Enough time has passed for me to share this story...For a short time the helm wheel was in my house in central Oregon. I was Deck Dept. 2nd Div. for the final cruise, manned the helm on MANY a mid-watch. I wanted a piece of the ship to remember her and being a young dumb sailor I borrowed the helm wheel when I left her for the last time. Smuggled it off the quarterdeck at the bottom of a bag of all my gear. I went home on leave for 30 days before reporting to my next ship in San Diego. NCIS showed up at my home, asking if I knew anything about a missing helm wheel. It was hard to say no, largely because it was hanging on the wall directly behind me as I answered the door. I was NJPd at my next command for larceny. CMC, XO and Captain all thought it was funny. Let me off with 45 days extra duty and 1/2 X 2 pay. I heard later that they wanted it in a museum, I would still like to go hold it one more time.
Posted on: Sun, 31 Aug 2014 10:44:15 +0000
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