Posted by Mike Johnson on 7/17/2010, 15:17:20, in reply to "Anybody remember this guy"

I remember the incident, he jumped off the fantail in broad daylight, wearing a properly attached kapok (sp) lifejacket after getting the aft lookout's attention and announcing his intentions. What a fun trip(?) that was to panama, I also remember stopping under the bleachers when moored at Rodman to have drinks before "going out drinking" and there was all kinda of "drinks & stuff" under them bleachers. I also remember the crew going on liberty and passing my by as I was stuck on the wooden camel beside the quarterdeck. I had been painting the stbd side forward of the quarterdeck and Ronning and Rueda forgot I was down there. I remember turning around and seeing the wire rope ladder's last rung about 2 feet over my head. The tide had gone out since climbing down at lunch when the rope touched the camel. Man was I pissed. Almost got Ronnning and Rueda with the paint roller when I tossed it on to the pier between them. Great times, some not so great. Got side-tracked like an old stone, yeah when the motor whale boat came up to Nichols, BM2 Johnson said he wouldn't grab the bowhook/boathook when he offered it to him the first time, then he said he slammed the shit out of the water beside his head and the second time it was offered Nichols quickly grabbed it. I remember you too Jenkins. There was another guy that stayed in trouble all the time until discharged too, but I can't recall his name. He was mess cranking with me up in the wardroom and they sent him to the brig for something or other and I remember him telling me about how muched he pissed off the brig crew at mayport. They sent him "back" to the ship before his sentence was up. Little short dark haired guy, sounded like a NY or Jersey tough guy when he talked, damn he one funny mf. Think his last name started with a B. There was another guy in deck that got seasick as soon as they said underway, Babovich or something. And a fireman durmeir that was painting a contaminated fuel oil tank. Accidently poked a hole in the tank with a pencil when checking the size of a hole he was reporting to DC central while we were off key west, caused a major fuel oil leak and sent the crew to GQ. Then the oil "disappeared" somehow?!? Lost the lamps on the med cruise and got an extra liberty port in Cartegena Spain to recover it, less 2 or 6 million in salvage fees paid to the Portuguese freighter Estoril. --Previous Message-- : One of the people I remember most from the : 85-86 med cruise was Bob Nichols. Any one : else remember him? I'll refresh you're : memory. He was the guy always on restriction : and in Naples he dressed all in black and : tried to sneak off the boat by crawling : across the cables that linked us to the ship : beside us and got busted. He's the one that : stole a block of lunch meat from the chiefs : mess after one of his rare liberties and sat : down in the galley to eat it. Busted again. : I got to know him well and he was not a bad : guy at all. Just not cut out for military : life. He's probably a millionaire now. :