Tag Archives: passage

84. What A Way To See The Golden Gate!

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In service as a naval auxiliary we were preparing to deliver necessary materials to the troops already present in Vietnam.  

The better part of the days and nights had been full with loading of supplies including the earlier mentioned jelly bombs.  With the end of the week arriving way too soon for me, the time had come to hit the open sea.

Early Saturday morning the Pilot (Harbormaster) has boarded the ship.  The dock workers have left the ship and it’s now 90% in our control.  It’ll become 100% once the Harbormaster has left us to the open sea.  He will guide the ship out from the docks towards the Golden Gate Bridge.

I said my prayers; ‘You Lord are the only one to protect us and help us come back safe to our families and homes … if it is Your will.’   The fear of the unknown did rise up in me, it was more real now that the knots of the ropes which kept us at the docks had been released.

I went back in to serve breakfast to my lot (the officers).  A tray of coffee and pastries was taken up to the Bridge for the Pilot also.  As I recall it took about half a day going through the narrow passages, simply having to go at a crawl as we’re not yet out in the open sea.  Then it happened.

I was back out on deck now when the engines were cut.  I looked out around the ship at the waters below and saw the little Pilot’s boat with all his rubber tires secured completely around; bumper boats!

It was time for the Harbormaster to leave us to our own devices.  We weren’t yet at the Golden Gate but I could easily see it in the distance.  The rope ladder was rolled back up seconds after he touched floor on his little boat.  I keep saying little in contrast to our gigantic ship.

The rumble and vibration of the engines firing back up to full throttle was thrilling I openly admit.  We’re headed into the open sea.  There’s already no turning back; we had several jobs to do and we’d do them to the best of our potential.  

I found myself momentarily concerned with the ship’s smokestacks being able to clear the bridge.  I knew in my mind of course they wouldn’t attempt this without a thousand successful experiences.  Still, child-like I wondered. C - Golden Gate sideview b&w

And looking in the direction of the Golden Gate, the beauty of this moment overrode my looming thoughts of danger which we would soon be facing, point in fact I didn’t fully understand what in actuality it was going to be.  I was truly in this moment.  

Most of us were out on deck taking in this last peaceful mental picture for a memoir of home; it was so beautiful to me.  

Everything appeared toy-like as the cars passed one another on the bridge.  We’d already passed Sausalito at the changing of the Harbormaster’s guidance and now the homes up on the hillsides were as though a giant’s child placed his Monopoly toy houses along them.

As we were passing underneath the bridge another ship was coming into the Bay; an interesting sight by its own rights.  We all turned now to look back upon the magnificent Golden Gate Bridge as he was quickly becoming a view in the past.  

Our ship was now dashing upon the open sea.  Into the sunset we were headed.  Oh!  It was time to get back to work … had to serve the officers their lunch.

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a little extra information from: http://www.usmm.org/vietnam.html

The Military Sea Transportation Service had the job of bringing war supplies to Vietnam –– 10,000 miles from the Pacific coast.  MSTS had four separate customers to serve: the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps.  MSTS ships were staffed by “civilian” crews, but carried 95% of the supplies used by our Armed Forces in Vietnam including bombs and ammunition into combat zones under fire.

MSTS took about 100 Victory ships out of the National Defense Reserve Fleet (mothball fleet), repaired them, and assigned them to private companies for operation to carry ammunition across the Pacific.  MSTS carried guns, tanks, trucks, trains, riverboats, barges, helicopters, bombers, fighters, reconnaissance planes, food, fuel, and medical supplies.  By 1965 MSTS had 300 freighters and tankers supplying Vietnam, with an average of 75 ships and over 3,000 merchant mariners in Vietnamese ports at any time.

 

 

25. Hope Is Still Alive Beyond the Horizon

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Life was like playing hide & seek with Hemma’s family.  Of course I maintained my husbandly status but it wasn’t comfortable.  No matter which room of what I thought was our house alone, that I would go into there was always at least one of them in there;  here or there.

When we escaped to our own room more often than not, there would come a knock at the door.  Really?  I remember when we lived at my family’s home (prior to our son’s birth), the one thing which was sacred was a closed bedroom door.  Clearly it was not practiced within this family unit.

So now let’s get on to the planning of what’s next.  In the Southern Hemisphere, it was about the beginning of winter, 1956.  I had heard before from various sources, that there were many individuals heading out to England, as a life-change move.

One could migrate there easily as we [Fiji] were already a British Crown colony.  While migrating closer to say New Zealand, or Australia, a visa was still needed.  As holders of a British passport, getting into a life in England was not at all difficult, other than securing transportation.

A big push, a tempting plus was the memory of my father telling me to use my government sponsored trip to India.  The British crown was sending each one of us kids, one-way to India if we wanted it.  “Go and see your father’s homeland, if you can.”  I could still hear him telling me this.

Now I could feel the wheels turning in my head.  My brain was starting to formulate the way it would go down.  If I take the free one-way passage to India, then it should be easier to get over to England from there.  From where I am currently positioned in the South Pacific, the journey would take me north-westerly and I would hit Bombay first.

I went into town one day and made an inquiry at the Labour Department.  Could this really happen?  Of course, this was absolutely a service they could provide for me!  To open this chapter up, they supplied me with the necessary forms and the requirements.  This would be my birth certificate and expected date of departure.

Can you even imagine how this re-sparked the 🔥within me?

That evening when I returned home, I made sure to have a private conversation with my wife.  I told it to her like this:  ‘Once I get settled down in London, I’ll call for you.  I’ll have a job and a place for us to stay.  You can travel to me on your own or I will come and get you myself, whatever you need.’

Hemma said she would have to think about this very big change.  She then also said to me, “Why are you always trying to leave Fiji?”  I responded quite calmly to my surprise, ‘There is no future or happiness here for us.  The memories here are becoming to painful.’

She seemed somewhat confused.  ‘Once you go away from here you’ll see what I am saying.’  I told her with great confidence.  It took some time but Hemma finally agreed later that evening; yes you can go she told me and seemed to mean it.  I mean the part about migrating to England.

I submitted my birth certificate, my requested travel date and the filled out forms to the Labor Department the next day.  It was all rapidly processed and my airline ticket to India was booked for Wednesday, the 18th of July, 1956 – Nadi, Fiji to Bombay, India.

TEAL ticket jacket 1956

 

Of course you understand this had to go in steps.  Of course!

 

 
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