One major change for those aboard was the introduction of powdered milk and eggs. But I wasted little time in reminiscing. U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning IIs with the15th Marine Expeditionary Unit prepare to land on the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island in the Indian Ocean, Dec. 18, 2020. Nevertheless, representing the rear echelon intelligence corps (also known to some as Intel weenies) was a small cadre of Army Security Agency soldiers recently graduated from the Ft. Devens, Massachusetts ASA school. Selected Troopships of WWII - Scroll down to see total list. Over the last half dozen or more years there has been considerable clamor and concern expressed by environmentalists, marine biologists, and others about the damage the decaying ships of the Mothball Fleet were causing to the waters of the bay and the resultant detrimental effects on marine life. As the bow started back up, the channel water would reverse course, once-again necessitating the lifting of the feet. The added expense of surfboard lessons was beyond anyone’s budget so John and I were on our own. I became an expert at two-handed solitaire and learned to play just about every poker game invented. The trench contains just enough water to float the vessel in. At the age of 65 the, And so this tale comes to an end. By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN. Edwin D Patrick and her sister ship, U.S.N.S. Troopships and Hospital ships of World War II, including those operated by the American Merchant Marine War Shipping Administration, U.S. Navy, and Army Transport Service From here we boarded a local bus that delivered us to an area close to Pearl Harbor. This meant access to coffee, actual chairs to sit in and an opportunity to develop the literary side of our intelligence training. After all, several hundred of those aboard were seasoned professionals in the art of war, newly graduated from basic training, advanced infantry fighting, and other tough schools such as army intelligence. And the Patrick steamed on. The photos below were taken by me and show the GENERAL EDWIN D. PATRICK laid-up at Suisun Bay, Calif., on March 27, 2010. Early on Tuesday, March 13, 1962 the General Patrick approached the Island of Oahu from the east, keeping the Island of Molokai off the port side. The Patrick had been underway from Hawaii, steaming west toward the Korean Peninsula, the Hawaiian Islands now lying four days and about 1,500 miles to our stern. If a few of us “Lucky Sevens” were topside together, it usually meant playing cards or even singing a few songs a capella while trying not to embarrass ourselves. The aromas were not all that bad, so I assume we were not sitting under vents with a direct connection to the head (ship’s toilet). But in closer to the ship, the water took on a beautiful pale, ice blue shade where the, Our group spent about an hour enjoying the warm Pacific waters of Waikiki—quite a change from the cool and foreboding Pacific of San Francisco. In his new book "Voyage of Mercy," Stephen Puleo charts the incredible journey of the USS Jamestown, the first US ship to deliver relief to a famine-stricken Ireland. From here we boarded a local bus that delivered us to an area close to Pearl Harbor. This ship was torpedoed and sunk in July of that year. USS Admiral R. E. Coontz (AP-122) was laid down under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 680) on 15 January 1943 at Alameda, California, by the Bethlehem Steel Corp.; launched on 22 April 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Edwin Kokko, daughter of Admiral Coontz; and commissioned on 21 November 1944, Capt. To avoid getting shoes and feet soaked, those sitting would lift their feet, letting the water and debris pass under. Troops spent most of their free time in the forward section of the ship, particularly when on deck, since access amidships and aft was not authorized, the passageways being roped off. Arrival time was important at Inchon, since the tides could vary by 30 feet. Time spent topside decreased from hours to minutes, unless a spot could be found under one of the exhaust outlets on deck. Around 9:00 AM the Patrick eased into Inchon harbor and weighed anchor some distance from shore. With safety well in hand, I’d pause for a few minutes, taking a seat on the ladder (stairway). The following weekend a friend and I took a maritime excursion out on the bay for a close-up view of the Mothball Fleet. I’m on guard duty again and the ship is doing quite a bit of rolling… And so it went, night after night as the Patrick plowed on through the sea. The USS Admiral C.F. The army contingent on the ship consisted mostly of infantry troops. As we sailed past the Patrick’s row, I was able to turn myself around and get a good view of the Patrick’s bow and the General Pope’s stern. The records of ships used to carry troops to their theaters of operations were destroyed intentionally in 1951. Life on our floating barracks once again settled into the routines necessary to get hundreds of soldiers safely across several thousand miles of deep blue sea. The General Patrick crossed the international dateline at 180° longitude in the early evening hours of March 16th, three days and about 1,200 miles out from Hawaii. We approached the fleet from the south side, offering a good look at the massive battleship USS, Occasionally, on flights back east to visit relatives, I’d grab a port-side window seat and take pictures of the fleet as the plane flew overhead, hoping to get a good view of the fleet and the, According to David Walker who’d been tracking the, The process of recycling such a vessel is akin to the death of a person whose lifeless body arrives at a hospital or other facility where it is segmented and stripped of useful parts. It was Thursday, March 8, 1962 as I stood on the deck of troopship USNS, The army contingent on the ship consisted mostly of infantry troops. The weather was warm for the more formal greens but many chose to wear them. 24 Suisun Bay Mothball Fleet in May 2009 from the gun port of a B-24 Liberator bomber, In 2007 over 70 ships of various shapes and sizes lay at anchor in Suisun Bay. They’d be seen popping out of the water parallel to the ship, flapping their fins wildly in the air as if desperately trying to keep up with us, before diving back into the deep. The list is in chronological order by departure date. There were also contingents of GIs from the other services and a number of civilian dependents. I had just passed through and was in the back of the bay. But in closer to the ship, the water took on a beautiful pale, ice blue shade where the Patrick’s bow sliced through. On being ferried ashore at Inchon on that Saturday morning, I looked back at the grey hull of the General Patrick sitting at anchor out there in the harbor. 14 The Patrick sailing right to left past Honolulu beaches en route to Pearl Harbor; March 1962. The Patrick was a floating time machine instantly propelling us into the future. The Patrick had been there for over 40 years, like a permanent resident. The process of recycling such a vessel is akin to the death of a person whose lifeless body arrives at a hospital or other facility where it is segmented and stripped of useful parts. Maybe it was a half mile to a mile long as we steamed by. I say mysterious because it appeared seemingly out of nowhere about two or three miles away. A lot was happening on the other side of those steel plates. Figures 47 and 48, acquired by David Walker, courtesy of Esco Marine, show the vessel tied up along the waterfront during the last week of July 2010. [i], 1 The 608 foot General Patrick looking her best (From the Patrick’s handbook “The Ship I sailed On”). Jack C. Goldthorpe, USCG (Ret. In the years that followed that time in the service, I often thought about those days aboard the Patrick, thought about what happened to her and what seas she might now be sailing…, There I was on a chilly, overcast day in early 1962, a 19 year-old U.S. Army Private First Class staring out into the broad expanse of the Pacific Ocean, apprehensive, wondering what the Fates had in store. But alas, the distant beaches looked empty. Up close, it was clear for most of them that their service days were over, their glory days a distant past. Since we’d be amongst the civilian population, all of us were required to wear a dress uniform, and we had a choice between dress greens and khakis. 3 Passing Yerba Buena Island in SF Bay. 17 King Kamehameha; March 1962. According to the Contra Costa Times article, the Patrick had been in the reserve fleet there in Suisun Bay for nearly 40 years, waiting in vain for another chance to serve her country. Some thought the key to avoiding seasickness was not to think about rich foods such as greasy pork chops, chicken frying in deep fat, etc. We were there to report trouble and be alert for any chance of fire. And the earth reprocesses the bits and pieces into new life forms. Our group spent about an hour enjoying the warm Pacific waters of Waikiki—quite a change from the cool and foreboding Pacific of San Francisco. This was going to be a nice day. What an honor. Draft 26' 6" (lim) I had only recently discovered that, for a nominal fee, I could join a small party boat that cruised around the fleet for a couple of hours one weekend a month. The Patrick headed west following the late afternoon sun as perhaps 1,500 of us filled its grey decks and cabins. The offending soldier moaned in complaint, blew a cloud of smoke in the air, but quickly extinguished the butt. So, in September 2010 and April 2011 I was not able to firmly identify the Patrick amongst the Suisun flotilla. She got there several days later than expected due to heavy seas and 50 MPH winds during her journey south. Troops not lucky enough to be working on the ship’s newspaper assisted the cooks, served food and washed pots and pans (chores commonly called KP—kitchen police). I gazed at a front page story about the Suisun Bay Mothball Fleet, featuring an examination of the most dilapidated ship in the entire group, the troopship General Edwin D. Patrick. Cargo Capacity 100,000 cu. I held fast to the ladder and hoped for the best. And so it was for me—travelling to Travis Air Force Base in California by way of Tokyo in a four-engine, turbo-prop Constellation. 11 The dining room for the troops (From the Patrick’s handbook “The Ship I sailed On”). Length 608' 11" Fort Mason appeared on our port side and the Patrick eased into one of its piers. While the fleet was fairly close, it was difficult to see much beyond the first one or two ships in each row since I was viewing the fleet from near sea level. 20 Front page of the Patrick's daily news; March 1962. It then brought us back to army-reality by rudely plunking us down on the wintry shores of this foreign land. Only long afterwards did I realize I was on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Every year these ships deteriorated further, shedding hundreds of pounds of toxic paint flakes into the water. These are the last pictures of the Patrick I’ve been able to locate. $4.99 + $1.00 Shipping. Unlike the final towing of the Patrick to Texas, these tugs are pushing and pulling the ship across the bay. Back then my thoughts were mostly on the family and friends I had left behind in Philadelphia. Was it even still afloat? We next strolled down Waikiki’s main beachfront avenue looking in the shops and searching for a reasonable place to eat a late lunch. A vessel of this size could not pull up to a pier since, when the tide ebbed, the ship would find itself high and dry on the mud flats. The editor and his assistant, with a little help from their friends, selected news items from commercial wire services, including significant events from around the world, financial developments and a synopsis of the day’s sports results at home. The teak decks, laid over steel, are rotten; gray paint, laced with lead and mercury, is flaking off in huge hunks. Up close, it was clear for most of them that their service days were over, their glory days a distant past. 41 Patrick leaves BAE facility under tow for last voyage; May 3, 2010 (Photo courtesy of Peter Knego)[xi], 42 Patrick under tow on course for the Golden Gate Bridge. During the half hour flight the aircraft flew at low altitude, perhaps 2,000-3,000 feet, over the beautiful, dry, golden brown hills bordering the bay area. $4.49 shipping. USS Covington (ID # 1409) Fitting out for Navy service, circa mid-1917. PATRICK Troopship WWII US Navy ca 1940s Vintage Postcard. July to December: The records of ships used to carry troops to their theaters of operations were destroyed intentionally in 1951. If she sails today, it is truly as a Ghost Ship. The other ship was USNS General John Pope. Every year these ships deteriorated further, shedding hundreds of pounds of toxic paint flakes into the water. World War II Troopship Crossings departing in 1944. The cruise and the sightseeing were free—well, Uncle Sam was extracting two or three years of our lives to his service. [vii]. The fact that my upright stance on the board usually lasted no more than two seconds is completely irrelevant. From the waist gun port of a B-24; May 2009. The mind wandered: palm trees, warm breezes, tropical beaches, grass skirts, Hawaiian girls… Of course, in the real world we were still in the army.        Also see the NavSource Naval History site at http://www.navsource.org/archives/home.html, [vii] http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/22/22124.htm The ship rounded Yerba Buena Island (and Treasure Island) on the south side and passed under the massive grey suspension towers of the Bay Bridge. My memory fades here; however, I do recall that, while walking back to the, By the time most GIs straggled out on deck the next morning, the, The forward head (“bathroom” for landlubbers) below decks was interesting because this compartment was situated exactly on the bow of the ship. Life aboard the Patrick quickly got down to business as all these hundreds of temporary hands were assigned specific duties for the duration of the voyage. Perhaps it was too early for hula girls. 18 Waikiki and Diamond Head; March 1962. And with the demilitarized zone only 25 miles from Seoul, the Cold War in Korea was always very warm and always a very serious business. Bay Bridge is in background; May 3, 2010 (Courtesy of David Walker as posted on Cruisepage.com on May 3, 2010) [xii] With the Pentagon’s announcement that U.S. forces in Afghanistan will be cut in half — to 2,500 — by inauguration day, after 19 years, it appears the end to America’s longest war may be in sight. After serving her country with distinction in several campaigns and winning many decorations she was put out to pasture in the Ready Reserve fleet in Suisun Bay, California. The Patrick would move at the behest of Alexandra for the next 5,000 miles as the two vessels made their way to the Panama Canal and then Brownsville. Complement, Enlisted - 5,150 By the time most GIs straggled out on deck the next morning, the General Patrick had resumed its westerly course and Oahu was far behind. Changing uniforms too often was not a good idea since it meant constantly rooting around and rearranging your total worldly possessions, all of which were in that bag. There below and dead ahead (no pun intended) was the Ghost Fleet—row upon row of vessels passed under us. Imagine if it had been a hurricane or cyclone. While sitting in the forward head, attempting to ignore fellow naturalists, one might read a book or daydream, perhaps contemplating the ship’s bow just a few feet away. The intended use of these ships after the War was for trans-Pacific service. And so I spent my duty-time cruising the sleeping quarters for fires every morning and afternoon at 0200-0400 and 1400-1600, respectively. To some of us landlubbers leaning on the railings taking it all in, the course through these islands seemed a bit treacherous, but then, what does an army troop know about such things? The fruitless attempt to get Patrick photos from the Benicia shoreline in April 2011 piqued my curiosity and I mounted another internet search to gather whatever current information there might be about her status. Dedicated to the crew of the USS Monticello from 1957-1985 This site contains Naval History of the USS Monticello LSD-35 Nonetheless, the troops were excited and all smiles. There were no deck chairs, hot tubs or shuffleboard facilities but there was plenty of open deck space. This was not pretty. The newspaper boys became experts at running the ship’s mimeograph machine, a skill that has undoubtedly deteriorated over time, as has the use of the mimeograph itself. The guard needed to be 100% alert at all times. Meanwhile, here we were, America’s finest—trained to run up and down hills—floating up and down in the middle of the world’s biggest ocean. It was built in Alameda, California, entering service in the spring of 1945 and originally commissioned USS Admiral C. F. Hughes. It didn’t stay in view for very long but it made an impression. As the Patrick’s bow dipped steeply down, a stream of water filled with floating paper and other debris would rush down that 4-inch channel toward the bow. As if the howling winds, heavy rain and continuously crashing waves were not enough, the, The real challenge of our voyage was to while away the hours without knowing they were passing by, keeping occupied, reading books, writing letters, playing cards, taking a nap, staring at the ocean. Within an hour the Patrick was fully enveloped in a massive storm, at least it seemed so from my perspective. The Patrick moved through the Panama Canal’s Gatun locks on the afternoon of 29 May, according to another canal webcam grab from David Walker. This view of the Patrick’s forward section shows some of the considerable rust along the waterline and on the upper section of the bridge. The Lucky Seven were assigned to the 508th USASA Group at Yong Dong Po, a suburb of Seoul and their home for the next 12 months. During my trip to the Fleet, I was told that U.S.N.S. Loading stores on the Patrick the day before sailing, March 1962. But their time has passed. By the time I left Korea 12 months later, most troops were traveling back to the states in aircraft of the Military Air Transport Service (MATS). And then the cycle would repeat. Chances are you’d see nothing but the wide expanse of open water, no islands, no ships—just the deep blue sea stretching out to meet the sky. That’s when I ran across Peter Knego’s article of May 7, 2010 “Pursuing the U.S.N.S. While attending an airshow at Livermore Municipal Airport, California, I opted to take a ride aboard a WWII-era 4-engine bomber, the B-24 Liberator—the only one of its type still flying. 46 Patrick enters the Gatun lock of Panama Canal on May 29, 2010 (Courtesy of a Panama Canal webcam grab by David Walker and posted on Cruisepage.com)[xvi]. The army was enmeshed in a Cold War with the Soviet Union and its allies the Chinese and North Koreans. One night while standing watch I attempted to write a letter but Father Neptune had other ideas. By the time I got there, an aroused bunkmate across the aisle had already given him a shout. It helps to have a good camera with a telephoto lens. As a note, when visiting other large U.S. Navy ships many years later, each time as I toured the ships’ interiors, I was struck by this very same peculiar aroma or mustiness in the air, formed perhaps by an amalgamation of the fumes from diesel oil, cleaning compounds, food preparation, and the sweat and bodily functions of those on board. The faint outline of the gold-domed Palace of Fine Arts can be seen on the San Francisco shore off the Patrick’s bow. It’s difficult to estimate the length of the island. It was here that I had my first-ever Mai Tai tropical cocktail—not exactly legal for a 19-year-old but I got a wink and a nod from our server. Nevertheless, representing the rear echelon intelligence corps (also known to some as Intel weenies) was a small cadre of Army Security Agency soldiers recently graduated from the Ft. Devens, Massachusetts ASA school. "According to our [U. S. National Archives] records, in 1951 the Department of the Army destroyed all passenger lists, manifests, logs of vessels, and troop movement files of United States Army Transports for World War II." I wondered how many captains had also been surprised in days gone by when those cliffs suddenly appeared out of a dense fog or when they gradually took shape dead ahead in the dark of a moonless night, like an iceberg in the path of the Titanic. While the Patrick steamed across the ocean at 19 knots, Father Time dallied along in a rowboat. This last day as pseudo-sailors began with ship-wide reveille at 4:30 AM, more than enough time to turn in bed linens and re-pack our gear. In Figure 46 tugs are pushing and pulling the Patrick through the narrow passage. As for the General Patrick, it would shortly be involved in its last significant action, transporting high numbers of troops to Vietnam. As the Patrick slipped its moorings at Fort Mason, a small army band stood on the pier, the drums and brass instruments providing a rousing farewell. But up on deck, if the sun was shining, it could be comfortable even on a cool day, particularly if a spot could be found under one of the exhaust vents. I had gotten to see the old General in person. On sailing day at the Oakland Army Base, reveille came extra early for the army troops. Renamed USAT GENERAL EDWIN D. PATRICK, the ship was given back to the Navy in 1950 and was placed back in service as USNS GENERAL EDWIN D. PATRICK (T-AP 124) for Korean War duty. The uniform definitely helped. As I swung open the hatch, the wind was howling and there was nothing on the other side but total blackness. Of course, with no post office at sea, these letters had to be set aside until the Patrick reached port. Nevertheless, some were in relatively good condition, like the Battleship USS Iowa, only recently added to the reserve fleet. The early evening of the 16th immediately became the early evening of the 17th. As for the “Lucky Seven,” two lived up to the moniker by getting jobs as writers/editors on the ship’s paper, while Private Buck and the other four were placed on twice-daily guard duty, essentially a fire watch. When nature made a calling which required a person to sit down, the soldier would make his way to this compartment. From here the Patrick and the Alexandra, the little engine that could, made their way into the Atlantic for the final leg of the journey. In Figure 37 the vessel has been placed on a southeasterly heading and is proceeding toward the Bay Bridge and the BAE shipyard beyond. Naval Ship but kept its army name. On the Patrick, our bunks were stacked four-high, down both sides of each passenger bay. From there the tour went up into the Ko’olau Mountains to catch a great view of the windward side of Oahu from Pali Point. Our army tour in Korea had begun. Even with all that, there was good news on the horizon: The ship would make a short stop at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Although the sky was overcast, the early sun was fighting its way through the clouds and over the mountains as we stared across at hotels, palm trees and beaches. A former name retained. It’s obvious some vessels received at least token maintenance, while others, again like the Patrick and Pope, resembled dead bodies with no chance of resuscitation—left to wither away. The ship was in heavy seas, all the more accentuated because I was in the very front compartment. The General Patrick had another ten days of sailing before its next port call on March 24th, this time in the wintry climes of Inchon Harbor, South Korea. Several decades ago, the General Patrick and I had an intimate connection for about 16 days. Sites contained pictures of the vessels, their histories and articles and comments by those who took the ships to sea. There we took on additional fellow travelers before turning about and steaming west again toward the towering orange-red, art deco expanse of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Pacific Ocean beyond. "According to our [U. But for now, the future was ours. The modest rise and fall of the ocean, as evidenced by vertical movements of the ship, was now giving way to ever larger swells. And wow, they even gave us nice clothes to wear so we’d all look alike. Its two anchor chains would be connected and a tow line fastened to them. At Honolulu, from the 75th Station Hospital, 69 nurses; 1563rd Engr., 7 officers and 191 enlisted men; 3024th QM, 1 officer and 55 enlisted men; 3020th Engr., 4 officers and 103 enlisted men. Unnamed number of troops (Marines) boarded at Nawiliwili on 22nd and 23rd of Arpil, 1945. It was like the outside of the ship had totally disappeared into the night—a bit too inhibiting for this fighting man. 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