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USN Salvors - 1970's bits and pieces


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Salvage Sailor

M1 Helmet rack hanging on the stack on the signal bridge, USS BOLSTER (ARS-38)

 

Starboard workboat in davits with "B" for Bolster on her ramp, HF antennae painted red, firefighting gear next to helmet rack

Ships horn painted red on the right, 40MM ammunition ready locker in the right foreground, the gun is to the right off camera

 

Looks like we're towing an LST, a Long Slow Tow

Bolster Helmet Rack Signal Bridge.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...
Salvage Sailor

Excellent film posted on youtube and elsewhere - Original film USS GRAPPLE (ARS-7) off of Hawaii and in RVN

 

Starts off with GRAPPLE, a diver class salvage ship steaming close aboard of USS TAWAKONI (ATF-114), an Abnaki class fleet tug as they maneuver off of Hawaii with other SERVRON 5 units.

 

Much of the film depicts her salvage and diving tour in Vietnam 1970-1971. Really nice shots of our ARS workboats, salvaging ships, Vietnamese manned PCF's, uniforms, patches, equipment, small arms......Stay with it after the dancers, their are dive ops towards the end.

 

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Salvage Sailor

2nd Class Divers School Plaque

2nd Class Divers School Plaque 03.jpg

 

Very large and heavy Diver emblem

Master Diver Brass Plaque 002.jpg

 

COMSERVLANT DIVING SCHOOL (ATLANTIC FLEET)

 

USS YFNB-17 SALVAGE BARGE

YFNB-17 Salvage Barge 2.jpg

 

USS WINDLASS (ARS-D-4)

 

USS WINDLASS ARS-D-4 Plaque 03.jpg

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  • 3 months later...
Salvage Sailor

USS GRASP (ARS-24) at NAVSTAGUAM, Apra Harbor, Territory of Guam, as a crane attempts to lift one of our Ells salvage anchors.

In this view, our 40MM gun and carbon arc searchlight can clearly be seen.

 

"I think they're going to need a bigger crane"

Guam I think were going to need a bigger crane.jpg

USS GRASP ARS-24 Plaque 3 a.jpg

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  • 3 months later...
Salvage Sailor

Excellent film posted on youtube and elsewhere - Original film USS GRAPPLE (ARS-7) off of Hawaii and in RVN

 

Starts off with GRAPPLE, a diver class salvage ship steaming close aboard of USS TAWAKONI (ATF-114), an Abnaki class fleet tug as they maneuver off of Hawaii with other SERVRON 5 units.

 

Much of the film depicts her salvage and diving tour in Vietnam 1970-1971. Really nice shots of our ARS workboats, salvaging ships, Vietnamese manned PCF's, uniforms, patches, equipment, small arms......Stay with it after the dancers, their are dive ops towards the end.

 

 

USS GRAPPLE items, in the film you can see the older Grapple patch worn on some of the workjackets.

Grapple ARS-7 Zippo 01.jpg

Grapple ARS-7 Zippo Rev 01.jpg

USS GRAPPLE ARS 7 PLAQUE 1.jpg

USS GRAPPLE ARS 7 PLAQUE A.jpg

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River Patrol

Not a uniform but it's keeping in spirit of the thread.....found this at the Ventura flea market a few years ago.

IMG_20150531_084227.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

Back to uniforms.......

 

USN Service Dress Blues circa 1965 prior to the 'Salt & Pepper' uniform change

 

USS SKYLARK (ASR-20)

 

USS SKYLARK (ASR-20) crew photo 1960's.jpg

USS SKYLARK (ASR-20) crew photo 1960's 002.jpg

USS SKYLARK (ASR-20) Patch 01.JPG

USS SKYLARK ASR-20 plaque B.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

Salvage Training - Harbor Clearance Unit Two (Little Creek, VA) aboard USS PAPAGO (ATF-160)

Nice mix of dungarees and utilities in these photos, along with our firefighting gear in action.

 

Salvage Training HCU-2 Little Creek VA 001.jpg

 

Salvage Training HCU-2 Little Creek VA 002.jpg

 

Salvage Training HCU-2 Little Creek VA 003.jpg

 

Salvage Training HCU-2 Little Creek VA 004.jpg

 

Salvage Training HCU-2 Little Creek VA 005.jpg

 

Salvage Training HCU-2 Little Creek VA 006.jpg

 

Salvage Training HCU-2 Little Creek VA 007.jpg

 

Salvage Training HCU-2 Little Creek VA 008.jpg

 

Salvage Training HCU-2 Little Creek VA 009.jpg

 

Salvage Training HCU-2 Little Creek VA 010.jpg

Salvage Training HCU-2 Little Creek VA 011.jpg

 

Salvage Training HCU-2 Little Creek VA 012.jpg

 

Salvage Training HCU-2 Little Creek VA 013.jpg

 

26' Whaleboat, ATF-160

Salvage Training HCU-2 Little Creek VA 014.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

Rigged for towing with strawberry buoys to keep the towline afloat until the figured-eight steel cable can be attached

 

Salvage Training HCU-2 Little Creek VA 015.jpg

 

Salvage Training HCU-2 Little Creek VA 016.jpg

 

Salvage Training HCU-2 Little Creek VA 017.jpg

 

Salvage Training HCU-2 Little Creek VA 018.jpg

 

Salvage Training HCU-2 Little Creek VA 019.jpg

 

Salvage Training HCU-2 Little Creek VA 020.jpg

 

Salvage Training HCU-2 Little Creek VA 021.jpg

 

Salvage Training HCU-2 Little Creek VA 022.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

Switching to the 'new' salvage tugs of the 1970's

 

USS Edenton ATS-1 Plaque.jpg

 

USS Edenton ATS-1 White Rocker.jpg

USS EDENTON Cruise Jacket 4.jpg

USS EDENTON (ATS-1) Cruise jacket

 

USS EDENTON Cruise Jacket 6.jpg

 

USS Edenton ATS-1 Zippo 01.jpg

 

USS Edenton ATS-1 Zippo buckle 01.jpg

 

USS EDENTON.jpg

 

USS Edenton ATS-1 Patch lg 1.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

Harbor Clearance Unit One re-enlistment ceremony 1971 (photos loaned to me, not mine)

 

19710501CharlesThompsonreenlisti-1.jpg

19710501CharlesThompsonreenlisti-2.jpg

19710501CharlesThompsonreenlistingH.jpg

 

More.....

 

19710501KarlWeltekereenlistingHC-1.jpg

19710501KarlWeltekereenlistingHC-2.jpg

19710501KarlWeltekereenlistingHCU-1.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

Harbor Clearance Unit Two - YRST-2 under tow back to their Little Creek, VA salvage base

 

002.jpg

 

HCU-2 Plaque 001.jpg

 

YRST-2 under tow Little Creek VA 001.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit One (MDSU-1), ex-HCU-1 reflagged in the post Vietnam realignment, diving at Alpha Docks, Pearl Harbor Naval Station (Hickam AFB)

 

post-2322-0-08719900-1433106374.jpg

 

Using the 'new' MK21 gear. They are diving from the fantail of an ATS (either BEAUFORT or BRUNSWICK) Note the ARS standing off in the distance of the last photo as a support vessel.

 

21_going_up_and_over.jpg

 

conex_box_setup.jpg

 

dive_stations_ops.jpg

 

mk21_going_into_water.jpg

 

stage_up_and_over_with_salvor.jpg

 

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  • 1 month later...
Salvage Sailor

USS BOLSTER (ARS-38) Items from my second ARS

 

USS BOLSTER (ARS-38) Plaque Badge Lighter 02a.jpg

 

USS BOLSTER ARS-38 Plaque 04a.jpg

 

USS BOLSTER ARS-38 Plaque.jpg

 

USS BOLSTER SHIRT.jpg

 

 

Patches

USS BOLSTER (ARS-38) Patch 01.JPG

 

346714230_ARS38USSBOLSTER002.jpg.e4e14e6c3fd5606b87172029b08aa4e4.jpg

 

123054863_ARS38USSBOLSTER001.jpg.e99f53ff43d4d902a2a04134fdd2b2cf.jpg

 

USS BOLSTER (ARS-38) Reverse Color Patch 01.jpg

 

39015817_ARS38USSBOLSTER004.jpg.1465aa60097e8b524410644052c80479.jpg

 

.

Bolster Off Oahu 1978.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

Service Squadron 5 - Pacific Salvors

Pearl Harbor Naval Station

 

You can see the shield on the ARS above

IMG_6483.JPG

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More.....

 

 

Salvage Sailor, Great thread! Looking at the photos of the reenlistment, it appears that the unit insignia was worn on both sleeves. Am I correct? Looking forward to seeing more!

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Salvage Sailor

Right you are.

 

The USN really didn't pay any attention at all to right or left - only port and starboard - as evidenced by the reenlistment photos. We just wore the patches wherever they looked good on our jackets and overalls.

 

I still haven't cracked open the trays of slides I have. Still a lot to scan but I'll post them over time.

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Salvage Sailor

My Office

 

post-2322-0-47739400-1436383784.jpg

 

SPS-25 Radar repeater - the most common 'scope' used in the 1960's to 1980's for surface search radars

 

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Salvage Sailor

post-2322-0-04525800-1436384593.jpg

USS GRASP (ARS-24) Lahaina, Maui 1975

 

post-2322-0-68211700-1436384593.jpg

USS GRASP (ARS-24) Westpac 1976 (SERVRON 5 shield on bridge wing)

 

USS BOLSTER (ARS-38) in Philippines 1976.jpg

USS BOLSTER (ARS-38) Philippines 1976 as seen from her workboat in Subic Bay (note the SERVRON 5 shield beside the 20MM gun mount)  This is was a typical Salvage ship hull looks like.  Chain marks and scrapes under the ELLS Anchor & forward boom.   We had four (4) of these mounted on deck (two port, two starboard) and another four (4) stored in the after hold with the Beach Gear wires, shackles, plates, pelican hooks, pulleys....just add Mud, Blood and Miracles - That's a Salvage ship.

 

If you scroll back up to the GRASP you'll see the ELLS anchors forward and aft.  She also had a cannon ball sized dent in her starboard aft quarter just above the waterline where we were dinged by a rogue pier piling while raising a barge.

 

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Salvage Sailor

YRST-1 at Alpha Docks, Pearl Harbor Naval Station (Hickam AFB)

 

post-2322-0-96147600-1436384886.jpg

Home of Harbor Clearance Unit One towed back from RVN via Subic Bay, P.I. & Agana, Guam to Pearl Harbor.

She's still afloat as a renamed and renovated barracks barge at Submarine Base Pearl Harbor.

 

 

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Salvage Sailor

SERVRON 5 units at Alpha Docks

 

Ships 2 Alpha docks.jpg

USS TAKELMA (ATF-113), USS SAFEGUARD (ARS-25), USS CONQUEST (MSO-488), USS BEAUFORT (ATS-2)

Left to Right:  Fleet Tug, Rescue Salvage, Ocean Minesweeper, Salvage Tug

 

Ships at Alpha docks.jpg

USS TAKELMA (ATF-113) Fleet Tug & USS SAFEGUARD (ARS-25) Rescue Salvage

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