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mick · 10-20-2011, 07:26 AM

and the reply:
*****************************
Ser 423-2346
5 AUG 1964
Chief, Bureau of Ships
To: Commanding Officer, USS NORTON
Subj: Urinals; height of
Ref: (a) USS NORTON ltr Ser 520 dtd 10 July 1964
(b) NAVSHIPYD PUGET SOUND ltr Ser DLG-29/9360 dtd 1 April 1964
(c) BUSHIPS ltr 523-376 dtd 28 April 1964
(d) BUSHIPS ltr Ser 632A-377 dtd 2 June 1964
1. In response to reference (a), reference (b, (c) and (d) have dealt with the subject at length and should clearly indicate to the Commanding Officer, USS NORTON, that the Chief, Bureau of Ships has by no means taken a hands-off stand in this matter.
2. In view of the delicate nature of the situation, considerable time and effort, both in-house and out, was directed at the subject. From this steady stream of information, the current Bureau Specification of 23" has been found to compare favorably with maritime, aviation and other industrial standards. Domestic engineering standards give the installed height of urinal lip as 20" to 21." The Crane Company catalog shows the height as 22." Although a unique relationship developed earlier by USSNORTON between bowl size and trajectory appears valid, there is no known cure for splash. Habit, experience and care will minimize but not eliminate this problem regardless of a man's height relative to that of the urinal.
3. Based on the above, I feel that we are on firm if not dry ground with our current specification. A review of the suitability of the smaller vitreous china urinal will be made prior to next standard plans revision. In the interim, it is suggested that you utilize the technique recommended by the Fire Chief from Wichita Falls -- if you can't stand closer to the fire, reel out more hose.
s/W. A. BROCKETT
Copy to: USS NORTON
PUGET SOUND NAVSHIPYD

mick · 10-20-2011, 07:29 AM

Career Field Management

MARINES: All Marines shall be considered riflemen first and foremost.

ARMY: It doesn't matter, all career fields promote to E-8 in first enlistment anyway.

NAVY: Nobody knows. The Navy is still trying figure out what in the heck sailors in ABH, SMC, BNC and BSN rates do anyway.

AIR FORCE: Every recruit will be trained in a manner that will allow them to leave the service early to go on to higher paying civilian jobs.

mick · 10-20-2011, 07:33 AM

Sign posted on the USS NORTON................................

"Any ship can be a minesweeper....once."

Wayne M · 10-20-2011, 09:06 AM

On a WestPac cruise, 1964, with Olongapo, PI as our WestPac home port, we were on our way. There was a replenishment at sea somewhere in that cruise. Now mind you, it was not necessary, but the navy has to practice "High Line." So there we were cruising when the PA spoke; "Man the lines for High Line," or something like that. I had just purchased an 8mm movie camera - you know - the ones without sound back in those days. Up on deck I went, and here comes the replenishment ship (whatever they are called.) They are going to give us our food for the next x number of days. Sitting on the outside area of the Con, in a lounge chair was Brig. Gen. Davis (MOH) with a cigar in his mouth. Above his head, stretched out across the Con was a sign in big, big letters. It said:

"You may whip our potatoes, but you can't beat our meat."

I have a video of that somewhere in my collection.

Seajay · 10-20-2011, 09:06 AM

Hay mick....... You is one sick puppie my friend. You remind me of ME... Love the letters about the Norton Urinals and their heights, or lack of same. We had to teach our Marine Detachment on the Norton that these things were urinals and were not a low sink for washing their faces and that big mint looking thing was not for eating.......... ping.......lol.....
(so it goes and so it goes, never ending...lol..)
Be safe my brother and many thanks for your service to this great nation. I truly do respect you even though you could not be a Sailor.......

Wayne M · 10-20-2011, 09:07 AM

Seajay,
I enjoy reading your sea stories, but there is one thing I have noticed.

Every ship you have been on has spent an inordinate amount of time in Liberty Ports.

Did your navy ever work?

mick · 10-20-2011, 09:42 AM

JimM68 · 10-20-2011, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wayne M

Seajay,
I enjoy reading your sea stories, but there is one thing I have noticed.

Every ship you have been on has spent an inordinate amount of time in Liberty Ports.

Did your navy ever work?

If I may be permitted to post an answer here....

Of course our navy worked... we worked hard, if not often. But as we didn't have streets to sweep, or shiny rifles to polish again, and we had sense enough to know that nobody would be amused by tall tails of rubbing the blueing clean off the barrel of plastic m16's, we tell our stories of liberty posts, where sailors have been enjoying high adventure, cold beer, and fast woman for centuries.

The interesting thing is, contrary to the beliefs of those who have not "been there and done that", these stories are the honest truth, not even stretched for the telling . It really did happen just as told.

Seajay · 10-20-2011, 02:31 PM

Uhhhhhhhhhh..... the ''Norton'' was the nick name of the Uss North Hampton CLC-1 She was a Combat Light Cruisers which means she was lightly armored and lightly armed. Only 8 guns and the ''big ones were 5 inch 38 turrets. We were primarily a ''Command Ship'' for the fleet, not necessarily a ''fighting ship'' as it were because we had little armaments. We carried the tallest free standing radio antenna (the Pig Stick) afloat on any ship and we carried the largest radar antenna (SPS2) afloat at that time. We carried the Flag Admiral of Second Fleet and we had the largest radio and radar gang afloat in any Navy, anywhere. We sent the first radio signal around the world from a ship at sea on the ''Norton'' and I personally did that. It took 1.8 seconds as I recall after me and Smittie spend about three hours setting it up and we did not even get credit for the accomplishment. Our beloved CPO got the credit for that one. (he just happened to be asleep at the time but who is counting) We got a notification in our ''jacket'' concerning that we were in the radio gang when this happened along with 125 other enlisted men. True, we made a lot of ports because we had the Admiral and commander of Second fleet aboard. We spent upwards to 30 days at sea at times and we made several North Atlantic crossings of the ''pond'' and stopped in Portsmouth England. We spent lot of time training with the fleet and in the radio gang we worked Wartime Cruising Watch schedules which amounted to about 8 hours on and maybe 6 hours off if you were lucky and we did this for weeks at a time without a break. The radio gang survived on ''ciggies and coffee'' mostly while we were at sea. I have pulled into port and been so burned out from the operations that instead of hitting the beach, I would sometime hit the rack for eight good hours of sleep. Been there and done that more than once. True, I was lucky to have been on the NORTON and to get to go a lot of places but you can bet your lunch money we earned our way every time with long hours of work and little sleep and a lot of the time no fresh food to speak of.
One more thing..... I have many wonderful memories from my days of sea duty on the Uss North Hampton and money could not buy them from me but you can bet your lunch money that there is not enough money to make me want to do them again. (Maybe Katie of Scotland just once more) Too much walkin around for too little lookin around so to speak...... When it takes you a solid MONTH to cross the Atlantic Ocean doing ''operations and drills'' and the only ''earth'' you see is under your fingernails, that is just too long.
I am very proud and honored that I served this fine nation and My Navy in servitude but, trust me, it was not all downhill with the wind to my back and smooth seas ahead brother ......... Most of it was wind in my face and combers running 20 feet high off the port bow.
Anyhow, many thanks my Marine friend for your kind comment and I still honor you and all who served this nation in our military service.
God bless our veterans....... All gave some ....SOME GAVE ALL...
(have you told a vet Thank you for their service?)
nuff said for now ........ cj.....

Seajay · 10-20-2011, 02:46 PM

One more thing my Marine friend. I was never stationed aboard but one ship and I was aboard for about 30 months as I recall ... I could be wrong about the exact time spent but I am not wrong about the sea stories. They are true as I remember them from some 50 plus years ago. I would not bet my life on the validity of the sea stories because the mind fades on finite details sometimes when time slips by but I would bet our next months SS check and our rent checks and our annuity check and the tax refund checks we aint gonna get on them....
Be safe my brother and many thanks for your service to this nation. No one respects you more than me.......

Wayne M · 10-20-2011, 10:12 PM

Aw SHUX! Did I get to you? I was pullin' your leg and being facetious, don't-cha-know.

W4RLR · 10-20-2011, 10:56 PM

U.S.S. Northampton a.k.a. "The Norton"

tickranch · 10-21-2011, 12:21 AM

We were on a Caribbean cruise, and going through the Bermuda Triangle. Everyone had been talking about all the stories of ships, planes, etc. disappearing, etc. for a few days before we entered it. While going through there, it was one of those beautiful nights, the sea was like glass, it was a warm clear night, you could see more stars than you knew existed. There were a lot of people on the fantail, talking, playing guitars, etc. Just enjoying the night & being alive. We were in the process of changing to new battle lanterns (sort of like night lights that would come on if the ship lost power). They had 2 of the big 6 volt batteries in them, and we were using the old ones like flash lights to work with. I got the "bright" idea to go to mid ships turn one on, and drop it over the side to see what would happen. I proceed to do this in my usual military manner, then went back inside, and ran to the fantail to watch the fun. I causually walked out on the fantail, and leaned on the lifeline, looking out over the ocean. When I dropped the battle lantern over the side, it landed facing up, and was waving back & forth as it floated down to Davy Jones' Locker. The deeper it got, the bigger the beacon got. By the time it got to the fantail, it looked like a big search light going back & forth. Finally someone saw it, and then the fun started! Everyone ran to the side to see it, they had the after lookout call down to sonar to find out what was down there, & sonar had no contacts, and they went on alert. There was quite a stir about the "unknown search light" under the ship! It was the topic of discussion for a few days, and several people didn't sleep well for a while. Naturally I didn't tell but just a few select buddys about it, and we got a good laugh. Several years later I ran across a guy I'd served with, & we were swapping sea stories & I told him that one. He got a funny look on his face, & said he was one of them who didn't sleep well.

tickranch · 10-21-2011, 12:39 AM

I served on the USS Barney DDG 6 a guided missle destroyer. A few of us enjoyed being outside during rough seas (I didn't get sea sick). We'd usually go up on the signal bridge, which was the highest deck on the ship, above the bridge, and had an about 4' bulkhead, so if a wave got up there, it wouldn't wash over the deck. I was amazed at the waves washing over the bow, and sometimes even as high as the bridge. Sometimes they would even come as high as the bulkhead on the signal bridge, but didn't cause any danger...at least while I was there. One day, it was pretty rough, and a buddy & I decided to go out on the missle launcher & watch the waves come over the fantail. They had secured all outside decks, but we went out there anyway. The missle launcher was on the 01 level (the deck above the main deck), and on the after part of the ship, just above the fantail. We were sitting there watching the waves crash over the fantail, when the CPO who had Master of Arms duty that day looked out the door & ordered us back inside, in a "polite Navy way". We reluctantly went back inside, and just as I stepped inside the door, & was closing it, I happened to look back to where we had been sitting, as a wave washed up, and the missle launcher dissappered under water! I gladly took my butt chewing, and that cured me of going outside to watch the waves! That Cheif didn't know it, but he saved our lives. No one knew we were out there, and by the time we were noticed missing who knows where the ship would have been. I still think back on that and thank our lucky stars he looked outside & saw us. Funny thing was I had never really liked him...until then.