SEA STORIES

On The Shelves of Jack's Joint

Updated Sunday, April 08, 2001

      

·        Reflections on a 1930's Enlistment by Robert C. Smith - [837 words] - Looking backward to the Coast Guard of the depression.

·        U.S.S. General Aultman by Jim Gill - [828 words] - A voyage to remember.

·        The Unsinkable Derelict by Richard White - [471 words] - A large, overturned fishing vessel was in the channel and the Minnetonka was diverted to get it out of there

·        CGC Iroquois Vs. the HASP - Another Version by Lou Grebbien - [728 words] - This most famous of stories from Coast Guard lore is told again by a different story teller.

·        Always Ready by Dave Moyer - [728 words] - Another story added to the Owasco Chronicles.

·        The High Speed Approach by Floyd Stormer - [458 words] - The GITMO Gang isn't always right as this story illustrates.

·        The Brown Christmas by Matt S. Gann - [318 words] - So there we were on the Yacona in Kodiak with the Christmas Day Duty.

·        Howling Winds; Turbulant Waters© by J. C. Carney – [3926 words] – One of the better authors of factual Coast Guard literature chronicles the story of the daring rescue of the crew of the SS Ragny by the CGC ESCANABA.

·        The Big Catch by Megan Andrews – [270 words] – A fish story.

·        Duty on a "Q" Ship by Lynn Bilyeu - [546 words] - Just think of the fun it would have been if the Navy would have given us a lot of these ships instead of the AVP's.

·        Ditch and Rescue by Wayne Hokom - [1056 words] - A first hand account of the 1956 ditching of PanAm flight 563 and the rescue by the CGC Ponchartrain. Additional linkage provided with the story.

·        Dave by Dave L. Moyer - [271 words] - From the Owasco Chronicles - The effect of a sailor's last words.

·         "Jughaid" by Jack Baines - [1489 words] - Life in the Depression.

·        Ground Hog Day at Sea by Charlie Spencer - [532 words] -Another 255 yarn.

·        Genesis of a Rank by Al Siegrist - [210 words] - This tale could be called a sea story.

·        Another Evergreen Story By Mark Wood – [367 words] - Morale hit it’s nadir when this most notorious of all cutters left Governor’s Island.

·        A Lesson in Rate Nomenclature by Bob Reding – [499 words] As an "Old Salt" with three years under my belt I still had something to learn….

·        White Hull Christmas - Anonymous Poem - [370 words] Purloined from Fred's Place

·        Steering Casualty Drill(s) - Bill Shaffer - [219 words] - Ensigns always have an answer.

·        The Italian Navy by J.C. Carney (as told to him by Jim Van Horn) - [357 words] - Those 255 sailors are at it again, this time it is a happening on the KLAMATH.

·        Backfired by J.C. Carney (as told to him by Jim Van Horn) - [288 words] - How vulgarity was cured on the MORRIS.

·        Convoy Escort - 1943 by Bernard Lehrer -[294 words] -A brief reminisce of a wartime experience.

·        The Escanaba by Jack Eckert - [3526 words] - An essay.

·        A Water Spout By Any Other Name…. By Bob Reding – [605 words] – A young striker is at a loss for words.

·        The Red Headed Albatross by Dave Bailey - [218 words] - An XO is caught up in a hoax perpetrated by the crew.

·        The 1956 Summer Cruise - [519 words] - Purloined from "We've Been There" by Esther Stormer ©1962

·        Drama at Sea by Bob Foley - [2249 words] - A composite Coast Guard rescue at sea.

·        CGC Iroquois Vs. the HASP by Jack Eckert - [274 words] - Guns almost ablaze!

·        Duty On The CGC Cayuga by Jim Donahue - [424 words] - Two brief tales about life in the pre WWII Coast Guard.

·        Tribute to a Coast Guard Wife by G.R. Newman - [218 words] - Take a minute to read it and then kiss your spouse.

·        Strange Experiences, Weird Places and Impossible Situations by L. Bradford - [363 words] - Climbing a ships mast is almost like climbing a tree or is it?

·        The Paper In The Safe Author Unknown – [285 words] - What was it that made this Captain so different?

·        Routine Action At Sea from Brian Bailey's Calypso Site - [1440 words] - A daring rescue by the CGC Calypso during WWII.

·        The Sinking of the Tamaroa by Jim Perkins - [2930 words] - If you have to sink you may as well do it in a floating drydock.

·        Iris' "Sweet" Anchors by Jim Oss - [588 words] - A tale of mischief and intrigue.

·        The Snipe - [191 words] -This bit of doggerel contributed by John Ingram.

·        Courier Tales by Paul R McKenna - [2423 words] - The Courier was the Voice of America ship stationed at the Isle of Rhodes

·        The Boys In Navy Blue - Author Unknown -[846 words] Submitted by Jim McAllister, formerly of the Royal Canadian Navy.

·        Matagorda's Last Voyage - by Gene Blackwell - Link to a story from Ken Laesser's site.

·        Salty Jack by Bob Gaut - [437 words] - A bit of doggerel submitted by a retired school superintendent.

·        Along the Frozen Front (World War II in the Arctic) by Bruno Yoka - [1402 words] - An adventure on the Greenland Icecap.

·        A Few "R-Rated" Kickapoo Stories - by Johnny Johnson -[686 words] a word source for a new vocabulary.

·        "Barney Sez" by Jack Baines - [422 words] - One day a different pet dropped in on theTANEY.

·        Operation Torch By W.E. Ehrman - [1222 words] How the original SEBAGO and PONCHARTRAIN met their deaths.

·        No Receiver? No Parts? No Liberty! by Jack Baines - [166 words] - Long title, short story.

·        The "W" Incident - by J.C. Carney - [723 words] - A tale of "sweet revenge."

·        Snipes Lament - [408 words] - Words From the Forgotten Ones.

·        Tet by Dave Moyer - [867 words] - From the Owasco Chronicles.

·        The CG-83312 Adventures by Don Gardner - [2414 words] - It was 1949 and this was life on a wooden hull 83 footer.

·        Forcing Haitians Home by Lisa Danielle Healy - [911 words] - You are pretty hard hearted if this story doesn't bring a tear to your eyes.

·        Gresham Episodes by Don Gardner - [1338 words] - Weather Wagon mischief.

·        Sailing Under the Black Flag By Jack Eckert - [744 words] - A Real Life Adventure.

·        Huff-Duff and the Coast Guard by Bruno Yoka - [645 words] - An article about early electronic detection equipment first used in WWII.

·        Right Ship - Wrong Time - by Charles Spencer - [546 words] This could only happen to a ..........

·        Shanghaied - A sea story by Paul McKenna as told to Jack - [400 words]

·        Coast Guard Surfmen on the USS Fuller(AP-5) by CBM(L) Mawood Boole, USCG (ret) as told to Richard Chenery [411 words] A short reminisce about mixing Coast Guard and Navy Crews.

·        The Boatswains Mate - A poem courtesy of Mike Williams.

·        Song of a Sea Sick Sailor - [167 words] - A True to life poem

·        Sometimes You Just Don't Know Who You Are Talking To by Paul R. McKenna - [339 words] - A Weather Wagon sea story of yore.

·        Coasties On The Rampage by John R. Smith - [612 words] - Crewman of the CGC Northwind have the final say.

·        Golden Stream by Johnny Johnson - [226 Words] - An original alibi is developed.

·        I'd Like To Find The Guy That Named The Coast Guard By Chris Yachic - [497 words] -The melody has long since been lost but here are the words.

·        And This Aint No Sh _ T! by Homer Dean - [188 words] - All Sea Stories start out this way ...

·        "Sinbad" The Four-Legged Sailor by Larry Baker - [1379 words] - [From the U.S. Coast Guard "Retiree Newsletter", July 1988, Issue 7-88]

·        "Sinbad" Has A Snoot Full by Otto Freytag - [379 words] -This is one of the scores of tales told about "Sinbad."

·        Brief Notes On My World War II Service -by Ralph J. Rogers - [555 words] - My decision to join the Coast Guard was simple: I liked riding a ship better than walking and marching .......

·        Nine Wonderful Years In The Coast Guard by Andy Sallet - [5972 words] Mr. Sallet had an interesting "half-career".........

·        How to Lose an Anchor by Jack Eckert - It is Harder Than You Think.

·        Fresh Hot Bread - by Ralph H. Davis - [138 words] - If this doesn't jog your memory, nothing will.

·        One Hell Of A Storm - by J.C. Carney -[3075 words] - When a sinking Spanish freighter sent out an SOS during a storm in heavy Atlantic seas, the Coast Guard Cutter ESCANABA II (WHEC-64) sprang into action.

·        The Ersatz Boatswain's Mate by Joe Rush -[1061 words] - A mistake of monstrous proportions was almost made. . 

·        Monster Maggie of the Mackinaw by Floyd Stormer - [386 words] - The mascot every crewman hated.

·        When the Tucker (CG-23) Got Tight by Al Siegrist - [708 words] - That night back at sea, it was obvious some of the crew had been drinking as many began singing and staggering about it....

·        East To The Orient - Part of the Saga of the U.S.S. WAKEFIELD (AP-22) [3 November 1941 to 23 February 1942] by Quentin McKay Greeley – [2,225 words] - This is the first of several stories of the Wakefield, the largest ship ever manned by Coast Guard personnel…..

·        Into The Tempest - A Young Man Coming Of Age In The U. S. Coast Guard – [13,401 words] by Don Hutchings - While this story is fiction it is based on the experiences of the author 40 years ago. The language gets a bit “salty.” Not to worry as this was the language of the mess deck.

·        The Demise Of Monster Maggie  By Alban Landry – [375 words] - This sequel solves a mystery.

·        Nautical Terms and Phrases – Origin of many terms. [No word count] Link to the U.S. Naval Historical site.

·        Fire in the Bilges by Ken Smith - [494 words] -A young sailor learns the duties of a fire watch the hard way

·        A Hero is Discovered by Dave Moyer - [1417 words] - From the Owasco Chronicles.

·        Ode To The Eastwind  - Painting and Poem by Martin Sheridan – [138 words] - Gone but not forgotten. 

·        Market Time by Dave Moyer - [638 words] - From the Owasco Chronicles.

·        Too Fat by R.A. Johnson - [366 words] - A good short sea story that almost tells itself.

·        Deer Hunting on Drummond Island by James Waesche- [408 words] - A story about the little known R&R on the

·        The Shortest Story - Author Unknown - [103 words]

·        At Last - Coast Guard Navy Bean Soup by Jim King - [414 words] - Try it You'll like it.

·        How to Simulate Shipboard Life - [645 words] - For the Old Salt Longing for the Past.

·        Snafu In Chicago By Ron Reynolds – [474 words] - Murphy showed up one day in Chicago along with the Northern Inspectors.

·        There are Some Days Nothing Goes Right by Tom Fleming - [406 words] - It is the small vignettes of life that trigger the memories. This is one of those.

·        New Years Eve at Sea - [285 words] - A first log entry

·        Stay Inboard of the Bight by John Russell - [552 words] - Safety First on the Buoy Tender of yore.

·        The Whiskey Mine by Harold Doan - [453 words] - Somewhere in the Coast Guard world it can be found.

·        The Death of the Coos Bay by Jack Eckert - [1112 words] - And like the Phoenix .........

·        The Germination Of A Successful U.S. Army Career By John F. O'Brien - [278 words] - When a Coastie ends up permanently in another service there must be a good reason....

·        Man Your Battle Stations By Bob Coppens - [134 words] This was no drill....

·        Chiefs In Greece By Paul R. McKenna – [1047 words] – A little mischief on foreign soil.

·        Action At Guadalcanal by Raymond Evans – A story about Douglas Munro and Ray Evans – A link to the CG History site

·        Three Minutes That Rocked The Coast Guard - By David Ballingrud © St. Petersburg Times, published January 28, 2000 - When the Blackthorn sank after a collision in the Tampa Bay ship channel, a part of the service was lost, too. (LINK)

·        Burley, A War Dog - By C. J. "Mickey" Potter - [662 words] From The Coast Guard Navy of WWII by W. E. Knight --  Copyright 1998 - Reproduced by Permission -- "She was a sea dog and only knew the sea."

·        Hooligan Days By Sam Smith - Copyright 1998 Sam Smith - Reprinted by Permission of the Author – [10,962 words] – Sam’s Odyssey begins in 1961 and takes us through OCS, The Second Coast Guard District Office, and the CGC SPAR.

 

 

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