This is a final chapter of my Midway adventures, and this ties up some loose ends. I know the blog readership has dropped dramatically and I understand that fact. But this is a historical account, and it was important for me to document my being 21 years old and starting my adult life with an assignment to a small, remote Pacific Island.
I hope to have the last laugh when my adventures result in a movie. I have been encouraged to carry this forward with that as a goal. Maybe its star will be Brad Pitt as an old N6QW and reflects on his Midway adventures.
Old BOQ complete with many Gooney Birds.
I wanted to share a few more words about the Gooney Bird abatement project. As you can see the Gooney's are everywhere. The Bird Abatement project involved the extermination of 22,198 birds and this is how it was done.
We took a dump truck and fitted the tail gate with a spring-loaded trap door that opened inwardly. The open top of the truck was covered with two layers of heavy canvas which was secured to the truck, so it was solid. A 2-inch pipe port was fitted to the tail gate, and a hose connected this port to the truck exhaust pipe. In effect a portable gas chamber.
The pick team developed a process where they used welder's gloves to grab the bill of the Gooney and with the other hand grabbed the wings at the shoulder to immobilize the bird. The next step was insertion into the chamber via the spring-loaded trap door. We had a counter person so that a load of 50 birds was done at one time. We kept precise records. The gas time for an average load of 50 birds was 2 minutes and 17 seconds. After that time, we had a skip loader at the ready and put the dump mechanism in play and the transfer was made. A second truck collected the dead birds and when full went to the garbage scow for subsequent dumping at sea.
The garbage scow had a full load of 10,000 birds and went out to sea. A storm came up and it didn't quite make it to the dump area but dumped anyway. The next day 10,000 dead birds washed up on the shores of Midway and had to be picked up a second time.
The junior officers invariably get the rotten jobs.
I wanted to share why I had a 13-month tour of duty on Midway where the norm is 12 months. The Civil Engineer Corps Officers frequently are on detached duty as a ROICC. (Resident Officer In Charge of Construction.) Say the Navy has contracted a civilian company to build a ship drydock. Then the CEC Officer is an on-site rep for the Navy during construction. Other billets would be like I had on Midway in Public Works but many of these billets often have a total civilian work force. The third billet was assignment in the Construction Battalions.
Near the end of my regular tour on Midway, (September 1964) it was evident to the Navy War Planners that Seabees would be going to Vietnam. I had a particular skill set since for my year on Midway I was essentially in the Seabees as I worked with and had Seabees report to me. The plan was to find Officers who already had experience with the Seabee enlisted personnel be assigned to the battalions who would be 1st to go to Vietnam. Short story: wrong place at the right time. There was a detachment on Midway of MCB 10 and in effect MCB 10 would be the 1st in country... and we were. So, my 13th month was spent as a part of Detachment Alpha, MCB10.
Shortly after arriving in Vietnam, we got a new CO. This new CO spent a lot of time in DC and was well known to Congress and the Navy. He was also the detailer who put me in MCB-10. After his arrival in Vietnam, he interviewed all of us individually and asked a few probing questions. He was a Naval Academy grad and had a different view of regular versus reserve officers. I happened to be a regular USN officer. At our interview he asked what was a looking for. I simply said a fair shake as I now had two hardship assignments back-to-back and would like some duty stateside. He told me that I was put here because it would be good for my career as a regular officer
He then said do a good job for me and I will see you get assigned stateside. Fair enough. At this time, I was the Admin/Personnel Officer, Battalion Adjutant and my other job was Intelligence Officer.
Our work relationship started with the CO saying draft me a letter to Senator XXX telling him we need his support for new equipment. Fortunately, I did attend Admin/Personnel school and knew the FDR method for Naval Correspondence. Facts, Discussion, Request or Reply. After one or two letters he signed all following letters as written. Two months after the Battalion returned stateside, I had orders to a stateside billet.
A final experience with Midway was not so good and it was when I was in MCB 10. In October of 1965 I was chosen as the Officer in Charge of the Advanced Party to arrange for the main body to return home in time for Christmas.
The night before I was to leave Chu Lai, I was asked to turn in my side arm as we were short of guns. I did that but had a personal .357 magnum. We got attacked that night with VC running through the camp shooting up the place. Go figure, I am going home, no .45 and we are under attack. The raiding party was subdued and three of the dead (women) worked in the camp doing cleaning tasks.
So, all my uniforms are in my B5 Bags and essentially, I am in Seabee Green Fatigues. Our first stop was on Midway for refueling and I couldn't wait to go to the O Club and get a cold beer and a steak. I walk into the O club (it was a Saturday afternoon) and was asked to leave as now they did not allow officers in the club in flight suits or fatigues. I tried to explain this is all I had and less than 24 hours ago was being shot at. No Dice. So, then I went to the general mess and asked if I could get a meal which I would pay for. No problem. I have fond memories of the Midway General Mess.
In true Navy tradition if you consider Midway and Chu Lai as join the Navy and see the world then I guess I did. In my last duty assignment at Port Hueneme (1966-1967), I did have a great job, a fast car and I met my wife. But I also had to make a short second trip back to Da Nang on TDY.
My Midway Adventures provided me an invaluable life lesson. In true form, there is The Right Way, The Wrong Way, The Navy Way and then there is Midway. It will always be in my mind and heart... 3000 sailors and 6 single women.
It should be required that all future Presidents serve in the military as one of the qualifications to be President. With such a grounding there is a better understanding of any action taken has consequences. Regrettably most recent presidents did not serve, and we can see today why the lack of service... well, you can finish that sentence.
73's
Pete N6QW
