Drinking was always banned on Navy ships, too, it was a court-martial offense but that didn't stop it from happening, especially among the senior enlisted ranks, the career NCOs. The old Chiefs, in particular, were notorious for always wandering around in an alcoholic fog, even while on duty, right on the edge of sobriety. The rest of us just got drunk ashore on liberty. I never drank as much as when I was in the Navy.

We had a navigation officer who was an alcoholic. (NAV officers don't navigate, their work is supervisory and administrative, the enlisted men navigate the ship). We had one who was an alcoholic, it was easier for officers because their personal belongings were never inspected.

This one was transferred from duty ashore as a gunfire spotter with the Marines, and he was a psychological basket case. We liked the man, and did our best to cover for him, and his fellow officers must have known too, but looked the other way.

One night, an emergency arose on the bridge, and the skipper sent me to his stateroom to wake him up. I couldn't get him up, and he kept on telling me to tell the captain he wasn't coming while I pleaded with him to get dressed or he would get in deep trouble. The stench of liquor was on his breath.

Eventually, the officer who shared his stateroom with him rolled out of the top rack and told me to go back to the bridge and tell the old man the Lieutenant would be right up. A few weeks after that, he was transferred off the ship.

As an aside, I hope I'm not boring you people with all these Navy stories. I realize I was on the ship for only 13 months , from Nov '67 to Dec '68, and I was a young man, I turned my 21st birthday while on board. But so much happened so fast. But even though my experiences were very ordinary, and shared by many others, I simply cannot imagine my life without that crazy time having been a part of it. It has haunted me ever since.