As I mentioned in my previous posting, I was not really a fast worker. In spite of the glacial pace of our courtship, I think we both knew very early on that she/me was the one. I will also add that a mitigating factor was a highly demanding Navy that was not conducive to my slow pace of courting.
Our first date was in December of 1960. Our next date was in the Summer of 1962. Oh, we saw each other at church -- we sat together -- went together to after church gatherings, but even these were scattered because of the Navy. What took so long? Well, I need to make a side track into what was going on in the Navy side of my life.
After our first date in December, 1960, I returned to Newport RI to complete Naval Officer Candidate school. I graduated on April 3, 1961 with the rank of Ensign, USNR. I was given leave and returned home for a few days. I know I saw Linda, but nothing really happened. Toward the end of April, I reported to San Francisco for transportation to Westpac (Western Pacific) to report to the USS Ingersoll (DD652). I flew into Clark AFB in the Philippines, went by bus to Subic Bay only to find out the ship was at sea. I was sent to a Navy Tanker for a few days in the hope that there would be a rendezvous with the Ingersoll. Finally after three days, we met the task group.
The task group was led by the USS Bennington (CVS 20) and the destroyers of Destroyer Division 212 which included the Ingersoll. It was determined that the Tanker would refuel the Bennington, but not the destroyers. How was I to get to the Ingersoll? Well, I was transferred by high-line to the carrier and spent the night there. The high-line is something like a zip line between two ships in the middle of the ocean, about 100 feet apart and traveling at about 12 knots (15mph). The ships are rolling back and forth, so the line is pulled high above the water one moment and then the rider (me) is almost in the water the next minute, not quite a thrill ride -- but it does have its moments. One difference between this and a zip line is that the high-line is considerably slower. I had to stay on the carrier that night.
The next morning, the carrier commenced refueling the destroyers and I got to enjoy another high-line trip, but this time to my new home. I'll never forget the first words of welcome as I arrived on the ship: "Get the Bleep, Bleep out of here. You are just in the way." I had no idea what to do or where to go, but I did get out of the way. I soon began to find my way around and felt at home. We were in Westpac until June when we returned to San Diego. At this time, I wasn't writing Linda, so we really had very little contact since December. Certainly now, since I'm home, I am ready to spend some time with Linda, right? Wrong!
The ship wanted me trained in my new job as Damage Control Assistant, which was one of the major jobs in the Engineering Dept. of the ship. So, shortly after our return to San Diego, I went to Treasure Island which is located in the middle of San Francisco Bay. I was there all Summer. I still wasn't corresponding with Linda -- remember, no cell phone, no computers -- only snail mail.
Finally it is the Fall of 1961 and we began to see each other fairly regularly on the weekends when I could get away long enough to travel to Bellflower. We didn't do anything official, but we were talking. I might add that one of the other impediments to our romance was my mother. My mother loved Linda and Linda's mother. I would arrive home and my mom would say, "I certainly hope that you go out with that nice Linda Carper." I would immediately call up another girl and go out with her. I was a little rebellious and, perhaps it was the fact that I agreed with my mother that Linda was nice -- I just wasn't sure that I wanted to get too involved with a nice girl at that point.
But even this stage in our relationship didn't last too long, because by October, we were preparing for another Westpac cruise. We were actually to leave in January, but we had a lot of training to do before then. I will skip my travelogue about the cruise and just say that we were gone from January through July of 1962. Linda and I still weren't writing.
After our return, we went back to our pattern of seeing one another until the end of the year. It was either December or January that we went on our Second Date -- it really was our First Date. We went to Hollywood to see Lawrence of Arabia. I think it was playing at the Egyptian Theater. We began the date with dinner at a real nice restaurant in China Town. I had a great time. It really was special. Now, after two full years, we were finally dating -- don't get too excited. I was still pretty slow -- we weren't seen everywhere as a couple -- but, it was a start. Next time I let you know what changed the situation.
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