John Thomason (DD 760) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 15 text:

The old salts of any ship, the chief petty officers, stand ready with their knowledge and experience to assist at the most critical moments. They also serve as supervisors and counselors for the men of their divisions. Chief petty officers represent excellence in all aspects of the Navy man. The THOMASON chiefs carried on this tradition of excellence throughout the cruise. The engineering CPO's were continually applying themselves to the task of keeping the THOMASON running. There was a scramble in chief 's quarters every time the engineer's phone circuit whined. And often, these chiefs sensed something was wrong before anyone else sus- pected. During the gunline period, it was GMCS Daum's turn to apply his wisdom to the complexities of gunfire support. STC London not only kept the sonar in order, but kept the entire crew in line as Chief Master-at- arms. With continuing gyro problems, QMC Shinsky was continually called upon to answer the question, where are we? RDC Kratzberg, RMC New- some, and ETC Pegram not only kept the personnel of Operations de- partment alert, but kept their gear in continuous operation. SKC Bon- acci, CSC Judkins, and new chief DKC Distor all kept the supplies, food, and money coming. About the only problem the chiefs couldn't solve was where to berth all the chief petty officers. One more chief and the Captain would have to move out of his cabin.

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FRONT ROW- BTCS Vanvalkenberg, BTC Sheble, CSC Iudkins, EMC Norte, ETC Pegram, DKC Distor, RMC Newsome., QMC Shinsky. BACK ROW: MMC West, RDC Kratzberg, SKC Bonacci, SFC Kyle, STC London, GMCS Daum, MMC Mull, MMCM Allen. Ghiei Petty fficers 'f ?3'fi?'ifQf?' - we-n. ' 1 XV' af ,. . V . .X A ,., . . -.,. ,H , , -.1 V A, A ,T ,. M, , , f if . .1 ,424 ,,,,Q,i1f2 S efigil .-' 4 W gi

Page 16 text:

X , WN .. , - 'M is ' Chief petty officers are also known as lib- erty hounds, and the THOMASON chiefs were no exception. The CPO club in any port any- where in the world is their second home. The roll of dice, the clank of glasses, and the sound of slot machines could be heard far away. It is even rumored that SFC Kyle added three inches to his right bicep while playing the slot machines. Despite enjoying these inport periods and their work at sea, all the chiefs were happy to return again to San Diego. During the cruise, each chief added new experiences and memories to be retold during the re- mainder of his career.