He had spent a year with the grunts out in the bush, calling in naval gunfire on enemy positions, often very close to his own. LT. L****
was posted briefly as our Navigation officer, no doubt as a reward for a job well done ashore. But he did not work out, we liked him and we covered for him as best we could, but it was clear he was suffering from his experience, including a severe case of alcoholism (even the possession of an unopened alcohol container aboard ship is a severe offense). One day he was simply gone with the mail chopper, and we finished the rest of our tour with a senior petty officer running the division.

I've often wondered about him. I hope he turned out OK.