CREW'S STORIES
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MAN OVERBOARD - AT THE PIER?
AS A MARINE GUARD ABOARD THE BENNINGTON , IN 1960, ONE OF OUR DUTIES WAS TO WALK THE THE PIER BACK AND FORTH, TO PROTECT THE THE SHIP AND YOU SAILORS.
WELL WE WERE SHORT HANDED, BY AT LEAST TEN MARINES, AND OUR ON DUTY WAS FOUR ON EIGHT OFF. DURING OUR EIGHT OFF, WE HAD TO GET OUR UNIFORMS IN SHAPE, SPIT SHINE OUR SHOES, POLISH OUR BRASS, GARBAGE DETAIL, SHOWERS, AND GET OUR MUCH DESERVED SLEEP FOR THREE HOURS BEFORE WE GO ON DUTY AGAIN.
WELL AFTER WALKING THE PIER FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS, WE STARTED TO SLEEP WALK.
WE GOT PRETTY GOOD AT SLEEP WALKING, WE HAD A NEAT THING GOING FOR US AND THAT WAS WHEN SLEEP WALKING WE WALK TO ONE END OF THE PIER AND WALK INTO THE LINE FROM THE SHIP TO THE PIER AND THAT WOULD WAKE US UP AND WE WOULD CONTINUE BACK THE OTHER WAY.
ONE SUNDAY IN 1960 WE WERE AT PEARL HARBOR, I WAS ASLEEP IN MY BUNK, WHEN THE MAN OVER BOARD SOUNDED, WE WERE ALL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW CAN YOU HAVE MAN OVER BOARD WHILE AT THE PIER, AND ABOUT FIVE OR TEN MINUTES LATER, THERE WAS ANOTHER MAN OVER BOARD SOUNDED.
AS IT TURNED OUT, ONE OF THE MARINES WAS SLEEP WALKING THE PIER AND WE GUESSE HE DIDNT ALLOW FOR THE TIDE COMING IN AND THE LINES WENT SLACK AND HE WALKED OFF THE END OF THE PIER.
THE SECOND MAN OVER BOARD, WAS AFTER HE GOT BACK UP THE PIER HE JUMPED BACK IN TO RETRIEVE HIS RIFLE. TO THIS DAY I STILL CRACKUP WHEN EVERY TIME I THINK ABOUT IT.
ED CHANCHOLO
MAR-DET
1959-1961
From: Charles & Karon Anderson [spectwo@classicnet.net]
Sent: Saturday, February 08, 2003 7:14 AM
To: bennington@uss-bennington.org
Subject: How to contact
How may I contact Ed Chancholo who contributed the story of the Marine who walked off the end of the dock?
I would like to hear from him. That Marine was Jerry Bakey who was the Best Man @ my wedding. I was also in Mar.Det with them.
I remember the recall @ Subic on New Years Eve 1960-61.
Charles D. Anderson
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