December 12, 2024

Name: Ron Miller
 E-mail: ronfish2002@yahoo.com
 Shop: 31
 
Sen. Schumer says he will get the Social Security Fairness act to the floor before Christmas. If passed, it will eliminate the WEP that has diminished the payments for federal workers who are entitled to a SS check.

November 13, 2024

Name: Clifford A Nash
E-mail: pnsycliff@aol.com
Shop: 06
 
Great News

WE DID IT ! Just heard from our team in DC and they were down right giddy with good cause! House voted down Arrington's bill.

HR 82 PASSED with 325 voting for it, 75 Nays, 1 Present, 1 Absent.
Senate vote will roll up next and fast. We will be ready for that also. Never say never!!! This group has accomplished something that did not see the light of day for 44 years!!

July 20, 2024

Name: Julio Casiano
Shop: 26

Novel gives nod to Navy Yard skilled workers

May 26, 2024

Name: richard beggs
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 
Tom: Like you, I did that tour as part of my job in the Docking Gang.
I won't be making any more tours.

April 12, 2024

Name: Julio Casiano
Shop: 26

Battleship New Jersey

Battleship New Jersey on Twitter

April 9, 2024

Name: tom maiorano  
E-mail: tmaiorano1@verizon.net
Shop: 38 Shop
 
Come on, Birds. Thought there'd be a lot of chatter regarding the Jersey in Drydock 3. When I heard the charge to do the drydock tour, I could remember when I got paid to do the same thing. Ha!! Guess I'll wait til she comes back to Camden and do the tour then. What say you?

January 27, 2024

Name: richard beggs
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 
Things we will never see again

Shipways - 1.2.3.4 - dismantled and demolished
Marine Railways - 1 and 2 - dismantled and demolished
The 350 crane on pier 4 - cut up for scrap
Bldg 177 - burned to the ground
Navy tugs - gone commerical
Shipyard pilot - retired
Infamous pier D - demo;ished
Monday morning safety meetings
The EEO OFFICE AND IT'S INVESTIGATORS
The valiant attempt of the Cafeteria to feed the work force on Slep
The MIS reports printed weekly - by the pound
The short lived SERVE MART - that proved useful
The NCIS office
The Apprentice Program and school that produced thousands of journeymen

January 26, 2024

Name: Dennis Kaiser
E-mail: Dennis_kaiser@outlook.com
Shop: Code 911
 
Things we will never see again.

Time Cards either plain, Green Edge, or Red Edged

January 16, 2024

Name: richard beggs
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 
We played a minor role in both events.

We installed a teak handrail on the brow that was placed on board the Royal yacht to help the Queen depart the yacht.

We hired shipwrights from New York Ship that worked on the Savannah, after New York closed.

January 16, 2024

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: RICHARDBEGGS206@GMAIL.COM
Shop: 064

History we seen

The arrival of Queen Elizabeth at pier 2 in 1976 on her Royal yacht.
The Savannah - only nuclear powered cargo/passenger ship ever built going down river on her maiden voyage.
The QE2 going upriver

January 12, 2024

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: RICHARDBEGGS206@GMAIL.COM
Shop: 064
 
Things we will never see again

A meat ball hoagie and a Pepsi for diner, from the "Blind Man" when required to pull a 16 on an urgent job.

Diner at the O Club for special occasions, and retirements.

An 8 hour docking operation on a cold-wet morning.

Standing at the top of a mast staging, watching planes land at the air port.

Seeing the first 747 fly into the air port.

Placing a tug boat on a freighter, bound for Subic Bay. The last lift the 350 crane made.

The only time the Concore landed at Phila.

Placing the "New Jersey in Dry Dock 3.

Placing 4 super carriers in Dry Dock 5- One at a time of course.

January 10, 2024

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: RICHARDBEGGS206@GMAIL.COM
Shop: 064
 
Philadelphia lost the Navy Yard and a lot of good jobs. It also lost the only formal Apprenticeship program the City ever had. or will ever have. The yard hired about 300 apprentices in 26 trades every year. The Unions have apprenticeships also, but nothing in size or scope of the Yard's program.

The same can be said of the other cites that loss their Yards. Things we will never see again.

January 9, 2024

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: RICHARDBEGGS206@GMAIL.COM
Shop: 064

I worked with Tom Hare. a 71 shop painter, in a mixed gang of Shipwrights and painters, installing sound dampening tile on the shell and frames in a compartment above the keel mounted sonar dome on a destroyer in Dry Dock 1. His continuous comments and humor made the time fly by.

Tom advanced to General Foreman in 71 shop. I doubt if Tom ever knew about this web site. His comments here would be most welcome, if he did.

January 8, 2024

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: RICHARDBEGGS206@GMAIL.COM
Shop: 064
 
Tom:

I met Charlie Martin when he was working out of the turret shed, which was the bldg just south of Bldg 177. We shared a common interest at the time. We tried to keep the passage between the two bldg"s clear for moving material and equipment. A young clerk working in Bldg 1000, at times parked her car in the passage.

Charlie, who was expecting equipment delivery, was upset that the car would block the passage, and the delivery. I suggested calling the police, and have them notify the driver to move her car. Charlie agreed, but said she should have her parking decal removed. He took a knife from his belt, and removed the decal, along with some chrome, from the bumper.

The clerk was notified by the police, and she moved her car. It was the last time she parked in the passageway. Little victories in the field, as Tom Hare would say.

January 8, 2024

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: RICHARDBEGGS206@GMAIL.COM
Shop: 064
 
Tom: Thanks for posting your comment. There must be many others with the same experience as you, and I. Would like to see them posted - might keep this web site alive.

January 7, 2024

Name: tom maiorano  
E-mail: tmaiorano1@verizon.net
Shop: 38 Shop
 
We're all passing through to our final destination, whenever that is. Read some earlier comments about our time at PNSY and thought I'd throw my two cents out there. I was a late bloomer getting hired at the 'Yard back in October of '79. Met Charlie Martin in #592 and didn't end until my retirement on August 1, 1997. Due to the RIF, I managed to retire with a little over 21 years service, including military time bought back. That assured me of the pension I've been earning since September 1 of 1997. I still miss the 'Yard every day, good days and bad. We had a cast of characters in the Shop, like all the others. All I can say at this time is that the Shipyard made me a better person than I thought I'd ever become. PNSY forever!!!!

January 3, 2024

Name: richard beggs
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 
Daniel Crosby

Forgive me for mis-spelling your name. My eye and hand coordination is slipping as I enter my 92nd year.

January 3, 2024

Name: richard beggs
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon
Shop: 064
 
DANIEL CORSBY:

Dan: Glad to see you maxed out with 42 years of service. You, as a trained Shipwright, must have advanced to the highest position in whatever office you worked in. I remember you and the other men from that trainee program. All became outstanding journeymen Shipwrights.

January 2, 2024

Name: Dan Crosby
E-mail: Danielcrosby@msn.com
Shop: 64 Shop. (Shipwright)
 
43 years ago this January I walked into office at Bldg 177. as a Shipwright helper trainee and Richard Beggs was the General Forman I reported to. My first job was working on Drydock set for USS LaSalle.
Even though I only worked at yard for 14 years It was the best job I ever had in my 42 years of federal service.

January 2, 2024

Name: richard beggs
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon
Shop: 064
 
Seventy-three (73) years ago in August I walked into the office at Bldg 177 - now gone - as an apprentice Shipwright. Thirty-six (36) years later I walked out of thet office, as I retired. I will be forever greatful to the man who steered me there. He was a former Shipwright - turned instructor at Mastbaum Voc-tech high school in Phila. It was the best help I would ever receive, and the best job I would ever have.

I have been retired for 37 years - a year longer than my time at the yard. I noticed the obit for Gerry Evans. I was rooting for him to reach the same milestones, but he didn't make it - RIP old friend.

December 25, 2023

Name: Frank Yeck
E-mail: Yeckf@yahoo.com
Shop: 11
 
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

December 24, 2023

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: RICHARDBEGGS206@GMAIL.COM
Shop: 064
 
Happy to see some activity here - might be a trend.

December 24, 2023

Name: tom maiorano
E-mail: tmaiorano1@verizon.net
Shop: 38 Shop
 
Another year has almost come to an end.At this time, I would like to wish all my past, present and future Yardbird brothers and sisters a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year.

December 24, 2023

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: RICHARDBEGGS206@GMAIL.COM
Shop: 064
 
Glad to hear from you - Ron

December 23, 2023

Name: Ron Miller
E-mail: ronfish2002@yahoo.com
Shop: 31

Thank you Richard Beggs, long time contributor to this site with many interesting and astute comments.
Good tidings to you, Yardbirds, Wherever you are.
I wish you a Merry Christmas, and a Happy Healthy New Year.

December 22, 2023

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: RICHARDBEGGS206@GMAIL.COM
Shop: 064
 
IT IS SELF, EVIDENT, FROM THE NUMBER OF COMMENTS POSTED HERE, THAT THERE ARE FEW YARDBIRDS STILL ALIVE AND ABLE TO POST A CHRISTMAS GREETING.

To all yardbirds, however, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a very healthy new year.

November 11, 2023

Name: tom maiorano
E-mail: tmaiorano1@verizon.net
Shop: 38 Shop
 
Happy Veterans Day to all of you from PNSY, 38 Shop and to all Vets.
Hope all are well.

August 17, 2023

Name: Bud Murray
E-mail: junkall@msn.com
Shop: 38
 
Paul Joseph Tierney, 68, passed away on July 13, 2023 in the comfort of his home. Paul was born August 3rd, 1954 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He served as a medic in the United States Army during the Vietnam War and was honorably discharged in 1973. He worked as a Marine Machinist at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard for twenty-three years. Due to his exceptional work in the field, he was apart of an elite group of workers who were chosen to
work on ships in Scotland and Hawaii. Paul had many hobbies, including, deep sea fishing, the ocean, sports, movies and music. Paul loved the ocean and could stay at the beach all day long as long as he was doing his favorite thing, boogie boarding. Paul was a die-hard Philadelphia Eagles and Phillies fan. He was also good at any sport he played, including, bowling, softball (pitcher), tennis, and no one could beat him in ping-pong. Paul loved listening to a wide variety of music. He was apart of the St. Francis de Sales Boys Choir. His "claim to fame" is that his choir sang with the Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by, Eugene Ormandy. The St. Francis de Sales Boys Choir, along with the Temple University Choir, recorded a Christmas album with the Philadelphia Orchestra, which to this day, we enjoy listening to each holiday season. One of Paul's favorite movies was "The Wizard of Oz." He especially loved the Cowardly Lion, and was great at impersonating him, which always made all of us laugh. Paul had a great personality and a timeless sense of humor. Paul was definitely one of a kind, and will be dearly missed by his family.

Paul is survived by his best friend Lois Tierney-Schimpf, daughter Allison Head (Thomas) and his two grandchildren Raegan and Rhys Head, daughter Holly DeTine (Zach), sister Kathy Tierney-Lerro, and brother Mark Pastore.

Paul was preceded in death by his mother Agnes Kowski and brother Joseph Tierney.

Services were private.

Donations may be made in Paul's Honor to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center, located in Brigantine, New Jersey.

Arrangements are by The Godfrey Funeral Home of Palermo. For condolences to the family, visit www.godfreyfuneralhome.com

June 2, 2023

Name: Dan Lanahan
E-mail: Tisdan178@comcast.net
Shop: 56 Shop
 
Hey Jim Brennan - fantastic job on the book. I finished reading it in about 3 days. Was a thriller but as you said brings back alot of memories of all us grey hairs who were hired in their 20's and made their mark at the shipyard. No matter what u do today, retired or still working the days at the shipyard were memorable.

April 16, 2023

Name: Jim Williams
E-mail: JHW0217@live.com
Shop: 056
 
I am currently involved in a law suit for asbestosis. The law firm has sent me numerous documents asking me to identify the products containing asbestos I was exposed to while working on US Naval vessels. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

April 14, 2023

Name: richard beggs
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 
I am surely going to buy your book. About time someone took the time to do what you have done. Bravo

April 12, 2023

Name: Jim Brennan
E-mail: jimbrennansr.author@gmail.com
Shop: 26
 
For several years I've been working on a novel based on my experiences working in the welding shop at the Navy Yard. My story is a work of fiction, but for the men and women who worked at the shipyard, the sites, sounds and smells of the dry docks, boiler rooms and tanks will surely bring back memories. On the opening pages, the book is dedicated to "the men and women who worked at the Philadelphia Navy Yard," and the reason is because in thirty-seven years with the government, the Navy Yard was the most rewarding place I ever worked. So, for the ex-Yardbirds interested in a good story and who want to relive the feel of the good old days stomping around the decks of the ships, check it out.
 

Once A Welder is available now on Amazon 

April 4, 2023

Hello Julio,

I'm a reporter with WHYY's The Pulse, a nationally syndicated science and health news radio show and podcast produced by Philadelphia's local NPR affiliate station.
I'm reaching out because I recently spoke with an archivist at the Science History Institute in Philadelphia about records he uncovered pertaining to a military plane that was exposed to U.S. atomic bomb tests in Bikini Atoll.
The records were donated in the 1990s by a former worker at the Philadelphia Naval Yard, where the plane was disassembled and tested from 1947-1951.
Alongside the records were newspaper clippings from 1981, in which a retired Navy pilot named George H. Earle IV claimed to have flown cannisters of radioactive waste from the experiments over the Atlantic Ocean for disposal. The plane flew out of NAF Mustin Field.
These newly discovered records seem to verify Earle's claims.

We're producing a story about these records, and I'm curious if you know of anyone who could provide some historical background on the Naval Yard during this time.

Happy to answer any questions you may have for me. Thanks for your time.

Best,

--

Grant Hill
Reporter, WHYY's The Pulse
Creator of Serum – an investigative podcast
609-433-5146
ghill@whyy.org

March 3, 2023

Julio,

I have been researching my Great-Grandfather John Faulkner who worked at the Philadelphia Navy Yard in 1920. Below are hyperlinks to two articles I authored about John:

https://doughboy.org/veterans-support-civilians-search-for-great-grandfathers-service-record/

https://www.realwarphotos.com/page/veteran-stories/#/page/veteran-stories/

Do you know any history about the U.S.S. Samoset tugboat?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Joe Felice

February 23, 2023

Name: Smilie Christie
E-mail: smilie@christiebroshvac.com
Shop: 17/540
 
Click the link below to view the obituary for Robert Bolden

https://www.gchoicefc.com/obituaries/robert-bolden

January 28, 2023

Name: Ron Miller
E-mail: ronfish2002@yahoo.com
Shop: 31
 
Sorry to report the passing of Eddie Wojdon (pronounced voi-don) from 38 Shop. He wound up at and retired from the US Mint where I worked with him. Good worker, Vietnam vet, great sense of humor.

January 17, 2023

Name: Lee Jones
E-mail: ljones7@rcn.com
Shop: 41 Shop, NAVSHIPSO, DCMA Boeing

Joseph B. Heistand
May 13, 1951 - January 13, 2023
Joseph B. Heistand "Poppy" of Glen Mills, PA peacefully passed away January 13, 2023 at the age of 71.

Survived by his loving children Brian (Megan), Karen (Vincent) Ambrosine, Tracy (Dan) Doherty, Alison (Joe) Larkin and Denise (Brad) Flexon. Poppy to 7 granddaughters and 7 grandsons and two grandpuppies. Also survived by his brothers Harry, Stewart & sister Pauline Heistand, mother-in-law Margaret Breslin and many nieces & nephews. He was predeceased by his wife Maureen, parents Frances & Harry, brothers Herbert, William & sister Alice Boyer.

Joe was a family man and loved his wife, Maureen, with all his heart. He was a wonderful provider for his family and enjoyed spending time with his five children. Joe graduated from John Bartram High School and worked for the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard for over 25 years. Joe and his wife raised a beautiful family in Upper Darby for more than 30 years then moved to Glenolden in 2010. Joe enjoyed traveling with his wife and visited Canada, Ireland, Las Vegas and the Outer Banks with his family. Joe was known by many as the famous "Poppy" as that is the name his grandchildren gave him and how he was known at his current residence Glen Mills Senior Living. Joe loved all the Philadelphia Sports Teams especially his Eagles and never missed a game. He will be missed by his family dearly but is now at peace with his beloved wife of 45 years, Maureen.

Relatives and friends are invited to his visitation on Thursday, January 19, 2023 from 9:30am - 11am at Donohue Funeral Home, 1627 West Chester Pike, West Chester, PA 19382. Memorial Service will begin at 11am. Interment will be private at the request of the family.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to K-9s for Warriors 114 Camp K9 Road, Ponte Vedra, FL 32081 or k9sforwarriors.org.

December 31, 2022

Name: tom maiorano
E-mail: tmaiorano1@verizon.net
Shop: 38 Shop
 
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL YOU YARDBIRDS OUT THERE. LET'S KEEP ON KEEPIN' ON IN '23.

December 25, 2022

Name: tom maiorano
E-mail: tmaiorano1@verizon.net
Shop: 38 Shop
 
I'd like to wish all of PNSY Shipyard brothers and sisters a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

December 24, 2022

Name: Ron Miller
E-mail: ronfish2002@yahoo.com
Shop: 31
 
Good tidings to you, Yardbirds Wherever you are. I wish you a Merry Christmas And a Happy New year !

December 24, 2022

Name: Dennis Kaiser
E-mail: dennis_kaiser@outlook.com
Shop: Code 911
 
To all of my ex-co-workers at The Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and The Naval Foundry and Propeller Center. I wish you all Happy Holidays and a healthy and prosperous New Year from my family to yours.

Dennis Kaiser

November 23, 2022

Name: tom maiorano
E-mail: tmaiorano1@verizon.net
Shop: 38 Shop
 
Want to wish everyone a safe and Happy Thanksgiving this year and every year.

November 6, 2022

Name: Francis Walsh
E-mail: Stingray231@comcast.net
Shop: X51, P&E Elect, NAVSHIPSO
 
It saddens me to report that my friend Earl Griffin (X51, P&E) passed away on Friday Nov 4 at the age of 86. Earl was a great guy who will be sorely missed by all who knew him. Services will be at Gardner's Funeral Home on Saturday Nov 12 at 11:30. Rest In Peace buddy.

September 10, 2022

Looks like the link for t-shirts isn't working.  I might have to submit another design.  Don't know when it will be up again.

September 10, 2022

Name: Tom McArdle
E-mail: tommcardle1125@yahoo.com
Shop: X31, X31 Shop Planning, P&E
 
Is there any possibility of the black PNSY Tee shirts still available?
I've checked with the mfr but I need an email address or order number to find the design. Thanks

September 5, 2022

Name: tom maiorano
E-mail: tmaiorano1@verizon.net
Shop: 38 Shop
 
Thank you for that quick response concerning the order of SLEP carriers.

September 4, 2022

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 
SLEP CARRIERS

SARATOGA
FORRESTAL
INDEPENDENCE
KITTY HAWK
KENNEDY

September 3, 2022

Name:
E-mail:
Shop:
 
I think the SLEP order was:
CV-60 Saratoga, CV-59 Forrestal, CV-63 Independence, CV-64 Constellation, CV-67 Kennedy however, the Kennedy may have been an overhaul and not a SLEP

August 29, 2022

Name: tom maiorano
E-mail: tmaiorano1@verizon.net
Shop: 38 Shop

Hey,Yardbirds! Anyone remember the order of the SLEP carriers at PNSY from 1980 to 1995? Any help would be appreciated.

July 4, 2022

Name: tom maiorano
E-mail: tmaiorano1@verizon.net
Shop: 38 Shop
 
Just want to wish all my PNSY Yardbirds a safe and Happy 4th of July.

June 6, 2022

Name: John Urbanski
E-mail: Jcurbanski@yahoo.com
Shop: Visitor
 
A while back, I asked if any of your members remembered what WWII fleet sub was at the Naval Yard in the mid-60s. Some of you thought it was the USS Becuna, but I did not remember it being a GUPPY conversion, and it was in 1966, and the Becuna was not yet at the Navy Yard. I found out today that it was the USS Hake, SS256, that was a USN fleet reserve training ship up until it was struck from the Navy list in 1967. Thanks to the experts at Pigboats.com for the info!

June 2, 2022

Name: Dennis Kaiser
E-mail: dennis_kaiser@outlook.com
Shop: Code 911
 
For the Obit Section

Harrity John "Sonny" Age 89, of Philadelphia and former 02 Shop Supervisor, beloved husband of Nancy Harrity, died peacefully in his sleep on May 22, 2022. He is survived by his loving daughters, Nancy Parisi and Joy Harrity, and predeceased by his son, John. Services will be held at Stella Maris Church, 2901 S. 10th Street, Philadelphia, on June 2; Visitation at 10 A.M. and Funeral Mass at 11 A.M. Burial to follow at Holy Cross Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations to the Alzheimer's Association. loganvideonfuneralhome.com

June 1, 2022

Name: Dan Maguire
E-mail: dwm919@aol.com
Shop: 31 shop
 
Mr. Cashin I appreciate what you are trying to do, that said I have to tell you that anything historical you might want to publish should be accurate or you wll be doing the people you are trying to honor a disservice. When I left the yard in 95 with 33 years of federal service John D'April was alive and being younger than me, hopefully he still is. I knew the gentleman who died as "Mack" I believe his full name was John Macintyre, a well liked and talented young blackman who was working on a feedwater controll vave when a vave up stream was opened scalding him over most of his body. He lingerd in the hospital for over a month before he passed. I was a newly assigned planner to the valve section where it was taken as a death in the family and the whole section was badly shaken. It was a long time ago and I hope I am being accurate

June 1, 2022

Name: Dan Maguire
E-mail: dwm919@aol.com
Shop: 31 shop
 

MR.Cashin, I was the planner assigned to the valve shop when the fatality with the feed water valve killed the young man from that section. It was not John D'April. He was still alive and well when I left the yard in 94. If my memory serves me correctly John Macintyre, a talented and well liked young black man was the one killed. He was scalded by hot feed water when a valve was opened up stream. If I remember he lingered for over a month before succumbing to his injuries. I hope I have the details correct, it was 40 years ago. If you are going to publish historic information, please do the research. I laud your intentions but remind you the importance of accuracy.

April 28, 2022

Name: Clifford A Nash
E-mail: pnsycliff@aol.com
Shop: 06
 

Richard D, the Social Security Offsets known as WEP & GPO affect retires SS benefits. It reduces retires SS benefits if people receive a public pension such as CSRS and also worked outside the government and paid FICA taxes. When the yard closed, a lot of people needed to find employment and some found jobs which they paid SS taxes

These people will not receive the same SS benefits as someone with a similar work history. Their SS benefits can be reduced as much as 50% due to WEP. GPO affects your spouce's SS benefits. GPO can actually reduce or eliminate your spouce's SS benefit
 

WEP: Windfall Elimination Offset
GPO: Goverrnment Pension Offset I hope this helps

April 23, 2022

 Attached is a study I did on the folks memorialized on the monument on Broad Street. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine it was so sobering. I hope you find this worth adding to you website and I'd really appreciate any details you or the others could provide. I've sent a copy to the Seaport Museum and hope to send a copy to the Chapel so these brave folks are never forgotten.

And hopefully we might actually do something at the monument itself some day.

Thanks for the awesome work you've done!
 

Fatalities at Navy Yard LANDSCAPE


Dan Cashin
Riggers 1966 to 1995
Kvaerner/Aker 1995 to Present! (Part time. We ain't done yet!!!!)

April 8, 2022

Name: richard beggs
E-mail: richardbeggs206@gmail.com
Shop: 064

Cliff:

What is WEP/GPO. Who does it effect and how?

April 5, 2022

Name: Clifford A Nash
E-mail: pnsycliff@aol.com
Shop: 06
 

National WEP/GPO Repeal Task Force Day of Action
Meet in Washington, D.C. May 18, 2022
Congressional Visitations 9:30 - 11:30 a.m., 1:30 - 4:00 p.m.
Group Rally 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Capitol Hill Area
THE TIME IS NOW TO HAVE OUR VOICES HEARD FOR REPEAL OF THE WEP & GPO

March 11, 2022

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064

ATTN: Ted Wright

Try "OPM.GOV" They have a help section where you can submit your questions. They may direct you to where to look for your information.

March 8, 2022

My Grandfather, Jesse Mervin Wright, worked at the Philly Yards, but died quite suddenly when he was in his 50s, many decades ago. My dad never got much information about when he was stationed there and what he worked on. I was wondering if there is a place to look that information up at. Thank you for taking the time and for your service to this country.
--
Theodore D. Wright

February , 2022

Name: Tom McArdle
E-mail: tommcardle1125@yahoo.com
Shop: x31, Shop planning, P&E
 
Adding new email address
 

January 28, 2022

I am looking for some help in identifying a crudely made medallion that is somehow attached to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard (PNSY), the Navy’s Service Life Extension Program (SLEP), and Aircraft Carriers.

Yes, I collect anything Aircraft Carrier, and Yes, I served aboard an Aircraft Carrier, the USS Coral Sea CVA-43 during the Vietnam War (1971 to 1974).

What I do know is the Navy’s Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) was performed at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard (PNSY), and the rebuilding of the Navy's eight conventional aircraft carrier's CV’s-59 to 67, from 1981 through 1992.

That said, I do believe identifying this medallion is Important. Whoever made this medallion was proud of (PNSY), (SLEP), and Aircraft Carriers. Though crudely made compared to many other medallions, it suggests the possibility it was made on site of the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, and the Pride this workforce projects to the task of Service Life Extension Program.

I am looking for any information about this medallion or any direction to take to discover its history.

I am including pictures of the medallion, its dimensions and material - dimensions: 1 & 3/4th inches in diameter X 3/8th inch at its thickest point material: appears to be brass / bronze

I would appreciate your help in this identification and thank you for your time in this matter.
Henry J. Potts

C) 910-273-6501 email) hankster54@yahoo.com

I live in Louisiana on Central Time

January 3, 2022

Name: James Perkins
E-mail: jimbo09991@netzero.com
Shop: 56
 
Saw on Bellmawr Postal website that Jeff Schultes has passed on after retiring to Florida. R.I.P.

December 23, 2021

Name: tom maiorano
E-mail: tmaiorano1@verizon.net
Shop: 38 Shop
 
To the old gang in 38 Shop and all my PNSY family, Merry Christmas and a safe and healthy New Year.

December 23, 2021

Name: Ron Miller
E-mail: ronfish2002@yahoo.com
Shop: 31
 
Good tidings to you, Yardbirds, wherever you are;
I wish you a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!

December 13, 2021

Name: James Perkins
E-mail: jimbo09991@netzero.com
Shop: 56
 
R.I.P. Pat Daugherty. Good man.

December 12, 2021

Name: JACK BALKIR
E-mail: jbalkir@gmail.com
Shop: Shop 51 / Code 1200
 
Wishing my fellow yardbirds and their families happy and healthy
Christmas holiday and Happy New Year. God bless you all.

December 11, 2021

Name: Jim Brennan
E-mail: jim.brennansr@gmail.com
Shop: 26
 

Hello ex-Yardbirds, especially my fellow-welders,

I once had a photograph of one of the aircraft carriers (Saratoga or Forrestal I'm thinking) looking up at the bow from the dry dock, but somehow misplaced or lost it. I'm wondering if anyone has such a photo. I can't remember how I got it, whether it was in the Beacon or one of the local newspapers, or whether one of us took it. I'd love to get my hands on the photo for the cover of a book I'm working on.
 

So thanks, and Happy Holidays,
Stay healthy.
Jim Brennan

November 19, 2021

Name: Bill Domzalski
E-mail: rigger072@yahoo.com
Shop: 972
 
I regret to inform you of the passing of Gerald Martin c/970..c/300
Gerry passed after a brief illness on 11/12/2021
It was a private viewing

November 16, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

Navy to spend 4 billion on upgrading 4 public shipyards

October 13, 2021

Name: Dennis Maloney
E-mail: dwmaloney2@gmail.com
Shop: 56 Shop
 

I feel lucky having worked at the PNSY, I was not a known or popular guy. I just came to work, did my best and went home to my family. I was fortunate having worked with guys' like Jim Brandemarte, Pat Dougherty, Mike Wallace, Frankie Maestro, Nick DiVita, Sam Bernard to name a few. Jim, Sam and Pat are gone now, but live on in my memory. As Sam would have said: 'Hit it Bernard' as he lowered his shield and started welding.

October 7, 2021

Name: Julio Casiano
E-mail: Julio@Philly-Yardbird.com
Shop: 26
 

Link to article about the recent sale of the Kitty Hawk & JFK:  The US Navy Sold 2 Obsolete Aircraft Carriers to Scrap Dealers for a Cent Each | Military.com

October 6, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

Kitty Hawk

I can remember the day Kitty Hawk arrived at the Shipyard. There is a video on YOUTUBE of the event.

October 6, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

SCRAPPED

The carriers Kennedy and Kitty Hawk were just sold for scrap for a penny each.

October 3, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

FROM HERE TO THERE

I once worked with a man, who for the first 7 hours of the day, was a somewhat, calm, thoughtful person. At 3 PM, however, a personality began to emerge of that of a man under stress. His arm felt like a coiled spring about to release it's energy - if you touched it. He seemed to have one objective - getting home by 5 PM.

I worked with him after the Walt Whitman bridge was built. I knew that was his means into New Jersey. I don't know how he got there prior to it's construction. The toll booth at the bridge was the first check point, he said. It had to be 4:20 pm or before. The off ramp for RT 130 in New Jersey was next - the Air Port Circle followed, and finally his exit from Rt 130, and he was 6 minutes from home, where he probably had to wait for dinner.

He was a heart attack waiting to occur, and it did. He survived the attack, but left the yard. I went to his viewing before his eventful funeral. I met his wife and asked if he enjoyed his leisure after he retired. Never, was her answer.

We all probably wanted to be home by 5 PM. Most of us didn't, but accepted it as part of the work day and avoided the stress of trying too hard. For some years I used public transportation (4 connections) to get to and from the shipyard. It took the better part of 2 hours. I wasn't alone. I saw the same commuters daily. Some lucky people made a connection with a driver who parked in the shipyard, who wanted to shave a few dollars off his fuel costs, and accepted a few paying passengers.

Parking inside the shipyard became more liberal. I95 was now open all the way. I did get home now about 5 PM, along with many other former SEPTA commuters, now drivers.

October 3, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

BRIAR PATCH

I was working at Pier D when I was drafted. I returned two years later. I never wanted to return to Pier D - I really disliked working there. For some reason I kept getting assigned to work there - as a journeyman and supervisor. Send me to Pier D, I asked - upon returning from my military leave, hopeing that plea would send me anywhere but Pier D.

I was sent to Pier D - where I worked for the next six months, until my apprentice training schedule required my transfer. I tried to avoid being tainted as one of the usual suspects in the cast of characters in 64 shop employed there, but I failed - I spent enough time there to be recalled when the the workload there increased.

Most of the men from 64 shop were happy to work at Pier D. It was light work compared to the water front. The tasks were repetitive from sub to sub and didn't take any great skill to complete them. You just had to learn to adjust to the system - I never did.

I was happy when the last submarine left and the pier was demolished. The men scattered away to other jobs. I did meet a man from 38 shop on the Slep carrier. He wished he was back at Pier D, he said - although he was working 12 hours a day, seven days a week.

October 3, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

A MAGNET FOR OLD FRIENDS

The Shipyard, with about 15 thousand employees at the time, seemed an unlikely place for reunions. I met three former high school classmates - all apprentices - in the course of a year. I met another former high school class mate as he was refilling the vendor machines in Bldg 22. He was the power forward on the school basketball team. I was on that team at the time - but mainly sat on the bench. I guess I didn't make much of an impression during that season - he said he didn't remember me at all, although he did admit we went to the same school.

The other apprentices all advanced in their respective shops, and/or P&E positions. One became a Department head at the Submarine antenna facility at the yard. He was the center on that basketball team - he was six-four. He did remember me as a member of that team.

One member of that team went to Temple University after high school. He was promoted to athletic director after his basketball career ended at the University

October 3, 2021

Name: William j Domzalski
E-mail: rigger072@yahoo.com
Shop: 972
 

I regret to inform the passing of Paul Haasz..Paul was a good man and I am sorry to see his passing

October 2, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

I have trained and worked with a lot of people during my career at the Shipyard. Two, in particular, are lodged in my memory as unique. They are unique because they had done something that I would never have dared. They left a comfortable position for another without regard to it's permanence or stability. One had just finished his apprenticeship. He accepted a job as a caretaker in a hunting lodge in Maine. He returned to the Shipyard almost 30 years later to assume his former position. He had aged, like we all do, but his personality remained the same - he had not changed at all. He seemed well adjusted and happy in his old job. I never question him about his choice of career change, but I respected him for the courage to do so.

The other man was unique in many ways. He had just finished his apprenticeship as a welder. He was, however, promoted to a WG-10 Shipwright. I worked with him on the construction of the first LPH. He was, as rated, a proficient WG-10 shipwright. I never asked where he had acquired the skills - he just had them. He was into gadgets of any kind. Long before computers, he would call home to turn the air conditioner on, or preheat the oven, or so he claimed. I had no reason the doubt him. He would travel on weekends, he said to participate in wrestling matches, where he held many titles. Again I believed him. He drove the only 3 wheel Messerschmitt little car, I think, in the country. He also had the only wind-up razor for shaving that I had ever seen. One day he was gone. I was told he just resigned to go exploring. He never returned to the Shipyard. I miss him and his ability to dare to try anything.

September 30, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

WE WILL MEET AGAIN - SOME SUNNY DAY - A SONG BY VERA LYNN

I felt the same sentiment when meeting someone again after a two decade separation. It happened, of course, at the Navy Yard. Our first acquaintance - I was about 12 years old and the young man was in his twenties.

It happened in the old section of Philadelphia called "Fishtown". His father was the Fire Chief of the City. They lived on York street - an extra wide street. The street was the favorite playground for the kids in the neighborhood. There wasn't much traffic in those days, and a football game - two hand touch - was usually in progress after school or on Saturday.

The noise generated by the game bothered the Fire chief. He would send his son out to chase us away. Sometimes the Philly cops responded to his call to disperse the noisy kids. I remembered the son. I didn't think he enjoyed the duty of ending our game.

I was standing dockside at dry dock three watching the dock being flooded. A Superintendent from 67 shop came along beside me and said he had never watched a ship being docked or undocked. We discussed the operation, and I assured him it was a routine thing, something we done many times without any incident. He seemed impressed with the details that I related to him. He did not recognize me as one of the brats who used to bother his Fire Chief father - twenty years earlier, and I saw no reason to remind him.

September 1, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

GENESIS

It is rare for an employee to organize or create a new office independent of the Shipyard. I can remember the man, a General Foreman Electrician, talking about his efforts to create an office that monitored the progress of construction of Navy ships at private shipyards.

Apparently his efforts paid off. The Shipbuilding Scheduling Office was established, and I see about a dozen retirees listed here, who worked there. I knew of three former supervisors from 64 shop that worked there. Much later, after the head of the office retired, a former employee of 64 shop replaced him. I don't think the positions there (I don't know their classification or title) were filled through the merit promotion program. I think it was just an application and interview process.

There was a lot of travel necessary for the inspectors/schedulers. I know one of the former 64 shop employees refused to travel on weekends, and faced removal from the office. His appeal, if there was one, quietly resolved the dispute, and he worked there until he retired.

The office seemingly didn't have any relationship with the shipyard. The closure didn't effect it. It may still be there, monitoring the progress of Navy shipbuilding in private shipyards, however scarce that may be.

One man deserves the credit for the origin of the office. I thought he was trying the impossible when he explained his plan, one night at a FMA meeting. He achieved the improbable. He created the office, and it's need, and also many well paying jobs. The rest is history.

September 1, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

CODE - VIOLATED

One of the unwritten rules of any trade requires the journeyman to do nothing that diminishes the trade. A woodworker would never recommend replacing wood with another material. I broke that rule on two occasions.

One of the breasting camels used to berth a carrier at the pier was equipped with a pump station for fire hose pressure. It had a wooden deck of 2x12 white oak planks. They were checked, split and warped. They had been repaired and replaced many times. The white oak that was harvested now was sawn to get the most out of the log, resulting in inferior planks. The old white oak that we had in the yard lasted for many years. The newer - not so long.

I recommended that the oak planks be replaced with an expanded metal deck, that was light, easy to install, would last for many years, and was slip free. P&E agreed and the oak planks were removed and replaced with the expanded metal deck.

I also recommended the wooden fender system (white oak) on Dry Dock three caisson be replaced with the rubber cushion used on the caisson seal. I cited the remote possibility of a tug, making up to the caisson, ever coming in contact with the fender system. The tugs used large rubber fenders. P&E again agreed. They were extreme, however, in their solution. They had 11 shop remove the entire steel frame work of the fender system. A bridge too far, perhaps.

August 23, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

Ron Miler:

Kipling's poem about that English GI wounded in Afghanistan was titled "The young British soldier"

 

Ron Miller:

Kipling spent some time in Afghanistan as a reporter. He also wrote poems about the English GI's there. One describes the fate of on soldier, wounded and lay dying, waiting for the Afghanistan women to come torture him to death.

 

August 22, 2021

Name: Ron Miller
E-mail: ronfish2002@yahoo.com
Shop: 31
 

Well Richard Beggs, I finally got around to researching your reference a while back (maybe as long ago as last Veteran's Day?)to the poem "Tommy" by Rudyard Kipling in 1892. Like most poems, it is better read aloud, and there are a couple of readings on YouTube. A lot to think about in that poem. Thank you for enlightening me.

August 22, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

KELLY CLOUSURE - REHAB

A temporary enclosure - Kelly Closure - was erected next to 994 building to provide a possible shelter for lunch facilites for the Slep workers that were to arrive with the ship at pier 6. 07 shop erected the shelter. They laid down a prefabricated wooden deck, topped with vinyl asbestos tile. There were no lights or heat in the shelter, or tables or seats. It was bare bones. The wooded deck was placed directly on the asphalt paving. It set in a big puddle caused by the run off from the pipe coverers shop.

The wooden deck soon became saturated with water, and mushrooms broke through the tile in a few places. The roof panels were bolted together without any sealing gasket between them. The roof leaked in many places when it rained. Code 385 asked 64 shop if we could salvage the shelter.

We jacked up the shelter, and removed the wooden prefab deck. We built a new wooen deck elevated on 8" cinder blocks. We sealed the roof joints, insulated the walls of the shelter, installed an insulated false ceiling, and retiled the deck. 99 shop installed two steam heaters and lights in our new overhead ceiling. The shop made picnic type tables that we assembled in the new shelter. The new shelter was completed before the carrier arrived at pier 6. The first rain came and there were no roof leaks.

Code 385 was pleased and had us erect another shelter at the head of the pier, and another near Dry Dock 5 with the same accommodations. The shelters were still there 3 years later, when I left. I don't how many men ate their lunch in them - but the shipyard tried and provided a dry warm place for the Slep employees.

August 22, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

IF A TREE FALLS IN THE FORREST
AND NO ONE IS THERE
DOES IT MAKE A SOUND?

Every building in the shipyard has a "Building Manager". One of the things he is responsibility is organizing a "fire response team". Fire drills are initiated by the fire department - unannounced. Each member of the fire response team has a location to report to - with a CO-2 extinguisher.

All the machinery had been removed from building 177 after they were clocked and found, under used. No one worked in the building any longer. There was an office for supervisors that was mostly empty during the day. I had been put out to pasture on the Slep carrier, but still listed aa the building manager. A fireman came one day and pulled the alarm. There wasn't anyone in the building to respond.

The fireman reported the failure of the fire drill, and the failure of the building manager to appear and explain the absence of the required fire response team. I was replaced as building manager and I wished my replacement luck with his phantom fire response team. TIMBER

August 21, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

BROWS - NO MORE

At one time the brows that we crossed to get aboard ship were all made from wood - some 50 feet long. No wooden brow was ever made in the shipyard in the modern era (after 1951). They were still being used every day, on every pier. They were being repaired, however, by 64 shop on a daily basis at a work area at building 177. Apprentices sometimes worked on them (a choice assignment). They were really engineering marvels. Two timbers, stressed into arcs and confined with steel threaded vertical rods to maintain the two separate and different arcs. The lower arc was not as severe as the upper - it supported the walking deck. Verical and diagonal wooded bracing, similar to a rafter, was placed between the wooden arcs.

Steel saddle bands captured the ends of the two arcs. A long steel rod, stretching from end to end, passed through the saddles and kept the arcs in tension - a real requirement. The assembly was closely inspected for rotted wood. I never saw a new wooden brow being constructed. I have no idea when the last one was made. I think we had the capability to build one with the proper blue prints - if they were still available.

Almost all the brows used at the yard were made from steel when I retired. The wooden brow- an engineering marvel - passed into obscuruty.

August 21, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

READING - WRITING - ARITHMETIC

Apprentices, when I started, went to school every fourth week. The teachers at the school were from the Philadelphia school system. Most of the apprentices were just out of high school. Some veterans hadn't been in school for 5 or 6 years. Our English teacher tried in vain to extend our knowledge of grammar beyond our high school grasp of it.

Our explanation for a reason for the sentence we had just used was - it sounds right. That reason wasn't good enough. We had to know the grammar that supported it's use. The vets had a harder time than most of us. The teacher, however, never failed a student. He was a good man. He was a loyal fan of the Philadelphia A's, the American league team from Philadelphia. Every year at the beginning of the season he had us list the final standing of the eight teams in both leagues. He thought there was a conspiracy afoot when each apprentice in our class listed the A's eighth. He smiled and began his grammar tests again.

We were given essays to write. I astounded him with a 62 word sentence in my essay. It looks, he said, like a drunk staggering around trying to find a place to sit down.

Our math teacher was a different story. He had no sympathy for any one - vet or not. He began each year with a test. His analysis was "we have a fertile field here to plow" and began with describing the difference between Roman and Arabic numbers - that 2+2=4. Those of us to last two or three years - were once again exposed to algebra (a subject to be mastered and never used again in real life) - a favorite subject of the teacher. The dreaded command "step to the board" to justify an answer to a test question didn't eliminate anyone. I spent some time there. He would fail some apprentices - they lost their jobs.

Time at the school was shortened - once every 6 weeks was now our schedule in my fourth year. Most of the apprentices in my class were later promoted to Foreman or other positions - off the iron. It was a rewarding experience.

August 21, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

A RUSH TO JUDGMENT

A man was hired as a carpenter marine. It was a temporary appointment - no appeal rights or notice of termination. He was acutely aware of his work environment. He found asbestos fibers in the material he was removing from vent ducts. Work was stopped until the insulation could be analyzed. It wasn't asbestos. He thought the air quality was lacking in oxygen. Work stopped while 99 shop sniffers tested the air. It was normal. He thought the welders weren't using exhaust ducts to vent the fumes from their arcs. They were complying with the required exhausting of their fumes.

He complained about the quality of lighting in the compartment. It was normal for shipboard work. He thought there was mercury in the paste he was using. It was tested and found no mercury. He thought the water from the fountain at the stern of the ship was tainted. It was tested and found normal.

He thought he was contaminated with PCB"s from the transformer on the pier. There was a warning posted on the transformer regarding PCB's. He wasn't contaminated.

He proved that one size fits all - doesn't. The arms of the paper coveralls that he wore daily, extended past his hands - he walked on the cuffs of the coveralls. He looked like an accident about to happen. He was very concerned about his safety. He could not, however keep a helmet on his head, or safety glasses over his eyes.

His failure to meet the requirement that he wear the proper safety equipment resulted in his termination.

In retrospect his complaints may have had some degree of validity, and that he was just a severely sensitive person that couldn't tolerate the conditions of shipboard work, however marginal they may have been.

August 21, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

LEGACY

The admission process to some prestigious schools is sometimes eased if the parent, or parents had once attended the school. A legacy admission. The practice extended else where it seemed. There were 7 apprentices hired the same year that I was. One told us his farter worked in shop during WW-2.

It soon became apparent that he was getting choice assignments where important skill sets are developed, and would set him apart from the rest of us. Envy, one of the seven deadly sins, reared it's ugly head among us. and some complained about our assignments. The rest of us were eventually assigned to those tasks that we thought necessary to have the skill required to be a competent journeyman shipwright. There wasn't much difference, after 4 years of training, between us. The apprentice that we thought would be the first promoted to Foreman showed no inclination for such a promotion.

It surprised all of us that the first promoted was the least expected. Working at heights was the essential ability that was required of a shipwright. The new Foreman could not get on a two foot trestle, but was now expected to supervise those whose daily assignments were many feet in the air. He showed no exceptional abilities or management training that would set him apart from the rest of us, but we weren't consulted for our opinion concerning his promotion.

The new Foreman did not enjoy the responsibilities of his job. He soon transferred to the Navy Depot in the far Northeast. The apprentice that we were envious of was promoted to Foreman, through the merit promotion program that had already promoted two of us ahead of him. No one noticed. We worked many years together. I was saddened at his passing, and repentive of my sin of envy.

August 18, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

MY OWN DESK

I finally got my own desk when I moved into the front office. It was a standard government desk, about as secure as a cardboard box. The screw driver blade on any pen knife could easily defeat the lock on the center drawer, which when locked - locked all drawers. I never kept anything of value in the desk. There were just some everyday forms that we used.

The office was not secure. We had a contracted cleaning service who mopped and waxed the floor once in a while. They also wiped down the desks. I knew the desk was probably examined each night the cleaning crew were working.

I did have a pendulum inclinometer mounted above my desk. It was mounted on a maple block of wood, that was attached to the wall with a long deck screw, the kind used on patio decks. It didn't have a slot or Phillips head. It had a star shaped head and it would take a special bit to tighten or loosen.

I could see someone had attempted to loosen the screw. The thief would not be successful, I thought, until he got the right screw diver bit. I under estimated him. He must have gotten a hack saw blade behind the maple block and cut the screw.

I doubt he knew what he had, or would appreciate it. It had no real value - about $15 in a marine catalog. I reported the theft to the police who said they would question the contractor. There was never any action taken that I was aware of.

The contract must have expired. The office was once again secure - maybe a little dusty.

August 17, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

PHONE FREAKS

Benjamin Franklin once said "the only way to keep a secret between 3 people - is to kill two of them". We had one phone in our office that could be used to call outside on the Bell network. It saved a lot of time if you had to call home about being late or other things. The phone booths, especially when ships and their crews were aboard, always had waiting lines for use. I only knew one other person who knew about this phone.

We got busted. The phone was monitored. It seemed a lot of people knew about the phone - it was disconnected. We got in line behind the Navy if we had to make a call outside.

August 17, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

BIKES AND TYKES

Most summers, the Shipyard hired young teenagers from Philadelphia as messengers or delivery people. They all seemed to have acquired a bike soon after their arrival. Conversely, some unlocked bikes used by supervisors seemed to have disappeared. Some were recovered. Some were pedaled up Broad Street, and never seen again. 72 shop did a brisk business in making short - two eyed cables for locking a bike.

A ten minute lapse by a supervisor in not locking his bike - lost it.
 

August 17, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

AID AND ABET

We had a young (maybe 35) supervisor working from pier D. He was an alcoholic. He was three sheets to the wind, most days, by 1300. There were trolls who supplied him with alcohol daily. He was found beneath his desk with an empty bottle of sweet Vermouth one afternoon. He was the only on the job fatality that I know of in my shop - ever. The yard offered access to addiction clinics to all employees. At the same time the yard recognized alcohol addition, there were facilities in the yard where it could be obtained, during working hours.

I posed that question to the Director Of Industrial Relations, after an unrelated meeting, one day. It was economics, he said, those places were a profit and loss business that was permitted to operate on the base, and were unrelated to any program to curb drinking alcohol during working hours.

Later, I found we had a pizza and beer delivery from the bowling alley, nightly in my own shop on the second shift. The second shift was now more closely monitored. A short time later, the Foreman suffered a heart attack and had to retire. Maybe too much pizza.

August 17, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

AN HONEST MAN - TO A DEGREE

During one of our transitions of photo ID badges, we were issued a larger badge, with no clip on device. The shop welfare fund bought every one a small leather wallet for the new badge. It was a handy thing, I carried my drivers license in in it, along with a $20 bill tucked behind the badge - for emergencies. We weren't required to have the badge with us, on the job.

It was only used for entering the yard. I know I had my small wallet in my jacket pocket when I left home. I was on my way to the old Liberty Bell race track in the Northeast one Saturday.

I must have lost the wallet at the track. About a week later I got a letter in the mail. Enclosed was my wallet with badge and drivers license. The $20 bill was missing. Of course there wasn't any return address on the envelope. I guess it was worth $20 to avoid getting a new license. I hope he parlayed that $20.

New badges were issued later with a clip on device - these badges were to be worn on the job. I still have that little leather wallet, but no longer used. We have too many things we need with us now. It takes a big wallet with many sleeves for them.

August 17, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW

We had a young man (Carpenter Marine) working on the LPH in DRy Dock 4. I remember he was very devout in his religion. He had very poor vision, and wore thick glasses. He asked for a brief leave of absence for an experimental operation on his eyes. He had astigmatism, he said, the wrong shape of the eye ball that prevented a proper focus. The eye would be cut and reshaped to gain the proper focus.

He came back about a month later - no glasses - with 20/20 vision. The operation was a success, for him. Other procedures were later adopted (Lasik) that didn't require so much cutting. He left the yard to continue his education and we never saw him again. Another one of those things.

August 17, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

ANOTHER MYSTERY

One night, while on the second shift, I was called to pier 4 to help land a brow on an old unknown escort carrier berthed there. I went on board with two of my gang to prepare a wooden platform for the shipboard end of the brow. There wasn't anyone on the hanger deck - quarter deck. The hanger deck was full of big black limos, tied down. There were two limos on the aft centerline elevator, ready to be raised to the flight deck.

The brow platform was done and the brow landed. I lingered on the pier for a few minutes. It was dark, quiet with few people about. The crane landed the two limos on the pier. Drivers were waiting. and they quickly drove them off of the pier. Our work was done, and we left the pier.

The carrier was gone the next night. I don't know how many limos were off loaded that night. It would seem strange to bring a ship here just to off load two cars. I assume all the limos were off loaded during the next two shifts. Where they came from, and where they were going was a mystery to me, but so were many other things.

I read later that some Viet Generals had bailed out before Saigon fell, with some loot. I know Von Braun was accepted from Germany after the war to build our rockets. Maybe the Viet Generals, if they were involved, were accepted and allowed to start a limo service to Atlantic City. But then again, maybe not. It could have been just one of those things.

August 15, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

IMITATION ISN'T JUST FLATTERY
SOMETIMES IT'S ESSENTIAL

Shipwrights have worked closely with shipfitters during the shipbuilding years at the Navy Yard. They established bench marks (waterlines, centerlines and frame lines) for aligning bulkheads, bent frames and other structures. They also worked on the prefab process on F slab, Erie bay and inside 541 and 57 buildings. They used a practical tool (water levels) to establish level lines. The tool, based on Pascall's theory that water will seek it's own level in a closed system, was easy and accurate to use.

I observed, one day, as I passed through 541 Building, a pair of shipfitters using a set of water bottles on a structure of some kind. This was long pass the shipbuilding phase at the yard. There was also a transit set up nearby. It would appear an observant supervisor from 11 Shop had decided to adopt and use both tools. The transit was an expensive purchase. The water bottles could be easily made by 06 shop - they made all of ours.

The two shipfitters, however, had made the same mistake as many shipwright apprentices, The water bottles were hanging upside down nearby. They would only be accurate if the column of water was unbroken (no bubbles). I pointed this out to them, and told them they would have to empty and refill the bottles. They seemed to listen. Filling the bottles correctly, however, was another matter. They may still need us in future, but I don't remember being asked for any assistance. May your lines be level

August 14, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

ONCE IN A LIFETIME

The Navy had an experimental under sea habitat. After it's use it was delivered to the Shipyard for some reason. It was stored on pier 6 next to an annealing oven and a cofferdam stowage. It was to be shipped on a barge. We got the detail to secure it to the barge's deck. It was shaped like a Flying Saucer, with a hole in the bottom for a diver to enter, maybe to catch his breadth. I stepped inside, maybe the only civilian to ever do so. It was a singularity event and it makes me a very special person.

Not really, everyone on the barge that day, stepped through that hole in the bottom to see what the inside looked like. There was nothing to see. The divers who used the habitat never scratched their names, or KILROY WAS HERE on the plastic bubble. I don't know where it went. I never heard about it again. It was just something that passed through the yard, like many other things - and people.

August 12, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

SAUNA

I was hired in August and didn't experience the Sauna in Building 177 until the steam was turned on in mid November for heating the building. The steam entered the building under and the valve that turned it on was in a pit about 3 feet deep. It wasn't a gate valve. It was the type used on gas lines - a 1" square stud that turned 90 degrees to turn it on/off. The fine tuning took place in the loft space. There was a manifold there with about 10 outlet fittings to run piping to various parts of the building.

There was a valve - I think a diaphragm type - that had a rod onto which weights could be added to control the diaphragm. The plumber, who was called from Public Works, added or subtracted weights until the steam pressure stabilized. I know this happened every November.

One day a contractor arrived to inspect the system, and make adjustments. The manifold was replaced and two pressure gauges added, plus a seismograph. It looked like the control room of a submarine. At the end of piping, where the diaphragm valve used to be was a locked cabinet. Authorized entry only - the label read.

The next November we had the same sauna. The plumber came, opened the locked cabinet and added or subtracted weights until the steam pressure was stabilized.

It seems there are some things that we just have to learn to live with.

August 11, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

A MYSTERY

The office now used by three General Foreman was once the sole office of the first Chief Quarterman I was introduced to on my first day in the Shipyard. He looked like a clerk. He was regarded as the most knowledgeable man, at one time, in the shipyard regarding the launching of ships from a shipways. He was also the Dock Master who had oversight authority on every docking. Launchings were no longer used to slide a newly built ship into the river. Ships were now built in dry dock, which was flooded for floating the ship for the first time.

He was long gone by the time I was use his former office. In a locked closet, that he used for clothing and other gear, I found a walnut case with a marine sextant inside. I could not find a use for a sextant ashore. They were used at sea, where you needed an horizon and the sun to determine latitude. They are not expensive today, but at one time a ship would not sail without one.

We all remember the scene in the movie "Munity On The Bounty" where Captain Bligh was put in a ship's boat after the munity with nothing but the ship's clock and a sextant. He was able to navigate safely with these tools to reach home.

The sextant that I now held was made in England, I don't know when, but it was in pristine condition. I decided it could be donated to the Marine museum at Penn's Landing at some time. Time passed and it was forgotten. I was sad to see, later that the building burned to the ground one night. Lost was the six transits we had and one fine old sextant whose use by the shop remains a mystery to me.

August 9, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

LOW BIDDER

One year the docking conference was to be held in Seattle, Washington. I realize that government contracts were awarded to the low bidder. My flight was on the only non union airline flying at the time. My seat was in coach, I guess. If it was ship, I think they call it steerage. The flight got me there however. My hotel booking was at a motel on Interstate 5, about 12 miles south of Seattle. The next cheapest room was probably at a homeless shelter in Seattle. I don't know who the travel person was who arranged my trip, but we must have had an unpleasant encounter at some time

I found the rest of the Shipyard people attending were booked at a hotel in Seattle, where the conference was actually being held. The attendees from other yards were also staying in the same hotel.

I kept the room at the motel and enjoyed the drive each morning to Seattle. It was overcast for the first two days. On day three the sun was shinning and as I got on I5 I saw a big MOUNTAIN facing me. I think it was MT HOOD. It took my breath away. It was still snow capped, even in July. The traffic moved along at about 80 miles an hour, and I had to concentrate or miss my exit. These drivers see that mountain every morning and no longer noticed it, I saw it once, and won't forget it.

The conference was interesting, and I thought was a good idea for the different yards to compare methods or systems they used. Each yard, however, thought they had invented the wheel and touted their methods as best. I couldn't think of anything that we did that was unique, and kept my mouth shut. The conference ended and I returned to Phila.

The next conference was to be held in Washington, DC. at the XEROX center there. The attendees would stay at the center, a dormitory setting, where you could get lite beer at night. I wasn't selected to attend. The first time 64 shop did not send anyone to a docking conference. The Service Group had a new Superintendent. My non selection may have been influenced by a most unusual encounter I had with the man. We had an argument about the fastest method of lowering staging material to the dock floor. I insisted a crane was the method. He believed in throwing the material into the dock.

I told him his order for me to do so was illegal, unsafe, and insane and perhaps he was suffering from psychosis. I was relieved (it was an overtime day) and sent home. He preferred no charges. Case closed. The mess of staging in the dock was another story.

August 8, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

APPEARANCES CAN BE DECEIVING

Some of keel blocks that we used in the docks were around for a long time. The white oak (14x14) bolted to the concrete base were, on inspection. solid.

We had set up the dock for Lexington. The docking was uneventful. We went into the dock to inspect the fit of the blocks. The docking officer and I usually did the inspection. I noticed another officer trailing us. It was the new Shipyard Commander. When we got to the stern to check how the ship landed - we found the last keel block - the one the ship lands on first - completely failed. It was just saw dust.

The Shipyard Commander knew what he was looking at. It was no use to dismiss the failure of the block. We quickly installed shoring under the keel, and started the process of removing the failed block and replacing it with a sound one. He seemed to be satisfied. We always place 6 keel blocks, butted together, at the stern for just such an event. None of the other blocks showed any danger of failing.

It was the first event of it's kind for me, and it just happened with the Shipyard Commander as a witness. I didn't hear any complaint from the Docking Officer, but he, and I checked the soundness of the number one keel block, and all others, on all future docking set ups.

August 7, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

ARE THERE ANY ADULTS HERE?

We were working on the flight deck of Shangri-La. We were installing wood decking (3x5 douglas fir with 1 inch of teak laminated on top). We removed damaged deck using jack hammers. There was some work around the jet blast deflector that required some decking to be removed. It took about an hour to stop work in one area, and ready the jack hammers for action. We removed some deck planks. End of story.

At the weekly status meeting that the Production held with the shop Superintendents - the superintendent from 11 shop complained that his men had to wait an hour for 64 shop to began removing the deck planks that prevented his men from proceeding with their work. A complaint like that is usually reserved for a one on one meeting, and not brought up at these meetings.

Our shop Superintendent was, of course, embarrassed. The PO asked if the work was completed. The answer was no, more deck planks had to be removed. The deck planks were removed that afternoon. We were brought in an hour early the next day. We were to report to the jet blast deflector, ready to remove any more planks. Our shop Superintendent was there at 0730 with the ship supt. We waited over an hour for the first shipfitter to arrive. Our shop Superintendent was dancing with joy. I'll have to tell the PO that the Shipfitters were an hour late, he told the ship supt - who couldn't have cared less. We got an hour overtime. Our shop Superintendent would have really been embarrassed if more planks had to be removed just then. The air manifolds on the flight deck weren't charged.

August 7, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

EXPERIMENTAL

The Essex class carrier - Shangri-La - named after the mystical base from which Jimmy Doolittle (the carrier - Hornet) staged his raid on Tokyo, was in the yard for over haul about 2/3 of the way into the last century. It was 1966. 64 shop was tasked with installing two new deck systems on the flight deck. One area was the touch down zone of landing planes. The other was abutting the catapults.

Aluminum clad hickory plywood was to be used in the touch down zone. Plain hickory plywood with a synectic sheeting glued to it would be placed along side the catapults. I worked on the catapult installation. The plywood panels were secured to the deck with studs. They were leveled with the catapult edge, usually leaving a void beneath he panel. The void was filled with a epoxy resin mixed with a filler - micro balloon - that was pumped into the void. That part of the installation was routine.

The difficulty came in adhering the synectic sheets to the plywood. It was a temperature controlled phase. The epoxy resin used to stick the synectic had to be used at about 60-70 degrees and without any water present. Houses were already in place over the catapults, and heaters were installed to meet the temperature limits. The sheeting (4x12 feet) was glued down and a heavy roller applied to the sheets. They seemed to stick.

The systems weren't tested until the ship returned to Norfolk Navy Yard. The landing zone panels worked. The synectic sheeting failed when dead loads were shot from the catapults It just didn't adhere to the plywood. The plywood was ripped up and traditional wood decking installed. It was never revealed what caused the failure, but I think it was last time this system was tried, or used.

August 7, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

FOUL WEATHER

64 shop, for some reason, was assigned the task of erecting shelters aboard ships to allow work to continue in foul weather. It started at pier D with the subs. A benny sugg, submitted by the General Foreman there, described a system of bows erected aft of the sail, that tarps were tied onto. The system was supposed to provide shelter for work being done topside during foul weather. It really didn't work. Too many seams in the tarps allowed the rain to seep through. The system didn't die. It was still in use when the last sub left.

The focus now shifted to the water front. The overhaul of the missile launcher on the aft end of a ship required a weather proof cover. This required a LARGE cover. We were now in the business of building houses. The apprentices thought it was great. It gave them experience they would not have gained otherwise.

The houses were prefabbed in the boat shop in three sections, plus a roof. A timber foundation was erected around the missile barbet using 8x8 timbers, secured to the deck with welded clips. The sections of the house, each 24 foot square and 8 feet high, were lifted aboard ship - it had to be a calm, windless day -and placed on the prepared foundation. The result was a house 24 foot square and 24 feet high, plus a roof.

It proved to be an excellent weather proof enclosure, complete with exhaust fans and strong lighting. The only liability was that it created a large sail area for the winds. The houses had to be tied down with cables to the main deck.

The action now shifted to the SLEP overhaul and the catapults. Smaller houses were built to cover each catapult. They worked too. Unfortunately, the shop got involved with the canvas bubble covering the flight deck. We all know how that ended on Independence.

The shop now was tasked with providing a cover for the non-skid applied to the flight deck. A smaller bubble was used, that was moved to keep pace with 71 shop's application of the non-skid paint.

August 7, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

HES BACK

WOULD SOMEONE RID ME OF THIS TROUBLESOME MAN

Echos of the tardy instructor were still being heard after he had abandoned his job. The shop had started an approved training program for Viet Nam vets that progressed from WG-5 to WG-8. They received on the job training and were required to attend after hour classes - three nights a week - for 2 hours. A shipwright apprentice instructor would teach these classes. He would be paid overtime. This was before we discovered his solution for tardiness (green cards and a little help from friends). What could go wrong.

The men in the program were now complaining about the after hour training they were required to attend. The instructor left after a few minutes, they said, and some nights didn't show at all. His time card was punched out at 6PM each night, however. The men felt cheated. They should have received lessons in trade theory that helped them advance in the program.

The program had run it's course by now - night classes were no longer required. The shop was embarrassed that the night classes were never monitored by anyone, which allowed the instructor to be absent most nights. It didn't seem worth while now to shoot ourselves in the foot and admit our own complicity.

It is true that the instructor beat the system - using people and devices to appear on time - when if fact - he was tardy, and present when he was not. The evidence stared us in the face. On one visit to the instructors office in the apprentice school, I saw a plaque on his desk with two brass spheres awarded him by the apprentices for his undetected clandestine activities. He was foolish enough to be proud of it.

For all things there is a time. His time had come - and he is gone.

August 5, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

FOLDING A CIRCLE

Industrial type band saws stand about 8 feet tall with two 3 foot diameter wheels that the blade (about 1" wide) ride on, in tension. The circumference of the blade is about 19 feet, about 6 feet in diameter when dismounted. The blades are difficult to transport unless folded into smaller coils. Very few men knew how to fold the blades. I did, benefit of a vocational school training - 4 hours of wood shop each day. I had folded those blades early and often. It was just a twist of the wrists and crossing of the arms that allowed the blades to be folded (always 3 coils). The blades couldn't be folded into fourths or any other number - just thirds. Probably some relationship involving circles.

We had a band saw in our shop at bldg 177. I had helped the man who had charge of the saw fold the blades many times. Try as he might, he couldn't get the right combination of actions to fold the blades.

One day, after a brief ceremony of some kind, the shop Superintendent, the two chiefs and two General Foremen had tried helping the shop man to fold the band saw blade. They all failed. I had just walked into the shop. The shop man saw me and said "he can do it". One of the chiefs (yet to be promoted to admiral) sneered at me and Said "BS".

I picked the blade off of the floor, twisted my wrists, crossed my arms and the blade fell in 3 coils to the floor. I bowed and left, sans applause.

August 5, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

HOLD ON - IT COULD BE A BUMPY RIDE

Three apprentices and a journeyman had just finished removing and reinstalling deck planks in the well deck of an LPD. The seams of the planks were fill with poly sulfide (liquid rubber} and the next step was to sand the new deck planks.

We had a big sander that came down from the Brooklyn Navy Yard. We had some of own at one time that we used on the deck of the New Jersey when it was recommissioned in 1967. This one was bigger. It had a harness that the user strapped around his waist to control the forward speed and direction of the sander.

The journeyman shipwright assured everyone that he knew how to handle the sander. I got called to the ship. The apprentices, who laughed at anything, were doing just that as they explained what happened when the shipwright turned the sander on for the first time. He found himself 20 feet from where he started and was heading toward the front of the well deck. The only thing that prevented a collision with the forward bulkhead happened when the plug pulled out of the plug board, stopping the sander.

The sander was now under control and we finished the job.

August 5, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

ON RELECTION

The termination of the tardy apprentice instructor's career, although self inflicted, could have been avoided. There were others in this drama that must bear some of the blame. There were weak supervisors who permitted his occasional tardiness to become an abnormal behavioral process that resulted in his contrived use of other people and devices to appear on time. There must have been others who looked the other way, rather than do the right thing. Am early intervention may have helped the man. An ordered psychological exam, which is permitted, may have disclosed a malady that was treatable.

After he left it was discovered that he could have been charged with fraud. We had a program for WG-5 to WG-8 advancement. The men had to attend school 3 nights a week, for 2 hours for trade theory. Our tardy instructor was given the assignment to teach these men. He was paid overtime each of those nights. The men now complained that the instructor left after a few minutes, most nights. He didn't show other nights. He must have returned and punched his time card at 6 PM. That's what the time cards indicated when inspected later.

On his desk was a plaque with two brass spheres, awarded him by the apprentices for his undetected clandestine activities. Ironically, he seemed proud of it. I suggested that it was in his best interests that he remove the shameful example of arrogance, informing him that his work site had changed to my office, starting tomorrow.

I feel no remorse for my role in his termination.

August 4, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

ON RELECTION

The termination of the tardy apprentice instructor's career, although self inflicted, could have been avoided. There were others in this drama that must bear some of the blame. There were weak supervisors who permitted his occasional tardiness to become an abnormal behavioral process that resulted in his contrived use of other people and devices to appear on time. There must have been others who looked the other way, rather than do the right thing. Am early intervention may have helped the man. An ordered psychological exam, which is permitted, may have disclosed a malady that was treatable.

After he left it was discovered that he could have been charged with fraud. We had a program for WG-5 to WG-8 advancement. The men had to attend school 3 nights a week, for 2 hours for trade theory. Our tardy instructor was given the assignment to teach these men. He was paid overtime each of those nights. The men now complained that the instructor left after a few minutes, most nights. He didn't show other nights. He must have returned and punched his time card at 6 PM. That's what the time cards indicated when inspected later.

On his desk was a plaque with two brass spheres, awarded him by the apprentices for his undetected clandestine activities. Ironically, he seemed proud of it. I suggested that it was in his best interests that he remove the shameful example of arrogance, informing him that his work site had changed to my office, starting tomorrow.

I feel no remorse for my role in his termination.

August 3, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

CONTROL AND CONSEQUENCES

A temporary shipwright instructor was appointed and replaced our tardy one. The tardy one, when asked to produce the required lesson plans that he was required to have prepared - failed to produce one. He was directed to report to my office at building 177, where he would begin to prepare the required lesson plans. He would also punch his manila time card daily, and on time.

He lasted two days. He could not explain his inability to report on time - a basic condition of his employment. He claimed no addictions or family conditions that would contribute to his, perhaps psychological, inability to be on time. He was a former Marine. How he survived his tour of duty is a mystery to me yet today.

He didn't show up on the third day, or ever again. He just gave up the best job he may ever have. It would be an unique employer to have him on his payroll. I don't know what ever happened to him. He may have found a job that permitted his conduct - but I doubt it.

August 3, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

INTELLIGENT OR DEVIOUS

The new apprentice instructor quickly discovered the laxity or laissez-faire operations of the apprentice school. I knew the person in charge. He was easily taken advantage of. I tried to not interfer in his supervision of the instructors. The instructors were, however, still employees of 64 shop. Their conduct reflected on the character of the shop. That may not have meant much to some people, but to me it mattered.

One of my collateral duties was training, and I had a closer relationship with the apprentices than other supervisors. I started to hear complaints that the shipwright apprentice instructor (the tardy one) was missing some classes, some days. The other instructors complained about his attitude and absences. They thought he would bring discredit and stricter control into their jobs, which most thought were ideal. They were paid almost the same as Foremen.

I talked to the school supervisor. He told me, when asked, that the instructor was on time each day. That was hard for me to believe. He showed me his time card, punched in that morning. It was a green temporary card. Wheres his manila card, I asked. It wasn't in the rack, he claimed. He never punched in his manila cards, he told me. Always a green temporary card.

Time clocks only register the time and day, never the date. A time card punched in on a Monday would be good on any Monday. The instructor, it was later discovered, arrived on time on a Monday - or any day of the week and punched a dozen or more cards in on time. He alway had about 2 weeks supply of prepunched time cards, clocked in on time. He never had to be on time again, as long as the supervisor accecpted the green time card as valid.

We checked the time clock at the school. The shipwright's manila card was racked. He would have no excuse the next day - that his card was missing. The next day he handed the supervisor another green card - saying his manila card was not racked. The supervisor finally realized he was being taken for a ride. The shipwright instructor was directed to only punch in his manila card in the future.

He couldn't do it, the tardiness started. It was time for me to step in. Thats another story.

August 3, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

THE RAZORS EDGE

There are men who perform just inside the bounds, or conditions of their employment. There was one man on the second shift who was just on time, or maybe a minute or two late. He had been counseled, recounseled and disciplined for his tardiness. Of a suddden, his time card showed he was on time, maybe 10 minutes early daily. His body, however, was still tardy.

I was dropping a change of time clocking station form in the box at our time clock at building 177. I just caught sight of a man quickly punching two time cards, his own and the card of the ever tardy one. He was a long time employee, just doing a favor for a friend. I cautioned him about the severity of his actions. He promised to never repeat the favor.

I didn't have to address the problem to the entire second shift gang. An agent from the comptroller did unscheduled checks at clocking stations throughout the yard for just this infraction. One was at our clocking station one day prior to the second shift. Each man had to show him his badge before clocking in. He was there, the second shift gang believed, because of me. I was innocent. The second shift didn't need any address from me concerning punching two time cards. It stopped.

In a perfect world the tardy employee would finally be corrected or gone. Instead, he was promoted to be an apprentice instructor. He would be assigned to the apprentice school ( old marine barracks on Broad street) outside of my control. It was a position of trust, without direct supervision. Would he have the discipline to be on time now?

Thats another story.

August 3, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

THE LADY AND THE DOCK

The current docking officer introduced the young lady with him as the next docking office. She was currently an engineer at the boiler lab. All the docking officers I had met so far were engineers and graduates of the Naval Academy or some engineering school. They all quickly adapted to the job. It wasn't rocket science. The new docking officer, the first at Phila - and maybe any where - proved to be up to the demands of the assignment.

She was a LCDR (two and half stripes) and young, I thought, for the rank. Maybe she was older than she looked. She got along good with my gang (all about her age and sometimes rambunctious) but soon let them know, first, that she was a Naval Officer - less they forget, but she wore a skirt at our last dock check.

She was required, by Naval regulations, to be in charge of three dockings to be considered qualified as a Docking Officer. She completed the required three dockings - cool under pressure - decisive when needed - and a command presence when required.

She returned to her real job at the boiler lab, and we never saw her again. I Think she was on her way to get her flag, not the first female to do so, but maybe the youngest.

August 2, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

A REFUSAL, A REVERSAL AND SOME CHANGES

I was the Financial Secretary of the local carpenter's union at the yard. This was before the Metal Trades Council had gotten exclusive bargaining rights under JFK's executive order 10988. As a local union, we had little success with the senior supervisors in the shop in asking for leniency in disciplinary actions being taken of our members. In fact, we had little success in any requests we made.

A Foreman was tried and convicted of Grand Larceny after a neighbor saw a Navy truck unloading lumber and deck tile at his home. She called the FBI. He was fired, but avoided prison. The shop superintendent called me into his office. The two chiefs were there also. They asked if I would issue a union card to the Foreman being fired to help him get a better job.

I refused. My signature on that card testifies that the man is honest and trust worthy. He obviously isn't, I told them. I left the office. Later, I found that the president of the local signed a union card for the man. I don't know if it ever helped him get a job.

The president of the local discovered later that his help with the union card didn't help him in any of his efforts to help his members. One of the chiefs was thinking about a naval promotion and wasn't concerned about the new union member getting a job, or so it seemed. The other chief was exploring jobs in other codes. The shop superintendent later became the Group Superintendent, and served briefly before some incident shortened his career.

The group would see three new group superintendents in a few years before a chief from 31 shop, where some things arrived and never left, was promoted to the Group Superintendent's position.

August 2, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

MAKE IT STOP!

The yard used braided polypropylene lines for docking ships. They were 9" (circumference) and had a lot of elasticity (they stretched under strain). We were docking Saratoga for its Slep overhaul. We had a new, nervous docking offier. The riggers had walked the ship into dock, almost into it's final position. I was standing at the stern sight, adjusting the fwd and aft spring lines (they controled the fwd/aft position of the ship in the dock) trying to get an even strain on the lines to stop the fwd/aft surge of about 6" either way. The docking officer was looking over my shoulder. The ship is still moving, he told me. It will stop soon, I assured him. I was watching the draft figures of the dock. The ship was going to land in a few minutes without regard to its surging motion. I may be lucky and have the ship land at exactly the right time, when it was in the right place.

The docking officer was growing excited. Are you going to make it stop surging, he pleaded. The draft figures in the dock showed the ship should have landed. Ok, I told him, I'll make it stop now. The ship stopped. It had landed. The docking officer started breathing again, and hurried off to do docking officer things. The riggers used kevlar lines in later dockings. No elasticity, no surge, no nervous docking officers.

August 2, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

ARTICLE 1, SECTION 9

The Turkish Navy had arrived at pier D bearing gifts to have a little extra unauthorized work done on the sub we were currently overhauling for them. There were little gifts for the journeymen and bigger gifts for the some Supervisors. Our shop woodcraftsmen were installing formica on the bulkheads in the officer's state rooms over the forward battery. Some extra trim, here and there was appreciated, and rewarded.

Three levels of supervision above me were seen with the fur collared, leather bomber jackets that seemed to be the best exchange gift for a little extra unauthorized work. I was excluded. There wasn't anything I could do for them that resulted in any gratuity.

The Foreman Woodcraftsman was the conduit to the chief quarterman (not yet an admiral) up the chain of command. The shop had suffered an embarrassment a few years earlier when a Foreman was fired for Grand Larceny. A navy truck load of lumber and deck tile was seen bring delivered to his home, by a neighbor, who reported it to the FBI. He was tried, convicted and fired. He was lucky he didn't go to jail.

Article 1, section 9 of the United States Constitution , which I had sworn to uphold and defend twice now, states that emoluments (gifts or money received by government officials because of actions of their office) were prohibited. I posted that above my desk at pier D. The bomber jackets were scarcely seen being worn now by the admiral or others. It was probably too warm now. I had endeared myself to some people, and earned a quick departure from pier D, without the case of Johnny Walker Scotch that was mistakenly delivered to my office for some extra work on a torpedo loading skid that I knew nothing about.

August 2, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

THE ONCE AND FUTURE ADMIRAL

I first met him when he was a boatbuilder apprentice instructor. His disdain for shipwrights was apparent even then. He had a condescending attitude for almost everyone, but especially shipwrights. The apprentice shipwrights, including me, who were in the same class room at the apprentice school with the admiral enjoyed, maybe too much, school boy pranks that would upset him. He didn't forget.

A proposed program of cross training sent me to the boat shop in the fourth year of my apprenticeship. The admiral had been promoted to Foreman. He was responsible for my training in the boat shop. In a perfect world, I would get to work on the boats under repair in the shop. In reality, and maybe I deserved some of it, I was assigned to the lumber pile, sorting white cedar from white oak. It was once called "Stephan Girard" or useless work. Grin and bear it, I thought, I was only here for 3 months.

The cross training program was the result of a Benny Sugg made by the Shipwright apprentice instructor. The day came when the yard photographer came to the shop to take some pictures for a Beacon article about this program. The admiral came and got me from the lumber pile. I was to pose on the deck of a boat as though it was my daily assignment. I pointed out to the photo guy where my job really was, and that he could take some pictures of me sorting lumber there.

The admiral got red in the face and got loud, ordering me to get up on the boat, at once. The Quarterman boatbuilder stepped in and took me aside. He quietly convinced me to get up on the boat. I did, and the pictures were taken and they appeared in the Beacon a few weeks later.

My assignments changed. Maybe they would have anyway, but I thought my little act may have helped. I completed three months in the shop, working on the last wooden boat to be built in the shop. The admiral and I would meet again. But that's another story.

August 2, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT

I got the job, after the Pratt and Dahlgren were completed to perform the first dock check of the ships. It included taken measurements of the ship's actual lengths and breadths. We, an apprentice and I dropped heavy plumb bobs from the stern and clipper bow onto the dock floor.

We used a 100 foot tape to measure between the marks we had made. We found the Dahlgren just about 1" longer than the design lenghth. The Pratt, however was 6" short of the design length. We rechecked everything - same results.

The breadths were as designed. Our final report showed the ships lengths and breadths within an inch of their designed measurements. The next time for a dock check was years in the future, in another Navy Yard, perhaps. The shipwrights who were responsible in providing the bench marks that would control such things as length and breadth would be long gone before then, I thought.

They weren't gone when the two ships returned to the yard for a overhaul. A dock check was made after their dock period. I don't know who took the check or what the results were. but there was never a question about it's validity.

Case closed. Who ever bought the ships for scrap got one 6" short.

August 2, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

HAZARDOUS DUTY

Staging, when erected was hardly ever required to be greatly altered until it was removed. I was still an apprentice working on the water front, aboard a ship, working with a gang erecting staging around the mast. The staging is usually placed to avoid any work that was planned near or on the mast.

We had completed the erection of the staging. The wave guide shop told us that now one of the main legs of our staging was in the way of the deck pentration for the wave guide. The staging had 4 legs. One had to be removed. The shipwrights, they wore bib overalls, decided to cut one leg about 6 feet above the deck, after installing an elaborate assembly of bracing on the leg to be cut.

I was sent to the tool room to get a pipe cutter, a tool with 3 blades and a handle that tightened with each turn until the pipe was cut completely through. I got the job to cut the leg. Don't worry the shipwrights told me, that staging isn't going any where. I had heard this remark frequently in many situations.

I started cutting the pipe, with the shipwrights watching me. Each turn of the handle cut deeper into the pipe. I wasn't paying attention, but the shipwrights all moved into the pilot house. The final turn of the handle cut through the pipe. Nothing happened. I kicked the wood plank from under the leg, and the lower potion dropped onto the deck.

The deck was now clear of the wave guide, and the staging seemed intact. The shipwrights returned from the pilot house and inspected the staging, and said "thats not going anywhere". I never questioned the shipwright's absence while I made the final turn that cut through the leg, but I did think later it implied a lack of confidence in their strategy for bracing the leg to be cut.

We all place those we work with in different catogories as we interact with them. These shipwrights, in my opinion, would never get a "V" or valor on any campaign ribbon, and it was so noted in my memory.

August 2, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064

Bill: Glad to see you are still with us. Stay healthy - wear a mask.

August 1, 2021

Name: William j Domzalski
E-mail: rigger072@yahoo.com
Shop: 972
 

Mr Beggs
First off how have you been ?? it appears good..I really enjoy your stories they are good memories somme bad some good...take care and keep witing

August 1, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064

A WASTE OF TALENT

One of the Foreman that made the transfer to Phila when the Brooklyn Navy Yard closed was quickly promoted to General Foreman. No one questioned the promotion. He was an excellent supervisor and his trades skills surpassed anyone in the shop.

The early out (50&30) in 1973 enabled most of the General Foremen in the shop to leave. I was shocked when this General Foreman decided to leave also. I didn't think he had the age (50), he sure didn't look it. He was the most qualified to be the next shop superintendent. The incumbent was leaving also.

I asked him why he was leaving now, with his promotion to superintendent almost a sure thing. He said this yard wasn't like Brooklyn. You are too restricted in trying new methods or adopting new systems here, he said. I don't think that was true. He could be he next Group Superintendent in a few years, I told him. Not likely, he said. I don't know what he meant by that, but he seemed convinced he would be forced to make compromises as a shop superintendent.

I have no idea what those compromises would be. None were apparent to me. He left at age 50 to retire. He returned once for a visit. He was tan and healthy and relaxed. He monthly pension almost equaled his former take home pay now, he said. Retirees were getting two double digit COLA's a year. Banks were paying 14% on saving accounts and CD's. He said he was financially secure and didn't need a job.

I think the Navy's idea of adopting the business practices of the private sector would have helped this time. A private company probably would not have allowed that talent to leave with out some intervention. The man was never interviewed or asked to reconsider his decision to retire. I believe he would have made a difference in restoring some respect for our shop in the coming years.

August 1, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064

HONOR ROLL

One of first things I noticed as I entered building 177 for the first was the large, hand carved honor roll plaque mounted on the wall of the office inside the building. It was a real professional job. Who ever carved the names on that plaque was a real craftsman. The list contained some of the current younger supervisors now in the shop who served during WW-2. It also included names of veteran shipwrights who had migrated to other departments in the Shipyard.

One name stood out for me. It was the name of my shop teacher at the Vocational high school I had attended. He was instrumental in getting me to take the apprenticeship test given once a year, city wide. I would have known nothing about it, but for him. Of course I took the test, and the rest is history.

Honor roll plaques were a common sight around Philadelphia for those killed in action during WW-2. There were even a few for those lost in the Korean War, but they were scarce. It was the forgotten war. There was one in my neighborhood honoring those killed in Korea. It was a beautiful plaque honoring those KIA. Some of the neighborhood Korean veterans thought it was beautiful too, but mainly because their names weren't on it.

August 1, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064

REGRETS - I HAVE A FEW

THE AUDIT

The President, acting as Chairman at the Federal Managers Association's regular meeting, appointed me as the Chairman of the audit committee that was scheduled to perform the yearly audit of the Financial Secretary's books. The committee met and we examined his records. They were incomplete. He had never reconciled his accounts with the monthly Bank statement. There were records of expenditures and income at each meeting, but never a report of the balance on hand. He reported - we are in good shape.

The committee reconstructed the monthly records and reported that there was an unbalance of less than $10.00. The committee also recommended that the Financial Secretary adopt better book keeping practices. The report was accepted as read.

I was criticized for the negative tone of the report. The Financial Secretary was, after all, a friend of mine and a fellow General Foreman in 64 shop. He was also a Marine and a survivor of two first wave landings in the South Pacific. Those experiences, I was told would dim the importance of anything like book keeping practices. In reflection, I was wrong for suggesting any laxity on his part. I apologized to him for any pejorative remarks I may have made.

The Financial Secretary was a combination of Jackie Mason and Don Rickles. My remarks were excused with a smile. He had seen the elephant, as combat veterans would say, and anything else was trivial. We remained friends. I deeply regretted his passing, soon after his retirement.

 

August 1, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064

THE CABAL - MAYBE

There were rumors, under currents that a clique of senior supervisors were the real selectors of very senior positions. Some suggested that religion played a large part in the selection process others believed that national original was the deciding factor. Others believed it was a combination of both. Maybe it was just BS, or the lament of sore losers.

One superintendent, after a short tenure, was eligible for his next promotion. He assumed that the departing Group Superintendent had assured him that the job was his. He may have already bought the cigars to be handed out upon his promotion.

The merit promotion process ran it's course. The announcement of the successful candidate was expected and accepted by most. There is no appeal to non selection, other than alleged discrimination. One Superintendent alleged that he was being discriminated against because of his religion and national origin.

The EEO office quietly investigated the complaint and could find no evidence of discrimination. The new Group Superintendent quickly assumed the duties. The Superintendent, who claimed he was a victim of discrimination, once a prominent figure in the Group, faded into the background. I think he was later appointed to the third shift, as a Slep Superintendent before he retired.

August 1, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064

THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE

A Foreman in my shop suffered the disgrace of being called a thief, of being involved in a conspiracy to steal $10,000 worth of lumber. Three sailors were seen loading a draft of 50 stage planks onto a truck at one of the shop's storage areas. The sailors claimed the Foreman gave them permission to take the planks. The Foreman denied any part of the alleged theft. The planks never left the Shipyard. They were to be used by the sailors in erecting staging for painting their ship from work floats. We had two Chief Quarterman (General Foreman 2 now) in the shop who believed the sailors, and that this was a case of Grand Larceny and worthy of an investigation. The value of the planks was inflated. They had been in the shipyard for a long time.

The investigation found that the planks never left the shipyard, (they were returned to the storage area - unused) and as such there was no theft involved. It was a case of no harm - no foul. Case closed.

The Foreman thought his troubles were over. The two Chiefs, always eager to pounce on a situation and take advantage to even some ancient score, persisted in their attempts to have the Foreman terminated. He could resign, in lieu of being terminated, he was told. He gave them the "finger" and told them he would meet them in court. The two Chiefs were told that there was no merit in their case, and they finally dropped it.

The Foreman retired when he had planned to. One of the Chiefs faded out of the shop during a lull in the workload. He wound up in some obscure code, doing obscure things. The other Chief was promoted to Superintendent of the shop, and later had a brief tenue as Group Superintendent. He was also proud of being promoted to Admiral in some fraternal navy, where honesty, fidelity and ethics were prerequisites. He probably got a tri- cornered hat, but I doubt any one trusted him with a saber.

August 1, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064

Big Frank

Frank was a disabled Marine vet, badly wounded in the South Pacific. He was a shipwright WG-5 helper. He was encouraged to apply for an apprenticeship. He applied, took the test and passed. No one failed, you only got a lower mark, and fewer trade choices. His problems began in the apprentice school. He couldn't maintain a passing grade in the required subjects.

A failure meant the termination of the apprenticeship. In this rare event, the apprentice was offered a WG-5 helper position. Frank was not offered such a chance to return to the job he had once held, and performed well at. It was at the discretion of the shop to offer this choice. Frank, in a brutal display of the disregard of the man's service to his country, and resulting disabling injury, was terminated.

There had to be some reason for such a callous decision. I could never find one, or identify the SOB who made that decision. I only wished that person reflected on his choices in his career, and slept well each night. Then, again maybe not.

August 1, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064

THE HURRICANE

Shipwrights got nick names bestowed upon them for a lot of reasons. The Hurricane got his because of his constant motion and dialog. His partner, no one worked alone, was Big Frank, so called because he was BIG. He had been badly wounded in the south Pacific, as a marine, losing a piece of his skull, a lot of blood, and some brain cells. He was, however a gentle giant.

They were an odd match. The Hurricane was about 5 foot 6 and weighted about 120 lbs. Frank was 6 foot 2 and weighted about 220 lbs. The interesting thing about them was the dialog between them.

Hurricane was never quiet. He was constantly updating Frank on his version of current events. This was before FOX News. The Hurricane was an avid fan of Drew Pearson, a columnist for the Phidelphia Bulletin (remember that paper - nearly every reads the Bulletin). I think he listened to Walter Winchell too.

Hurricane was a army veteran and belonged to a VFW post. A combination of inputs from these sources may have caused the Hurricane to have some distorted ideas about our involvement in world events. I listened to his views, since I was soon to be involved in the one in Korea.

I was working with them dismantling some staging on the pier. The former USS Philadelphia, a crusier being sold to Brazil, was at the pier. I had only just started my apprenticeship in August 1951.

Hurricane took the lead on the job, he was a journeyman shipwright, Frank was a helper, and I was a third hand. We used tools, wrenches to loosen the bolts that fastened the staging together. Frank was holding a pipe while the Hurricane was trying to loosen the bolts. His wrench slipped off of the nut and, in effect, the Hurricne punched Frank between the eyes, while holding the wrench.

Frank backed up and sat down. An ambulance came, treated Frank and took him away. He returned to the pier, a bandage on his eye, none the less for wear. He had a black eye the next morning. The legend began when Frank told everyone that he wasn't paying enough attention to the Hurricane, so the Hurricane belted him. It was an unlikely story, but one that survived.

The war ended in Korea while I was in Basic Training. I spent almost two years in Germany before returning to the Yard. The Hurricane was still there, but Big Frank was missing. Another story.

July 26, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064

ADDICTIONS

The Navy, like most modern employers, are aware that serious, educated people can become addicted to various drugs, alcohol, and even sensory impulses. There were rehab facilities and programs available for employees. I had one employee who was addicted to alcohol. He signed himself into one of the rehab places for 6 weeks. He came out dry and returned to work without any further addiction.

Another employee wanted to know if there was a rehab program for his gambling addiction. The program manager recognized some one looking for time off. He told the gambler to look else where for help.

There was a very senior administrator whose behavior bordered on sexual harassment. His secretary reported that he was leaving erotic notes on her desk, and getting to close to her. The administrator was cautioned about his behavior. He took a leave of absence to enter a clinic for his sexual addiction. He never returned.

There was a Shop Superintendent who had an addiction that fell outside any approved program. He was long winded. If asked him the time - he told you how to build a watch. The only cure seemed to just let him just run out of air. I can remember him taking over a meeting of a new committee (I forget it's purpose) and advising the chairman on the proper course of action, even though he confessed that he didn't know the purpose of the committee.

He just loved to hear himself talk.

July 26, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064

IRONY-PERHAPS

The FMA (Federal Managers Association) held dinners once a year for its members and wifes. They were always well attended. I did not attend any. At the last one there was a door prize of $350. A name would be drawn from the 450 member list. Long odds, but somebody must win. They picked my name, that nut who suggested that The FMA decline the recent pay increase.

The next week, the treasurer found me and gave me the check. He suggested I might used some of it to pay my dues, which were in arrears. I accepted the check, but declined paying any dues.

I was notified later that my membership in the FMA was cancelled.

 

July 26, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064

THE PROMOTION PROCESS - ACT 1

The man who would promote me to Foreman was a former mill man - he set up all the woodworking machines in the joiner and boat shops, and milled timbers that became part of the boats being build - I worked with him while I was an apprentice in a cross training program being tried. We had got along good.

He was now the Woodworker Superintendent. There were two Chief- Quartermen (General Foreman 2 now) who were directly subordinate to him. The Superintendent didn't inform the two Chiefs of my promotion.

He called me into his office. I was working on F slab at the time, and I don't know how he knew that. He had a new Supervisor's hard hat, with my name on it, which he handed to me and told me to report to a Quarterman at building 177. The Quarterman was surprised to see me with the Supervisor's hard hat and seemed to think that someone's sense of humor had gone awry. He doubted my story, but was hesitant to call the Superintendent, so he sent me down into Dry Dock 2 to supervise the gang erecting staging at the stern of the ship.

The news of my promotion finally reached the two Chiefs. They questioned the process. I was first on the list of the remaining register of eligible candidates for promotion. They had to grin and bear it. It was only a temporary promotion. All promotions were frozen due to the closure of the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and the pending transfer of supervisors from there who wished to make that transfer.

Two Shipwright Foreman made the transfer to Phila. There was still an open billet for a permanent Shipwright position. I was promoted to it.

I had a few interactions with the two Chiefs during the ensuing years. But thats another story.

MAYHEM - PART 2

The shop received some equipment from the Brooklyn Navy Yard that we used once on a wooden carrier deck. It was labled a "deck planner. It could have been banned by the Geneva Convention at least, but surely OSHA would have had a hemorrhage if they had ever seen it.

Unlike the monster saw that we had acquired, this was a jury rigged menace built by tool makers at the Brooklyn Yard. It had a 12" diameter drum with 4 unguarded cutting blades mounted on a sled with casters. The blades could be adjusted in depth from almost zero to about 1/4 " inch. It was used to trim excess wood from the installed deck planks on the carrier deck (some carriers still had wooden decks)

The speed of rotation of the drum frightened me. You couldn't see it turning, you could only hear it's deadly hum. The thing worked however. The danger was the tie down channels that ran across the deck and butted against the wood planks. Extreme care had to be taken to avoid these steel channels. I don't know what the result would be it if this happened, but I think it would be catastrophic. It never happened.

The job was finished. The deck planner was disassembled. The blades were sent to 31 shop for sharpening. Like some things sent to 31 shop, they were never seen again. The sled with casters found it's way to a dumpster since we never had another use for it. Amen

 

July 24, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064

PREMEDICATED MAYHEM

Subs on the marine railway were sandblasted with a black grit that fell to the deck of the railway. The planks on the deck were not tightly butted together. The grit fell through onto the tracks that the railway carriage rode on. It accumulated to a point that it stopped the carriage from moving. Divers had to go under the carriage to power wash the grit off of the tracks.

It was proposed that the deck planks be caulked. The planks had to be plowed out to receive material to fill the plowed out planks. A salesman from a lumber processing company brought a saw, he said, that would do the job. It was a monster. It must have had a half horsepower motor mounted on a sled with casters. A 18 inch circular blade, with carbide teeth inserts that snapped into recesses in the blade. They were about 3/8" wide at the tip.

I asked, does the teeth ever fly out if they hit something. "Sure" he said, "but they go straight up or out to the front. The only thing they could hit here was a plane landing at International Airport, or a car passing on I95. He wasn't kidding.

Of course we bought the monster, with extra teeth. We only used the saw when there were no subs on the railway. We didn't want a ricochet off of the subs hull if we lost a tooth. We did lose some teeth. Where they went, nobody knows. We plowed out the planks, inserted 1/4" foam strips and poured liquid rubber into the remaining gaps. The railways were condemned and never used again. But they had sealed decks. The monster was still sitting in the shop at pier D when we closed it for the last time.

July 24, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064

THROWBACK

I was just out of my time and had exhausted the patience of most of the Foremen in 64 shop by my union activities. One Foreman agreed to have me in his gang. I was sent to Erie bay to work with a shipwright (he wore bib overalls) in the so called maintenance gang. We erected staging inside and around buildings among other things. The difference in the staging was the materials used. It was all wood. The shipwright refused to used the traditional pipe and clamp staging used though out the yard.

It was a slower process, but there didn't seem to be any hurry for us to complete the job. The Foreman would stop by, and stop us as he talked about current events. We had a little push cart we used to take the staging material from job to job. It was a relaxing experience. I knew it was too good to last. The shipwright was caught in a RIF. The Foreman got a job in public works as an inspector. I was now in Dry Dock 4 on the construction of Pratt and Dahlgren.

The shipwright was really upset about getting laid off. He left after calling the chief quarterman things that were unbecoming. You should never burn your bridges, it is said. You may have to cross them again sometime. Almost all of the shipwrights who were laid off in the RIF, were recalled. The shipwright that I worked with in Erie bay was not one of them. I don't think he would have returned, if recalled.

The Pratt and Dahlgren were followed by the LPH program and I never left the dock until the shop ran out of candidates for promotion to Foreman.

July 24, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064

OUTLIERS

I had worked at every work site in the Shipyard from pier to pier 6, from Dry Dock 1 to Dry Dock 5, including both marine railways. I had been in th sluice tunnels of Dry Dock 3 and the Pump wells of Dry Dock 4 & 5. The one place I had never worked was the Boiler Lab. 64 Shop had 4 men working there. I didn't know who their supervisor was or what they did. I had never met them.

During one of our supervisor shuffles I picked up the Boiler Lab gang. First, I had to find them. I had never been in the lab before. I would have struck out if I hadn't met a former apprentice who was now an engineer at the lab. He had completed 6 years of night school to earn his degree and his job at the lab.

He took me to a place deep in the lab, where we found the mysterious shipwrights. I had never met them before. They were real shipwrights. They wore bib overalls. They primarily provided shipping cradles and uncrating components that arrived at the lab. It was a good assignment, and they were good at it. A supervisor at the lab, not connected to the shop at all, handled their time cards and anything else. The shop didn't get any direct labor credits for their work. I gave them my phone number at the shop, if they ever needed me. They never called me. I made it a practice to see them prior to the Christmas Holidays, to make sure they were still alive. They were a good gang, and they may still be there, deep in the lab.

 

July 24, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064

A REPORT FROM DC

The FMA (Federal Managers Association) sent delegates, at great expense, to Washington, DC once a year for its annual convention. A report was made to the members at the next meeting. This year the report was being made by a member, noted for his ability as a public speaker. He was the President of the Toast Master's club, an after hour class given by him to employees who wanted to improve their public speaking ability. A worthwhile endeavor.

The report began with a preamble that lasted about 35 minutes. He confessed, after we had listened to him saying nothing, that his recorder's battery had died and he did not have a detailed report to give. He said, in brief: resolutions were purposed, some were adopted, some weren't.

Those who were listening were happy to hear the end of the truncated report. Those who weren't listening, continued with whatever they were doing, probably getting their beer pitchers refilled.

July 24, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064

CALLED ON THE CARPET

I was the Vice President of the Metal Trades Council before I became a supervisor. It was a brief tenure. JFK had signed Executive Order 10988 authorizing federal employees to form unions, and to be the exclusive bargaining agent in the agency in which they worked. This allowed the union to have union dues deducted from the members pay, if they authorized it.

The comptroller was responsible to issue a check to the Metal Trade Council, for the dues collected, within one pay period after the comptroller received the authorization cards signed by the employees (union members). It wasn't happening. The comptroller said he had not received the authorization cards. They were being held by the Director of Industrial Relations, for some reason.

We asked the Director to release the cards. All in good time, he replied. The pen is mightily than the sword, it is said. I filed an Unfair Labor Practice action with the Labor Department. The first ever by the Council. I sent a copy to the Director of Industrial Relations. He never responded. The Labor Department, took it very seriously, and fired off a notice to the Shipyard Commander to correct this breach of the Contract recently signed by the Shipyard and the Metal Trades Council.

The Shipyard Commander, a Captain awaiting notice he was to get his flag, was besides himself when he called me into his office. Why wasn't I notified of this Unfair Labor Action, he snorted. (he was a navy diver and it was his practice often do so). I pointed to the Director of Industrial Relations, who was trying to appear not to be there, and said" he was notified, he was the point of contact between the Metal Trades Council and the Shipyard, that you agreed to. The Shipyard Commander turned to the Comptroller next and asked what the hold up was with the dues deduction payments to the Council.

The comptroller, an honest man, identified the Director of Industrial Relations as the reason. He was sitting on the authorization cards, he said. The rest, as they say is history. The check from the Comptroller appeared almost overnight. The Shipyard Commander got his flag, with no help from me.

July 23, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064

THERE WERE 6 AND THEN THERE WAS NONE

In 1973, preceeding a down sizing and expected RIF, an offer of an early out (age 50 with 30 years of service) was made. Many in this category took advantage of it. Five of the six General Foremen Shipwrights left the yard within a few weeks. The remaining General Foreman was promoted to Shop Superintendent, without any General Foremen on board. Three temporary General Foremen were promoted and later promoted permanately.

I replaced a WS-14 General Foreman, but at a WS-13 pay grade, but with the same responsibilities that enabled the Former General Foreman to keep his WS-14 pay grade. It was all about numbers now. The shop didn't have enough employees to satisfy the WS-14 position. The numbers increased with the arrival of Slep. The WS-14 position was never re-establishd, and no one persued it. The pay grade of a WS-13, with current wage increases, soon surpassed the old WS-14 pay grade. I thought we were being over paid. or at lease I thought I was.

I made a motion at the Federal Mnagers Association meeting that we decline the pending Supervisors pay raise. It would be in keeping with the President's vow of "Frugality in Government". For some reason, I didn't get a Second on the Motion, and it was not considered, but I was, for being nuts.

The FMA's sense of humor had not improved from a previous meeting when I made a motion to double the contribution to the Combined charities, that was made by the Metal Trades Council. No second to the motion. The treasury had other expenditures that had priorities. Who was this nut, anyway?

New officers were elected to the FMA. In a bizarre episode of unclear thinking by the chairman, he tasked me to perform an audit of the treasury's books. But thats another story.

July 22, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064

A COMMAND DECISION - MAYBE NOT

I was the chairman of the apprentice selection committee the last year it was empowered. I thought we were doing a good job, selecting candidates without any discrimination because of race, sex or age. We were trying to meet the Shipyard's goal of making the Shipyard's demographics mirror that of the community.

A candidate expressed his desire to be an electrician apprentice. He was an older man who had experience as an electrician. He was a disabled veteran and he was African American. The Group Superintendent of the Electrical group thought we had made a mistake in selecting this man for his shop. He directed his complaint to the Production Officer who had the final say in all hiring actions. I had the authority at the first step in the hiring action. I could recommend a non selection.

The Production Office called me into his office and directed me to recommend a non selection for this man. I refused. He could choose a non selection if he could support that decision, I told him. My advice to him was "choose wisely" The man was hired as an electrician apprentice. There are events that happened at the Navy Yard that I was totally ashamed to be associated with. The new electrician apprentice was, on his first day on the job, assigned to rewiring the signal lights on the yard arm of an LPH in Dry Dock three. He was uncomfortable at this extreme height, which was not unusual for someone on the first day on the job. The group Superintendent of the electrical group convinced the man that it would be his usual assignment. The man resigned.

The Group Superintendent of the Electrical Group continued his career and probably retired with a clear conscience and enjoyed a long healthy life. As JFK once noted "life is unfair"

July 22, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064

NO SMOKING IN SHIPYARD OFFICES

I was diagnosed with a form of Asbestosis, and I was advised to avoid any toxic gases, including the most common one - second hand smoke. The ship status meetings held in 994 building's conference room were attended by General Foremen who were tobacco addicts, and that included the Ship Supt who was sitting under the placard forbidding smoking in conference rooms, by direction of the Shipyard Commander.

Almost everyone lit a cigarette, including the Ship Supt. I picked up my hard hat and left the room, never to return.

The ship supt called my Superintendent and said I must attend his status meetings. I explained my recent diagnosis to my boss and told him I would not attend any meetings where the no smoking rule was ignored. A reluctant shop planner would attend the meetings in my place.

The ship overhaul was completed without any compromise by 64 shop. I always thought those meetings were a waste of time for service shops like 64 shop. I was finally assigned to the Independence Slep overhaul (flight deck) which was ending its wet berth period in Dry Dock 5. One 64 shop General Foreman attended all the mini ship status meetings. I had been put out to pasture, where I grazed until I retired.

July 22, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064

I SAND BAG A SHIPYARD COMMANDER

A recent decision concerning a machinist at the Norfolk Navy Yard should have alerted Federal Supervisors every where.

The machinist suffered an eye injury when material flew off of his lathe and struct his unprotected eye. He wasn't wearing the required eye protection. He sued the supervisor for not enforcing the rule that eye protection must be worn when operating any machinery. The supervisor did not receive any help from the Shipyard. He had to hire his own lawyer to defend the suit against him.

The suit was still in ligation when we received a new shipyard instruction that required steel toed work shoes to be worn in the CIA (controlled industrial area}. The failure of the supervisors compliance with this new requirement would result in the disciplinary action of the supervisor. The compliance was necessary and effective at once. Everyone of the employees working for me received a memo of record that steel toed work shoes must be worn at once, or face disciplinary action. The union, of course was aroused, and I had covered my behind.

The FMA (Federal Mangers Association) occasionally invited the Shipyard Commander to attend its meeting and comment about the current workload. He came, he delivered his comments, and foolishly asked if anyone had any questions. There was silence until a member (me) asked him about the liability of a supervisor whose employee suffers an injury while not wearing protective equipment. like the machinist at Norfolk who sued the supervisor for not requiring him to do so. Would the Shipyard defend him in any litigation resulting in such a case. You have, I said, placed supervisors in such jeopardy with your steel toed Shipyard Instruction.

He didn't answer, because I was roundly booed by the members for asking the Shipyard Commander (considered by most as a deity) such a question. He thanked the chairman for inviting him to the meeting. In an aside he asked "who is that nut" and left.

The Metal Trades council reacted with an appeal to the Labor Department concerning "required safety equipment" The Labor Department responded with the ruling that "required safety equipment must be provided by the Employer. That is how we all got new shoes, once a year.

The Shipyard Commander, as usual, departed when his tour was over. I don't think he ever got his flag. He may have gotten a new pair of shoes. I was person non grata at the future NSA meetings.

July 22, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064

NIGHT SHIFT AND INSPECTOR CLOUSEAU DUTIES

The foremen in 64 shop rotated through the second shift, usually for a 6 month term or longer if they wished. It was now my turn. We didn't have a shop truck at the time, and I had to walk between job sites. This took a lot of time. The job sites were scattered from pier 2 to pier 6, and some times even DD 4. I wouldn't ride a bike at night because of the poor lighting and the danger of slipping on the many tracks in the yard.

The Navy Yard's second shift was lightly manned. I can remember standing on Rowand Ave, (I think it's Kitty Hawk Ave now) outside the boat shop at about 9 PM, and looking west toward Dry Dock 3. I couldn't see a soul, not even a scrap of paper blowing in the wind. It was eerie. It was like that scene from the movie "On The Beach" that depicted a street in Australia after a nuclear war that left everyone dead. There was no noise in the Yard.

We had an old experienced second shift that you just pointed them at the job, and relaxed. My brief encounters with Foremen from other shops seemed that they too had the same relationships with their men. It was rare when we had to interact with other shops, except when our shop had to have a crane and crew to perform a task.

I had been called to the boat shop that night by the Police Dept because the overhead door on Broad street was up. The police wanted to know if we were working in the building. They had investigated, and found no one. They asked me to check and see if anything seemed amiss.

There was a 26 foot captain's gig up on blocks awaiting parts for an engine overhaul. Its chrome hardware had been stripped off of the boat. The cleats, chocks and fender molding was gone. The only chrome left on the boat was it's number. This was an apparent theft. The police sent a detective (his son was an apprentice in our shop). Sometimes it was like that Kevin Bacon movie "Six degrees of separation". You always meet someone who knows someone. Any way, he deducted that someone who took the chromed gear knew it was there. The usual suspects were the crew of the ship berthed across the pier.

We went to pier 4, boarded the ship and told the watch we wanted to look at their captain's gig. We found all the chromed parts on the deck under the boat that was still stowed in the davits. The OD got a Boatswain's mate up. He claimed to know nothing, or how the chromed parts got onboard. He, nor the OD, did not object when I had two of my gang come onboard and retrieve the chromed parts and return them to the boat shop.

How the overhead door got opened remained a mystery for the detective to ponder.

July 21, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064

HELLO-GOODBYE-AMEN

Some employees were called back to the Shipyard after they had retired to have their picture taken with the Shipyard Commander. They were presented with a Shipyard plaque and a card noting their years of service, and sometimes a pin noting that service.

I was asked to attend a few of these when employees of 64 shop returned for these brief ceremonies. It was always a pleasure to see the retiree again. The practice continued for a few years, and then stopped because of the expense and time restraints placed on the Shipyard Commander. It was cheaper, someone thought, to just mail the plaque to the retiree. The picture with the Shipyard Commander was no longer possible.

I got my plaque in the mail. I still have it, 35 years later.

July 20, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064

BUREAUCRATS

It is said that the first thing a Bureaucrat does when being promoted to a new office, is try to expand that office's responsibility and increase the size of his work force.

Our new shop Superintendent, without knowing the meaning or spelling of the word "bureaucrat, was a prime example of one. He proposed, on the second day in his new office, that 57 shop insulators become part of 64 shop. They insulated, just like 64 shop's woodcraftsman, so they could join our shop without intermission. There was some personnel details to overcome, like different pay grades. Woodcraftsmen were rated WG-10 and insulators were rated WG-9. It was proposed that the insulators be promoted to woodcraftsmen at the WG-10 wage level. A merging of the retention registers would now place some members of both trades in jeopardy in a RIF action. The Union, of course objected to the merger.

The classification and staffing codes created a new problem. For some obscure reason they decided that the Woodcraftsmen Foreman and General Foremen were not Highly Qualified as Insulator Supervisors. They could be displaced in the proposed merger. A meeting was held between the classification and staffing codes and the Superintendent and his General Foremen Woodcraftsmen. The Production Officer got involved, sand chaired the meeting. I was bewildered for being ordered to be there. I kept my mouth shut, barely able to keep a smile off my face, as the coming tsunami of personnel actions that would be needed to accomplish this transfer: pay grade adjustments, realigned retention registers, and possible desk audits of the Woodcraftsmen supervisors to detrmine their correct WS grade, were discussed.

The proposed transfer did not happen. The 64 shop superintendent retired. The only transfer that took place between the shops was a General Foreman Insulator being promoted to Superintendent Woodworker. Maybe as a bureaucrat, he started looking for ways to increase and expand his office. There didn't seem to be any.

July 20, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064

ZONE MANAGEMENT

A General Foreman being responsible for all the work in a compartment (engine room-fire room- etc) was a new concept being tried on the Slep overhauls. It put a lot of responsibility on the General Foreman, maybe too much. The Slep overhauls were completed on time, but only with extensive overtime, that was not planned in the original scheduling. The final cost of the overhaul did not go unnoticed in Washington. I had retired as the new zone management program was being introduced, and I did not have any experience with it. I thought the old system of a shop's responsibility for it's own work had proven efficient. Maybe I was wrong, but I remember overhauls finishing on time without excessive overtime.

The zone management program came with the creation of new codes to help manage the overhaul. New Slep Superintendents from each Group on each shift were appointed. The Slep overhauls were surely well managed, but the overtime was excessive and went seven days a week, sometime for 12 hour shifts.

The action around that drain became wider and faster. The Navy ran out of recoverable non-nuclear carriers to overhaul. They had enough nuclear carriers now, with a new one being built at Newport News, every few years. The yard was never upgraded to repair/refuel nuclear carriers. We were left with part of the 35% repair work left to Navy Yards, which was not enough to support the expense of keeping the yard open.

Everyone got a pink slip, but some transferred to other Government jobs. We only hear from them here at their passing.

July 19, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064

SAND BAGGED

There has always been a Policy, Protocol or Procedure that could explain the logic of our personnel actions. There wasn't one that I could use to explain our attempts to reward employees in our Performance Evaluation Program. The practice of rating an employee as Outstanding once, and never again was a difficult thing to explain, and I was called upon to do so usually at the stand up safety meeting. Everyone knew I couldn't explain the system - sand bagged. The financial award was a one time thing, for the blue collar type employee. The white collar employee (GS) received a step increase that was a permanent pay increase.

Many years earlier, newly hired blue collar employees or apprentices graduated to journeyman, started at the first of three pay grades. They advanced, after time in each grade to the next level, or pay increase. There were employees in all the shops who were given the most responsible tasks, without any acknowledgement. No Outstanding Performance Awards. A fourth step in the pay grades was established to reward these employees, a permanent pay raise, not a one time thing.

It was phased out as the pay grade steps increased to five for all blue collar employees. I don't know how many pay grade steps the GS employees had in their system.

There was additional pay for some types of work such as "high" or "dirty" assignments, but I don't recall any for "difficult" or "responsible" assignments.

64 shop probably had the highest paid employees in the Yard. The Shipwrights were all getting "high" money and the Woodcraftsmen were getting "dirty" money for working with fiber glass insulation.

We still went through the drill of rating employees as "outstanding" Supervisors in 64 shop were not considered, as the Shop Superintendent had trouble with the documentation and getting it approved.

July 19, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064

SQUARED - a number multiplied by itself

The shipyard had the largest collection of tools used in any industrial application in its tool room system. Any employee could draw any tool from the tool room with his charge plate. The exception was the tool crib in the machine shop, where only employees of 31 shop could check out tools there. The system proved efficient.

The introduction of that giant computer in 83 Bldg changed things. I think there were evil trolls working in some obscure code programing that computer for tasks unrelated to its original design. An efficient system, left alone, will continue to be efficient. A system squared equals chaos.

The trolls, or computer programmers decided the tool room system needed more control. The employee charge plate was discontinued. A badge and check number was all that was required now. However there were strings attached to this control metrics. The trolls decided that the average journeyman needed just 15 tools to perform his duties, and that limit was now established. If an employee needed another tool, he had to return one of his other 15 tools in order that he not exceed his 15 tool limit. The tool room system and the shipyard seemingly survived this new costly dynamic.

The trolls struck again. They decided that the 15 tool limit should also be time controlled. The tools could only be checked out for 90 days. They would then have to be returned and checked out again. That giant computer started producing reports of employees with tools held more than 90 days. The reports became part of the "State Of The Shop" report that the shop Superintendent had to make to the PO, and we know how the Superintendent would react to that.

The General Foremen and Foremen were now tasked with policing the tool and tool time limits of their employees. Chaos, The spiral around the drain became larger and faster. Did the last person out pull the plug on that computer?

July 18, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064

BETEEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE- SPOOFED

We were finishing the deck tile installation on a destroyer berthed at pier 5. Almost every habitability compartment aboardhad received new deck tile. The cabin of the ship's captain was omitted because it was scheduled for a carpet installation. I was aboard the ship checking the progress of the deck tile installation. The ship's captain stopped me and asked what it would take to install deck tile in his cabin, before the rug was installed. I told him the costs and time needed. I forgot about it.

There was a field issued job on my desk authorized to install the deck tile in the CO"s cabin. There was also a note saying the Production Officer gave the OK over the phone. We did the work and I forgot about it. I got a call and I was asked to hold for the Production Officer. When he got on the line he asked me when I had become the head of the planning and scheduling departments. It seemed I had stepped into a pissing contest between the CO of the ship and the Production Officer. The Production Officer had refused the CO's earlier request to have his cabin tiled. I had usurped the authority of two Navy Captains, I was told, by doing unauthorized and unscheduled work.

I mentioned the phone call from his office that authorized me to install the deck tile in the CO's cabin. There was no such phone call, he told me, and that I was fool to believe so. I was never again to do any work without an authorized JOPC from the planning department. He ended the conversation, and hung up.

I was glad of one thing. Production Officers, Shipyard Commanders and Ship Supt's all leave at the end of their tour. We start with a new slate, I hoped. I don't believe they have the time nor inclination to leave a turnover of the usual suspects for their replacements.

July 18, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064

HUMOR VERSES HARRASSMENT

The work place in the shipyard can be a contentious site. Two men trying work in the same area often results with conflict. I have never seen, however, a fist fight happen over this abrasive situation. I did see two fights between men in my shop over one man's attempt at humor which the other man thought was harassment, and all four men, with long careers were gone. That deterrent gave pause to anyone thinking about raising their fists in anger, and reintroduced the concept of the limits of humor.

We did have a supervisor who objected to a Marine's search of his car at the main gate. They came to blows. The long career of the supervisor came to an end. He was reinstated for one day in order to file for his pension, and then, he too was gone. These actions became the fokelore of the shop, and no one forgot it.

July 18, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064

TELE COMMUNICATIONS IN A PERFECT WORLD

Communication between the Production Department and other departments at the yard necessitated the use of the yard's telephone system. It was an integral part of the management platform used by the managers. Like all systems, it was designed to be used by adults in pursuit of efficiency. Some recalcitrant employees saw the phone system as a tool to disrupt the orderly flow of work, and satisfying their imagined grievances. What today is called "spoofing" was eagerly adopted by some devious employees to cause miscommunication between departments. Some calls, with the caller pretending to be a Superintendent or even the Production Officer, sometimes stopped or altered the progress of work.

Title 18 of the US code describes such activity as Espionage, which carries a death penalty in time of declared War, if convicted. A lighter sentence in peace time started with a 10 year incarceration at hard labor, if convicted. These fools did not know the arena in which they were playing.

NCIS investigated the "Spoofing" but never identified any of the players. The Shipyard managed to function, albeit, with some wind gone from it's sails. In a perfect world these misguided employees never completed their careers and never became eligible to receive a pension. But it is not a perfect world. They remind me of my first encounter with this website, where some former employee's posts describe their time at the Shipyard as Disney on the Delaware, a place for fun. I saw men like that during my career. It was not a perfect world.

July 17, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064

SAY IT AIN'T SO

Personal computers were being introduced to the Shipyard. Our Group bought two IBM at $5.000 each. They were without hard drives or loaded programs other than their operating systems. Some of us were sent uptown to receive training on IBM's Lotus 1- 2-3 spread sheet program. The program had little application, I thought, other than for budget analysis and personnel sorting. We also went to Drexel University and there were shown machine language. It was no help to us. We did have a computer in our shop planning office that was used to sort through the supply system for materials due.

We were in the middle of a habitability on a ship and we were using propane bottles daily for the tile installation. The bottles ordered for this ship, as in many cases, had not arrived yet. The shop planner was headed uptown to Sears to purchase the bottles. A shop planner from another shop called him and told him he saw two cases of propane bottles in Bldg 83. The computer, when searched, said there were no propane bottles in the system. The shop planner went to Bldg and found the two cases. They were just sitting in an empty bay. The supply supervisor checked his computer and said the bottles were not in the bldg. When they were pointed out to him, he repeated, they are not in the building.

The shop planner went uptown to Sears and purchased 48 propane bottle. A month later, the job done, 48 propane bottles were delivered to our shop. The computer closed it's screen and went to sleep. Job done. At least we had the propane bottles for the next ship, if those ordered never arrived on time.

Micro Soft developed software programs for the new computers that were being made for personal use, and for business. Bill Gates became a billionaire as Micro Soft installed it's programs on almost all computers. I had one of the first personal computers sold to the public. It was from Radio Shack and it cost about $600, including a thermal printer. Its operating system included a programing language called "Basic" which allowed the unschooled to write some of their own programs. That computer went off the market. Basic programing language did not appear on the new computers.

July 17, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064

ET CALL HOME

An attempt was made to improve communications between supervisors via a pager system. Each supervisor was issued a pager that was accessible through the Shipyard phone system. When paged the supervisor had to call his group office where the page originated. At the beginning, the pagers could only be initiated through the group office. Any one could call the published phone number of the group office, and ask that a supervisor be paged. Some were legitimate, but most were the work of pranksters. The person taking the calls at the group office soon asked for relief.

The system was modified to allow direct calls to the supervisor's pager from any phone. The pranksters beat the system when all the supervisor's pager numbers were published. Supervisors were constantly racing to a phone to answer a page that was just a joke. It was another nail in the Shipyard's coffin. The paging system, once a good idea, was ended and an adopted efficiency was discontinued.

Maybe the pranksters were satisfied that they could effectively kill a good program. Maybe later those pranksters would rethink how their little joke would help end the best job they would ever have.

July 16, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064

 
NEW BUSINESS

The Navy decided that the management platform used by Naval shipyards (Planning-Production-Control) must adapt to that used by private shipyards. A Management Information System (MIS) that produced computer reports that would predict cost overages, slipped schedules and supply problems were forwarded to the line managers. The Superintendents were now concerned about a budget that included training, travel, plant equipment, workload/workforce ratios, and included Supervisor/Journeyman ratios.

The Shipyard Production Officer, who probably had an MBA from MIT or Harvard, decided that the shop Superintendents must be prepared to present a "State Of The Shop" to him , when requested. The Superintendent was expected to be able to list all the metrics that demonstrated the condition of the shop. It seemed to be a dreaded experience, and most tried to avoid it.

Our superintendent took a sick day when he was scheduled to be grilled. His deputy was hard to find when called upon to do his duty. The third string was found- me. I got a 10 minute briefing from our group's budget guy. The numbers were there to understand and I had a cheat sheet to rely on. I walked across the street to see the Production Officer. He went easy on me, knowing I was just filling in for the deputy and that most of my explanation was BS. He said "you did good for such a short notice, and Ill see your boss tomorrow".

He did see my boss the next day, and I guess he took him over the coals. I think "The State Of The Shop" with the proper preparation was no big deal, and that a Superintendent should be able to handle it.

July 15, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064

HELPLESS OR HAPLESS, OR BOTH

During one summer, 15 Shipwrights and a Foreman arrived in our shop from the Charlestown Navy Yard in South Carolina, due to our respective workloads. They were a good crew and easily assimilated into our shop. Their first per diem check arrived a few weeks later. They found that they could not cash the checks. Neither the Navy Credit Union nor the branch bank on the base would cash them. They both claimed it was bank policy to only cash checks of account holders.

The Shipyard couldn't help, it was explained. Banks have rules like everything else and the Shipyard didn't have the authority to make the banks cash the checks. Somehow, someone convinced the manager of a local branch bank he should push the envelope, and bend the rules. The checks, after all were US Government checks, and were in no danger of bouncing. The manager of the bank agreed and arranged for the Shipwrights to present their checks and two photo ID's at the bank. at their convience.

The power of the Federal Government failed while a civilian advocate prevailed.

July 14, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064

E2I2

The Shipyard one day discovered an old truth. Every employee is important. A day would be set aside to note that day. It was to labeled E2I2, Every Employee Is Important. Let it be said, let it be done, let it be written. The day was celebrated but never again repeated.

One day, much later, all the Important Employees were marched up Broad Street, like kindergarteners, to be lectured about harassment and discrimination of female employees in the work place, as though that concept never entered their minds. The lecture did not include the fact that the documented harassment and discrimination was at the hands of Naval Officers, not civilian Federal workers, in the Tail Hook scandal. No such scandal of that scale ever evolved with Federal employees.

Most of the employees enjoyed the walk up Broad Street, some listened to the lecture, and some took a nap. Some thinkers, maybe, were offended and thought they were adjudged guilty and needed the sensitivity training. A violation of their 6Th amendment rights (innocent until proven guilty).

The sun rose the next morning, and the long walk up Broad street was only a vague memory.

July 13, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064

A DOUBLE HEADER

It was a rare event when two docking events where schedule so close together that we needed two Docking officers to handle the the events. We had an undocking taking place in Dry Dock 4, and a scheduled docking for Dry Dock 5. Another General Foreman Shipwright was attending the docking conference for the dry dock 5 event. The undocking conference was taking place in Bldg 620 also. It had not started yet.

There were standard procedures for any undocking. The breasting lines were made up to the capstans, with a strain. The fwd and aft springs lines were also made up to the capstans. When I arrived for the undocking conference I found the dock being flooded, no lines to the capstans, and no Docking Officer present. I went into 620 bldg and found the undocking conference already started.

I interrupted the conference, and asked, perhaps loudly, even sarcastically "who is in charge of that ####ed up mess taking place in dry dock 4. The Docking Officer for the undocking event in Dry Doch 4, (I would later meet him as he sat listening to a Group Superintendent tell an enthic joke) was incensed by my rudeness. The riggers quickly made up the lines to the capstans, however and the undocking proceeded without incident. The Docking Officer reported my behavior to my current Group Superintendent. He cautioned me about my behavior. In other words, he gave me hell.

If I had the time and inclination, I would have explained my behavior - it was because of where I was when.

July 13, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064

OSMOSIS

I attended a seminar at the Rock Island Arsenal. One of the speakers at the seminar was a Professor of Phycology at the University of Colorado. The topic of his lecture was "you are now, because of where you when". He described how we adopted our values, character and prejudices, if any. He said we usually took no part in the process, which he described as "osmosis"

I remembered that lecture later when I encountered a Group Superintendent who was promoted from a southern Shipyard. He was fond of telling crude ethic jokes. He took pleasure, it seemed to me that he always included me in his audience. I remember one day he called to me as I passed his office. Sitting with him was a Navy Captain, who I had encountered before in an aborted docking event when he was full Commander. He was a minority of some kind. Asia/indo or south sea islander. The superintendent told the joke. It was crude and demeaning to a particular minority which made up a large portion of his department.

I left his office thinking, some day telling that joke would end his career. He retired before the Tail Hook scandal and the resulting long walk of all the shipyard employees up Broad Street to receive sensitivity training. Thinking back to that seminar at the Rock Island Arsenal, I thought he may be excused for his character and prejudices because of where he was when.

July 12, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064

THE DAY OF THE LONG MARCH

Never before, and never again has an entire work force present been directed to receive sensitivity training en masse. The Navy, in response to a scandal called TAIL HOOK involving Navy fliers and subordinate females aboard ship decided all hands needed sensitivity training. This was also needed, the Navy believed, at their shore based installations.

One day the entire work force present at the Navy Yard was marched up Broad street to the Spectrum to receive sensitivity training relative to sexual harassment of females and discrimination in the work place. There may have been a few men in that parade who would benefit from such training.

The direction to receive sensitivity training, according to the controlling law (shipyard instruction) was an adverse action, and was appealable by the employee, so directed. The employee's attendance at a sensitivity session was noted in his personnel jacket, as though it was a disciplinary action. That is why it was considered an adverse action, and appealable.

Whether anyone ever had their personnel jackets updated to reflect their sensitivity training received that day of the long march up Broad street is unknown. I think the Navy Yard would be embarrassed if it had done so. The nightly news applauded the efforts of the Navy Yard. They knew nothing about adverse actions and appeal rights

July 12, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064

THE BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST

The aprentice hiring system in 1951, when I was hired, was a pretty straight forward process. A test was open city wide for anyone to take. A register was developed with applicants with the highest marks at the top and declining. The head of the apprentice school interviewed the applicants. Those with highest scores were asked what trade they desired. Most accepted the open trade that was available. Some declined any trade if they weren't offered the trade they wanted.

The remaining applicants with lower test scores filled the remaining openings, some unhappily. It was a job, as my brother- in-law (who was a Foreman Electrican) told me when I was selected as an shipwright apprentice. All apprentices received the same pay, and would receive the same pay as all others as they finished their time, with a few exceptions.

The process changed when the Federal Government, the Department of Defense, and the Navy decided that the demographics of the work force should mirror that of the community in which the base or office was. I was on the apprentice selection Panel (which inculed a General Foreman from each of the five Groups), that replaced the old process of one man deciding the careers of the apprentices in 1951. We, the panel, were naive in thinking about demographics in selecting apprentice applicants only by test score, and disrerding sex. We hired the first female apprentices. We had a representative from the EEO office on the panel to ensure the fairness of the process.

Our process must have upset someone. We all got our walking papers. Future selections were made by a staffing specialist. Someone didn't get the memo about demographics.

July 11, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064

OOPS - WRONG PARKING

The Independence had finished it's wet berth in Dry Dock 5 and was scheduled to move to pier 4, prior to it's sea trials. The Docking Officer gave 64 shop the layout of the pier, with the Stern 100 feet from the head of the pier. He also stressed that the quarter deck sponson be placed between the hammer head crane and a transformer cage on the pier. We laid out the pier and found that we couldn't satisfy both conditions. We believed the quarter deck sponson was the critical reference point, and laid out the pier accordingly.

We were unaware that the south side of the pier had been dredged to ensure the ship had enough clearance when berthed there. We had placed the ship 50 feet too far north, in shallow water. The ship started sucking up mud into their induction valves. The CO was irate, the Docking Officer embarrassed, and we were called onto the carpet to explain.

The ship was pleaesd with the quarter deck sponson location, but the CO was still very irate about the induction of mud. We explained the quandary we had trying to layout the pier to satisfy both references the Docking Officer had given us and decided to use the quarter deck sponson as the layout reference point.

We took the blame. Like all cataclysm events we adopted the attitude expressed in the old adage "this too shall pass" I don't know if this Docking Officer ever got his flag or had a successful career in the private sector. I hope the mud sucking incident didn't affect either.

July 11, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064

SORRY, NO DEAL

The Docking Officer asked me if we could build a coffer dam big enough for two men to work in. The yard had two Fast Frigates just completing their overhaul. Anodes were placed midships on the hull about 10 feet below the waterline. They proved faulty and had to be replaced. This meant another docking to remove and replace the anodes. A coffer dam would solve the problem.

I declined the job. A wooden coffer dam big enough for two men to work in would be under tremendous pressure. 90% of the coffer dam would be below the water. I could not think of a design that would not collapse under the pressure. Wood as a structural material is used in many application. This was not one of them. The docking officer had a coffer dam made of aluminum and was successful in removing and replacing the anodes. He saved the Navy a lot of money that the dockings would have cost.

I don't know if this Docking Officer ever got his flag. If not , he probably was welcomed in the private sector where he would achieve much. I keep looking for his name and fame.

July 11, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064

UNDER PRESSURE

One job I always found fascinating was the manufacture of blanks that were used on shell openings (valves) to allow valves inside the ship to be worked on. The blanks, in the shape of a box with out a lid. The four sides of the box, with a bottom, had to be cut to the shape of the hull at the point of the valve. (frame station, waterline and buttock). We developed this shape using the book of offsets for that particular ship. Each ship has one. Shipwrights were familiar with the book of offsets and how the offsets were developed.

The location of the blank was usually about 30 feet below the waterline. Water pressure (14.6 psi increased to about 30 psi) at 30 feet. Our blanks were made of wood (douglas fir) 2 and half inches thick. The blanks were usually 24" by 24". The water pressure at 30 feet was (24" by 24") 576 square inches x 30psi = 17280 pounds of pressure on the blank. It was more than enough to hold the blank in place as the valve inside th ship was cracked open and the captured water drained out.

The blank had a rubber seal on the sides touching the hull of the ship, to ensure a good seal. Rigger/divers sank the blank and placed it over the sea valve hull opening, and waited for the valve to be opened inside the ship, causing the blank to be sucked against the hull, sealing it.

A reverse procedure was used to remove the blank.

July 11, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 
NEW BALLAST

There were two old liberty ships (Dutton and Fulton) undergoing overhaul at the yard around 1964. They would be converted to picket ships, with extensive radar antenna and become part of the early warning system being placed at sea. The yard had previously converted 6 submarines to be picket ships also. There was another old cargo ship in dry dock 3 that would join this fleet of picket ships.

I was assigned to this ship, to work with a Joiner/Woodcraftsman to build forms for concrete that was to be added to the ships cargo holds for ballast. As a shipwright, I had little training for this type of work. The man I was to work with, a reired navy chief, proved to be an excellent carpenter. He also had a lot of patience in accepting my inexperience. We finished the concrete forms in the aft cargo hold and was waiting for the central mix concrete trucks to arrive.

I found that you can mix almost anything to concrete. This mix had lead pellets included to make it heavier. The trucks loaded hoppers that were lowered into the cargo hold to dump the concrete. We had two masons from 07 shop who directed this part of the job. The two masons finished the surface of the concrete after it reached the planned depth in the forms. This job, like many others, was one of a kind, never to be repeated at the yard.

Satellites, I guess, made these picket ships, obsolete.

 

July 7, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064

PROGRESS - I GUESS

The yard foundry cast most of the propellers for Navy ships. The machine shop polished and balanced them. They were shipped from the yard in gondola railroad cars. 64 Shop for many years prepared the propellers for shipment. Large timbers were erected in the gondola car, at about a 45 degree angle to reduce the height of the positioned propeller in the car. It took a lot of lumber to secure the propellers this way. It was usually a rush job. The cost of having the gondola car sitting in erie bay during the work was always a concern. I don't know its cost, or who paid for it, but it seemed urgent to get the car out of the yard.

I don't know how far back in time that 64 shop was involved with the shipping of the propellers, but there only seemed to be a few men who did the work. Apprentices sometimes helped. I worked on a few.

One day a new propeller showed up in erie bay, ready for shipment. No one had called 64 shop for help. We watched as a tractor trailer pulled into the bay. It had a steel frame work attached to the trailer deck, with one large beam sat at a 45 degree angle. The crane lifted the propeller onto the tilted beam and the driver secured it turnbuckles and cable in about 30 minutes, and left the yard.

What was once a 3 or 4 day job now took about an hour to complete, without any gondola car charges.

The newly designed Trident class propellers (top secret) were shipped by barge, sometimes. We were asked to provide lumber for padding under the propeller. We were cautioned not to look at the propeller, which was covered with a tarp. The patternmakers who made the mold for the propeller worked out of Bldg 10, the old joiner/boat shop's second floor loft. The building was now a top secret building, and no one permitted to enter without the proper clearances. This frustrated a lot of people who thought the shop stores there was a free hardware store. (sandpaper, wood glue, screws and hardware) The joiner shop made all the temporary wooden ladders and trestles used aboard ship. I was responsible for the work there for a while, but I couldn't get into the shop with my meager clearance.

July 7, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 
DRAFT FIGURES

Some of us, early in our life, were aware of draft figures (1A-4F) that could. or would change your wardrobe and life style depending on what the number was that described you, and/or condition. We survived that encounter.

The draft figures that concerned us now in our jobs were those on the hull of the ships that we worked on. Roman numerals indicated the depth of the keel. Arabic numerals indicated the depth of projections below the keel (sonar domes, propellers). Some ships had both. A carrier, with nothing below the keel, showed Roman numerals.

The Saratoga was coming to the yard, for the first time, for emergency propeller and shaft work. It was scheduled to go right into Dry Dock 5, without any time berthed at a pier, which required a lot of preparation at the pier. The calculations to determine safe clearances for the ship to enter the dock is not rocket science. Dry Dock 5 had a depth of 44 feet. The block build up was 8 feet at its highest point. A ship had to have a draft less than 36 feet (44-8) to clear the blocks.

We were at a disadvantage of not being able to read the drafts prior to the ship's arrival. A Ship Supt went to meet the ship down river. He reported the draft aft at 34-6". We would have almost 18 inches of clearance with these draft readings. I was standing at the caisson sill when the ship reached it. It was the first time I had to see the draft figures. They read 36-4" feet, not 34-6". We would have zero clearance to start, and with an ebbing tide, lose another 12 inches of dock draft in the almost hour it takes to walk a carrier into the dock.

The docking officer had positioned himself on the west side of the dock at the caisson sill. He should have been on the east side, where I was (Navy Reg's required the docking Officer to be on the dock side nearest the pump well for easy and quick communications.)

I called him on our radio set up, and explained that the propellers, whose blades extended to the base line (keel) would not clear the aft bilge blocks, nor would the midship flat bottom hull clear most of the bilge blocks. I pointed out the aft draft figures (36-4") and the zero clearance we now had.

The hauling in line had been attached to the stern of the ship, and the ship slowly moved into dock. The ship went into dock stern first because of the angled flight deck, and dock side buildings. I was not getting any reaction from the docking officer, and I lost it. My final message to him was "well #### it - we are going to have a casualty in this docking" Someone on the bridge was listening to our messages, and concluded the ship's draft would indeed not provide a safe passage into the dock. I saw the propeller wash as the ship surged out of the dock, with the hauling in line still attached, with riggers at the capstan at the head of the dock frantically releasing the head line turns from the capstan.

There wasn't any berth ready at any pier. The ship was moved to an anchorage at Mifflin Range, where it sat and began pumping water ballast to get to the lighter drafts. Two days later, act 2 began and this time got the ship into dock without incident. The docking Officer, on the day before we would undock the ship, decided to have 18" removed from the highest bilge blocks. It was not necessary because we would have enough clearances with the expected ship's drafts. He was now aware of the clearances for a safe passage, and increased them.

We had a new Docking Officer when Saratoga returned to the yard for it's SLEP overhaul. It went into dock without incident, this time.

July 5, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 
HUMANITARIANS - ALL

Our second shift, which I was sort of responsible for often left me humorous reports of the status of work they were tasked with. It was that vey cold winter that the now newly clean river froze over near the shore. On my desk, when I arrived was a note to feed the duck around 7am. There was two pieces of white bread with the note. I read the night letter that had assigned the shift a job of erecting a hanging staging on a ship at pier 4. The night letter reported "job interrupted due to rescue of duck frozen in water." Duty Officer to notify State Wildlife Dept in the morning to come get the duck."

I went out into the shop and found a duck floating in the wash basin next to the locker room. The duck looked okay. I broke some of the bread into small pieces, and threw them in the water. The duck eat everything. Of course the duck proved a big distraction for the first shift, but we finally got them out of the building.

Around 9am, a young woman, in a uniform arrived to claim the duck. You didn't give it any bread to eat, did you, she asked. No, I lied, she looked tough. Good, she said and gave a hand full of corn kernels to the duck who quickly ate them. Thanks, she said and gathered the duck up and got into a car that was waiting for her, and left.

The Foreman whose job was interrupted asked what job order he should charge for the duck rescue. What kind of thing could I charge it to, ha asked. It was just one of those things, I told him. (thank you - Cole Porter)

July 5, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 
A FINGER IN THE DYKE

One of the more interesting jobs I ever had came at the request of the Docking Officer. Dry Dock 4's caisson was being sent down to the Chester shipyard for overhaul. It would be gone for a year. The dock would remain flooded without a caisson. A contractor was working in the combined pump well of Dry Dock 4 and 5. He was working on the valves and the gates that seperated the two wells. Could we, 64 shop, install a blank over the flooding tunnel in dry dock 4 to allow the contractor to continue his repairs while the dock was full?

We made a blank to fit the tunnel opening out of 2 and half inch douglas fir, with 4x6 inch douglas fir strong backs bolted to the blank. I thought this was strong enough to with stand the pressure of the water depth at 40 and that this pressure would seal the blank in place. We also had to install a blank for a vertical flooding tunnel inside the pump well.

The blanks were installed, the dock was flooded, and nothing leaked. The caisson was removed and taken down to Chester. It was my last job. I retired. Six months later, I got a call from the Superintendent Woodworker. The contractor decided to test his work on the valves in the pump well. The docking officer had departed without leaving any information about the blanks we had installed at his request. The suction of the pumps blew apart our blanks and partially flooded dry dock 5 before anyone realized that the blanks were there.

The NCIS investigated and found a letter of commendation the docking officer had written for the men who installed the blanks for him, and was satisfied that everything was done properly. The caisson returned from Chester, the dock pumped dry and we rediscoved the meaning of continuity.

July 5, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 
I was sitting in for my boss - Superintendent Woodworker - while he was on vacation. I did little more than sit in his office for a few minutes every day. One day I was told that an agent from the NCIS -Naval Criminal Investigative Service wanted to meet with me. He called me on the phone and we agreed to meet.

He said his office was tracking the sales of marijuana in the Service Group. He said he wanted to put an undercover employee in the area where the suspected sales were taking place, that an employee of 64 shop had volunteered for the job. The employee would be controlled by him, and the shop would have nothing to do with him, he told me. I asked who the employee was, and when he told me, I laughed and told him the story about the fox in the hen house, and that he just named the most devious employee in the shop.

Previously this employee while on light duty from a suspicious on the job injury was working in the Comptroller's department where he discovered the timekeeping process we use. The punching of time cards (red stripped one for overtime) job order and keop listings, supervisors code numbers, and how to fill out all the necessary information to complete an overtime time card. He was doing great, creating overtime time cards for himself every Saturday. He got greedy and decided he needed Saturday and Sunday overtime. He only got caught because excess overtime, per employee, was being monitored and the computer kicked out his name. Submitted time cards showed that he had worked Saturday and Sunday for the past two months. A supervisor's code and signature was on the submitted time cards. My code and faked signature. He had to pay back all the illegal overtime pay (it was deducted from his next check) and he was sent back to the shop on light duty.

I refused the agent's request to loan the employee to NCIS. The agent got his man when my boss returned from vacation. The undercover employee was placed in the area of the marine railway. He was supposed to watching for the sale of marijuana. It was being sold, the NCIS discovered, by their undercover employee. He was sent back to the shop. His on the job injury had gotten worse, and he went out on injury compensation, now being able to defraud the government for the next 30 years.

Is this a great country, or what?

 

July 5, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 
TWO IS BETTER THAN ONE

The riggers decided that they would take some extra precaution when we docked the Iowa in DD-4. They would install snatch blocks aboard ship, and pass the side breasting lines through them, and back to the capstans at dock side. This made the breasting line in two parts, doubling the mechanical advantage of the dockside capstan. We had problems before when the capstans were pushed pass their limit, and they froze when a circuit breaker tripped to save the electric motor of the capstan.

It took an electrician from 03 shop to go to the capstan and reset the circuit breaker - sometimes a timely event. We were scheduled to place the Iowa in dock at slack water - a point when there is no current in the river. The yard pilot had to turn the ship across the channel to make it fair to the dock, and he had to do it at slack water so the tugs could control the ship from being affected by any current.

The tide had reached the slack water moment and the yard pilot was about to turn the ship across the channel when he paused to let a outbound freighter slowly pass. It was very slow. The pilot and the tugs fought the now ebbing tide current to get the ship fair to the dock, across the channel. It took more than an hour to get the ship near the dock entrance. We had lost almost all of the clearance we expected. We now had but a few inches. I told the Docking officer we had to abort, that we would ground the ship before it was completely in dock. We are committed, he answered. I insisted that we abort. A head line was already attached to the bow of the ship, and he ordered the riggers to haul the ship into the dock.

The ship had blanks covering the sea chest induction valves, with staples attached for handling. They extended 6" below the blanks. As the ship passed me at the caisson sill, I told the docking officer that we now had zero clearance, and he could expect to see wood floating as the staples on the blanks skimmed the soft wood caps from the keel blocks. I received no answer from the docking officer, as the soft wood caps started appearing in the dock.

The ship was now fully in the dock. We never got the opportunity to try the new breasting line arrangement. The riggers quickly got the side lines to the capstans and took a strain. We never had a chance to properly align the ship in the dock. The ebbing tide landed the ship on the blocks. Luckily, it was a flat bottomed ship.

We found, when we inspected the dock after it was pumped dry, that we had stripped the soft wood caps off about 10 keel blocks at the stern, and displaced or knocked over about 20 other blocks in the setup. I never saw the after event report that the docking officer would prepare for his boss. No one asked for any comments from me. I was not proud of this event.

The docking officer, like all others, left after his tour was over. He made an appearance on national television when that TWA FLIGHT 800 crashed in Long Island Sound in 1996. He was a captain in charge of the navy's help in the recovery process. He expressed his opinion that the plane was shot down by a missile. He was never seen on TV again.

July 4, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 
EVENTS YOU DON'T EXPECT

The operation of a dry dock is basic physics. A gate (caisson) is flooded and sunk into a slotted sill. The water in the dock is pumped out. The water in the river is high enough to add tremendous pressure against the caisson, which is constructed to with stand that pressure. and that pressure holds the caisson against the sill, sealing it. The reverse is true in removing the caisson. The dock is flooded until it reaches the level of the river, and the pressure is equalized. The caisson is pumped free of it water ballast, and it floats free and moved out of the way.

A docking officer, not familiar with the draft figures that show the river draft and the dock draft, miscalculated. We had a ship in dock, with side breasting lines and spring lines fore and aft bent onto the ship. The ship was floating and we were waiting for the dock draft to reach the river draft so we could pump the caisson water ballast out, and float it.

We had two feet to go for the dock draft to reach the river draft. The docking officer, eager to advance the schedule, for some reason, had began pumping the water ballast from the caisson very early, without informing anyone. The caisson, without any water ballast over came the river pressure and it popped up, suddenly increasing the dock draft by two feet. It was a sensation I only saw once, and hoped to never see again, as the ship suddenly lifted two feet, straining all the lines and surging forward in the dock. We were lucky that there were no sonar domes on the ship's keel, or we may have torn them off.

It was time to talk to the docking officer and tell him about the draft figures he was using/misusing and his very early pumping of the water ballast from the caisson. The incident was between he and I. His tenure as docking officer was over and he departed.

We made sure the next docking officer understood the draft figures at Dry Dock 2.

July 4, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 
A BEGINNING AND AN END

It was sad to see the 350 ton hammer head crane on pier 4 being dismantled and scrapped. We had done some big lifts with it. I remember, as an apprentice, loading a locomotive onto a deck of a freighter that would take it to Argentina. Much later we loaded a harbor tug on a freighter that would take it to Subic Bay. We routinely lifted the yard tugs onto the pier for repairs.

I can remember one snowy day stripping the mast staging from a destroyer berthed at the pier. The small hammer head cranes on the pier couldn't reach high enough to hold the tray we were working out of. The only problem was time it took the rigger to signal the operator, and get a response movement of the tray. The 350 was the only option at the pier to reach high enough. It proved invaluable with the New Jersey at the Pier in 1967 for us as we erected staging around a newly installed pig stick to the top of existing mast platform, and later to strip that staging.

It was used extensively to install the turrets aboard the newly built battleships during WW-2. Like all things, it had a beginning and an end.

July 4, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 
The Benewah and Colleton began their overhaul in July 1966. They were barracks ships being deployed to Viet Nam. Their duty station was the Mekong Delta. They were being armored up to with stand small arms fire from the Viet Cong who were active in the Delta. Gun sponsons were also added to answer the Viet Cong's fire with something more lethal. The Benewah was a veteran of WW- 2 and Korea before being refitted for Viet Nam. She was the first of her class. The Colleton, her sister ship was again refitted in Subic Bay to include a surgical suite, that was sorely needed in the Mekong Delta and included a helo landing deck.

The work was done at the Phila Yard, supervised by the recent transplants from the Brooklyn Navy Yard, who seamlessly took control of the job of adding armor plate to the bulkheads, and the installation of the gun sponsons. It was a tightly scheduled task, but was completed on time.

When the war ended the ships were transferred to the Philippine Navy. They were later sunk to form an artifical reef

July 3, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 
TOTE THAT BARGE, LIFT THAT BALE

I had attended different management seminars during my time at the yard. Most were educational. One was also, but not for me. At the opening session, the instructor/ moderator told us introduce ourselves to the person sitting next to us, and describe what department you are from, and what you do there. I gave the gentleman next to me my name, my title and what I did. I said I was a shipwright working mostly in dry docks at the Phila Navy Yard. He didn't take any notes. He told me he was the department head of a unit at IRS.

When it was time to introduce me, he paused, forgetting my name, and told the class that I was a stevedore who works on the docks in Philadelphia.

I introduced the guy next to me as an IRS agent. Period. I think he was avoided as much, or more than me during the next 4 days.

July 3, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 
HEIRLOOMS- MAYBE

One of the promises JFK made to Federal workers was their right to organize into unions, and to be recognized as the exclusive representative for all those in the unit, department, or base who sign an authorization card agreeing to that authorization. With it was the powerful dues deduction provision, which also required the union member's authorization.

I was a member of the Carpenter's union (local 1728) at the yard. The local paid dues to the Carpenter's Union in Washington, and the State AFL-CIO. We did not pay any dues to the Metropolitan District Council of Carpenters, but we were permitted to attend their meetings as fraternal delegates. One of my pool members was a long time member and delegate to the District Council. He encouraged me to attend a meeting with him, he had something of interest to show me, he said.

The Council met at a building in Frankford. In a display case were the ancient tools (the plaque read) of a ship's carpenter, passed down through time, and now donated to the Council. The ancient tools could have came right out of my tool box at the Navy Yard. I had gained ownership of those tools as the retiring shipwrights gave them to apprentices. Some of my tools were older than those in the display case.

The council didn't need any more old tools to display. There were two apprentices who got involved with a museum up at Penn's Landing. They asked if there were any old tools around that they could donate to the museum. I gave them them my entire tool box, plus some others from our old store room. I don't know if they ever went on display, or were used ever gain.

July 3, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 
THINGS THAT BY PASSED US - LUCKILY

The two sea plane tenders that were being converted for handling the giant MARS sea plane, I think, never got the chance to fully operate it's roll off, roll on platform at the stern (like a marine railway) to bring the sea planes aboard for service. The overhaul of the two ships, which had a large wooden deck aft, provided training for apprentices in the fine art of caulking the seams of the wooden planks. Darn, I missed that. It was the time of broken fingers, sprained wrists and sometimes back problems that would show up later.

I was an observer, at times, working with two scots installing margin (the wood abutting the deck house side and at the beam ends.) There were a few older scots who were the seasoned caulkers who trained the less than eager apprentices. The process involved sitting on a rolling stool, sticking cotton and oakum into the seams with a tool (caulking iron) and driving it down with a mallet. The seams were later filled with hot pitch to seal the deck from water penetration.

I had one occasion to experience the delight of caulking. It was around new deck planks abutting a capstan at dock side. It only took a few hours, but my back was stiff for a week or more. I don't know how those men who worked many days caulking survived without permanate back problems. Perhaps they didn't.

July 3, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 
AS TIME GOES BY

It is not often when we meet former ship supt's returning to the shipyard with a few more stripes on their sleeves. A former docking officer returned, briefly as the engeneering officer (a Captain) aboard the carrier Roosevelt CV-42. Another Captain returned to become the Shipyard Commander at the closing. Another Captain that I remember was a ship supt on an overhaul. We disagreed about the proper method of resloving discrepancy tickets at the end of an overhaul.

This Captain was now the Production Officer . I only had one contact with him. He showed up one morning at a predawn docking. He was polite and asked about the schedule, and if we were having any problems. I told him everything was on schedule, without any problems. What would you do if there was a problem, he asked. We plan for the worse, and hope for the best, I told him. Some plan, he muttered as he walked away and added ####ing shipwrights. I think he did remember me from that overhaul, long ago.

He was deeply involved in the SLEP overhaul, and our paths never crossed again.

July 3, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

OSHA ARRIVES, AND WE DEPART - FROM THE USUAL

We were erecting staging around the mast on an LPH in DD-3, when a safety inspector saw our shipwrights were not wearing safety harness belts tied off above them. He stopped the job, and contacted me. We met at the base of the. The shipwrights had gone to the tool room and checked out the safety belts. They had tied bowline knots on the line, and asked the inspector where they should tie them off, above them.

It was agreed that no suitable structure could support the weight of the three men who were erecting the staging. The only possible place, strong enough, above them would be the hook of a crane. A new era had begun for shipwrights working aloft. They would work out of a service tray, with their safety belts attached to the crane's hook. They would, here after, receive extra comp (high money) for working aloft.

The shipwrights, readily accepted the new process, and pay and now included a safety belt as part of their tools. Erecting the staging went a little slower, but it now met the OSHA regulations. Other trades working aloft on the staging were required to wear a safety belt also, but they had the staging components, which were deemed strong enough, to tie their safety belts onto above them, and they were working on platforms three feet wide with a double hand rail.

July 2, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064
 

RED SKIES IN THE MORNING -Thought this site could use something other than obituaries - Heres one

We all heard the old sailor's warning about heavy weather or trouble ahead when we saw a Red Sky in the morning. We all worked on jobs in inclement weather, ignoring the Red Sky warning. It was a cold morning in February when we prepared to haul a sub up on the Marine Railway. It was 5 degrees at 0600, and there was a Red Sky. We always inspected the sliding bilge blocks that were part of the dock set up to make sure they weren't frozen on the bilge slides which were oiled to prevent any freeze up. A few were frozen to the bilge slide, but they were shaken loose.

The sub left it's berth at Pier D on time, made up to a tug. The railway carriage was sent down the slope and into the back channel basin. An in haul line was bent onto the sub and the capstan at the front of the railway carriage took a strain, and eased the sub into position. Controling side lines were attached also, port and starboard to keep the sub centered over the keel blocks as the railway carriage was hauled up the incline of the railway.

The sub touched down on the centerline keel blocks, and the railway carriage was stopped. The 16 bilge blocks (eight port and starboard) were now attempted to be hauled in with chains attachded to small capstans on the upper walkway of the railway carriage. Six of the bilge blocks on each side refused to move. They were frozen to the bilge slides.

Dockings at the railway were tightly scheduled because of the shallow draft of the back channel basin, and which required the docking attempt to be done at high tide. We had the sub sitting on the centerline keel blocks with two bilge blocks hauled in, port and starboard. We couldn't refloat the sub because we lost the tide. The next high tide was 12 hours away and we didn't want to have the boat sitting where it was with a receding tide. We decided to haul the carriage up the incline of the railway, calculating that the 4 bilge blocks would keep the boat stabilized. We doubled up the breasing lines to add as much restraint as possible to aid in keeping the boat stabilized.

We moved the railway carriage to its final position The boat stayed stable and didn't move as we moved the railway up the incline. As soon as the railway deck was dry, the shipwrights and riggers hurried the prepositioned shores into place under the fin keel. while also shaking the frozen bilge blocks loose and hauling them into place. We believed that there was no danger of the boat capsizing since subs were very stable, with a low center of gravity, but we still kept a wary eye on it as we worked. We did discover that the oil used on the bilge slides was mixed with water, instead of anti-freeze, which was the approved mixture during the winter months.

Red Skies

June 23, 2021

Name: RICHARD BEGGS
E-mail: rich.beggs@verizon.net
Shop: 064


Like Mike Dougherty, I can remember things and events that happened when I was an apprentice. some have changed others have faded away. I worked on the last wooden boat built in the boat shop, when I was loaned there. Fiber glass hulled boats replaced wooden ones. They were cheaper to build, easier to repair, but sank faster if their hull was breached. Boatbuilders became Plastic Fabricators, although they didn't have much to fabricator.

Joiners soon followed the boatbuilders when wood was discontinued aboard ship due to it's fire hazzard. They became woodcraftsman, without any wood to craft. They learned to install fiber glass insulation, which was everywhere aboard ship now. They were also labeled Marine Carpenters - at a lower pay grade.

Shipwrights once played an important role in the engineering wonder of launching a ship down the ways. It was found that ships were easier to build in dry dock, and still easier to float when finished. Shipwrights installed teak deck aboard ships, like the New Jersey, more for show than function. Function won and the teak decks were discontinued. The shipwrights put away their caulking irons, mallets and adzes. They carried on with their work docking ships.

Blacksmiths were necessary during the building of tall ships (those with sails). Sailmakers were still around, mostly making bunting for events or canvas tool bags.

Boilermakers would have disappeared too if the yard had stayed open long enough. Ships with steam turbine power plants were being replaced with gas turbines or diesel engines.

Riveters and caulkers were the early victims of progress as arc welding displaced them.

It was a long and winding road, as the Beatles sang, but I enjoyed every step of it and the benefits accured for past 35 years.

June 16, 2021

Name: Dennis Kaiser
E-mail: dennis_kaiser@outlook.com
Shop: Code 911
 

Another Shipfitter Gone : Patrick J. Delaney Former Shop 11 Shipfitter Supervisor passed away Sunday, June 13, 2021 at the University of Louisville Hospital.

See Obit:
https://www.chismfamilyfunerals.com/obituary/Patrick-Delaney?fbclid=IwAR0etXd22KvANGCKpleU2yprXCU2sRjWHizjIiwAm8YJwD-pQIc5IGv5BKA

 June 2, 2021

Name: Dennis Kaiser
E-mail: dennis_kaiser@outlook.com
Shop: Code 911


JOSEPH KULESA Former PNSY Shop 11 Shipfitter was 66 years of age, and passed away on May 26, 2021. He was the son of the late Walter and Mary; brother of Walter (Helen) and the late Robert 'Bobby' Kulesa, survived by Regina, his sister-in-law Carol, nieces, grand nieces and nephew. Relatives and friends invited to call Wed. 9 A.M. St. Edmond Church, 21st St. and Snyder Ave. Funeral Mass 10 A.M. Interment private. RUFFENACH F.H.

 

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