Steve De Nisi

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…