USS Moctobi (ATF-105)

         


Chuck Baker as he appears today


The following photos were sent in by Chuck Baker. Chuck was was an Engineman on the Moctobi back in 66 - 67. Most of the descriptions for the photos were copied from Chuck's emails.

I don't remember the names of most of these people, but I will give you as many as possible.

Top Row - left to right: Bob Ogden, Paul Blomberg, Dennis McBride,
Roger Vetter, Ralph Carpenter, "Chubbs" Clausen, Don Trimble, Holman, ?

Middle Row - left to right: Gilbert Boissey, ?, Art Nelson, Terry
Davis, ?, ?, ?, Elmer Holiday, ?, Bobby Hall

Bottom Row - left to right: ?, Chief Dalhead, Larry Roberts, Jensen,
"Red" Johnson, ?, Harold "Pee Wee" Sandroff, Jay Smith, Chuck Baker,
Billieau (spelling), ?
 

Jim Kelp - RM3, my other best friend and I. Apparently I must have woken Jim up again as he forgot to put on his shirt. It's also obvious that a bottle of bleach must have fallen on my head as my hair hasn't been that blonde since I was 5 years old.

Surprised that you do not already have this on your site - as there were, at least, a dozen copies of this accidental triple exposure made and distributed to various members of the crew.

Here's a pic of the USS Forrestal CVA-59 taken on the day before it exploded on July 29, 1967. If you don't already know this story or if you gotten conflicting reports about what happened, such as I have over the years, you can read all about the incident on the USS Forrestal web site. Moctobi was closest ship to the Forrestal when the explosions began.
 

Jay Smith - EM2, waiting for me to get relieved from watch so that we can hit the beach together.

Jay Smith

This next picture is gang of 6 minus 1 - I'm the one taking the picture in this one. The red Ford Convertible (1960 I believe) belonged to Jay Smith. He was one of the few people on the ship whom had a car in Hawaii - why do you think he was one of my best friends? Bobby Hall also had a car (1957 Chevy if I remember correctly), but he could never afford to put gas in it.

More of the gang.

Never pictured Jay Smith as a fisherman. I think that he was only out there to impress his peers and he seemed to be quite annoyed that I was taking a picture of it. I don't believe that Jay or anyone else caught a fish that day!

Working

Still at work.

And still at work

Jim Kelp, myself & "Cookie," relaxing on the mess decks. Can't remember "Cookie's" real name.

There is no such thing as privacy on a fleet tug. Jim Kelp brushing teeth.

Jim Kelp in the rack.

Jay Smith, Harold Sandroff & Bob Arnold after a very rough night on Hotel Street - I could hardly hold the camera straight.

The not so "Mighty Moc" in dry dock. We would check on it occasionally and hope that the work was not going too swiftly, as we were having too much fun living with shore duty!
 

Wasn't able to pose for this and take the picture at the same time, so I put my double in. Notice the lipstick on the cheek and across the mouth. This was sent to me by a girl friend of mine in San Francisco from when I served aboard the USS Markab AR-23.

Bob Ogden

You would think that, in a place this remote, they would be happy to see strangers. But, not this town! We saw them as we approached the shore, but they quickly disappeared and we did not see a soul the entire time we were on the Island.

Atka

Atka

Eskimo village on Atka Island, Alaska.

Here's one of me pretending to pose with someone I know! I think that his first name was Steve, but I have not clue as to the last.

Here's one of me pretending to abandon ship. Notice how tightly I'm hanging on to that cable - that water is cold man!

Me, pretending to be a anchor.


Here's Jim Kelp - RM3 pretending to swab the deck in Adak.

Great Sitkan Island

Great Sitkan Island Expedition

Great Sitkan Island Expedition

The road to Adak was not smooth! Old salts, who proclaimed "I've never been sea sick in my life" - they were all sick. It was "holiday routine" all of the way to Adak!

Trawler ("Ivan") in Gulf of Tonkin.

Trawler ("Ivan") in Gulf of Tonkin.

Great Sitkan Island

This is one of my favorite photos! Rich (can't remember for sure, but I think his name was Gary Richardson - we called him Lil' Rich) is talking on a telephone, which we confiscated from the grounded freighter (there were no cel phones back then) and (while this is hard to see - unless you zoom up on the photo) Bob Arnold has the cord plugged into his A**. Great Sitkan Island.

Grab assing at Great Sitkan Island.

Not everyone likes to have their picture taken!

Thanks for the photos, Chuck !

 

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