Operation Hardtack 1
1958
US Atomic Veterans
Mat Mulqueen
Mat Mulqueen sent email about his duty at Operation Hardtack.
Date: Tue, 22 Jun 1999
To: pdxavets@aracnet.com
From: saticoy78@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: Atomic Veteran (Hardtack 1958)
Keith, sorry for not responding sooner,
but as thing's normally go I need a good kick to get started on projects
most times. You asked about Hardtack.
My involvement started back in the latter part of 1957 being a randy 17
yr old and full of p--s and vinegar I couldn't maintain my grades at E&E
school in Great Lakes Training school. Too much time spent on the beach
hanging out at the Seven Seas Locker Club. A local tee - totalers hang
out (drinking age was 21) and plenty of local girls to keep your mind
occupied . So without further ado Uncle Sam like Horace Greely said go
west young DIpsh-t dropout and make something of yourself the hard way.
So with a contingent of 7 to 10 other dropouts we were sent to USNAB
Coronado Calif. Our duty station was to be Command Task Force 7.3 Boat
Pool.
I remember specifically the commanders name was Bates. I stuck in my
mind only as I was chewed out one time by my section chief for asking
about an upcoming inspection tour which the commanders family was to
participate in. My question (not asked tongue in cheek) was how to
address his teenage son) would it be proper to say "Master Bates".
Well when finally the dust settles and I managed to get off his S--t
list it was after several weeks of cleaning and painting my newly
assigned 40+foot "Tank" lighter. Otherwise known as a "Mike" boat.
I had
no idea that this unit had been in several operations over the past
years nor did anyone at anytime indicate that it might have been "Hot".
We were told it was to be our new home for this great and glorious
project we were to be allowed to participate in. I worked on that boat
for about 2 months spending the better part of 6 to 8 hours every days
painting scraping the entire engine room and engines getting it ready.
My remaining time was spent at school learning how to operate it. For
now instead of being a lowly Dropout i was an engineman striker by act
of God and the U.S. Navy. Pretty good for a kid from the South Bronx
that never got any closer to an engine that to hang on the outside of a
transit bus hitchiking to the beach.
Oh speaking of the beach that was
where we had a little problem they wanted "me" old lead butt to go out
to sea on a relatively tiny flat bottom boat,and me who couldn't swim a
stroke. I got thru boot camp swimming, by half beating to death a swim
instructor who tried to peel me of the bottom of the pool and point me
to the surface. It seems when the told me to jump off the tower and swim
to the other side of the pool "Johnny Weismueller" I was not. (Old
Tarzan actor) I thought I was doing great, all the right strokes,
unfortunately without my eyes open it was all toward the bottom. Any how
he got me out and tied a can around my gut for the next phase , survival
swimming and I passed. Not so lucky at Coronado, they gave me about 6
weeks of intensive training then they Had me swim a lap around the pool
with an instructor holding the back of my head out of water to pass he
test.. "Gee they must have wanted me really bad." If I had only known
fresh meat wasn't always readily available.
If my rhetoric has the tinge of bitterness it is only from learning what
the years have to teach you..
I'll try to
get my old travel orders located to get some of the guy's names that went
there with me.
P.S. NAAV (The Kelly's) and NAARs No.Calif group were all a great
group trying to do the impossible with little to no support. That's for
another day!
Mat Mulqueen
Email: saticoy78@yahoo.com
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