On our second Med Cruise 1963 we were on patrol in the Red Sea. We were privileged to enjoy the Suez Canal again and ports like Djibouti which is north of Somalia, where we took on water that you could not drink and the popular drink was a pop called Zam-Zam. We finally caught a break and were told we were going to spend Christmas in Greece. But it was not to be. We sat at the southern end of the Suez Canal and we sat, and sat, and sat some more. Then the big day, we sailed north and met one of our sister ships to transfer papers. But that’s not all to be transferred. We transferred 55 tons of dry milk on the Haynsworth because our sister ship has her screw tangled up on a merchant ships anchor chain and was being sent to Greece. The milk was to be taken south across the equator and delivered to Mombasa Africa for flood relief.
We all became shellbacks and got used to sleeping on the O1 deck because of the heat. The heat in the after engine room hit 140 Degrees. The trip was worth it because when we pulled in, the sun was shining and the City was pure white in the sun because of the Marble Buildings. Liberty in Africa, How cool was that!
Now here comes the good part. It was late afternoon and the last liberty boat was coming back to the ship. I was talking to the Quarter Deck Watch when the OD arrived. Then the laughter started because standing on the bow of the liberty boat was one of the First Division Sailors. He was dressed in a Leopard Skin holding a Shield and a Spear. I think he traded his uniform with a native outside of the City Limits for this garb. The spear was taken from him and held till he got home. He hung the Shield in first division and stowed the Leopard skin in a foot locker. From what I was told, you could not believe what First Division smelled like, in that heat after one week. One of his shipmates broke open the locker and threw the skin overboard on our way back to Aden.
Interesting enough, this mild mannered seaman did not get busted for trading his uniform but did get in trouble for destroying First Division looking for his Leopard Skin.
(Another interesting day on the Happy H)
Wayne Swaylik MM3 61-63
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