FROM THE GHOST OF, THE WtLLIWAWS U
Seems that the Recreation Council, the Enlisted Recreation Committee andf others
are coming up with . some good ideas - trouble is, no one seems to want to do the
work*connected with them and you can’t blame the CB’s for not being able to accept
these projects, regardless of their merit.
It is possible that we could have a committee set up to investigate the poss
ibility of utilizing volunteers to do the job.Take improving the recreation area
out at Finger Bay — if ah appeal was made to all hands, arrangements made for
transportation and materials' by Special Services and someone there witfc the
plans and who knew what had to be accomplished, I’m sure that these.projects
could be successfully accomplished in off-duty hours of personnel of thd station.
I remember long ago when the Army lived in quonsets all over the island (some of
the places haven11 seen life in any form since the war). Things were not as nice
as they are now;and I carried the men’s gripes fro m here nortoh to the Bering Sea
and back again — but they took care of their own. If they wanted a recreation
area - they built it between watches. Their pay was a lot less,their living conj»
ditions not even comparable, they griped about it, too, but one thing they never
forgot: They were serving their countrvl *
I. don’t think the enlistment contracts have changed that much —* and these men
didn’t -have a choice of volunteering for their armed fore or duty. I’ve .*he«2?d
some people talking that ’’volunteers” for projects are as hard to get as trees
are. to grow, on Adak. This may not be entirely true but it’s something to think
about* ..
IfYe' heard Special Services can use any serviceable pots and pans that might be
surplus in your household • for naking up additioml ’’household kits” for use by
personnel arriving on the station until their household effects arrive or are
taken out of storage. *
I heard that Vincent Interrante of the Legal Office wants his name in £he pa
per every other week. Vince still hasn!t caught a fish ( the alleged rainbow he
took a,picture of cannot be proven without a doubt).
Did- you know that we have a blacksmith on the island? R.I. Hosf ord,SFl, USN,
who is now our station plumber is a blacksmith of the old school. He modestly
tells the story of > the time when he averted an international crisis in Panama by
shoeing one of the village horses that was needed ofr a parade.
"Hoss”, as he is known by his friends of the Bayview set, astonished#eveyyone
on the ARL-12 in 1949 when the word was passed that anyone who was a t^Lacksmith
was to report to the quarterdeck, Seeriis the word w|is passed to impress a village
official who was aboard the ship to make an appeal,for help and the 00D didn’t
expect anyone to volunteer. ’’Hoss” did the job and was paid for it too,by the . ,
village Treasurer and Mayor besides cementing their friendship. This was in 1949 -
even before the President’s People to People Program^
Tip to camera enthusiasts - about 5 AM these mornings you can get some beauti
ful sunrise shots if you/re shooting color - and one of them might well win the
All—Navy Photo Contest.
That’s it for this week, except for one item of good news I heard from a PN -
3uPers Notice 1430 of 9 June I960, which gives estimates of^advancement oppor
tunities in the August I960 examinations, paints a pretty pictjire for those per— -
sonnel who are aspiring for higher pay grades. With the exception of those tak
ing ’the examination for Pay Grade E6 in SH, DC, CM, EO, AD, and SD ratings,it
l? estimated that' 35$ to 70$ and in a number of ratings 70% to 100$ of those „
>assing the test, will be' rated. Of the aforementioned ratings,only SH and EO are ,
in the less than 10$ bracket which indicates the Navy Exchhnge will do a volume
business in cigars come November, if you’ve been ,studying. Wouldn’t it be better
to be passing them out than receiving them for once.
- NUFF SAID