Shipmates Corner & Updates
Membership
We currently have 150 members. However, we have members that are behind in their dues. Please check in the MEMBERS DIRECTORY on the website or you can Click Here. Please ask your old shipmates to come back onboard from Liberty to be part of and support this great organization.
We have been trying to contact some of our members and are seeking your help. If you know them, please contact them, or let me or Noel know how we can contact them. We hate to lose contact with our shipmates.
Joseph Walker John Barilich Eduardo Aragon James Henderson Dell Lord James Kraft Michael Gates Richard Bruner John Cutrone Thomas Freeland Ronald Caudill Roger Berry Richard Karl Garry E. Dykes Wayne Hults Duane E. Marquis Dale Anderson Arthur Hestnes Lester Kline Robert LaFave Robert Garcia Kenneth Lew Ronald MacDonald
Website
Chalice Bingham gave me two cruise books from 1965 to put on our website. The Springboard Cruise and the Dominican Republic Cruise. They both can be found on the website in the crews pictures area.
New Members
We have three new members. If you can please welcome them on board. Their contact information can be found in the Members Directory.
Stan Lee - 1967 1968 (SFP2)
Richard Arquette – 1961 (EMFN)
Chalice Bingham – 1964-1965 (RD3)
Sick Bay
Don Herr wrote:
Well got the newsletter. I'm back at the VA again, I was here a few weeks ago ER for stomach problems, all they did was focus on my heart. They keep trying to find something wrong during passed visits. I'm starting to think they have an overstock of pacemakers. They probed me with a tube to look at my arteries and they found some blockage. They sent me home without looking at my stomach. A few days later I came back. This this time they are focusing on my stomach. They will probe me again, when??? I was just told they will be sending me home until they can schedule me another appointment time. That's all for now. DON
Letters
I received two letters from Bruce Lengle along with his dues and some jokes for the newsletter. In his second letter he thanked me for the newsletter and told me to remember Philippians 2:14-16 which I will. Thanks Bruce!
Bruce wrote:
I am very grateful. I joined the Navy in February 1953 and serve aboard the USS Nantahala AO60 and then was transferred to the USS Tutuila about January 1, 1956. I was in the Generator Room until discharged February 1, 1957. I passed the testing for 1st Class EN, but the “Quota” was full. I offered to “Ship Over” another 4 years, but they would not override the “Quota”. I turned 91 April 2024 (it has been a good run over the years). I am BLESSED!! Hoping for the very best of good fortune day by day in your life.
Your fellow “ANCHOR CLANKER”
Bruce
Shipmate's Stories
Recently I came across this story from a shipmate on social media. As I see more stories/memories from shipmates I will include them in the newsletter. Thank you, Phillip, for sharing.
Phillip Routen wrote:
I was stationed aboard the USS Tutuila ARG-4 from August 1969 to August 1970. During that time, I was a Radarman, working in Combat Information Center (CIC). At that time, our Operations Division Officer was Lt. Commander Ballard. His first name may have been Frank, and I believe he was from Wisconsin. Both he and his brother were pilots during WW11. Lt. McCain was our Radar Officer. Among the people I worked with in CIC were RD2 Michael Mendeck, from southern California; RD3 Jack Branson from Louisiana; and RDSN John Slifko from Minersville, Pennsylvania. Then in 1970, we were joined by RD3 Busch who was from Spokane, Washington. I also remember a Radioman, RM1 Copeland, from Washington state... he was a very nice person. And I remember a 1st Class Signalman named Stanton. He invited me to join him at a very nice Japanese restaurant when our ship was in Sasebo, Japan, for 2 or 3 days, in late July or early August 1970. It was a beautiful restaurant in the nearby mountains, overlooking the city of Sasebo and the bay.
There were several others working with us in the Operations Division, but I don't recall all their names, right now. But wait... there was a guy named Bob, and I think he was a Quartermaster (someone who helped with navigating our ship when we were underway). He was a 3rd class Petty Officer. He went to Australia for R&R and ended up marrying a beautiful Australian lady. He told us a lot of good stories and showed us some beautiful pictures of Australia and his beautiful girlfriend, who became his wife. So, some of us guys in Operations Division wanted to go to Australia for R&R also, and meet a beautiful lady just like her. Well, I never made it to Australia, but I met the love of my life at my "Coming Home" party when I returned home from the Vietnam War. She was sweet 17 and was my sister's friend in high school. We were married in January 1972.
Prior to my year in the Vietnam War, a shipmate named RD1 Morton, had been the leading Petty Officer of our Radar crew. He was there just before I arrived aboard our ship. So, I didn't have the opportunity to meet him personally. His picture is in the Operations Division 1968-69 Crew's Book. But I learned about his life as a true "born again" Christian, from my other shipmates in Operations Division, such as RDSN John Slifko and RD3 Jack Branson, who had known and worked with him. The stories that I heard about RD1 Morton's life, encouraged me to also become a true Christian. But I really didn't know how to become a Christian, back then. And I had no idea how to contact RD1 Morton as he had already gone on to his new duty station. Sadly, I didn't even know any other Christians aboard our ship. So, after my time in the Vietnam War, my wife and I were invited to church by one of my fellow shipmates. It was there that we repented of our sins and prayed from the depths of our hearts to receive Jesus Christ as our Lord & Savior. As a result, we have now been "born again" Christians for 52 years, with God's promise that we have Eternal Life in Heaven, to look forward to. My wife and I have also been married for 52 wonderful years.
While stationed aboard the USS Tutuila ARG-4, I remember the following people on the Deck Division: BM1 Musick; Seaman Kersey from New Jersey; George Putman from Michigan. He promised me a management job with his dad's company, following my time in the Navy, but I never made it to Michigan to take him up on his offer; Roque Riojas who became a Signalman; and Bill White who was from southern California (I remember Bill White being such a hard worker whenever we had INREPS and VERTREPS replenishment at sea). Also, I remember the 3rd Class Petty Officer, Dave Johnson. I believe that he was working in payroll. He was from Sacramento, California. I stopped by to visit him following my time in the Vietnam War. At that time, Dave was an elementary school teacher.
During my time in the Vietnam War, from August 1969 to August 1970, our ship was anchored among a group of islands near An Thoi, South Vietnam. The following is a picture of our ship, the USS Tutuila ARG-4, with an APL floating barracks ship tied alongside. Sometime during my year in the Vietnam War, the APL-21 was brought alongside our ship. During good weather, our ship's crew would watch movies on the Helo Deck of our ship, seen in this picture. Otherwise, our nightly movies were held on the Mess Deck, below. Presently, the date of the following picture is unknown. I was stationed aboard the USS Tutuila ARG-4 from August 1969 to August 1970. During that time, I was a Radarman, working in Combat Information Center (CIC). At that time, our Operations Division Officer was Lt. Commander Ballard. His first name may have been Frank, and I believe he was from Wisconsin. Both he and his brother were pilots during WW11. Lt. McCain was our Radar Officer. Among the people I worked with in CIC were RD2 Michael Mendeck, from southern California; RD3 Jack Branson from Louisianna; and RDSN John Slifko from Minersville, Pennsylvania. Then in 1970, we were joined by RD3 Busch who was from Spokane, Washington. I also remember a Radioman, RM1 Copeland, from Washington state... he was a very nice person. And I remember a 1st Class Signalman named Stanton. He invited me to join him at a very nice Japanese restaurant when our ship was in Sasebo, Japan, for 2 or 3 days, in late July or early August 1970. It was a beautiful restaurant in the nearby mountains, overlooking the city of Sasebo and the bay.
There were several others working with us in the Operations Division, but I don't recall all their names, right now. But wait... there was a guy named Bob, and I think he was a Quartermaster (someone who helped with navigating our ship when we were underway). He was a 3rd class Petty Officer. He went to Australia for R&R and ended up marrying a beautiful Australian lady. He told us a lot of good stories and showed us some beautiful pictures of Australia and his beautiful girlfriend, who became his wife. So, some of us guys in Operations Division wanted to go to Australia for R&R also, and meet a beautiful lady just like her. Well, I never made it to Australia, but I met the love of my life at my "Coming Home" party when I returned home from the Vietnam War. She was sweet 17 and was my sister's friend in high school. We were married in January 1972.
Prior to my year in the Vietnam War, a shipmate named RD1 Morton, had been the leading Petty Officer of our Radar crew. He was there just before I arrived aboard our ship. So, I didn't have the opportunity to meet him personally. His picture is in the Operations Division 1968-69 Crew's Book. But I learned about his life as a true "born again" Christian, from my other shipmates in Operations Division, such as RDSN John Slifko and RD3 Jack Branson, who had known and worked with him. The stories that I heard about RD1 Morton's life, encouraged me to also become a true Christian. But I really didn't know how to become a Christian, back then. And I had no idea how to contact RD1 Morton as he had already gone on to his new duty station. Sadly, I didn't even know any other Christians aboard our ship. So, after my time in the Vietnam War, my wife and I were invited to church by one of my fellow shipmates. It was there that we repented of our sins and prayed from the depths of our hearts to receive Jesus Christ as our Lord & Savior. As a result, we have now been "born again" Christians for 52 years, with God's promise that we have Eternal Life in Heaven, to look forward to. My wife and I have also been married for 52 wonderful years.
While stationed aboard the USS Tutuila ARG-4, I remember the following people on the Deck Division: BM1 Musick; Seaman Kersey from New Jersey; George Putman from Michigan. He promised me a management job with his dad's company, following my time in the Navy, but I never made it to Michigan to take him up on his offer; Roque Riojas who became a Signalman; and Bill White who was from southern California (I remember Bill White being such a hard worker whenever we had INREPS and VERTREPS replenishment at sea). Also, I remember 3rd Class Petty Officer, Dave Johnson. I believe that he was working in payroll. He was from Sacramento, California. I stopped by to visit him following my time in the Vietnam War. At that time, Dave was an elementary school teacher. During my time in the Vietnam War, from August 1969 to August 1970, our ship was anchored among a group of islands near An Thoi, South Vietnam. The following is a picture of our ship, the USS Tutuila ARG-4, with an APL floating barracks ship tied alongside. Sometime during my year in the Vietnam War, the APL-21 was brought alongside our ship. During good weather, our ship's crew would watch movies on the Helo Deck of our ship, seen in this picture. Otherwise, our nightly movies were held on the Mess Deck, below. Presently, the date of the following picture is unknown.
