Good Luck Abounds.......
Alpha to Omega
or The Beginning and Almost End of My Coast Guard Reserve Career
By C. W. Bailey
Dear Mr. Herbert:
That interesting article "USS
Wakefield In Singapore" in the Spring Issue of Quarterdeck Log
certainly awoke slumbering memories in this old sea dog and I was hoping
to find Mr. Reynolds’ E-mail address listed so I could write him a
postscript to the history of that venerable ship. Failing that, I would ask if
you would forward this to him.
In September of 1942 I was a brand new Ensign, directly commissioned from
the Merchant Marine, and hoping to get assigned to just such a type of ship. On
my very first day in the United States Coast Guard I received orders to report
to the CO of USS Wakefield, then arriving under tow to the Navy Shipyard Annex
in South Boston. She had burned at sea and was almost a total wreck. The
interior of the vessel had been completely burned out except for the engine
spaces which had escaped damage. Due to the urgent need for shipping she was to
be rebuilt. Her skipper had stayed aboard with the towing crew until she
reached safe harbor.
With my twenty-man security watch crew, we went aboard, appalled at the sight of
a beautiful ship brought to such a state. Not yet thoroughly indoctrinated in
naval courtesy, I approached the Three Striper Skipper and reported. I
forgot to salute. I guess he was anxious to get ashore as he said,
"She’s yours, son" and departed, taking no notice of my lack of Naval
courtesy. I never saw this officer again until ---- my very last day in the Coast
Guard as I was being discharged at the end of WW II.
Well, this duty was not quite what I had anticipated when I had heard about the
Coast Guard’s special recruiting program to get licensed merchant marine
officers in to help man the many transports that the Navy intended to have the
Coast Guard operate. My first command lasted only a week or so when I was sent
down to Florida to a one month training indoctrination with a number of other
merchant mariners. The war went on and I was assigned to one buoy tender after
another for the next four years, eventually commanding two of them.
On my last day of active duty I again reported to the same officer, who now was
a Rear Admiral in Honolulu. Fortunately he did not remember our first meeting
..... thank God. As I left his office after our farewells, his yeoman
stopped me in the corridor and told me he had just seen a letter from the
Admiral to HQ recommending me for a possible permanent commission in the Regular
Coast Guard.
I went home for three months of terminal
leave with high hopes.
Before the leave expired I had the letter asking if I wanted to return to active
duty. (it just happened that in that same week my fiance had changed her mind.)
You can guess my answer to HQ. I
was on the next available train.
I never ever did get the transport duty I had wanted but instead had a wonderful
thirty year career that encompassed nine real seagoing commands ---- five buoy
tenders, a lightship and three major cutters.
So I guess you can understand how I could be interested in seeing
Mr. Reynolds’ vibrant article.
Regards,
Bill