USS Dixie (AD-14), San Diego, Ca.

July 71 - Nov 73

I really kind of enjoyed the work on Deck Force. Lots of physical stuff chipping paint and repainting. Handling lines and learning how to run the crane. Working parties loading supplies aboard.  Did this for about 6 months then transferred into Sick Bay as their Striker.

Was 'dating' Connie May Howard who lived out Yuma, AZ way. Her dad REALLY hated me! He even wrote my CO to tell him to tell me to STAY AWAY!

Almost married a girl named Mary Jane Pendel from New York. She was visiting her sister (Christina) and bro-in-law (Ed Jones) and needed a date. I volunteered. We got along great and I even visited her in Hastings, NY for Christmas. Was going along pretty good until she decided she needed to 'play around' a bit more. One snowy night we drove out into the middle of a field to 'be alone' and the only cop in 100 miles stopped to tell us to get back home.

When I bought my 500-4 Honda motorcycle I spent a lot of time traveling around. After I met Naomi Rischel I spent even more time out and about. (I should have married Naomi!!! Naomi, I will never ever forget that shower!). I really liked riding up to Las Vegas to visit my Mom then back down through Arizona to Yuma then back over to San Diego. 

Sickbay was a trip! I didn't spend a lot of time learning to hold sick call; but I did spend a LOT of time learning to take X-Rays and the prelims for physicals. Saw my share of accidents (including a guy caught in his zipper!) and responded with everyone else when a boiler blew on a ship parked on the pier behind us. (USS King?)

I used to stay up WAY late sitting on the mess decks writing letters or my stories and manage to get a couple of hours sleep before having to be to work. Met my future ex-wife on the mess decks. She was eating dinner with someone and I was so taken with her I went over and introduced my self. We hit it off fairly well; wrote each other for a year and I visited her and we finally got married. I should have married Naomi!

Broke my ankle stepping into a hole in the teakwood deck. Wore a cast for 6 weeks, got free of the thing and was walking back to my rack when I stepped into another hole. Wore another cast another 6 weeks! The ship moved piers a lot and smokes were $.10/pack while 'underway'. Spent a couple months in drydock. Bought a metal flake blue "Cricket" (Plymouth?) and had it 5 days before giving it back to the dealer because it had been hit and he didn't tell me.

Had a locker at 7 Seas Serviceman's Club for my civvies! Had to get downtown San Diego to change and remember to change back into uniform before going back to ship.