Dit Chaser On Watch . . .RM2 Wonnacott

It's not lots of fun, but it's not Alaska either! I signed my enlistment contract while still a senior in high school. Three days after my 18th birthday I arrived at Cape May and began a seven year stint that took me from New Jersey out to Port Clarence, Alaska. From there the assignments were less exotic; GOVIS, Sebago, RADSTA NOLA, Station St Ignace, Michigan, and Group Office, Muskegon, Michigan. It's difficult to admit that Sebago was a highlight, but it sure was interesting.

I reported aboard in June 1970 while the ship was in the Curtis Bay Yard...just in time to see FN Al Durrah fall from the main deck through the starboard side engineering hatch down to the engineer room decks. They hauled him out on a litter using a dockyard crane. After that there were clouds of asbestos dust, no air conditioning on hot nights, and... OH YES... going aground on Sewells Point Spit on the Saturday before Fathers Day.

While enroute to an OS Bravo patrol in 1971 I became very sick and was evacuated to the Canadian Forces Hospital at Halifax. Spent seven days and flew home to Pensacola 25 pounds lighter. Guys, spending 25 days TAD at Station Santa Rosa, waiting for your white hull to come home was NO FUN at all. Heck, they expected me to actually work...

My tour aboard Sebago ended very abrutply in late summer of 1971. The details are long and not appropriate for discussion here, but it can be characterized in a few words - "Commander Wilcox and I had a slight difference of opinion; I was hustled off to RADSTA NOLA and he retired early."

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-Lee Wonnacott collection