U.S. Army Sea Tales

About the Book

The army marine field is a little known part of the army by both the civilians and the many soldiers. People think of the combat arms (infantry, armor, and artillery) and while they are the heart of the army, there are other branches without which the combat arms would cease to be an effective fighting force. Arguably, the most important element ensuring that the combat arms have “beans and bullets” is the Transportation Corps. The motto of the Transportation Corps is “Spearhead of Logistics” because “Nothing happens until something moves.” In my years as an army mariner, I have had many interesting and sometimes humorous experiences. My experiences are nothing compared with those of other army mariners. This book is not just about my experiences, but of other sea-going sailors as well. Some of the stories are hilarious, and I believe all are interesting. The book is divided into three elements. The heart of the book is the Sea Tales, but Mr. Richard Killblane, the Army Transportation Corps historian graciously provided me with many fascinating interviews of army mariners conducted by personnel in his office. The histories of many army watercraft companies are the final elements of the book and provides the reader with the differences of watercraft units and their missions. I have found my own experience to be very interesting and rewarding. I recall one day working on the engine room logbook, sitting at the galley table and glancing out of the door at the water in Skiffs Creek and thinking of how fortunate I was to be sitting there and not working in an office. I have had a wide variety of duties in my twenty-two year career, but nothing compares with working on the water. I can relate to what Samuel Clemmons wrote in his book, “Life on the Mississippi,” “For I loved the profession far better than any I have followed since.” I feel that says it all. I am now retired, but I have the memories of my experiences.

About the Author

Upon entering the army in 1969, I was unaware that the army had a watercraft element. Seven years later, I reenlisted and reclassified as a watercraft engineer. Upon completion of training, much to my chagrin, I was not assigned to a vessel but to an army amphibian unit at Fort Story, Virginia. Five years later, I was assigned to Fort Eustis, Virginia, and served on a number of watercraft, sixty-five-foot and 100-foot tugboats, an army freight ship and finally culminating with assignment in Hawaii to the U.S. Army Vessel, Lt. Col. John U.D. Page, the army’s largest ship.