USS Pillsbury Page Six of Memories
Here Is a list of the people I can remember:
LT Beers Supply , Lt Mauer OPS, LTJG Jacobson, LTJG Merrick EMO, LTJG Chainey?CIC
Donald Bovard ET3, Charlie Brown ET2, Caparelli RD2, DaleyRD3, Daniels SC1 ( Black), Ericson BMC ( El Dicko), Frank Fenton RD3, Clyde Frasier ENFN, Elmer Fredd ET2, Paul Freeman EMC, Grady RD3, Hall ET3, Heston ET3, Gerald Jenkins ET2, LEE RDSN, Lopez PN?, Dennis Lynch AG or RD, Richard Marcinkowski ET3, Ronny Jack McAfee ET1, R.T. Moore ET1, Moore IC3, Mauk DC3, Miles RD?, Parks RM?, Parsons ETSN, Hershel Arnold Richards RD3, Robinson FT2, Rose GM2,Steve Scales RD3, Stier CS1, Tealands ET3, Harold J Treuer ET2, Richard Turocy RD3, Jerry Van Cleave RD?, John R Walters RM3, Frank the Baker, The Carl ? Torpedoman that got Hit in the face with the cradle launcher.
Michael Lambert ETC Retired
Fellow swabbies,
I can't add any to the list, but I do remember Daley. He was the first
in my watch section to make RD3 and was a tall, lanky guy from the
south. I am still trying to remember the RD2 we had on board that was
from NJ. He was short and was Italian. His last name started with "S".
Regards,
Richard Turocy
Hi Mike!
Thanks for writing, I have heard from one other Pill sailor, but he was WWII type, a member of the capture crew. You are the first shipmate I have heard from.
A little updating: I came aboard in 1957 as an RD3, made RD2 before I left, was leading RD for a while. Denny Lynch was AG3...we worked together for a while. Miles was RD3. LPO when I came aboard was RD2 Jerry Salonia, then me, then Paul Strawser, RD2, then Eckhoff, RD1. We had a Melvin Mitchell, only slightly junior to me, he was RD2. He came aboard Uss Ozbourn as RD1 when I was the Chief, so we were together twice.
There was a Crissman, RD3, he helped me in the Post office. Before me, there was Willie (Clueless as to his name) YN2 running that operation. We had an RD2 nicknamed "Doggie", older, funny as hell. Jerry was RD3, don't know if he made RD2 or not.
The Torpedoman (TM2) was Carl...Wallings? Wallingford? Close, best I can do.
Skippers were: LCDR Harmon, (really cool) relieved by LCDR Harwood (even cooler).
X.O. was LT Bailey, his relief was from the USS Salem, had chronic seasickness, never saw him much.
Ops was LT Pete Wertz, was relieved by LTJG Mauer, who had been CIC Officer.
CIC Was Mauer, relieved by Ens Comstock.
Jacobsen was Gunnery.
I have a couple other names on the tip of my tongue, just not quite here yet. Lots of memories too. A sailor never ever forgets his first ship, or his first shipmates.
Pillsbury was sunk, "expended as a target". The author of "Destroyer Escorts" thinks she should have been saved, and preserved alongside U-505. I agree.
Denis LaCrosse RDC USN (Ret)
Hey Mike!
Thanks a lot! I recognized most everybody, specially Frank Fenton, we
were very good friends, and my family and I visited him on our trip to
CA for B school.
There's one more name, he was an Italian kid, really good sense of
humor, just can't remember. But I do now remember Leon Schnurr, from
"da Bronix", he was RD3.
Do you have anybody's e-mail besides me?
I had a lot of pics, even some when we were iced up, and others when
Hissem was alongside for highline transfer, and her bow, including the
sonar dome, was out of the water! Unfortunately, I got divorced, and
the ex took all that stuff.
I do have the original ship's picture, but I think all crewmembers got
that.
Incidentally, I am on the reunion committee for USS Sterett (DLG/CG31)
and we got started just the way you have, a handful of names, and we're
doing well, and it's fun getting together. And sea stories don't get
old, they just get better!
Denis LaCrosse
Wednesday PM, 4/3/2002
Michael,
What a small world. Yep, I'm the one that was aboard Pillsbury back then.
However, my period aboard Pillsbury was shorter than what you indicated. I
was only on here for just a little over a year. I transferred from her in
late 1957 to the USS Brough (DE-148) when they came around and asked for
volunteers to make the Operations Deep Freeze III cruise (Antarctica). I was
an RD3 at the time. And believe me when I say Michael, "I'm sure that I
remember you."
After Pillsbury and Brough, I served on the Willis a Lee for a while. Then
took an early discharge only to reenlist after a couple of months back in the
Midwest.
My fourth ship was the USS Kearsarge (CVS-33) out of San Diego, later Long
Beach. Then I went on to teach RD "A" school at Great Lakes. I made Chief
there in 1963. After "A" School it was off to "B" school (TI & San Diego for
about 47 weeks). From "B" School I was transferred to The Enterprise (CVAN -
65) in Norfolk. I served on her for a little over 4 years. I made E-8 and
E-9 and WO-1 while aboard Enterprise.
Would you believe that RDC Roy Maye (was aboard Pillsbury with us - He made
Chief there at the same time I made 3rd) was aboard Enterprise as an E-7
still. He worked for me after I made E-8 and was the first person to address
me as Mr. Van Cleave after I made warrant.
I'll fill you in on more details later. To make a long story short, "I
retired in 1991 as a LDO Ops Commander after 38 years of service). I just
couldn't figure how to get out.
Later Shipmate & Thanks for getting in touch with me. I'm looking forward to
hearing lots, and lots, of sea stories.
Jerry Van Cleave RD3 Van Cleave aboard Pillsbury (ship's image is attached)
Thursday @ 04:15 AM, 4/4/2002
Morning Michael:
Thanks for the pictures. They bring back some old, and I might add some good
and some bad memories. After looking them over, I recognize you, Turocy
(poor ugly washed out thing -- don't tell him that I said that) and
Caparelli. I vaguely remember a Fenton and a Daily, but no one named Baily.
You'll have to remember that while we were on the line back then; I was
strapped to an AN/Spa-8 repeater (lifting hooks) in CIC with a bucket at my
feet (strictly for emergency reasons). That may have impaired my memory for
life. I've often told the story that I was the only Pillsbury sailor that
could eat strawberries and ice cream and lose it before the ice cream melted.
At least that was the way it was for me the first few days at sea there in
the North Atlantic. Do you remember when we returned to Goat Island with the
AN/SPS-8 antenna lying on top of the pilothouse?
Were you aboard when they transferred me at sea in the summer of 1956 to the
USS Triton (SS-420)? My Mom had just died and the only way that I was able
to get back to her funeral was the at sea transfer. The Triton was returning
from the Med and was rerouted to pick me up. My division officer at the time
was ENS Beers.
Enough of the sea story stuff for now Shipmate.
Later,
Jerry Van Cleave
PS: Made it to the Fivekiller website yesterday PM and was surprised that you had used the picture of Pillsbury that I had uploaded several years ago. She does look a little ragged in the picture, doesn't she? But, as I reminisced earlier, those North Atlantic picket stations were no picnic when it came to weather conditions.
Hello, Jerry.
Yes, the world is getting smaller, and old shipmates seem to have a way.
Congratulations on a marvelous career. Sir! You would have fit in
quite well aboard Sterett, in '68, brand new, state of the art, picked
crew, and all officers who had anything to do with running the ship,
excluding CO and XO, were mustangs. LDOs in their respective rates.
I remember your name, and the fact you left Pillsbury and Newport for
southern climes. For me, Newport was quite cold enough. I don't recall
exactly when I left the Pill, but it was when she was to be
decommissioned in late '59/early '60. I went to Wagner (DER-539)
briefly, then H.R.Dickson, (DD-708) just as briefly, then to Norfolk,
GCA.
B- school in '62, Chief in '63, and Ozbourn (DD-846) same year.Sterett
(DLG-31 in '68. Yep, 7 years at sea.
I finally wound up on Enterprise, spent four years there myself.
Retired 6 mo after leaving her.
I remember a chief aboard Pill, pretty cool, but I don't think he made
it there. I recall he and Frank Fenton showing up at my doorstep one
night, seems I had to return to the ship immediately. "Returning to the
ship" meant a couple of hours in a local pub...sneaky devils, them!
We keep on going, we'll get the whole crew together!
For Mike...two new names: FT3 "robbie" Robinson...we did Lisbon
together, and ENS/LTJG Scherer, comm off, and postal officer...I had the
Post Office then.
Denis (Stretch) LaCrosse
Michael,
I can't remember Caparelli's first name, but he spoke with an Italian
accent and lived somewhere in New England. In MA, I think. I do remember
that when we were in port, his consuming passion was to get someone to
take his duties. I wish that I could be of more help, but he was a
whiner. Maybe he enlisted as a shortcut to citizenship. It seems that
the effort to find the shipmates is going swimmingly well. Keep me
posted. If we can find two shipmates in the same city, they might be
able to organize a reunion. Too much for one guy, especially in light of
our advancing ages.
Richard Turocy RD3
The only DK I remember is Robert Scott, he was a DK3, he was my best friend on board, we lost site of each other, I have been trying to locate him forever, but with a name like Scott, its pretty difficult, he was from Chemung, NY.
Another friend of mine from Danville, Pa. was Fred Stump, Engineman 3rd.
Another SK was Ronnie Muscarella, from NYC.
I remember the guys you mentioned, but don't remember their first names. I do remember Steir being the head cook, and Styles was the baker who worked for him.
Talk to you again, any chance of seeing that list of 50 names?
Frank "Zam" Zamboni SK2
It's wonderful you guys still have all your records, mine are gone.
Some notes:
Beers was Ops when I came aboard. Relieved by Pete Wertz.
I think I mispoke about Ens Scherer, I think that was supposed to be Ens Schriger. He was the postal officer.
Larimer rings a bell, EMO? Renner was Bailey's relief, came to us from Salem (CA-133...odd) and was seasick aboard the Pill.
Greco was a young (even to me) itilian officer, he held Catholic lay services on
Sunday
I think Tetrealt wound up in Ops somewhere, the name is very familiar.
Who remembers the Chief Engineer? Hee offered me lots of help when I was assembling my first HI-FI set...you remember those/ right? Before stereo? He was OOD at sea, very friendly.
Who remembers the pair of pickets when we ran out of fresh water? At one time, there wasn't enough water aboard to start the engines...the DCA ( tall, blonde, skinny, Gault, or something close,) cross rigged the evaps to get us something in the way of water. Hoses everywhere! For the crew, a dixie cup in the morning, drink it, shave in it, brush your teeth...but there was always coffee and juice, no problem with thirst, but our dungarees could stand alone!
Trivia, memories...all helps.
Denis LaCrosse.
Sunday @ 1800, 4/14/2002
Michael:
Thanks for the roster. There were a lot of the names listed that were
extremely familiar.
You mistakenly have me listed as a retired LCDR, I retired as a CDR (Ops).
In addition, if I'm not mistaken Dick Moore (ET1) also retired as a CDR (Elec
Tech)
Later Shipmate,
Jerry M. Van Cleave 9057 Marmont Lane Williamsburg, Virginia 23188-1263
And speaking of trivia, who remembers the pair of 59 degree rolls we took off Hatteras, returning from Gtmo? This sailor does, vividly!
Denis LaCrosse
In a message dated 4/28/02 4:21:03 PM Atlantic Daylight Time, Fivekiller1N@msn.com writes:
From my leave record aboard the USS Pillsbury
V.J. Greco Ens. Admin Asst. 6-30-56
R.M. Beers Ens. " " 10-29-56
R. Schriger Ens. " " 11-20-57
W.S. Larimer Ltjg " " 11-8-58
C.J. Renner Lt XO 3-23-59
Mike Lambert
Morning:
Good idea! I looked at my historical records and came up with the following names from documents signed by Pillsbury officers.
V.A. Tetreault Ens, -- Admin Assistant --1/19/57
R.M Beers, Ens, -- Admin Assistant -- 5/1/57
A. W. Harmon, LCDR -- Commanding Officer -- 10/1/57
P.H. Goulston, Ltjg -- Disbursing Officer/Personnel Officer -- 5/8/56
Later Shipmates,
Jerry Van Cleave
OK, while we're at it, Abel, BMSN or BM3, ran the paint locker, up in the forepeak. Who remembers going to get paint, and being yelled at by Abel, in his little kingdom? He always passed inspection, because he would pain his shoes just before!
Denis LaCrosse
You can add to this St Johns, The south Atlantic chasing Russian sub-Gibralter-
Harold Treuer
After this post, I will either be considered to have a brilliant memory (I don't, just little bits) or be consigned to the slop chute (which the Pill never had...fantail too close to the water!)
Jerry Jenkins, ET3/2, not very tall, quiet, softspoken, friendly. Dark hair. Distinguished himself by falling asleep in his bunk while smoking a cigarette, and putting the whole ship at GQ. We all recieved a minor admonition on site by I believe Lt(jg) Tetreault, CIC Officer, who did make the statement, that "Of all people, Jenkins, you are the last one I would think do something so stupid". We all learned a lesson.
Absolutely funny how some of these things stick with one, isn't it?
Someday, I will tell you all about my mast!
Denis LaCrosse
Richard:
I remembered your problem in Portsmouth but did not
bring it up in case you didn't want it to be
remembered.
Many of us had more alchohol than we should have in
those days. When I was in ET school in Great Lakes, I
was also in the Marching Band. The Band was usually
treated to food and drink and parties after the parades
we were invited to. There were a few of those parties
where I couldn't remember going back to the base from.
Buddies would load me on the bus and wake me when we got
back the North Chicago.
I don't have anything other than a beer or two. I have
fond memories, though, of the Pelham Bar in Newport and
the cattle cars that hauled us back and forth to the PX
in Gitmo. The "Bum-Boats" that came across the bay
after working hours were also something I liked in
Gitmo. The fresh pineapples and other treats they sold
were nice.
The whole Navy experience was rewarding for me. I often
wish I'd made it my career. We love the water so much
that we bought a house at the shore in Tuckerton. We'll
soon sell our house in Jobstown and retire in Tuckerton.
Last night, I found some slides of the Pillsbury, the
crew and Goat Island. I don't have a viewer or
projector any more so I can't give you details of just
who are in the photos. I have a scanner in Tuckerton so
I'll try to get them into JPEG files that I can send to
Mike to post on the website.
Here a work, My group is providing the power for today's
experiments so I've got to get our equipment ready.
I'll talk to you all later.
Elmer Fredd ET2
Michael,
There was only one Turocy aboard when I (the RD3) was on the "Pill."
Turocy is rather a rare surname, Hungarian, in fact. I was the chap that
got drunk in Portsmouth and ended up in a hospital in that English town.
I missed the ship, it had sailed to LeHarve. I remember taking the ferry across the Channel.
When I got back to the ship, I learned that the Captain chewed out the crew saying in effect that you
don't abandon a shipmate and cause him to miss the ship. What can you say, we were kids, but I sure wish I could remember the names of the two shipmates that were with me. I got a captain's mast and was
restricted to ship, but we sailed for the DEW line shortly after and it was a punishment without much teeth. I guess the captain had pity on my stupidity.
Richard Turocy
Hey Ole Buddy Treuer,
Course I joined the Air Force and retired here in '78
and stayed out here in what usta be gods country...lot
better duty than the old Flower Of The Fleet.
Wonder what ever happened to ole Jenkins and old Brown?
If I can find my old pics I'll scan em and send them on
to the old indian Lambert....give me his site
URL...think I got one of you in Gibralter with a band
aid on your eye?
Best Always,
Tom Cummings
Mike,
I was a Radarman Second Class when I got out in
Sept '59. Me and you along with RDman Clarence Miles and
I don't remember who else spent a weekend up in Albany
and Lake George, N.Y.....I remember you getting lost in
a city park one night and us looking for
you......*laffin*
I went back to civilian life for year and a half then
joined the Air Force....had to start as E-3 but retired
in June '78 MSGT..finnished up as Instructor/Instructor
Supervisor at old Lowry AFB here in
Denver.......Metrology... and we had USN and Marine
enlisted there too.....stayed here in Colorado and
getting ready to retire as staff member in College of
Eng....University of Colorado Denver....maybe later this
year?????
When I locate my old Pillsbury Pics I'll scan them and
send them along to you. I gotta pic of you Jenkins,
Fredd and Brown on the O1 Level dressed warm while we
were on picket.
Best Always,
Tom Cummings, MSGT USAF Retired
I probably did talk to you guys, but don't remember doing it a lot, everybody who passed stopped and talked. Don't think I ever cold coked anyone in a card game, although I played in a lot of them and usually lost. I am the guy who threw an ice pick at Ensign Beers at one of our enlisted men's picnic, after he ordered me to put back the beer that he and the other officers were stealing and putting in the trunk of their cars, they were putting it in and we were taking it out. I got a Capt. Mast and 30 days restriction, very lucky. I lived in Pa. but not Phila. about 120 miles north in a town called Mt. Carmel. If I could figure out how to use my scanner I could send you some pictures aboard ship. Soon as I do, I will.
Frank "Zam" Zamboni
Mike:
I remember Bob well, somebody engineered a swap between his DD and Pill, and I was the swappee. Capt. Harwood got wind of it, and put a stop to it, but Bob still came aboard.
Have you thought about taking all these email addresses and names, and perhaps starting a database? I have found one in Works 4.5 that seems workable, even for this pc illiterate. I could help, if you want.
I still have to unframe and take the old picture into the printrer for reproducing...soon, I promise.
Denis LaCrosse
Just some quick thoughts:
International call sign, NPEP. Voice call, I cannot recall. We normally steamed independently, didn't use it much/ Our Radio call letters were NAM1. I have that morse forever etched in my memory!
Station calls: 1- Grain, 2- Junction, 3-Goat Pen, four, Golden Chain (I think, but that may have been a squadron call, for the superconnies.)
Aircraft call was Knothole for sure. And on one picket, we lost 16 Knothole, just disappeared.
In the OI Div compartment, on the forward bulkhead, was a plaque; "Illegitemus Conad Non Carborundum" On the bottom it said "USS Pillsbury DER-133" Ship's crest?
Anybody else have any thoughts? Or memories?
For those who wish, I'm starting a database of all the shipmates we have any knowledge of. Names and rates I already have, Years aboard, addresses, any other info you would like to share would be helpful. Yes, even memories might fit.
Denis LaCrosse
Mike,
Just located my old Pillsbury photos will scan them and
send them to you attached to e-mail....I'm slow but it
will be soon....I have a good picture of Robert Turocy,
AG2 taken while on a tour to Fatima in Portugal.....also
yourself, Brown and Fredd dressed in foul weather gear
on the OI level.....plus the O Division Picture taken on
the pier at Lisbon, Portugal....wasn't that '58????....I
have a CRS (Can't Remember Chit) Syndrome.....
I'll send you a copy everything I have.....or can find...
BTW I think I went to the Receiving Station in Newport
with Jenkins to get discharged......was in September
1959.....I think??????....*Laffin*....
Best Always,
Tom Cummings
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Georgia.
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