Tuesday, August 30, 2022
As Different As Day Is From Night
Big Ship -- little ship Slow ship -- fast ship West Pacific -- East Pacific The Orient -- The US, Canada, all Central America Ribcage took to Long Beach like it was home. When in port it was like a regular job...go to work, get off and go home. He and a Curts buddy bought an ancient house trailer...
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Sunday, August 28, 2022
Welcome Aboard
No more dates, just memories of things told to me, his memories long after he was out of the Navy, after Patti passed away and he came to share my place because he was sick and lonely. Added to that, is my own memory of his memories of what transpired. After that last shipping out for maneuvers on...
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Saturday, August 27, 2022
Well, That's Over!
Master Chief took him to the ship and directly up to the bridge where the Captain was sitting at his desk. Mark, snapping to attention before Captain of the USS Blue Ridge: "SM3 Stone reporting for duty, Sir." Captain looking up: "Well, Signalman Stone, Are you ready to get on with things?" SM3...
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Brig Time
The brig was not on the ship. It was on the Naval Base in Yokosuka, the Home Port for the USS Blue Ridge in Japan. Mark was taken there immediately (Go to Jail, Do not pass Go). After they did a bit of paperwork and removed all of his possessions except his dog tags, made him dress in a type of...
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Friday, August 26, 2022
Troublesome Times
I'm going to back up a little here and tell you some things that Mark did not tell us in his letters home, or anyone else for many years. As far as I know now, the only ones he shared it with were his Cousin John and his lifelong friend Craig who also was a navy man on another ship. He wanted so...
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