Author Got Education at Sea

Looking back. I’ve loved ships and the sea since the first time I read “Moby Dick” and floated down Black Creek in a johnboat.

In high school, I would skip class and go to Gulfport to look at the banana boats coming up out of Honduras and Belize. If I had gas money, I would go down to New Orleans to sit on the levy and watch the tugs, barges, freighters, and tankers passing on the river.

Joining the Navy at 17, I always sought out sea duty, ending up with 20 of my 36 years of active duty spent at sea. I served on destroyer escorts, destroyers, frigates, cruisers and even a battleship. While I was assigned to some interesting vessels, I also saw some unique craft that stand out in my mind. Let me tell you a little about both.