Subj : Bebopping to the beat of the Breem, a sea story
To : All
From : Carol Shenkenberger
Date : Fri Feb 23 2024 15:58:57
I left the USS Fort McHenry and shifted to the USS Essex for 3 1/2 years.
Female berthing was below water level so little fish that sailors collectively
call 'bream' would bounce into the sides of the metal hulled ship all the time.
You hear a dull ping sound inside.
Anyways, on the Essex, like all ships even today, the junior enlisted crew
perform for periods as assistants with the galleys. Food Service Attendants or
'FSA' is the general term.
One showed up for the 3rd 4 month stint which is not normal. The Command
Masterchief ('CMC') contated the Mastercief of his department, Something not
uncoomon if Boiler Techs ('BT') was happening. 'Failure to survive the heat'
which as you can guess is not uncommon. While a good number acclimate to it
many simply don't and it's not their fault. His Materchief was already looking
to crossrate him. CMC put him to working in the Chiefs mess. WOW!
That young man was a natural cook! Today my daughter says FSA's aren't allowed
to do any cooking at all. This was a much earlier time and if the showed a
skill, we were free to use it. PS: FSA time for this was USS Fort McHenry.
He proceeded to show some outstanding soups and fast skillet type foods based
on his Latina Mother then use the grill top to make us stir fry dishes over
Hispanic rice blends with curried rices. He was simply gifted at making the
best with whatever we had. His own Department Chiefs saw it all and he went
off with recommendation for conversion to what was the MS rate, now CS rate.
He left the Fort Mchenry off to the A school to become a Navy cook.
He came back to Japan though while I was still there. Smile, MS3 on the Essex.
He served in the Chief's mess then the Officers stole him for the Officers
mess. They in turn had him stolen for the Flag Officers mess when embarked.
When I left he was MS2(E5).
I had one final encounter with him 11 years after I retired. I was helping out
a fellow GS who handled all the beginning entry training for Navy enlisted. I
called a a CSCM (E9) with only his first name and a reference that he was the
POC for training. Yup. It was not only him, but he remembered me!
