FTG3 Robert M. Miller

Newport R.I. 1970 PRECOM Adventures

Well, here is another one of those infamous sea stories for the records. As I recall, we were into PRECOM Training in Newport and those of us that were peons got stuck in the barracks at NTC Newport, while most of the E-4’s and above got to go out on the local economy on per diem, $ 468 a month I think. So, here we have a whole of guys from all over hell’s half acre thrown together on one floor of an open bay barracks, how lovely. This provided me the opportunity to be put in a “cubical” with three other lost souls. One was an HT from upstate New York, who lived on a dairy farm, I am sorry that I cannot recall his name, as he was a very interesting fellow with a very strong position that there were more cows in New York than in Wisconsin??.The other two dudes became very close partners in many an adventure. Michael J. “Bullwinkle” Larson from Hallock. Minnesota, and Mr. Paul G. Walde, known to his family as “Greg”, from upstate New York. See Paul, I do remember our trip to Horseheads and Buffalo that December upon our return from the 1972 WESTPAC. On the trip to see Paul’s family, I was actually treated to be one of the few people that got to consume the original “Buffalo” wings at the damn place that invented them. Now for the story of one very interesting evening on beautiful Thames Street. Bullwinkle, Paul, and myself had been cruising Thames Street and all of it’s glory in an attempt to consume every available draft beer when my friend, Mr. Paul Walde, in a moment of utter wisdom noted in a very loud voice “Hey, look at the Pigs!” Needless to say this moment of brilliance just happened to occur when two of Newport’s finest where driving by very slowly. They proceeded to back-up to where we were walking and requested that we have a little discussion concerning what
they had heard. The next thing we know, here comes the shore patrol and boom, we get a free ride back to the base, not the barracks but shore patrol office by Gate 1. We figured oh well shit happens and life went on without hearing a peep about our adventure. Come to find out later, the shore patrol had been pinging on PN1 Carroll and the ship’s office in the NTC headquarters’ building for a couple of months. He was attempting to keep this from the XO, LTCDR Topp was had a proclivity from removing any questionable crewmembers from the elite PRECOM roster. Well, he did quite a good job but fate had its way and all of a sudden the three stooges ended up at captain’s mast. Got our Willy’s whacked and two weeks restriction to the barracks. Thanks Paul. Well I just couldn’t stand it, so I called my family and used a Congressional connection to get Bullwinkle and My Masts overturned. The only thing I couldn’t do is get my two weeks of restriction turned into basket leave. Oh, well. As I have said before, there are a million more. I have been contemplating telling the story of “Close Enough to Hold Hands”. Hopefully the co-subject of this story will e-mail me to give me permission and also about our adventures on John
Street, rabies shots, and more?..