought my ticket and finally got on board the train that night.

The train would San Francisco to Chicago and a layover in Chicago; pick up a New York Central train from Chicago to Boston and get off at Worchester, Mass. Cost of the ticket - I don't know, but the one thing I did know was that I was going to ride coach all the way and I think the trip took about seven days. I definitely would not eat in the dining car - there was no way I would salvage my wallet if I went into the dining car, ate three meals a day, paid for the meals and tipped the waiters. We would get our meals (sandwiches and coffee) at major stops. perhaps there might be an American Red Cross unit on the platform that would give us coffee and donuts, We found out that the porters and waiters in the dining car would come through the coaches and would have hot coffee and sandwiches. For 40 or 50 cents, you could get a ham and cheese sandwich and a cup of coffee and that was it.

Now, this is sometime in the middle of December. It's cold outside and we're going to travel through the northern states from San Francisco to Chicago, and from Chicago to Boston. We get on the train.....the coach must be about fifty years old; it's dirty - it is filthy! You run your hand across the seat and back, and it's like working in a coal mine. On top of that- there is NO HEAT! We complained to the train crew but were told that this was old equipment; pipes must be clogged. There is very little steam heat, so everyone on that train (mostly sailors) suffered. It was cold in the cars and it was cold outside. We finally arrived in Chicago; laid over until that night.....picked up my train, landed in Worchester and got home the day before Christmas, 1944.

Fitchburg, my hometown, was cold and it was snowing. Show had fallen for days. The streets and sidewalks were impassable and the city plows and the maintenance department were unable to cope with all of the snowfall. I barely went outside. I was cold! I didn't want to walk around the streets as long as snow could not be removed.

Orders

At the end of my thirty days, in January of 1945, I left home and reported to the FOGLE building in Boston. I was told to come back in a couple of days. After my arrival, I picked up my Liberty Card and my work assignment. I was then told to report to the second deck and see the Chief in charge and get a bunk. Every day I would report back to the "Out Transfer" window hoping to get my orders - nothing. Day after day; day after day - other sailors went to the window and got their orders and were on their way. Finally, I received my orders - limited shore duty for six months, Submarine Base Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

I packed my bags, went to the voucher window and picked up my travel voucher, caught the streetcar outside the front door. At South Station, I took the elevator. At South Station, took the elevator - from South Station to North Station, went down below - waited for my train, B & M train from Boston to Portland with a stop at Portsmouth.

About an hour later, the train arrived at Portsmouth. I got out and as everybody seemed to be walking in the same direction, I followed and ended up in the center on town. I'm looking for the entrance to the Submarine Base - nothing! In desperation, I finally asked for help and was directed into a different street and told to keep walking. I would cross a bridge and make a right-hand turn, and there would be the gate. The southern section of the bridge was New Hampshire and the northern section was Maine. The bridge was across the Pittsaquaddie River, and the only entrance to the Submarine Base known as Portsmouth. The US Naval Submarine Base was in Kittery, Maine.

I approached the gate marked "FOOTPATH ONLY" and there was a large sign that read "RESTRICTED AREA - NO CAMERAS". I presented my orders to the Marine guard and the first thing he said was "Do you have a camera?" I told him I did and reached into my bag, and gave my camera to him. He gave me a receipt in return.

I asked for directions to the Personnel Office and finally ended up in the right building. I was told to report to a certain barracks that would be my home. I should also return and pick up my Liberty Card, my work assignment and my duty section. In the interim, I made the rounds of the Sub Base. I found the mess hall and Ship's Service. I looked at the drydock but the only place I didn't go was to the building ways and the slips where the subs were being built. There were signs all over:

"RESTRICTED"
"NO ADMISSION"
"NO CAMERAS"

More: The Way It Was: US Navy

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