Yes Sir,

I am Max Jarrell and I left the ship July 23'

1963 after being aboard for 3 years. I left as

a Radarman Second Class and I know that

I have spoken to you often during those years

but I can not remember which department you

were responsible for.

 

Things I remember were the following

 

Mail Drops coming with in 5 feet of the motor

whale boat

 

The spotting of a sub periscope of the starboard

bow

 

Blasting caps igniting in the aft magazine

compartment injuring the gunnery seaman

 

Receiving a bad batch of weather balloon transmitters which I decided to rectify by attaching

aluminum foil covered cigarette cartons which

allowed me to track the balloon by altitude radar

up to 165 thousand feet.

 

Tying up in downtown Portland in which the man

overboard signal was given. My friend Jimmy

Clay was the swimmer and went overboard in

full dress uniform as he had already prepared

for Liberty call. He rescued a pregnant teenage

girl who attempted suicide by jumping from

a bridge trying to hit the bow of our ship. Someone

threw in Orange Dye Marker in the water so

Jimmy returned aboard as a Pumpkin destroying

his dress blues.

 

I remember my first hot dog cooked by a new

device called a "Microwave Oven" at the Seattle

World Fair

 

An Air Force Exercise one Sunday afternoon in which there were over

300 aircraft on my radar scope

 

Returning to a Fog bound San Francisco in which I was on the Radar

Scope for 3 hours giving bearings and distances to Coit tower, Alcatraz and

Treasure Island. Captain Tuttle could not see the bow so I gave course

Recommendations and alerted him to crossing Motor craft every

10 Seconds as we continued on at a speed of 2 knots

 

These a but a few of my memories and I thought I would share them with

you--God Bless you Sir

 

                                                                            Max Jarrell  RD2