National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors Autumn 2009
This Edition . . .
USS ATR 13
USS Chowanoc ATF 100
Pod Propulsion
Ship Strength Chart
Updates
. . . and more
USNS Narragansett T-ATF 167
TOWLINE National A ssociation of Fleet Tug Sailors
Special Announcement 3
Let me take you on a sea cruise.
Lost and Found 4
Shipmates are shipmates forever.
Chairman of the Board Submit stories to: Pod Propulsion 8
Jack Sweet
A primer on this unique method of propulsion.
President Towline@NAFTS.com
Rodger Dana Subs, Steam and a SNAFU 11
Vice President A NAFTS member‟s introduction to his ship.
(or via the mail to) The “Terrible Tug” 12
Jim Wassmuth
Treasurer
Rich Tetrault A great WWII tale about USS Chowanoc ATF 100.
Nick Radke Towline Material Cocopa Capture 17
Secretary 216 Nesmith St. WWII Japanese holdouts surrender . . . Finally.
Tom Thomas Suite 4 Now and Then 18
Directors Lowell, MA 01852 Me and Stanley.
Neil Bjornsen (978) 459-5334 Apache Sharpshooter 19
Bob Campbell A case of fearlessness on the fantail.
Mike DeCesare Ship Strength 20
Ray Evans Submit Membership A chart showing ship strength dating back to 1917.
Ed Ford Photos of Note 22
dues or questions to:
Joe Giangrosso Some interesting photos sent in to us.
Ted Hillman
Harry Jaeger Tom Thomas
Clyde Longerbone 19416 Mohawk Rd.
Ned Lundquist Bend, OR 97702-8908
Allen MacPherson
Craig Rothhammer Snipe@NAFTS.com Departments
Ralph Smith NAFTS Toll-free
Rich Tetrault (866) 652-2038 2 Editor’s Notes 27 In Memoriam
Bob Yates
2 President’s Corner 27Chaplain’s Corner
NAFTS is the National Association
of Fleet Tug Sailors. A non-profit
26Membership Matters 28NAFTS Ship’s Store
veteran‟s group made up of the men
and women who served in the tugs Color photographs:
and salvage ships of the United
States Navy, Coast Guard, and
Army any time since the first mili- Cover: St George Reef Light contributed by Terry Vincent Retired DCCS USCG
tary tug was commissioned in the who said, ”the reef was ok on a calm day but when the weather was up she was a bitch. I
war between the States until the was boat engineer sometimes and the only way to resupply and swap crews was to go
present. The Towline has a circula- under the boom hook on the left side of the pic. We would resupply St George every
tion of approximately 1,400 and is other week.”
published on a quarterly basis by
NAFTS. The subscription is in-
cluded in the annual membership Inside front cover:USNS Narragansett T-ATF 167 from the NAFTS archives.
dues paid by the members. Inquir-
ies can be directed to:
Rich Tetrault Inside back cover:USS Moctobi ATF 105 circa mid-1960's from Steve Bingham.
Towline, 216 Nesmith St. Suite4
Lowell, MA 01852
(978) 459-5334 Back Cover: USS Coucal ASR 8 date unknown. Contributed by NAFTS Board
Member Craig Rothhammer
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TOWLINE National A ssociation of Fleet Tug Sailors
Shipmates & Mates, As of this date (13 September) we have forty-eight
members registered for Las Vegas. Adding spouses
Time for another great issue of and guests, the total is 98. We hope that many more
TOWLINE and another Bravo- will register before the 16 October cut-off date (later
Zulu for our ace editor/publisher, is possible, but it will cost extra).
Rich Tetrault. We also thank Barb for being extra
supportive. Please don‟t forget to bring something special to add
to the 20th anniversary raffle prize list.
Now that the crops are harvested, everything canned
& frozen, and Dot‟s new knee installed, we are debat-
ing driving or flying to Las Vegas. There is lots of SEE YOU in LAS VEGAS
wild and beautiful country side between Castle Rock Dot says Hi
and the Glitter Gulch, a two-plus day drive. Flying Rodger
time is two hours. We will see how the new knee
feels about being cramped into a plane. One thing for
sure, we will be there for the 20th anniversary reun-
ion! Remember the tenth reunion when the HOPI
crew, especially Bob & Kendra Roy hosted it near
Boston?
Ahoy Tuggers, The NAFTS Las Vegas Reunion will take place No-
vember 16 to 20. We sure hope you signed up to at-
The last edition of TOWLINE had a few tend and we look forward to meeting some new faces.
errors. The biggest mistake was the use There will be a full report on the Reunion in the Janu-
of an incorrect member database to print ary Winter Edition. We‟ll also fill you in on our next
the labels. So that printed all the labels Reunion. We‟re looking into a possible west coast
with an incorrect “dues due” date. Poor cruise and it appears that there are some great deals
Tom Thomas out in Oregon, our Membership Secre- out there so standby to get underway!
tary, got deluged with emails, telephone calls, and
letters from members querying their dues payments. Our new printing company has all new improved
The company we use for printing the TOWLINE has presses and the contents of TOWLINE should print
been sold and during the transition to the new com- more clearly and crisply. We‟re always trying to im-
pany they mistakenly used an older database. It‟s a prove the magazine and hopefully this issue reflects
learning curve error and hopefully it won‟t happen that.
again. My apologies to all of you, especially Tom.
Keep those stories coming!
Also, as I was assembling the stories for the last edi-
tion I soon found that I had too many. So, I had to cut
back a couple of tales and I forgot to change the list-
ing of them on the cover. So it incorrectly listed that
there was an ATR story inside, along with a chart
about navy ship strength. Both of these are in this
edition. More apologies.
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Standby to get
Underway
NAFTS is close to finalizing a plan to have our 2010
Reunion aboard a cruise ship out of California. This
will be a first for our organization and the attractive
rates that cruise lines are currently offering will make
this a very affordable and very memorable event. It’s
not a “done deal” yet but it appears that we will have things ironed-out at the Las
Vegas Reunion this November. Details will be in the Winter edition of Towline
which is due in January. Set the Special Sea Detail, light off all main engines and
cast off all lines. We’re going to sea.
Why now? What Cruise Line will we use?
Cruise lines rates are at their lowest in years as Royal Caribbean seems to have the best deals for our
they try to cope with losses due to the recession. needs. They are not “Party Boats” with a younger
These low prices may not be in effect in later years. boisterous crowd and they offer us free use of rooms
for Membership Meetings etc. Nothing is finalized
Why California? but RC has our interest for now.
Due to the hurricane season and our traditional Au-
tumn Reunion date, a California based cruise is ideal What about land tours?
for our needs. There will be land tours offered in every port that we
visit and there will be extra charges for them. Land
What will it cost?
We are working on very affordable prices but your
individual costs will depend on your cabin selection.
Cheaper cabins are on the inside of the ship and have tours are optional.
no windows. Outside cabins with windows or balco-
nies are more costly. This is all just a preliminary headsup so that mem-
bers can start making plans now. Nothing is
What is included in our costs? written in cement yet but I’d start picking out new
Pretty much everything. Your cruise price includes bathing suits just in case. Keep an eye out for the
all meals and snacks, all entertainment, movies, the Winter TOWLINE!
use of the pool, etc. Drinks are not included. There
will be a casino aboard. You are expected also to
“tip” your room steward, your waiter, and others.
Where are we cruising to?
We have two potential destinations in mind. South,
to the Mexican Riviera or North to Alaska. The final
decision will be made at our Las Vegas Reunion. We
expect to book a 7 day cruise.
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TOWLINE National A ssociation of Fleet Tug Sailors
A few issues ago we ran some photos in our “Now & Then” section of USS Chowanoc ATF 100
shipmates, Ray Vasquez and George Gawlik, who re-united after too many years apart. Now
Ray has sent us some more info including the discovery of another shipmate, Ralph Mills, and he
sent along some photos of their reunion. It had been well over fifty years since the trio had been
together in 1956. They're all a little older. Perhaps a little grayer. But they will always be ship-
mates . . . and that is something that time can never change.
By Ray Vasquez ET3 Ralph and I had shared many great, exciting, and
Thanks to the relentless efforts of Rodger Dana to memorable liberties both in the Aleutians and in San
find and locate old shipmates, my good buddy, Ralph Diego. One of those memorable liberties was pub-
Mills PNSN, was finally located earlier this year in lished in the April 2005 issue of THE TOWLINE
sunny Southern California after a few years of search- under the title “A LETTER FROM HOME” which
ing. relayed the story of when he and I got lost on Kiska
in May 1956.
Since Ralph was originally from Kentucky, my good
buddy, RM2 George Gawlik, and I tried to locate him The next memorable liberty Ralph and I had was a
in that area with no luck, then one day, earlier this couple of days after we returned from the six month
year, Rodger Dana e-mailed me that Ralph had been Aleutians tour. After months of cruising back and
located. Wow! What a blast! forth between Adak and Attu, Amchitka, Kiska, and
Naknek Bay where the most exciting liberty was the
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TOWLINE National A ssociation of Fleet Tug Sailors
beer runs to deliver supplies and beer to the Naval snoring like a tug boat fog horn.
Detachment on Attu and an R&R stop on Kiska we
were ready to go ashore for some real liberty when The next morning they woke me up and hauled me to
we hit San Diego. the Chowanoc‟s gangway. They handed me the at-
tached slip and gave a copy to the quarterdeck watch
A couple of days after docking at the Naval Base,
Ralph and I decided to go ashore together. We must
have visited every bar in TJ and San Diego – the
memory got foggier as the hours ran their course.
Along about 1:00 AM or so, Ralph and I were headed
back to the ship, strolling along, singing and having a
grand old time celebrating being back “stateside”. We
were walking down the middle of Broadway ( we did-
n‟t want to risk walking on the sidewalk for fear of
falling off the curb). As luck would have it, along
comes a police squad car. They pulled over and es-
corted us to the sidewalk. After checking our I.D.
and confirming that we were in our legal right to hav-
ing consumed a little alcohol, they wanted to know Later that day, Ralph was delivered to the Chowanoc.
what we were doing walking down the middle of the I asked what had happened and he told me he had
street. Ralph pointed out there was no law against developed a sudden case of “fat lip” while explaining
that. his rights to the cops.
After a brief private conversation between them- A few days later I went on 30 days leave enroute to
selves, the police officers decided that we should be my next duty station which was the NATO COMMU-
taken in for public intoxication. NICATIONS CENTER, SOUTHERN EUROPE,
CINCSOUTH, Naples, Italy. There were other fun
Ralph would have none of that. He explained to the liberties in the Aleutians as depicted in the following
officers that we were old enough to have “a few” and photos.
were not intoxicated. Besides, Ralph stated, we had
rights, etc. etc.
After a few minutes of listening to my self-
proclaimed barrister buddy they decided to call the
Shore Patrol. While we waited for the Shore Patrol to
arrive, Ralph continued to argue our case. By the time
the Shore Patrol meat wagon arrived, the police offi-
cers had heard enough about our “rights”.
They handed me over to the Shore Patrol and told the
SP‟s, “Take this guy (me), we are going to keep this
one (Ralph). He has too many rights.” As they were
assisting me into the Shore Patrol meat wagon I
looked over my shoulder and saw my good buddy
being escorted to the back seat of the squad car.
When we got to the Shore Patrol Station on 2nd Ave.
they took my wallet and valuables and “poured” me
into a cell with stainless steel deck and bulkheads
with rounded inside and outside corners. The floor
was covered with sailors in various stages of dress
and in the most God-awful contortions. Some were
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TOWLINE National A ssociation of Fleet Tug Sailors
That was then and this is
now . . .
My wife and I had planned for some time on going to
South Pasadena to visit one of our daughters and La
Mirada to visit a sister for Thanksgiving so I let
George and Ralph know of our plans. It turned out
that we could fit in a mini reunion of three great bud-
dies from The Chowanoc‟s Aleutians Cruise from
1956.
George and I had met several times since Roger Dana
had located us a few years back but this would be the
Above: George Gawlik, Ray Vasquez, and Ralph Mills.
first time I saw Ralph since October of „56. On Tues-
day November 25, 2008 around 2:00 PM we met at
George‟s home in Van Nuys. Below: Ralph, Ray, and George
Rita Mills, Carena Gawlik and my wife Gerry had
heard our sea stories so often for so long that they
were not “strangers” at all. It was one great feeling to
be together again with two of my best buddies from
those Navy days.
After a couple of glasses of fine Merlot, thanks to
George and Carena‟s hospitality, reviewing pictures
from that cruise and recounting some tall tales we
headed out to the Claim Jumper for dinner. What a
fine time we had. They say wine gets better with age;
well, the same can be said about friendship.
Remember!
If your mailing address
changes you MUST notify us
to continue receiving TOW-
LINE. Some members move
to warmer climates in the
winter and forget to timely
notify us. The Post Office
will not forward bulk mailed
magazines. We are not
equipped to make any
“automatic” changes so be
sure to let us know each and
every time you move. Call
Tom at our toll free number
in Oregon 1 (866) 652-2038
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TOWLINE National A ssociation of Fleet Tug Sailors
Pod Propulsion
NAFTS member Bill Grant has barrels full of tales. He sent us a WW-II story about Kiowa towing
barges from NY to England that we published a while ago and he is always a good source for stories and
info. He did some research into “Pod Propulsion” when he encountered it on a cruise ship. It’s an inter-
esting method for propelling and maneuvering the giant cruise ships of today, whereby the props are at-
tached to pods that can rotate 360 degrees and allows the ships to dock unassisted. Bill starts his tale with
some basic info about his career.
The Navy didn't know what to do with me. I was elementary school attended by our two children was
sworn-in as an Ensign in the spring of '42 And they so zoned. [Madam chose that venue to
'lost' my papers. I didn't go on active duty until late launch her (short lived) political career as Chairman
summer of '42, thereby costing me "a half-stripe"! it of the first popularly elected Community
was so onerous that I was in Boston and was forced to School Board] This triangulated block is wholly oc-
borrow $5 from a classmate that I knew from high cupied by three 7 storied apartment houses, say 500
school, to eat. families.
This limbo continued after completing a course in One day in the fall of 1959, the ladies were airing
LOCAL DEFENSE (small vessels) in South Boston their off-spring in carriages in one of the parks
(across Summer Street from Pier 5) I was 'loaned' to a between the buildings, one of the early “shoots” of
Diesel School at Wentworth Institute on Huntington the Space Capsules was completed when two
Avenue [where they made me X-0] after teaching monkeys, Abel and Baker, alit in the South Atlantic
Celestial Navigation in South Boston. Ocean. This module was hoisted aboard by
I was sent to Charleston, SC for the USS Kiowa ATF the USS Kiowa (ATF 72).
72, which was being fitted-out. A real good prospec- One of the mothers mentioned to the group that her
tive CO (who won a Navy Cross on the USS Owl husband, Fred Alter, was on the rescuing ship,
ATO 137) sent me to Norfolk to the USS Altair For The Kiowa! My wife piped-up so was hers! It seems
communications and the USS Wyoming for gunnery. that Fred was the Exec during the Korean
When I returned to Charleston, the Good skipper [he War and I had occupied the same sac as I, in World
flunked the annual physical (temporarily)] was re- War II. Fred was an authority on
placed by a bad apple. the manufacture of paper for imprinting (not a strange
My eMail address, WIGNAV was stenciled on my field in NYC where printing is prime) Fred
first helmet, (my initials + job) and his wife, Cleo bought an Inn near Middlebury,
Discharge: In Spring of 1945, left the "K" to be CO Vt. and became successful „inn-keepers‟. He
(USS Cocopa, ATF 101). After a leave, I went to Pier died several years ago. I, on the other hand, never left
88, North River, NYC for Salvage work (after 3 years the sea. I was a corporate officer for a
salvage experience at sea, and as a diver, then over to conglomerate which built ships in Camden, NJ and
the Brooklyn Navy Yard for fire school, [we had six broke (other) ships in Tampa, FL. Then I
nozzles P&S in Normandie] owned a US-flag ship line which was a common car-
By that time, WWII ended. The training in NYC was rier between US (Gulf + East Coast) and
"temporary duty under instruction" equating those the Indian sub-continent.
months as @ sea yielding an extra quarter-point/
month . . . which pushed my point count over the My wife, Jacqueline, and I have been on a dozen or
minimum for discharge. Since the summer of 1958, so cruises which gave me the incite for this disserta-
my wife and I have lived in a borough of New York tion.
City, Queens, in an area officially designated as Kew
Gardens, but known to us as Briarwood wherein the
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TOWLINE National A ssociation of Fleet Tug Sailors
One of the few innovations which have carried over have been made obsolete by the above mentions pods
from the World War II era tugs in Maritime Circles is which have multiple uses, depending on their orienta-
DIESEL-ELECTRIC PROPULSION! Up to a dimin- tion in the (360° horizontal plane) gamut of positions
ishing point, merchant ships housed larger and larger {see chart for various attributes} No harbor tug(s)
diesel engines as driving mechanism. are required in this instance. The thrusters just slurp-
Generators directly flanged to moderate size diesel in the water, as straws in a can of soda. Or push away
engines can combine their out-put to equal or exceed from a pier.
their massive 'brothers'. No longer are spring lines, windlasses, heaving line
The first ship so fitted was the previous M/S Noor- guns and/or messengers required for maneuvering in/
dam of the Holland American Line. The illustration is out of a berth! ATF's, ATA's ATO's and their single
a copy of the reverse side of the present M/S Noor- screw propulsion attributes have been upgraded by
dam's Pilot Card. It too, is Diesel-Electric which pro- One Pod!
pels a set of 'pods'. Just as Celestial Navigation been made obsolete by
Mooring and leaving piers revolves around these pods GPS, all the lore of line-handling has been eliminated
and "thrusters" [Thrusters are tubes in the hull which by a 5 inch horizontal wheel termed a Joy Stick (after
run thwartships, the full width of the hull under the the old airplanes.) on the bridge. This device controls
waterline. There are 'gates' which are flush to the the thrusters, pods and steering wheel . . it turns the
hull that are mechanically opened/closed at the out- ship on any point on the compass; it can be set for (1)
board ends of the tube(s) P.& S. Each tube has a pro- relative position or (2) magnetic heading. The speed
peller the direction being reversible] Previously, there of the operation is determined by downward pressure
were 'sets of thrusters' fore & aft 1-3 tubes each. To- to various settings.
day the fore thrusters remain, but the stern thrusters
Above: The ms Noordam is fitted with 2 azipods which are electrical driven, inward turning, reversible with a 4 fixed
bladed propeller on each azipod. The Azipods can be rotated 360 degrees. The Azipods are units which are fitted with the
propellers facing forward, therefore operate in a pulling configuration. There are no stern thrusters fitted. Either the Port or
Starboard Azipod will be turned at 90 degrees and function as the stern thruster. In this mode, the available power is 10 MW
(13,500 HP)
Propulsion electric motors
2 x 17 6 MW (24.000HP each pod)
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Manoeuvring Data - Engine Orders and RPM Settings
Engine Order Pitch Speed RPM
Setting
Full Sea 24.0 Kts 142
Full Ahead 22.8 Kts 130
Half Ahead 19.5 Kts 113
Slow Ahead 11 .0 Kts 70
Dead Slow Ahead 6.0 Kts 50
Azipod Information - Power Outputs
In Open Sea mode the azipods have an output of 17.6 MW (24,000 HP) on each unit
In Manoeuvring Direct mode the azipods are limited to 12 MW (16,100 HP) and the turning angle of the pod is lim-
ited to 35 Deg
Aziman Mode is used for docking situations. This will limit the power on each azipod to 10 MW (13,500 HP). Each
azipod will have the ability to rotate 360 degrees. This enables one azipod to be used as a stem thruster
The diagram below indicates the maximum efficiency of the azipods in the various positions during Aziman mode
Life isn't about waiting for the storm to
pass,
It's about learning to dance in the rain
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TOWLINE National A ssociation of Fleet Tug Sailors
Subs, Steam & a Snafu
NAFTS member Leo J. Murphy Was a sailor aboard the USS ATR 13 during
WW II and he sent us these brief notes about his indoctrination into the Navy, describing how he
ended up on an ATR. Sometimes things don’t go as planned.
My story we were given clean
starts with me up duties, but being a
leaving boot camp 3rd class fireman
in June of 43. I (black gang) I was
had requested die- given duty on a WW1
sel engine school captured German
and was lucky freighter tied up to
enough to get as- pier 92. It was used
signed to the diesel as a heating plant for
school in Rich- the bunking facilities.
mond, Virginia. The duty I was given
After weeks of was as a coal passer
schooling we had in the boiler room,
three choices for keeping the boilers
sea duty: The am- running. I have the
phibs, Seabees, or honor of being one of
the subs. Crazy as the few coal passers
we were, and be- Above: ATR 13 tied up alongside the USS Ajax AR6 in Buckner Bay Oki- in WW2.
ing young, we nawa circa September 1945. Shortly, I was
chose the subs. shipped to Philadel-
We spent one week in indoctrination, and as phia Navy Yard for duty on the ATR-13. At the time,
an intro to sub duty, the top chief (named Sprite), told we asked, "What the h___ is an ATR"? We soon
us we could go down to the docks and look through learned it's a sea going tug BUT, it was steam pow-
the subs. That we did and what a shock! The training ered! After eight weeks of diesel school, they put me
subs were WW1 vintage and they looked it. What on a steamship. Typical government operation. The
rust buckets they were. Leaking pipes, rust, depress- people in personnel apparently didn't know the differ-
ing environment and un-inviting. So we flunked the ence between an ATR and an ATA. But I learned fast
psychological tests purposely and got shipped to Pier and enjoyed the experience. Best duty in the navy. I
92 in NYC for re-assignment. was the last plank owner to leave the ship in Seattle,
Had to be a thousand sailors on that pier, Wash. in 1946.
never saw so many bunks in my life. During the day
Does this tale remind you of the time when . . . ?
Send us your story today!
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Chow Call
NAFTS member Richard Zent QMC sent us a story a while ago about the Chowanoc’s guncrew
shooting down Japanese planes during WW-II. It was an interesting tale and now he’s sent us a
synopsis of his WW-II days aboard the mighty “Chow”, ATF 100. Richard has packed a lot into
this story. We all owe a debt of gratitude to our WW-II shipmates for their service to our coun-
try. Read on. . .
A plankowner's memories of did we have our 3" 50 and our 20 mm but we had
"THE TERRIBLE TUG" depth charges. However, because we were by our-
selves we stayed closer to shore than normal. By 1600
Autumn, 1943. Bad news; Good news. The the seas were very rough. Too rough for a hot meal.
bad news was that we were not returning to the States In fact there were very few of us in crew's mess that
for our overhaul. Instead we were going to the Pa- evening. As the night progressed it got worse and
nama Canal Zone for any necessary work. The good worse. The radar was in my chartroom. The radarmen
news was that eight of us were being transferred to had a bucket beside their chair. Of course it got
the East Coast for new construction. Two of us were knocked over before long. I felt too sorry for them to
assigned to the USS Chowanoc ATF-100, Charleston pull rank. By this time we were rolling over 30 de-
SC. I had 15 days leave enroute reporting in January grees. The air vents started taking water into the
3rd. crew's compartment and the fuel overflowing into the
Shortly afterward 30 of the new crew were same. It was nearly a foot deep on the compartment
sent to Miami FL to the Small Craft Training Center. deck. The only problem with the ship tossing and
We were quartered in a hotel; eight to a room, on Bis- turning was that the water was going back and forth
cayne Blvd. The center of the highway was cordoned piling up on the sides. We finally made it in to port. It
off and when there were two or more of us we was a good shakedown. We never had another seasick
marched to the various facilities. The Center was ac- sailor from the original crew. We also learned how to
tually an anti-submarine training facility. In fact our top off our fuel tanks.
sea training was done aboard a PC. It was good. They We used Chesapeake Bay for our training. Of
had the latest equipment. We also had some survival course all the drills and GQ. The only problem from
training. We were there for ab6ut four weeks. It gave our point of view was depth charge runs. With our
us a chance to know each other. I met Chandler and limited speed and the shallower water of the bay
Davis both signalman and John Creighton our QM every time we threw or dropped a charge our fantail
striker. John and I became best of friends for the du- would bounce out of the water. Finally our trials were
ration. finished and we were on our way. My job was to keep
Back to Charleston. Our group had our own the charts up to date and for this first month I was
Pullman car. We knew how lucky we were when we correcting everything from Buzzards Bay to Pearl.
walked through the converted freight cars that the Now with our orders I was able to stay up with the
army was using for troop transport on the way to the NM corrections. We were picking up a floating dry-
dining car. dock in Jacksonville and towing it out to Pearl Har-
The Chowanoc was finally commissioned, Lt. bor. April 1st most of the PO's got an extra stripe and
Snipes commanding. Our shakedown cruise was to I made QM1/c.
Norfolk around Cape Hatteras. Only about 15 of the We were on our way. We went into the Gulf
crew had been to sea before. It did not start out too along the Florida Keys then into the Western Carib-
bad. Naturally we had roast pork for noon chow. We bean. Avoiding the sea lanes and possible subs. It
were sailing alone. We had radar and sonar and we turned into a nice routine. We had plenty of drills.
thought we were a match for any U-boat. Not only
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TOWLINE National A ssociation of Fleet Tug Sailors
Above: USS Chowanoc ATF 100 as she looked in her early years. Note the small and darkly painted hull number, the
40mm gun tubs aft of the boatdeck. That‟s the Chow‟s call-sign (NUWC) flying from the starboard yardarm. Photo from
NAFTS President Rodger Dana.
We spent two extra days in Panama City. We arrived at the atoll just before dark. The
Then the beginning of our 23 day voyage to Pearl. It 3rd Fleet was in. We had never seen so many ships.
did not start out too well. Davis, our SM1/c had ap- It was exciting for the bridge crew during the night
pendicitis and we transferred him off in Costa Rica. watches. We used our masthead blinkers for our sig-
That night we had a submarine scare which started off naling and chatting. It was like being on the internet.
some more drills. We brought our floating drydock We were off to sea again. We left our drydock behind
into port without further incident. and we were to follow the fleet to Saipan with a con-
Hawaii during the war was different. When crete barge in tow. The barge was loaded with sup-
we had liberty; we had to be back to Pearl by 1800. plies. When we arrived in Saipan our deck force had
That meant you had to catch a bus with half the fleet to help with some of the unloading. There was one
by 1700. Creighton and I went ashore only once. We crate earmarked for the Flagship. Can you imagine
went to Waikiki and tried to surf. The backs of our fresh melons 5000 miles from the States in wartime?
legs and the bottom of our feet were sunburned. We Before our crew came back aboard, the crate some-
lived it up with a milkshake and a cheeseburger. how was damaged and we had fresh melon at noon
When we wanted a beer we would go to the Marine chow. We also liberated a 5 gallon tin of "torpedo
Non-com club which was in walking distance from juice". This ended up in an enormous punch. There
our pier. While we were in port, we did what every was partying throughout the night. Creighton and I
fleet tug does; towed targets. No close calls. Finally stayed away from it. We were among the few that
got our orders. We were taking our drydock to the didn't have a hangover in the morning when we left
Marshall Islands; Kwajalein. We were excited. This Saipan.
was enemy territory. The crew was very alert. The The fighting was still going on inland. We
Captain was on the bridge most of the time. could hear the guns as we left. You could see smoke
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Above: Another early photo of the Chow Boat from NAFTS member Jim Norick.
on the ridges. Pulling out of the anchorage we had to supply ships and tenders. Cargo ships and tankers.
speed up to clear a minesweeper that was sweeping We were put to work very soon. A merchant tried to
toward the entrance. We cleared him without incident take a short cut coming into the lagoon. The ship
and headed back to Kwajalein. Early in the afternoon ended up on top of a sand bar. We pulled and pulled.
we had engine trouble. We had to stop our main en- We put block and tackle on the beach to increase our
gines to fix the problem. It was eerie sitting out in the leverage. Finally, the Seabees got a bulldozer in there
middle of what had been enemy waters. We were at low tide and moved some of the sand away from
very happy when we did start up again if only at half the bow. Then with their help we were able to pull the
speed. As we were cruising back we spotted what ship off.
looked like a raft. Thinking it might be one of our Orders to the Admiralty Islands. We joined
downed airman we investigated it and ended up cap- the Samuel Roberts and 5 other DE's and made a 5
turing a Japanese prisoner who had been floating up mile wide sweep all the way at 15 knots. Our third
from one of the Carolines. Guess he got tired of Hal- day out about on line with Yap Island we had a sonar
sey bombing them. We did not have a brig so we contact. It was solid enough to be a sub. The Captain
locked him up in one of the storage lockers in the af- took the conn and I took the wheel. We headed for the
ter hold. contact at full speed. The sub turned and got into our
In the next few days we joined the invasion wake and we lost contact. After a couple of futile
force for Guam. While at sea we were used in the sweeps we rejoined out task unit.
screen with the DE's. We didn't stay too long at King Neptune came aboard and we did the
Guam. None of the landing craft ran into any trouble Davey Jones act. It was sort of short as we were at
and there were no air attacks. This time we went back Condition Two. We arrived at Manus Island. What a
to Eniwetok. What an anchorage! There were hun- mess. An ammo ship had blown up only a few days
dreds of ships. Not only the Task Force but all the before and the tender that was SOPA. (Senior Officer
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Present Afloat) had half their crew on the sick list. to sound GQ until we knew their intention. This saved
Only a few degrees below the equator, we us a lot of false alarms. When that alarm went off
knew we were in the tropics. This was one of the everyone knew it was going to be the real thing. It is
stepping off places for the Leyte invasion. We finally really amazing how effective our group‟s firepower
got underway and took our place in the screen for the was. The 20mms, 40mms even the 3"50's and the
LSTs. We had a modified Ziz Zag course which kept 5"38s put so much more flak in the air than what they
us busy on the bridge. We came into Leyte Gulf be- had just two years before.
fore sunset. It was an awesome sight as the full inva- About this time. those of us that were up
sion force came into sight. One Japanese plane flew above deck saw our first Kamikaze. He came out
over to check us out. Nearly every ship opened up at from over the hills flew right over us and took out the
him. There must have been a million rounds fired. We next ship, that was larger. When we realized that he
ushered our line of LSTs and LCIs to the shore. It was had crashed into the well deck of the ship without a
a good beach and we didn't have to untangle too shot being fired. It was creepy. The marines finally
many. We anchored about 600 yards off shore. We furnished us air cover. It did not take long for Major
were between the USS Pennsylvania and the beach Bong and his Lightnings to clear the skies. It was fas-
while they were giving fire support. You could actu- cinating to watch the slower Zero's maneuver and try
ally see the shells in flight and they sounded like a to escape into the clouds. Our peaceful setting did not
freight train going over. last long. A typhoon hit us. We put two anchors out
The next few days were about the same. Eve- and had our power on slow to hold our position. The
rything seemed to be going well. The large warships Captain had the conn and I stayed on the wheel from
started south to the Surigao Strait to meet the Japa- about 2200 until about daybreak. We had a break for
nese force coming that way. The whole night the coffee when the storm‟s eye passed over. The next
skies rumbled and we could see the gun flashes that day was busy as we were chasing down LCI's that had
looked like an intense lightning storm. The next day been blown helter skelter. By 2000 we were back in
the first enemy planes appeared. They came in at low our anchorage.
level along the beach line. It was so sudden we did The next morning we went over to give assis-
not have a chance to fire a shot nor did they drop any tance to the USS Ross, an old 4 stacker that had been
bombs. They were photo planes. That night planes converted to a high-speed minesweeper. It had been
were back again and hit the ammunition storage on blown off course and had collided with a mine near
the beach. We were less than a half a mile away. Samar. It took most of the morning just to get over to
What a blast! We did not realize this was just going to her. We tied up alongside. She was completely
get worse. The escort carriers that provided our air flooded below deck and had lost about half her crew.
cover were either sunk or put out of action by the We tried pumping her out but the water came right
Middle Japanese Force. For the next 7 days we were back in. We reported that the ship was unsalvageable
without air cover. The first night one of the merchant and were ordered to return to our area. As we were
ships was hit and our salvage crew went over to help. leaving we were attacked by a single plane. Our gun-
I believe Jim Norick, a NAFTS member, volunteered nery officer had our 3"50 in action. We shot a short
to go along. fused AA shell right in its path. The Ross got her 5"s
The next day the Vals hit us. We shot down going and we drove it off.
at least two. Then the next night the Bettys attacked. Back to work. We started taking the pontoons
We got at least one. I think this is the time the Hono- off the beach and floating them up to Tacloban where
lulu got hit in their bridge area and their forward the Army took them over and took them up the river
40mms were knocked out. Again some of the mer- to be used as bailey bridges. The soldiers thought it
chant ships were hit. We had to go alongside to help was great to come aboard and have some hot chow
them. What a feeling to be in a darkened harbor and but they didn't want stay aboard for any length of
have to lay alongside a ship that is lit up like a Christ- time. They felt safer in their foxholes. November
mas tree. On one ship the fire below decks was so hot came and we were ordered to Ulithi. Again another
that the hull was translucent. The Japanese planes atoll with a beautiful anchorage this time in The
came over every day until the early evening. Our Western Carolines. We caught up with our mail and
bridge crew finally worked out a routine. There was even got movies. We didn't have a blackout so we
always one or two of us off watch and we would be were able to show the movie topside. We were an-
on the flying bridge. We would watch the Japanese chored right behind a carrier. I was on watch. We
planes form up off in the distance and we would wait used an SCR radio for our harbor communications. At
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nighttime there was lot of unofficial chatter going. and a couple of new movies. At this time our leader
This night was no different. Over the chatter we heard realized we were quite close to shore and that there
Condition Red. Again more chatter and finally some- was a pier still standing. So we went over and tied up.
one yelling this is not a drill. CONDITION RED. I When we got ashore we were in a little marketplace
sounded GQ and just as the movie projector shut off a and the Filipinos were selling stuff to the soldiers that
Kamikaze hit the fantail of the carrier next to us. were around. We bought about 6 dozen small eggs
There were 3 planes in the attack. The second one and the Ensign bought a Japanese sword which he
missed its target and hit the water. The third plane brandished like a musketeer. I kept reminding him
made a direct hit on Mogmog, our recreational island. that we had quite a distance to go back. We finally
While at Ulithi we suffered our second typhoon; not headed back and pulled alongside just before sun-
as powerful as the first in the Philippines but again it down. Captain Snipes was at the rail outside his cabin
blew many of the landing ships around. We were able with a pair of binoculars and Mr. Z. our exec was at
to have a ship outing on Mogmog; beer, hotdogs and the main deck looking a little upset. So we tied up and
steaks. First time any of us had touched land in six climbed aboard with our bag of eggs and our leader‟s
months. saber. With a grunt from the exec, “Zent, where in the
Back to sea. We were with the 7th Fleet head- hell have you been?" Not waiting for an answer he
ing for Luzon through Mindanao Strait. In the nar- stormed off the deck. Our Ensign was transferred at
rows we were in single file and we were attacked the next port. But we did have fresh eggs for supper.
again by Kamikaze. The escort carrier, the Kitkun Again with a personal growl from the cook. "Zent.
Bay was directly ahead of us and was hit in the stern. You shouldn't be here".
The carrier did not lose power but had difficulty Not long after this we were ordered to Guam.
steering. We were ordered to stand by to assist. When We sailed around Northern Luzon and through the
we cleared the narrows, the fleet left us and we es- Formosa Straight. There were no incidents although
corted the carrier at reduced speed. At daybreak they we were under condition two until we were in range
left to rejoin their carrier group and we preceded up of the Marianas. After refueling and restocking we
the Luzon coast alone. We were then ordered to sink joined the fleet off the coast of Japan. We were as-
one of our patrol boats that had been damaged. First signed to the screen covering the supply ships and
we salvaged a twin 50 caliber that we mounted on our tankers. This is where we had our closest call. Our
flying bridge. After carrying out the task we entered task force commander signaled us to destroy an en-
Lingayen Gulf one day late. There was light air activ- emy mine that was floating between the two columns
ity which did not amount to much. However, on the of our auxiliary force. The Captain took the conn and
third day, I was on the 0400-0800 watch when we I took the helm. We pulled away from the screen
were shelled from the hills. We were actually brack- headed for the stern of the nearest ship and pulled in
eted but the Captain had us moving in a hurry. I was between the columns. There was our mine and we
steering toward the last splashes. In a few minutes we were heading for it at full speed. STOP ENGINES!
were in the clear and when I went below for break- REVERSE ENGINES! FULL REVERSE! By this
fast few of the crew had any idea what had happened. time we had no steerage way. I was literally pulling
Then came our famous trip which got me into back on the wheel trying to stop us. We came to a
trouble. Our newest and youngest officer, a V-12 complete stop and started shuddering backwards. We
graduate was given the task to get the mail and trade stopped and worked ourselves about 50 feet abeam of
any available movies from our SOPA. I volunteered the mine. Our BM2/C tried to shoot one of the arms
to go as navigator and was the ranking rate. So off we to set it off which we had done once before with suc-
went, the boat crew, the mail orderly, the projection- cess. We couldn't set it off that way so we started fir-
ist, the QM 1/c and the Ensign. This was a big an- ing our 20mm at it until it took on enough water and
chorage and we had a general idea what our target sank. With a sigh of relief we went back to our posi-
ship looked liked. There were a lot of distractions tion in the screen and got a well done signal.
along the way. Wreckage and downed enemy aircraft One of our duties was to take on a load of
and in some cases their dead airmen. We were losing coaxial cable and deliver it to the carriers. The only
quite a bit of time as everyone was looking for some way you can get close to a moving carrier is at its
war relics. I finally was able to convince our fearless stern. So we had to pull up alongside and nose into
leader that we were losing time and that some of this the side of the stern and we would toss over a roll of
stuff around us could be booby trapped. We eventu- cable. They were not about to slow down. We got
ally located the supply ship and picked up our mail through that all right without any dents or scratches.
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Engine trouble again. So we screened a made one more trip to Leyte Gulf picked up a tow to
bunch of empties on the way back to Guam. We take back to Guam. I left the ship at Christmas time.
passed along Iwo Jima and in the early night we The Captain left right after the first of the year. Mr. Z.
would see the B-29s coming back from their run our exec took command. The Chowanoc then took
flying low. At that time they looked big. No sooner part in the Bikini tests. By then I lost touch as every-
had we returned and the war was over. The point one I had served with had been transferred.
system took over and I said goodbye to a lot of my
good friends. Creighton was one of the first to go.
He was older and married. I became Chief October
1st. Just about everyone but the regulars left. We
USS Cocopa ATF 101 captures Japanese WWII holdouts in 1951
June 30 1951 Anatahan
A group of stranded survivors of a Japanese vessel sunk by the American military found their way to the island of Ana-
tahan, 75 nautical miles north of Saipan. The island's coast line is precipitous with landing beaches on the northern and
western shore and a small sandy beach on the southwest shore. It's steep slopes are furrowed by deep gorges covered by
high grass. This brooding cone jutting from the sea floor is a large, extinct volcano with two peaks and a grass covered flat
field, the final resting place for a B-29 Superfortress that crashed upon returning from a bombing mission over Nagoya,
Japan on January 3, 1945 killing the aircraft's crew.
By 1951 the Japanese holdouts on the island refused to believe that the war was over and resisted every attempt by the
Navy to remove them. This group was first discovered in February 1945, when several Chamorros from Saipan were sent
to the island to recover the bodies of the Saipan based B-29, T square 42, from the 498th Bomb Group, 875th Squadron,
73rd Wing under the command of Richard Carlson Stickney, Jr. The Chamorros reported that there were about thirty Japa-
nese survivors from three Japanese ships sunk in June 1944, one of which was an Okinawan woman.
Pamphlets had been dropped informing the holdouts that the war was over and that they should surrender, but these re-
quests were ignored. They lived a sparse life, eating coconuts, taro, wild sugar cane, fish and lizards. They smoked
crushed, dried papaya leaves wrapped in the leaves of bananas and made an intoxicating beverage known as "tuba",
(coconut wine). They lived in palm frond huts with woven floor matting of pandanus. Their life improved after the crash
of the aircraft . They used metal from the B-29 to fashion crude implements such as pots, knives and roofing for their hut.
The oxygen tanks were used to store water, clothing was made from nylon parachutes, the cords used for fishing line. The
springs from machine guns were fashioned into fish hooks. Several in the group also had machine guns and pistols recov-
ered from the aircraft.
Personal aggravations developed as a result of being too long in close association within a small group on a small island
and also because of tuba drinking. The presence of only one woman, Kazuko Higa, caused great difficulty as well. Six of
eleven deaths that occurred among the holdouts were the result of violence. One man displayed thirteen knife wounds. Ms.
Higa would, from time to time, transfer her affections between at least four of the men after each mysteriously disappeared
as a result of "being swallowed by the waves while fishing." In July 1950, Ms. Higa went to the beach when an American
vessel appeared off shore and asked to be removed from the island. She was taken to Saipan aboard the Miss Susie and,
upon arrival, informed authorities that the men on the island did not believe the war was over.
Meanwhile, officials of the Japanese government became interested in the situation on Anatahan and asked the Navy for
information "concerning the doomed and living Robinson Crusoes who were living a primitive life on an uninhabited is-
land", and offered to send a ship to rescue them. The families of the Japanese holdouts on the island of Anatahan , were
contacted in Japan and requested by the U. S. Navy to write letters advising them that the war was over and that they
should surrender. In January 1951, a message from the Governor of Kanagawa Prefecture was delivered.
The letters were dropped by air on June 26 and finally convinced the holdouts that they should give themselves up. Thus,
six years after the end of World War II, "Operation Removal" got underway from Saipan under the Command of James B.
Johnson, USNR, aboard the Navy Tug USS Cocopa. Lt. Commander James B. Johnson and Mr. Ken Akatani, an inter-
preter, went ashore by rubber boat and formally accepted the last surrender of World War II on the morning of June 30,
1951 which also coincided with the last day of the Naval Administration of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.
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Now & Then
As the years go by we lose touch with shipmates. Every now
and then, though, a couple of long lost buddies hook-up together
and get reacquainted. Sometimes it happens at a NAFTS Reun-
ion, sometimes its an individual get-together, and sometimes its
just a chance encounter at the local hamburger joint. If you’ve
had a similar reunion, send us your “Now & Then” photos.
Rich Tetrault BM2 and Stan Blasciewicz BM3 outside Rich‟s condo in Lowell Massachusetts after a Spring
2009 reunion. Rich (Towline‟s Editor) and Stan were shipmates aboard the USS Lipan ATF 85 and hadn‟t seen
one another in 40 years. Stan flew to Boston to meet his niece and she graciously dropped him off for a few
hours of reminiscing and photo copying.
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Apache Sharp
shooter
NAFTS member Ross Kramer was an SN aboard the USS Apache ATF 67 from 1952 to 1954.
He sent us this brief tale about his duties in Korea aboard Apache. Sometimes things ain’t what
they seem.
I was a crewmember of the U.S.S. Apache not being able to confirm anything and being afraid to
ATF 67 back in 1952, having caught her in Sasebo, question them. Never did find out if this ever hap-
Japan in dry-dock. After reporting aboard I was in- pened.
troduced to the wood decks and soon after was taught
how to “holy stone”. As I was patrolling the “Port” side heading
aft, I came on one of the bumpers lying just inside the
I was a Seaman Apprentice when I reported gunwale under the port 40 mm, and looked aft. Re-
aboard, a young man of 18 and thought everything the member that we had an airplane resting on our fantail
old salts (19-40) said was gospel. Evidently they with our “boom hook” just above the cockpit. I came
were not really impressed with me, but I got along to the end and as I looked toward the airplane, it
with everyone, except our Chief Bosun. looked like someone trying to get into the airplane.
This was a very bright night and I was scared. I
When we were in Korea (Wonson) we would kneeled down behind the bumper and rested my M1
set up as a “fly catching” station at the mouth of on the bumper. I was just about to empty my M1
Wonson Harbor. This was also done by other ships. magazine into the hook when a voice behind me very
We would go into the mouth of the harbor and drop softly asked “what the hell are you aiming at”? Need-
anchor until early morning, then leave. less to say that didn‟t make me feel any safer but I
told the other watch someone is trying to get into the
Prior to the day in question, we had picked up plane. Still very quietly he said, think about it. Why
a “hazard to navigation”, aircraft carrier airplane that would someone want to get into that old wet airplane?
was downed near the entrance to the harbor. After I did not argue, but was very embarrassed. However,
picking up the plane we deposited it on the fantail of it was something I will always remember when I just
the Apache, with the “boom hook” directly over the about shot our “boom hook”.
plane but still attached.
On our ship, when we went into our “fly
catching” position, the main deck was patrolled by 2
enlisted men with M1 rifles and side arms. On the
“boat deck”, there were at least 2-3 people carrying
weapons. One of these was the O.D. The men patrol-
ling the main deck would go up each side and meet at
the bow and return along the main deck aft. The
watches were normal 8-12, 12-4, 4-8.
Now you must remember, being an 18 year
old and very impressionable, I would listen to the
older guys talk about how the Koreans would send
“frogmen” out to the ships anchored in the harbor,
climb aboard, and throw a had grenade inside the
hatch, and kill or maim everyone in the crew quarters. Above: Official USN Apache photo contributed by NAFTS
At the time, this kid believed everything they told me, member LT. John Nahabedian
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Ship Strength
Ever wonder how many ships the U.S. Navy had in service throughout the years? Here’s a nice
list dating to 1917. Interestingly there were 342 ships in service in 1917 and in 2008 there were
283. Not a significant variation. The greatest year was 1945 when we had 6768 ships at the close
of WW II. The worst year was in 2007 when we had just 279.
Year Total USN Ships Year Total USN Ships
1917 342 1937 335
(U.S. enters WWI 6 April 1917)
1918 774 1938 380
(WWI ends 11 November 1918)
1919 752 1939 394
(Germany invades Poland in September 1939)
1920 567 1940 478
1921 384 1941 790
1922 379 1942 1782
1923 365 1943 3699
1924 376 1944 6084
1925 370 1945 6768
(WWII Europe ends 8 May 1945. VJ Day 14 August 1945)
1926 368 1946 1248
1927 357 1947 842
1928 360 1948 737
1929 356 1949 690
1930 357 1950 634
(Korean War begins 25 June 1950)
1931 308 1951 980
(Japan invades Manchuria 18 September 1931)
1932 313 1952 1097
1933 311 1953 1122
(Korean War Armistice signed 1953)
1934 320 1954 1113
1935 320 1955 1030
1936 322 1956 973
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Year Total USN Ships Year Total USN Ships
1957 967 1985 571
1958 890 1986 583
1959 860 1987 594
1960 812 1988 573
1961 819 1989 592
1962 900 1990 570
(Gulf war 1990-1991)
1963 857 1991 529
(Soviet Union collapses)
1964 859 1992 471
(Vietnam Tonkin Gulf incident 1964)
1965 880 1993 454
1966 909 1994 404
1967 931 1995 392
1968 932 1996 375
1969 885 1997 359
(Vietnam drawdown begins)
1970 743 1998 344
1971 752 1999 337
1972 654 2000 318
1973 641 2001 316
(Afghanistan war begins)
(South Vietnam ceasefire 1973) 2002 313
1974 587
2003 297
1975 559 (2nd Iraq war begins)
2004 292
1976 536
2005 282
1977 523
2006 281
1978 531
2007 279
1979 533
2008 283
1980 530
1981 521 Save The Whales
1982 555
Collect the whole set
1983 533
1984 557
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Photos of Note
Above: Photo from NAFTS member Jim Young IC3 aboard USS Utina ATF 163 from 1961 to 1963 showing the former
Aircraft Carrier USS Saipan CVL 48 as she was towed from Bayonne NJ to Philadelphia in 1962. Jim sez,” My memory of
this tow operation was that when we arrived in Philly it was night time and raining. I was on throttle watch and we were at
sea & anchor detail so we were receiving speed changes by sound powered telephone. There was also a seaman on the
same circuit watching the strain gauge on the towing unit. As we maneuvered around ships at anchor we slowed a little too
quickly and the Saipan of course didn‟t see our brake lights. The fantail seaman got excited and proclaimed loudly into the
phone that “the carrier is closing….the carrier is closing fast…..THE CARRIER IS GOING RAM US!!!!!.” Of course the
bridge was trying to give new screw turns but I could not hear them over his excitement, however I assumed correctly that
maybe they wanted to speed up a little so I took it upon myself to crack on a few more RPMs. It reminded me of the line in
„Red October‟ when the young sonar man asked, „so what‟s the catch?‟ And the answer was, „A boat that size doesn‟t stop
on a dime.‟”
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Above and Below: Hull number 563?? No it‟s not an altered photo. It‟s the former USS Shakori ATF 162, now under the
control of the Republic of China (Taiwan) renamed Ta Tai ATF 563. A 1990‟s era photo and the vessel may be decommis-
sioned by now. Wow, an enclosed Flying Bridge! Photo contributed by a Taiwanese gentleman named “James”. James
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Above: Navy divers depart MSC fleet ocean tug USNS Navajo T-ATF 169. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 3rd Class
Rebecca J. Moat submitted by NAFTS member Captain Ned Lundquist.
Below: Former USS Bannock ATF 81 now with the Italian Coast Guard.
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Above: USS Lipan ATF 85 in the Marine Railway Pearl Harbor Hawaii circa 1968 for overhaul. The Marine Railway,
unlike a typical dry-dock, was moveable and would be lowered down into the harbor on inclined railroad-like tracks and
the ship would be maneuvered into position and secured. Then the entire structure, along with the ship, would be slowly
inched back up the inclined track of the railway until the ship was totally out of the water and high and dry up on the land,
Real Chiefs
Real Chiefs don't own civilian clothes. Real Chiefs never volunteer to get mandatory flu shots.
Real Chiefs favorite national holiday is CPO Initiation. Real Chiefs have pictures of past ships in their wallets.
Real Chiefs favorite breakfast is shipboard SOS. Real Chiefs have a permanent curl in their forefinger.
Real Chiefs don't know how to tell civilian time. Real Chiefs always say their last ship was their best ship.
Real Chiefs call each other "Chief." Real Chiefs don't sleep; they rest.
Real Chiefs dream in Navy Blue, White, Haze Gray and Real Chiefs are never late; they are detained elsewhere.
occasionally khaki. Real Chiefs don't eat quiche, and they can't pronounce it or
spell it.
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TOWLINE National A ssociation of Fleet Tug Sailors
(866) 652-2038 Snipe@NAFTS.com
Hi shipmates!
Towline Labels
It would appear that label problems in the Summer Towline near caused us a ton of ill will. I sent the
correct labels to the printer with the correct dues information. Unfortunately, the
printer guy substituted an older set of labels. Result many of you good folks that
had paid your dues were shown on the labels as being in arrears. At least I
found that you gents do read the dues line on the label! I had phone, e-mail &
written conversations with many members. Check the labels on this Towline.
I‟m hoping for fewer problems.
Goodbyes
As this goes to press we are preparing for the Las Vegas reunion. At this years
board meeting I will be replaced by a newly elected Secretary & Membership
Officer. It has been a pleasure serving you the last 9 years or so but it‟s time to
go. Age has caught up with me the last two years. It has been fun though!
Tom Thomas
The Old Snipe
See You in Las Vegas Membership Guy
19416 Mohawk Rd.
Tom Thomas Bend, Oregon 97702
Name: _______________________ Rate/Rank ___________ Date: ___________
Address: ________________________________E: Mail ____________________
City: _________________________ State: _________ Zip: ________________
Tel: ( _______) _________________ Spouse‟s Name: _____________________
NAFTS Qualified Ships Served on
Ship name & Number: _________________ Years served on: _____________
Ship name & Number: _________________ Years served on: _____________
Ship name & Number: _________________ Years served on: _____________
For additional ships and comments please use additional sheet of paper! Print clearly. Use address label if available.
Call toll-free (866) 652-2038 for more information.
Mail to : Tom Thomas~19416 Mohawk Rd. ~Bend, Oregon 97702
Annual Membership $25 “544” Membership (5 Years) $100
Ver 08..09
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TOWLINE National A ssociation of Fleet Tug Sailors
Chaplain Bob email: Chaplain@NAFTS.com
Telephone (727) 527-3431 St. Petersburg FL.
A stand up comedian once said “ the thing I love about football season is that it is the only time of the year you can
walk down a street with a blanket under one arm and a blonde on the other arm and no one says a darn thing to you.” I do
love football season, particularly college football. Summer is almost over and from a Floridian‟s perspective that‟s a good
thing. The temperatures begin to moderate a bit, fall fishing is great, all in all life is pretty darn good. The most important
thing for me is I can now enjoy a little TV, I can enjoy a little football. The Pros are fun, mostly though , I love College
Football.
There is something about the pageantry and the energy that really makes college football special. There are teams
I root for in almost every conference but mostly I‟ll root for the OSU Buckeyes. The Buckeyes‟ opening game this year was
against the Midshipmen of the Naval Academy. For several weeks before the game the OSU alumni association flooded the
Internet with emails. They wanted to be sure that when the Midshipmen ran onto the field that all of the fans in the Ohio
State Horseshoe stood and cheered wildly for the Naval Academy players recognizing the Middies as part of our military.
In fact the OSU Alumni Association was encouraging a similar display by every university hosting any of the Service Acad-
emies in football this fall.
Coach Jim Pressel and the OSU Athletic Dept came up with a better idea. When the two teams came charging into
the stadium they ran onto the field together like two giant ribbons of Navy Blue and Gold side-by-side with Scarlet and
Gray. It was one of the most exciting, moving things I‟ve seen in a long, long time. It was the first time in the history of
the Horseshoe that any opposing team has been so honored.
I love football season. I can turn my thoughts to important things like who the Buckeye‟s are playing; or who the
Gator‟s are playing; or knowing I will soon be seeing my friends at the NAFTS reunion. Hey, we made up some pretty
classy teams as ship‟s crews a couple of years ago too. Football season is great.
See you in Las Vegas.
Bob Campbell
Nafts Shipmates Who Have Crossed the Bar Since Last Publication
Everett Woodruff EM2 USS Munsee ATF 107 02 June 2009
Hatack YTB 119
Albert Peltier EM1 USS Hitchiti ATF 103 July 2009
Robert Winkleman EM1 USS Tonkawa ATA 176 10 July 2009
USS Cahokia ATA 186
Honors to Port . . . Non-Nafts Shipmate Deaths
Joseph D'Amico USS Wateree ATF 117 1945
27
TOWLINE National A ssociation of Fleet Tug Sailors
Adult T-Shirt with White Logo
See additional Items on
the Web at
Your Own NAFTS Coffee Mug Baseball Style Jacket
WWW.NAFTS.com
NAFTS Ship Stores Order Form Below: Blue or White Polo Shirt
Adult Sweat Shirt, Blue Logo on White, Size ... S, M, L, XL $24.00 Embroidered Official Emblem, 3 inch Diameter ----- $4.00
Size .. XL, XXXL $26.00 Embroidered Official Emblem, 5 inch Diameter ----- $6.00
Adult Sweat Shirt, White Logo on Blue, Size ..S, M, L, XL $24.00 Logo, Window Decal, Square ----- $1.75
Size ....XXL, XXXL $26.00 Tugboat Lapel Pin ----- $10.00
Adult T-Shirt, Blue Logo on White, Size ...S, M, L, XL $16.00 Official Logo Pin ----- $6.00
Size ...XXL, XXXL $18.00 Bumper Sticker ----- $2.00
Adult T- Shirt, White Logo on Blue, Size ...S, M, L, XL $16.00 Coffee Mug ----- $10.00
Size ...XXL, XXXL $18.00 NAFTS Cap, Blue with Gold Logo ----- $13.00
Polo Sport Shirt, White Logo on Blue Size.. M, L, XL $25.00 NAFTS Cap, White with Blue Logo ----- $13.00
Size .... XXL, XXXL $27.00 Baseball Style Jacket Size S, M, L, XL $38.00
Polo Sport Shirt, Blue Logo on White Size.... M, L, XL $25.00 Size ....XXL, XXXL $40.00
Size ...XXL, XXXL $.27.00
Child's T-Shirt, Blue Logo on White, Size ...S, M, L, XL $14.00
Child's T-Shirt, White Logo on Blue, Size ...S, M, L, XL $14.00 No shipping charges
Item Description Size Quantity Price Total Price
Name___________________________________________ Grand Total
ADDRESS______________________________________ Make checks payable to NAFTS and send with order to:
City_________________________________ State______ Harry A. Jaeger, NAFTS Storekeeper
Zipcode____________ Tel No.(___)__________________ 3914 Forestford Road
Richmond VA 23294
*Note: If you prefer use a blank sheet of paper Phone 804 273-0247
28
USS Moctobi ATF 105
USS Coucal ASR 8
Towline Non Profit
National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors Organization
U.S. Postage
216 Nesmith St. Suite 4 PAID
Lowell, MA 01852 Permit #4
N. Chelmsford, MA
Online at NAFTS.com