I had just reported to a new ship (New to me) the USNS Observation Island tied in San Diego Ca. We were sailing to Hawaii and I was notified that my father had just passed. Normally they would pay me off and I’d be on my way home, but I requested that I just take leave to go home, and meet the ship in Honolulu and all I would miss was the trip across the Pacific and none of the Mission. The ship’s Master made my request happen, off to the Navy Travel Office to purchase the required tickets.
The lady at the office was a young Filipina government employee who was booking my |Bereavement*) ticket, she was plucking away on her computer and announced that if this had only happened the day before she could have saved me over $300.00 in airfare, I told her that I would mention this to my Dad when I got to Boston!
I of course was extremely upset over the loss of my Father and my Rock, as during my entire life I could live anywhere and work at any job I wanted, knowing that if I failed I could go home and he would dust me off and send me out into life again. (He never had to do it, but I knew he would!)
This taught me a lesson that I used on my kids years later. Our Daughter, after finishing college here in the Philippines’ got a job with a Japanese firm on the Subic Free Port. Of course she lived at our house free and clear. She was offered a job in Singapore, at four times the money. Her Mother was upset and against it, but after the way I’d lived my life I was quite proud of her.
The day she was flying out, I pulled her aside and explained that while she was out there she was connect by a strong tether to us at home. One phone call and I would be on an airplane to Singapore to solve any problem she had and fly her home that day if required. Nothing ever came up in the four years she was there, except she wanted to marry her high school sweetheart who now was a fellow American. I always liked the kid. She told me later in life that what I said to her at the airport made her time in Singapore a wonderful experience. I guess I did my job!
Back to the young lady in the ticket office in San Diego; My friend Charlie (Who was taking me to the airport) looked at me and I looked back, and at the same time we burst out laughing, she gasped and became upset over what she had said, I told her that what she said broke the tension I was feeling and I thanked her as she had made me feel better. Knowing my Father, he would have busted a gut over it too. Eleven days later I arrived in Honolulu after laying my Dad to rest at the Nation Cemetery at the former OTIS AFB on Cape Cod.
USNS Observation Island operates worldwide, monitoring compliance with strategic arms treaties and supporting U.S. military weapons test programs. Observation Island carries an Air Force shipborne phased-array radar system for collecting data on missile tests. The ship is operated by Military Sealift Command for the U.S. Air Force Technical Applications Center at Patrick Air Force Base, Fla.
Little did I know that the ship was going to spend the winter on the Allusion Islands off the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia doing things we are still not allowed to talk about, I’ll assume because it would bore people to death. I wondered what ship I would have been assigned to and where that ship would have gone if I taken the pay off from that Air Force “Research” ship? No place could have been colder!
But what a terrible thing it would have been if Charlie and I had missed the high times of beautiful Dutch Harbor on the Island of Unalaska close to Alaska in the month of January. But you can trade a case of New York steak’s for more Alaskan king crab legs than will fit in the rented pick-up truck we had. (We met a lot of TV reality stars and boy can those guys put down some beverages)
* Bereavement Airline Ticket is regular price with no discount but will guarantee you’ll get on the flight…But you must have proof. (I had a telegram from the American Cross)
Be careful mentioning being anywhere near Russia or Russians. CNN might try and link you to you-know-who. Seriously, sounds like you had a great dad, and because of that, you became one as well.
Steve;
I got into trouble back in the 1970’s for hanging around with 6 Russian Sailors in a bar in Genoa Italy. They came by my ship the next day to invite me out again. I went but the command found out, but (The Navy) like the Senate didn’t know what rule I had broken. But I was warned!!! My dad was a great guy, he was amazed at how I lived, and would fly to meet with me all over the world. My mother would only let him go because of me. My four brothers had him state side so it worked out well. My daughter’s are both married and they still know what their daddy’s lifetime job will always be.
Paul, by the time I was in Europe in the ’80s, the military had closed that loophole. We were required to report any contact with any citizen of any Soviet Bloc country. It usually only led to getting rebriefed on how to recognize if we were being milked for info, and how to avoid being led into compromising situations that could be used for blackmail.
We were all sure that Squeaky, the barber was a spy. But he was so clumsy in his fishing for info that it was a running joke.
Take care,
Pete
Pete;
Sometimes due to funding our ships were sent to deep water anchorage in the Med. to save fuel. Our Russian buddies would follow us and pick up all our garbage. This was before the days of being green. My ship would collect all the Dirty Magazines and seal them in a bag and point to it when the boats came by. When they opened it they would beam and wave to us to thank us. We did more to end the cold war than the State Dept.
Hello Paul,
I’ll bet there were a lot of Russian “fishing trawlers” hanging around your ship.
Your assurance to your daughter is similar to what we told our son when he struck off on his own. Marlyn was upset that he wanted his own place. But she understood the American need for personal independence, We did tell him that, no matter where we were in the world, there was space for him to land if he needed it. He’s taken us up on it a couple of times when he was between overseas and stateside teaching gigs, I believe, that like your daughter, knowing that net was there gave him more confidence to achieve the success he’s had.
Take care,
Pete
Pete;
If the kid knows they are loved and safe no matter what, they will succeed in life.
Sometimes between ships I would fly to Florida or their other house on Cape Cod to stay. (If you were from Boston I would have just said; “The Cape” LOL) My dad would call me the wealthiest homeless person he ever met. What you were doing was nothing special; you were just doing your job as a dad.
Hi Paul,
I enjoyed reading your article! Your Dad sounds a lot like mine. There was a time my Dad did take me in like you said yours would. RIP to your father.
Peace
Jay
Jay;
If we did or didn’t need the help, the fact that we knew it was always available was the important fact.