DUANE Liberty Escapades
By
Pat Varallo
Bill
Malone and Pat Farrell (not their real names, in fact they weren’t even Irish)
were a couple of liberty hounds aboard the Cutter DUANE out of Boston.
Only a few things could keep them aboard ship: weather patrol and third section
duty!
They
were good friends with the Pharmacists Mate 1st class who was in
charge of the sick bay. So good in fact that he let them in on a secret—the
main door was dogged and secured when he was gone; the door opening to the main
deck was dogged only. He let Bill and Pat know that for whatever reason they
wanted, they were free to use it.
Bill
and Pat would answer 1:30 liberty call and disappear. They were next seen coming
up the gangway just before 8:00 am muster. The gangway watch could only watch in
amazement and amusement. They would be dragging their keisters.
During work details, the pair would walk around like poorly designed automatons ‘til noon chow call, then came alive again—a second wind! While they ate, one might be heard to say to the other: “Goin’ over?”
“Wanna?”
“OK”
1:30
liberty call would see them off again.
On
one occasion, Bill did another shipmate a favor and took his watch. Well, that
wasn’t stopping Pat. As he was leaving on liberty, Pat asked Bill if he wanted
him to bring anything back.
“Yeah,
beer and women.”
These
two young salts were dating a couple of Massachusetts’ fairest (?) young
ladies. They usually met at a tavern called the “Ex Cel” in a Boston suburb.
When he arrived at the Ex Cel alone the girls were disappointed that Bill
wasn’t with him.
“Let’s
go see him,” said one of the fairest.
Pat
bought a couple of cases of beer, hailed a taxi and off the three went to see
the fourth. They didn’t have Bridge in mind.
The
DUANE was docked at a civilian pier about half a mile south of
Constitution Wharf Coast Guard Base, moored port side to the dock. When the cab
arrived at the pier, Pat told the driver to stop at the entrance behind a
building, paid the driver, and told the girls to stay out of sight whilst he
looked for Bill.
Bill
was on gangway watch. When he saw his pal, he asked why he had returned so
early.
“You
said you wanted beer and women didn’t you?”
“You
mean . . . ?”
“Yeah!”
“I’ll
be forward in a minute.”
Pat
went back to the girls and waited for Bill’s signal.
The
ship was showing about 8 feet of freeboard above the dock. When his buddy
appeared, Pat handed him the beer and leaned against the hull. He cupped his
hands to form a step for the women while Bill hand-hoisted them aboard. Bill and
the women went aft on the starboard side into the sick bay. Pat went aboard as
if returning from liberty. The party began!
Soon
there were about a dozen people in the sick bay, but they weren’t sick.
Everyone was getting a little fuzzy and someone went for more beer. It’s a
wonder the OOD or some of the other officers did not hear the noise—sickbay
was practically above the wardroom.
Let
it be said that there was no sex going on at this party, but the women wanted to
see where their boyfriends slept. To avoid a bigger commotion, Bill and Pat
agreed to take them to the focs’le.
The
next morning at breakfast a sailor was heard to say that he had had the weirdest
dream. “I dreamed there were women running around the focs’le.
Talk
about pleasant dreams!