My first night aboard the LST went better than I’d expected. I tried not to think too much about how many hundreds of guys had slept on the narrow bunk the past 80 years, and so shifted my sleeping bag and small pillow into a comfortable configuration and before I knew it, my roommates started to stir and the ship sounded reveille over the 1MC for the morning wake-up call. I must have been tired.
My first order of the morning was a 9am tour group. These were high school seniors majoring in graphic arts and motion picture production. Their assignment was to document the ship’s stations and interview our volunteers for a documentary to be used by the museum for marketing and promotion. The tour took three hours. I have to say that keeping high school students interested for three hours is no easy task, but they were good sports and most remained engaged in the activity.
Following a sack lunch of chicken salad and chips, I was assigned to roving duties. Basically this means that when you’re assigned a duty station you remain at that duty station until relieved. I made my way around all the stations and asked if that person had eaten or taken a break, and then stood in while they did so. Around 2:00, one of the Engineering chiefs tapped me to come help change a speed sensor in the port engine. A chance to get dirty and wrench on something!!!
The broken part was a sensor in the clutch part of the engine that measures engine speed in revolutions per minute (RPM), it wasn’t necessary to start the engine (which was very loud), basically all we needed to do was a “blow down”…in otherwords, a procedure that forces air through the cylinders to clear any oil. The blow down would spin the fly wheel and turn the shaft in the reduction gear…more than you care to know, but suffice to say it was loud and there’s not a visable part of me not freckled with engine oil. It was a good day.
I’m not sure what tomorrow holds, but tonight I find myself giving thanks for a supportive husband, wonderful neighbors, and the kind and patient crew of the LST 325 for this opportunity. Even at 70, this old dog can still learn some new tricks.
Off to a hot shower and watch the sun set. Cya tomorrow.
Comments