I served on the Bula from 1973-1975…Home ported in Long Beach, then changed home ports to Pearl Harbor…Started off as a “Deck Ape”, worked with Allen Nath, David Vandenberg, Zimmerman (when I was a mess cook for nine months), Boatswain Jackson, Barnwell, Wickwire….
Then, I became a Signalman Striker and worked with Steve Cobb, Dave Marcowitz, Phil Roberts, John Jackson, Patterson, and Mike Wells…Mike was a Quartermaster who was interested in learning how to navigate by the stars to enhance his passion for sailing…
Memories:
-Mucking Tanks.
-Laundry Bins in the compartments that were used for vomiting when our drunk sailors returned from “the beach”.
-Olongapo.
UREPS that would last up to eighteen hours..
-Chipping paint, painting Red Lead, then Deck Gray..
-The Paint Locker, all the way forward…
_Captains Mast.
-Passing “the word” on the One MC.
-Missing muster.
-Movies on the main deck.
-Running “liberty boats”, the “motor whale boat”…Picking up and dropping off liberty parties when the Bula was Anchored off the coast of Long Beach and the P.I….
-Missing ships movement, Captains Mast, restriction to the ship…
-Working parties..
-Grundi Island, P.I….Setting up and helping to feed the “Boat People” at the refugee camp..
-My “Right of Passage” from a stupid kid, to manhood…
