|
Tom
actually was living aboard Kawishiwi in Philly with only he, Bob
Lewandowski and a couple others when the ship was first moored at pier
1. They served as their own guards. He remembers walking past the hospital ships from the
main gate to the ship.
Tom
reupted at Glenview NAS where he maintained
PB4Y’s and got out after 8 yers as a MS2 (Metalsmith) . Tom
says he should never have gotten out.
Tom's loved
to hear the humming of the ship in “Shaft
Alley” on the
Kawishiwi. His wish is to get the door tag
off door
into this place. He also says he would like his ashes put aboard
Kawishiwi when we have her settled as a reef off Dana Point, California.
Hear TOM's
VOICE
- Notice,
you have to turn you external speaker up and get past Vern's
loud/stumbling voice. Vern has to perfect this routine yet |
3 reels of film taken by Tom in
1956
|
|
|
|
July
8, 2011 phone call
Tom had
a “Steaming Locker” in his work shop. In photo of Bob
Lewandowski at the work bench, it was
behind Bob. Tom took the photo. This was a 2nd locker to his main one
up in
crews quarters.
In
1956-57, because Tom had a Military Drivers License, he was chosen to
drive
Capt. Swain around in Long Beach in a jeep. They were at the Supply
Depot where
he spotted several lockers being salvaged off WWII ships. With proper
signatures he was able to acquire several where he loaded them in the
back of
the jeep. Capt. Swain asked, “What are those?”. Tom said “lockers”. He
said
fine, you boys do good work down there.” Tom says to me that you never
offer
too much information when talking to an officer.
When
Kawishiwi sank the tug in Long Beach, Tom
was a lone witness to the event, him
standing over the tug on the stern. He heard the command for the ship
to move
forward but the Port Pilot said back, and it did back. At the inquiry,
he
answered only to the officer asking the question, no one else. They
were all
keeping their own notes. It was the pilot’s fault. Capt. Swain was not
on the
bridge. Tom even noted how the officers placed their hats on the table.
One to
the officer in charge, the others to those of the inquiry.
Another
event occurred out of Long Beach where a pleasure craft was rescued by
Kawishiwi.
Heading out to sea one night, flashing lights were seen but were not
questioned. On the return to L.B. the boat was spotted with hands
waving and
jumping. The coast guard was called but they said they were too far
away to
help right away. This was on the West side of Catalina. So Kawishiwi
went along
side, a launch was set out and picked up the people. They said they
were adrift
2 days. The main engine gave out and the spare outboard motor was too
short,
bouncing in and out of the water. Then rig No.5 picked the 18 ft. craft
aboard.
In port the boat was set back into the water, inside the breakwater,
and low
and behold there was the coast guard. They took full credit for the
rescue in
the local news.
Around
the Philippines there are many small islands that are not inhabited so
when
cruising the waters around them at night, it is hard to spot them. One
night,
when one of Tom’s friends was at the helm, Radar spotted many small
dots on the
screen and advised Navigators who said “no – there’s nothing out
there.” Soon
the dots were larger and radar said “STOP, we’re going aground. The JOD
did
order full astern, making the ship shudder, and the ship stopped with
two feet
of water under its bow. Spot lights were turned on and many trees were
seen.
|
to 
