Jim Walters sent in these pictures
USS Atakapa 1965-68
Jim Walters RM2
Robert L. Allender on "Life Buoy Watch"
Atakapa Bridge
CT ? - Girl ?
Harry Dahlstrom - lead Radioman
D B Keller - Operations Officer
ET's Tom M. Lavender ETR3 and Jack W. Brundage ETR2
guitar picker ? & Miguel ? Wardroom Steward
More Great Pictures
ECM Gear - CT's used this when out on a "spy mission"
Luther Johnson RD2 - he witness my attempt at welding
myself to an equipment rack :)
Robert J. Waslyk RM2
Bill Dollman RM3 - Lead RM
My time aboard Atakapa as an RM was, probably, between 1966 and late
1968. I have recollections of undergoing two ORIs (Operational Readiness
Inspections) during that period. The first was pretty much of a nonevent.
The Service Force inspection team arrived and promptly headed for the
Officer's Club with Atakapa's Officers, Chiefs, and Leads in tow. All I
remember was an RM2 from the inspection team sitting in the Radio Shack
checking that our various publications had been properly updated. Got off
easy, that time. Things were different next time around.
The inspection team stayed aboard and ran us through a number of drills
and evolutions. We got underway. They dropped grenades off the side of
the ship, and we fired the 3 inch 50. We had to rig an emergency antenna.
We got to tow USS Frigate Bird, and we got to watch USS Frigate Bird try
to tow us. Didn't work so well, since USS Frigate Bird was one of those
wooden hulled minesweepers. Our Lead RM1 had warned the underling RMs
that we'd likely be subjected to someone being electrocuted (not actually
- just a drill). I recall going to my battle station in the Shack wearing
a foul weather jacket and nudging the other RM3 indicating something we
might use when that happened. The RM Chief running the drill did in fact
tell me that my coworker was being shocked. I immediately turned to the
chair where I'd left the coat. It wasn't there. The sneaky Chief had
tucked it away, without my noticing it, in the transmitter room. Left me
looking around for something, anything, to use. Wound up using my web
belt to pull my shipmate off the equipment rack.
And speaking of the transmitter room... We moved to a drill involving
finding the missing man. I'd happened to see one of the Inspection Chiefs
stuffing PJ Padegomis in that same transmitter room. I promptly snitched
to our QM1, Gehring, since Padegomis was one of the crew assigned to
muster with us. Suspect that we may have set a record for finishing that
drill? Kind of fascinating things, those ORIs. Also convinced me that
Chiefs, in general, are pretty smart, albeit sneaky dudes.