USS NEWPORT NEWS

Me

Reuben Collier

Horse, Up Up and Away!

We were a seagoing squadron, so to speak.  Our squadron furnished aviation needs to a non-aviation ships. Of my two years on active duty I spent only 30 days on a ship.  

Our squadron supplied aviation needs to non-aviation ships like pick up mail, supplies, carry somebody to shore for an important meeting, hell, I don't know.

Sometimes there could be space available for an office person, such as ms myself, go along as a go-for.   On this 30 day cruise aboard the USS NEWPORT NEWS they had room for two of us office people. My friend Reuben Collier also got to go.

We flew by a larger helicopter to Norfolk, Va., and got aboard the ship and took off.  We went down the shore line to May Port, Florida, just outside of Jacksonville..  I think we arrived on News Years Eve, 1964. and had just enough time to hop on a bus going to downtown Jacksonville to celebrate the coming of the New Year.  There was also to be a biggie football game the next day in Jax.  So as we walked from bar to bar we got to mingle with football big names.... or big names to other people.  I don't remember the circumstances but somehow I ended up a scrawny little woman with an eyepatch  that had a long horn.  Anytime I try to converse with her she would lift her big long horn and blow a loud ugly noise in my ears.

The next day we went back to sea.  On down the line we saw Miami Beach at a distance.  

I remember the executive officer seems to be in everybody's business.  With any duty that required someone to help the XO, he picked somebody shorter than him.  Ha!  The XO also picked a deck hand to start a radio show for the ship.  He played music sometimes and sometimes he would have an interview with somebody.  It was interesting to watch.  The little short radio DJ/Announce saw us a lot coming and going and became on-sight friends with him.

Also, we made friends here and there with sailors we saw often or ate at the same time or whatever.  I t thought I was friends with one guy and in a bunch he was saying how much he hated reserves and laughing I told him I was a reserve.  That was the last words spoken between us.

The ships always had a Marine unit.  On the USS NEWPORT NEWS was a group of Marines.  One was my cousin, that I did not know at the time, named was Eric England, from Blairsville, Georgia.

A few years later Eric gained a reputation of being the very best sniper ever.  They made a movie about him.  About 50 years later at a Hunter Reunion we talked and realized we were on the same ship the same time.   He died a couple years later, because of diabetes his leg was amputated which cost him his life.

One thing I hated about shipboard life was taking a dump.  there was always a waiting line and with no space waste, you had to touch knees with the male sitting across from you.  When we got to shore that was the first thing I did:  Go gt a motel room and take a dump in private.

We went into the Gulf and up the Mississippi River 50 or more miles to New Orleans.

Reuben is from Louisiana.  When we anchored Reuben went home for a few days.  He bought back head cheese wrapped in white wax paper.  It was delicious.  What it was was hog brains mixed with spices.  There is another name for it but I forgot.

I already told you what I did as soon as I got off the boat.

I spent three days checking out New Orleans. 

Then back track ourselves back to Lakehurst.