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Salvage Sailor

USS WANDANK (ATA-204), Sotoyomo class auxiliary fleet tug in service 1944 to 1973. This is her Vietnam Era mahogany plaque when she was stationed in Guam

ATA 204 USS WANDANK 001.jpg

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  • 5 weeks later...

Good Morning, My name is Robert E Crispin, Jr

Can you tell me how you came by the rickover piece and Can I buy it back?

regards

Bob

 

Hi Bob,

 

I sent you a Private Message, check your messages.

 

Best regards,

Chris

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I forgot to add this one. I have had this one for a long time. The original builders plaque from the USS Avoyel ATF-150. This one is heavy, around 40 lbs !!

 

Chris

 

post-10825-0-98714700-1509286125_thumb.jpeg

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Salvage Sailor

Always nice to see that builders plaque hink.......

 

Bolster class Rescue Salvage vessel USS CONSERVER (ARS-39) The "Connie Maru"

ARS 39 USS CONSERVER 004.jpg

ARS 39 USS CONSERVER 006.jpg

ARS 39 USS CONSERVER 008.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

I forgot to add this one. I have had this one for a long time. The original builders plaque from the USS Avoyel ATF-150. This one is heavy, around 40 lbs !!

 

Chris

 

attachicon.gifimage.jpeg

 

One of her sister ships, Achomawi class Fleet Tug USS SALINAN (ATF-161) Key West, Florida - Atlantic Fleet, SERVRON ONE, FOUR & EIGHT in service 1945 to 1978

ATF 161 USS SALINAN 001.jpg

ATF 161 USS SALINAN 002.jpg

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  • 2 months later...
Salvage Sailor

USS SHAKORI (ATF-162) Abnaki class fleet tug in service 1945 to 1980

 

Around the world on a Fleet Tug, which included a Vietnam campaign tour 1965-1966

ATF 162 USS SHAKORI Plaque 001.jpg

ATF 162 USS SHAKORI Around the World 001.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

HTs made many of these..Carpenter Shop doing the wood, (cut, routed, sanded and stained and finished) Machine Shop doing the engraving..and Shipfitter or Pipe Shop pouring molds.

 

We made a TON of wood plaques with brass name plates! MR shop could make a killer name tag too!

 

Actually got sick of doing them at one time..everyone always wanted a hook-up job...but that's how you'd get new coveralls, flight deck boots, or fresh cinnamon rolls delivered to the shop every morning.

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HTs made many of these..Carpenter Shop doing the wood, (cut, routed, sanded and stained and finished) Machine Shop doing the engraving..and Shipfitter or Pipe Shop pouring molds.

 

We made a TON of wood plaques with brass name plates! MR shop could make a killer name tag too!

 

Actually got sick of doing them at one time..everyone always wanted a hook-up job...but that's how you'd get new coveralls, flight deck boots, or fresh cinnamon rolls delivered to the shop every morning.

 

These plaques were so commonly presented for various awards. I wish I still had mine but I think that it never left the ship with me. I love that you brought up the sailor-bartering system - this is how we took care of each other on the ship. There was nothing like this that I ever experienced since leaving the navy.

 

Side-story about the one MR we had on my first ship. On a Saturday night in San Pedro, I was driving my Mustang through a not-so-friendly neighborhood when I pushed my clutch in to downshift and it dropped to the floor as metal parts went bounding beneath my car and out the back. It was 8-9 pm and I couldn't get my car back to the yards (Todd). I parked it, humped a few miles back to the ship with the broken pieces of the threaded section of the linkage that engaged the clutch fork in my hand). After calling around in search of a parts shop that might be open (none would be open until Monday), the MR3 passed by me on the quarterdeck as I was calling around and said, "come with me." He measured and checked the piece, pulled some stainless steel rod, put it on the lathe and turned it to the correct diameter, machined the proper threads and I was on my way to the car where crawled under with a flashlight and put it all back together enough to get me home. My MR friend wouldn't let me reciprocate with anything - dinner, beers, nothing. He just smiled and was happy to help out a shipmate and fellow car-guy.

 

 

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These plaques were so commonly presented for various awards. I wish I still had mine but I think that it never left the ship with me. I love that you brought up the sailor-bartering system - this is how we took care of each other on the ship. There was nothing like this that I ever experienced since leaving the navy.

 

Side-story about the one MR we had on my first ship. On a Saturday night in San Pedro, I was driving my Mustang through a not-so-friendly neighborhood when I pushed my clutch in to downshift and it dropped to the floor as metal parts went bounding beneath my car and out the back. It was 8-9 pm and I couldn't get my car back to the yards (Todd). I parked it, humped a few miles back to the ship with the broken pieces of the threaded section of the linkage that engaged the clutch fork in my hand). After calling around in search of a parts shop that might be open (none would be open until Monday), the MR3 passed by me on the quarterdeck as I was calling around and said, "come with me." He measured and checked the piece, pulled some stainless steel rod, put it on the lathe and turned it to the correct diameter, machined the proper threads and I was on my way to the car where crawled under with a flashlight and put it all back together enough to get me home. My MR friend wouldn't let me reciprocate with anything - dinner, beers, nothing. He just smiled and was happy to help out a shipmate and fellow car-guy.

 

 

 

LOVE IT!

 

Yep! That's a MR for ya..we had a Sh-t hot MR2, cool guy..and I recall him making a VERY important shaft for some pump..for the plant..no sweat. One of our R Div Chiefs was a MR..HTs and MRs are brothers for sure!

 

It was the MS's that would drive you batty..we were always doing stainless work for them on the mess decks.

 

It'd go like this:

 

"..well..I'm supposed to make a work order for this...CHENG might not sign off on that..but me and my boy HTFN Riffe can come knock that out for ya..hey...was that cheese cake/cake/pie/rolls/steaks..etc I saw last night at mid-rats? Could we have a couple pans of that..bring it down to the Shipfitter Shop @ 0 dark thirty, and you'll get your ___ done ___ by ___..."

 

Oh SK2, you need a storage rack cut out? I need coveralls..

 

And so it went and sure still goes!

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  • 4 weeks later...
Salvage Sailor

Navy plaques are made from many different materials. Brass, Bronze, Ceramic, Aluminum, Resin, Bakelite, Plastic, etc.

 

This is an example of a Resin plaque from the Radar Picket USS LOWE (DER-325)

DER 325 USS LOWE Plaque 001.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

....and these are some molds used in shipboard machine shops to make the plaques, in this instance from the Submarine Rescue ship USS COUCAL (ASR-8)

Plaque 19 USS COUCAL Mold.jpg

Plaque 20 USS COUCAL.jpg

Plaque 21 Master Diver Mold.jpg

Plaque 22 First Class Diver Mold.jpg

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....Aluminum with scrap pot metal (heavy, but non-ferrous)

 

USS SPERRY (AS-12) WWII Submarine Tender

AS 12 USS SPERRY Plaque 001.jpg

AS 12 USS SPERRY COMSUBRON 03 THREE 001.jpg

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Large Ceramic (very fragile) USS Catskill (LSV-1) earned three battle stars for World War II service and as USS Catskill (MCS-1) earned five campaign stars for Vietnam War service

 

USS CATSKILL (MCS-1) Mine Counter Measures vessel Vietnam War - Class leader in service 1944 to 1970

MCS 1 USS CATSKILL Plaque 001.jpg

MCS 1 USS CATSKILL 001.jpg

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These are my oldest USN Plaques, made from Bakelite during World War II. They belonged to Rear Admiral J.H. "Babe" Brown, Jr., who at that time was the acting commander (COMSUBPAC), and then the deputy commander of US Pacific Fleet Submarines at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. RADM Brown (USNA 1914) Had a long career with the USN submarine forces serving 43 years spanning both World Wars and the Korean War.

 

He was awarded the DSM for his work with COMSUBPAC and in particular for establishing the Submarine Lifeguard League in the Pacific http://www.subsowespac.org/the-patrol-zone/submarine-lifeguard-league.shtml

 

Sub Base Pearl Harbor - 1944 Bakelite (WWII) and ceramic (1960's)

 

Submarine Base Pearl Harbor bakelite 001.jpg

 

Submarine Base Pearl Harbor ceramic 001.jpg

 

John "Babe" Brown was in the Annapolis Naval Academy Graduating Class of 1914. He was assigned to SUBCOMPAC commander at the Submarine Base, Pearl Harbor during WWII. This was after Commander Rear Admiral Robert English was killed in a plane crash in January of 1943.
 
Captain Brown took over the duties of Admiral English until a replacement could be found. He was relieved of his temporary command by Rear Admiral Charles Lockwood Jr. who was assigned to that command.
 
Brown remained on Lockwood's staff and before the war ended. Lockwood had him promoted to Rear Admiral. His commands were Sea of Japan patrols, Submarine Squadron Four. His other accomplishments included a training program, torpedo tests and the organization of Pacific wolf packs. Brown was a wonderful officer and worked endlessly to keep the war effort going.

 

 

This was also his, a bakelite plaque of the then brand new Vulcan class repair tender USS HECTOR (AR-7) which was initially assigned to Submarine Force Pearl Harbor.

 

AR 7 USS HECTOR bakelite 001.jpg

 

AR 7 USS HECTOR 1944 001.jpg

 

Brown, John H., Jr. - As commander of Submarine Squadron Four, "Babe" Brown salvaged the career of "Mush" Morton, who later went on to become a legend in the submarine force. Brown established an intensive training program at Pearl Harbor, which included a TDC (Torpedo Data Computer) school to improve proficiency in submarine fire control. An early advocate of wolf packs, he commanded a wolf pack in the Sea of Japan in the summer of 1943, becoming the oldest officer to make a war patrol during the war.
 
Brown took temporary command of the Pacific Fleet submarine force following the death of Admiral English until relieved by Lockwood. Lockwood developed a high opinion of Brown and even tried to persuade the Bureau of Personnel to have Brown relieve Christie. When Brown was finally promoted to rear admiral, Lockwood tried to have him sent to command the Atlantic submarines.  When this posting was denied, Brown was made deputy commander of Pacific submarines under Lockwood.
 
Denied a submarine command, Brown instead took command of Cruiser Division 1 and of North Pacific Force in the closing months of the war. During one of his sweeps, his force destroyed 11 small ships off the Kuriles.
 
Brown was "a huge and likable character" (ref. Clay Blair 1975) who had been a football coach at Annapolis.
 
Command Service record
 
1924-11-20 Lieutenant - Commander, USS S-42
1930-05-15 Lieutenant Commander - Commander, USS Narwhal
1941-10-01 Captain - Commander, CL USS Richmond
1942-03-30 Commander, Submarine Squadron Four
1943-01-21 Acting commander, Submarine Force, Pacific Fleet
1944-04-14 Rear Admiral Commander, Cruiser Division 1
1945 Commander, North Pacific Force (Kurile Islands)
1951-06-29 Commander, 4 Naval District

 

Below: Machine Shop aluminum ashtray made aboard USS HECTOR (AR-7) for RADM Brown

 

COMSUBSTRAINPAC RADM J H BROWN ashtray 001.jpg

 

John_H._Brown_Jr..jpg

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  • 3 weeks later...
Salvage Sailor

USS GRAPPLE (ARS-7) Diver class Salvage ship - Ceramic plaque and Meritorious Conduct Ashore Award plaque presented by the Royal Navy in Hong Kong 1959 & 1960

ARS 7 USS GRAPPLE 001.jpg

ARS 7 USS GRAPPLE 002.jpg

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  • 2 months later...
Salvage Sailor

HCU ONE - Harbor Clearance Unit One, Alpha Docks, Pearl Harbor 1974

HCU ONE 002.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

HCU ONE, TEAM 1 - Harbor Clearance Unit One, Team One, Subic Bay, Philippines

HCU ONE 003.jpg

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  • 4 months later...
Salvage Sailor

Interesting indeed,

 

It's a 5"/38 caliber gun firing pin and firing key (trigger) most likely used on the last Naval Gunfire Support missions fired by the Fletcher class destroyer USS WEDDERBURN on her last cruise in 1969. She was decommissioned and scrapped later in 1969.

 

 

five068.jpg

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