1982 to 1985
Coast Guard High Endurance Cutter UNIMAK (WHEC-379)
I was a navigator and I was skilled, including celestial navigation. My rating (specialty) was QUARTERMASTER, the Coast Guard has since eliminated this rating. This is my Navigation Department on a vintage 311 foot long High Endurance Cutter. Back in this day there was no GPS or Internet, you had to figure it out...no matter where you were.
The worst weather I had ever seen in my career was on this ship. It was the rescue of the Fishing Vessel SCARED HEART. It was horrific, seas over 30 feet, constantly, wind extremely strong. Ever seen a 300 foot ship tossed like a play toy until the steel hull cracks the ladders outside bend. I thought we were ALL going to die, no exaggeration. I was the one guy on board who knew for real because I knew where we were and it was what I thought. Truth is the Captain struggled with the same thought as well. Only a handful of men were even capable of doing their jobs, which were critically needed. A handful of over 100 men were even able to function.
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So, how many drug bust did we make? I don't know maybe 15 or so 3 years I was on her. Of course I was on the Boarding Team. The biggest thing on the UNIMAK, at least to me, was the Search and Rescue cases we did. Some were very impressive and we saved many lives.
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This picture is me on a signal light. Back in the day we were Signalmen as well. The Navy had a different specialty for this we did not, but we did in the past. The only Medal of Honor the Coast Guard has ever known went to Douglas Monro a Signalman First Class.-
This is me in the Chief's Mess. By my hard hat I am sure it is from the shipyards in Baltimore, MD.
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The quality of the picture is bad but this is the Navigation Department. That is me on the left edge. The Seaman on the right edge I met years later. He was a Chief like I was and it was amazing to see that.
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Who is that in the middle of this picture, yep yours truly. I have 2 hash marks now so it was a few years after I made CHIEF. This is the CHIEF'S Mess on the CGC Unimak.
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This was the Coast Guard High Endurance Cutter UNIMAK (WHEC-379), 311 feet long and a crew of about 120. She was the last of a seaplane tender the U.S. Navy gave the Coast Guard after World War II. Yes, she was that old. Was home ported out of New Bedford, MA. Picture was taken around 1983. I got to her in 1982.
May not seem like a big deal now but I was a qualified CONNING Officer of this Cutter. To my knowledge the only enlisted CONNING Officer of a High Endurance Cutter in the entire U.S. Coast Guard at that time. It was a big deal the old ship, it had engine order telegraphs, no direct control and old steering. You had to think well in advance. If you think you could make a mistake and just stop the ship to keep it out of trouble, you would be wrong...
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A poem that my wife at the time cross stitched and I framed very nicely. It was mounted on the Bridge of the Cutter Unimak.
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I am 23 years old and this is on the Bridge Wing of the CGC UNIMAK. That is the island of Saint Vincent, West Indies in the background. I was young, but fierce.-
I can tell you, you don't want to be outside of the ship when the 5 inch 38 gun is fired. It is indescribable, you think you know what sound is like. You don't.
So did was have "swim call" once in a while, when at sea. Yes we did. The Cutter is not tied up, it is at sea just drifting.
