updated 3-16-99
From: Richard Andersen
Hey Folks, This is really great. My time in VX-6 and the people I worked with are high points of an already great life. When I joined the Navy in January 59, I went to boot at Great Lakes and "A" School in Memphis, where I came out an ATSAN (ATS was antisubmarine-no AX's then-I went ATS since everything was classified - no homework, more liberty). Out of Memphis, I was ordered to CIC School at Brunswick Georgia (NAS Glyco). I was pissed - I didn't join the Navy to go to Georgia! Every week I submitted a special request chit to go somewhere else - I was a real pain in the ass. Finally I hit pay dirt - got accepted to Operation Deep Freeze. I left Georgia one year to the day of arrival. Glynco was a training command and really chicken. We had an "admin" inspection just before I left. In preparation, we had personnel inspections about every week before the "real" inspection. Consequently, when I checked into 6 at Quonset, I was pretty. They had a personnel inspection just after my arrival and the Marine Captain that I checked in with (think his name was Lasecki or something like that) said I did not have to stand inspection since I was so sharp. I was already liking this outfit! Before I checked into 6 though, I had to undergo a screening at the Naval Station at Washington DC. As I recall, only about 20% of the folks who came to DC went on the Rhode Island. Those who didn't make the cut went back where they came from. We underwent extensive physical and mental exams. There were five shrinks of which one was a female. If you showed unusual sexual tendencies you got to go to the female that's how we saw it anyhow). They showed us ink spots and asked us what we equated them to. I saw one that was a dead ringer for female genitalia - not wanting to go to the female shrink, I said it was a rowboat in a small pond - it worked - no female shrink and on I went to Quonset. I wintered over. Gene Whitehead is on this list - we wintered together. I can't recall any fights or problems - all of VX-6 Det Alfa were class acts as were the folks who didn't winter. Working on a "Goon", pulling up the floorboard, colder than a well diggers ass, I can recall a shipmate saying, "Make some room so I can give you a hand." When I first got to 6, our Maintenance Chief was a guy names Mihalcik. My "Goon" was 99853. Some "Goons" were on the ice, so we had to share our "Goon" with those crews. 99853 was the premier "Goon" and we took offense to folks not respecting our status. Well, one day one of the other crews took 99853 for a spin and they griped my LORAN. The AT was a guy named Bannister. He said my APN-4 LORAN was inop. I checked it out and it was fine.I surmised that Bannister was not aware of the "ON-OFF" switch on the box under the Radioman's table. In those days the "yellow sheet" was just that - only one copy and you signed off the gripe on it. It was after-hours and I signed off the LORAN gripe as,"Turned on ON-OFF switch - checks ok -check next flight - Time: 10 milliseconds". Next morning the Maintenance Chief, Chief Mihalcik, summoned me to his presence and invited me to his office. He vigorously counseled me on the merits of not being "smart ass". In those days, vigorous literally meant he bounced me off the walls a fair bit. He continued his counseling for months thereafter. I worked all the aircraft we had -R5D, P2V or whatever. On many occasion I can recall being all by my lonesome on the back line working a gripe and all of a sudden the power would go out. I would vault out of the plane to see what's wrong and there would be my boss, AT1 Larry Sharp (he would shut off the NC-5 to get my attention) and he would say that Chief Mihalcik wished to see me. I would go to Maintenance and Chief Mihalcik would shove a coffee pot at me and say, "I need coffee boy." Now that's character-building leadership - he really liked me - tough love. Well, Dave Riley wanted some tales. This is a start. My heart goes out to you Captain Moe. A year to the day after I retired (seems like things happen to me a year to the day - don't they) I was on a cold table at Bethesda having a stent put in my right coronary artery that was 95% obstructed - too much cholesteral and cigarettes. An experience like that sharpens your appreciation of this life. It's all attitude though. As a "Puckered Penguin" you have the right attitude and I'm sure you are going to be just fine. Remember: It's nice on the ice but peachie in Chi Chi.
From: andersen
Regard, Dick A
( Looks like we have a LIVE one here, keep going Rich.... )
Subject: A RECOLLECTION FROM THE PAST - THE TOURNIQUET
Date: Monday, March 15, 1999 8:24 PM
The "Goon Crew" lived in Hut 7 at Willy Field during the years I lived
there from 65-68. We were a very congenial lot who were somewhat
unemployed. The LC-130 was taking our place. Some of our members even left
us for the Herc Crews; e.g., "Dangerous "Dan Dompe and AD2 Bob Capling.
Couldn't blame them - the Herc was the future - the Goon wasn't.
Humorous events took place in Hut 7. A few I can recall were:
One of our Mechs was Gravelly-Voiced AD1 Red Auxford. We celebrated all
occasions - meaningful or not. Maybe we were celebrating November 19th - I
know not what, but we were celebrating. Our celebrations usually were
accompanied by beer, steaks and cards in our lounge adorned with a parachute
canopy. Red, before retiring, took a stroll outside to get some air. He
slipped and fell into a snow bank which elicited from him some "expletives
deleted". He weathered this mishap okay and retired to his rack. During the
night, we were awaked by groans only capable of Red Auxford. He was
obviously in great pain. We got up to see what was his problem. He said
his arm was just killing him. We readily determined the cause to be his
watch, which had a Speidel band, and had slipped up his arm to his elbow and
was acting as a tourniquet, cutting off the blood flow which caused him
great pain.
We had another Mech, who I won't name. I will only say his nickname had
religious connotations. Our Flight Surgeon, Doc Holik, set a goal of
circumcising all who had not received this purifying rite. I recall a
"spoof" picture of the good Doctor with hedge clippers preparing to perform
his rite. Well, our Mech got clipped. He was obviously in a fair bit of
pain, but he just loved to read "Old English Novels" that aroused him,
causing excruciating pain. His remedy for this situation was a Number 10
can of snow, placed next to his rack. When he got to a place in his novel
that aroused him, he would reach into the can and take a hunk of snow and
hold it to his "member" to discourage enlargement and deaden the pain. A
typically resourceful Puckered Pete!
VXE-6 is being replaced by the Air Force Reserve. There was discussion
about the impracticability of this new arrangement recently. We used to
look down on the Air Force folks who worked with us on the Ice because of
their short stay and requirement to be home for the holidays. I remember an
incident with an Air Force type. Before I joined the Navy, I played the
trumpet. I worked myself through a Boy Scout Camp called Camp Cachalot in
Massachusetts by playing my bugle. Additionally, I played taps at many
funerals for veterans. For some reason, I had my bugle at Hut 7. One
night, I saw this Air Force guy returning from a shower and decided to play
colors and see what he would do. It was cold and he didn't have much on. I
played colors and he dutifully came to attention with his douche kit at
order arms and faced the colors at attention until the music ceased. The
problem was, the flag stayed up and the music went on, and on and on until I
finally felt sorry for the shivering Air Force puke and finished colors. He
did not figure out that in the summer the sun does not go down on the Ice
and the flag does not come down!
Just a few recollections from Willy Field.
Regards, Dick A