Veteran Spotlight
Bob Decker December 10, 1940 Vietnam U.S. Navy - E-2 Electrician’s Mate
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When Bob Decker enlisted in the Navy in 1960, he was part of a special group – 80 Montana All-Staters were inducted together in Butte and went as the 587th to boot camp in San Diego, California. Bob says when he started his 9 weeks he was lower than a tadpole, but he moved up in seniority as other groups worked their way through. His boot camp designation patch was E-3. Every morning the routine included calisthenics, breakfast and marching around an area called “the grinder,” with your “piece” above your head. A rifle was called a “piece,” NEVER a “rifle.” The 9th week was for games and Bob was the director. He says the farm-strong Montana boys won everything.
Bob spent 6 months at Electrician Mate School, Class A, also in San Diego. He also learned to be the motion picture operator.
When it was time to ship out, Bob sailed on the USS Breckenridge with 1000 other Army, Marine and Navy guys. After a stop in Okinawa, Japan, they got off in Taiwan. They took a coal-burning train to the USS Graffias (AF29) which was a refrigeration ship where PT boats came in to get supplies. They steamed to Sasebo, Japan which became his home base for 2 years, Hong Kong, Okinawa, the Philippines and Taiwan. The ship spent 2 months out of Saigon, Viet Nam.
For 6 weeks, Bob was jeep driver for the XO (Executive Officer). This was good duty. As an electrician, Bob took care of fans in the refrigeration unit. He’d look around and find steaks marked “XO only,” take them up to his battery locker and cook them on a little cooker. Bob ate good! As Bob drove the XO around the different cities, he had to remember which side of the road to drive on in each place.
As motion picture operator, Bob picked out the movies. He was popular for getting guys’ favorite movies but always got something in return – like getting his laundry done. He had the best seat in the house on the 3rd deck. Officers sat on the 2nd deck and everyone else sat on the back deck. Often the film would break and he’d get hollered at till he fixed it like you see on the TV show, “MASH,” but it was all good-natured.
Bob was also popular because bunks were 5 high in the sleeping quarters. Everyone had a fan and he fixed them when they quit.
Bob liked the EM clubs (Enlisted Men) because they had good food. He also liked going ashore for 6-8 hours at a time. He and his buddies would drink and chase girls. He remembers when boarding the train from Sasebo to Tokyo there would be pushers to crowd as many people in as possible as the doors closed.
When Bob made 2nd Class, he got a 30-day leave back to San Diego and went home. When he returned he was stationed on the USS Sioux (ATF75). It had been in dry dock so everything was fixed up. He was the number 2 electrician on board so he stood quarters every morning, giving orders. Then he could walk around with his coffee cup.
Bob was also popular because when he did tool shopping for the ship and would try to get guys their favorite tools – money was no object. He said handing out the new tools was just like Christmas.
The ship left San Diego and steamed to the Aleutian Islands, Alaska, where he spent 6 months on Adak. There was nothing much to do on the base except drink. Crab fishermen would run out of fuel and call SOS so the ship could drag them 200 miles to port. The ship often got King crab in exchange. Sometimes they would deliver mail to the villages in the area and corpsmen helped when someone was sick. The villagers loved to see the ship come.
One time they steamed into Russian waters to get a critically ill guy off of a big Russian merchant marine vessel. They got the guy onto a stretcher, but he didn’t make it after all.
The ship was coming back to Seattle from Adak for an R&R (Rest and Relaxation) when the Alaska 1964 earthquake happened. The ship had evaporators to make fresh water, and they gave all they had to people in the Anchorage area.
When the ship got to Beaver Slough, Washington they picked up the largest crane on the west coast and towed it to Seward, Alaska. They took the “inside passage” traveling at about 2 knots – it took forever. The crane was used to set the boats back upright in the water after being beached by the earthquake.
Bob made a last trip back to San Diego and was discharged there. He’d passed the test for 1st class, but would have had to extend 2 more years. He had his car packed with his clothes, sitting in a secure parking lot, pointed toward home. He got his papers and was gone to good ol’ Montana. Afterwards, Bob wished maybe he had stayed in. It was a good job.
Thank you for your service, Bob.
