-  BILL TRUSLOW  -

Bill Truslow worked for NAVOCEANO from 1980 through 1989. He served aboard USNS Bowditch, USNS Dutton and USNS H. H. Hess as a gravity rep. Bill reports that between January 1984 and September 1989 he spent more time on the Dutton than he did at home. He sailed on the last trips of both Bowditch and Dutton. Four months after leaving Dutton Bill retired from service with  NAVOCEANO. He now lives in West Virginia.

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BOWDITCH PHOTOS 1982-84

From late 1982 through most of 1983 with few exceptions, Bowditch inported in Las Palmas in the Canary Islands.  One of the crews favorite haunts in Las Palmas was the Condi Bar--a dive bar operated by an American named Richard. This picture taken at the Condi in May 1983 with some of my favorite friends on the Bowditch:  ET2 Jim Shirley, ET3 Kevin Headley, RM2 Tim Spivey, and me.


ET1 Bob Reck, ET3 Kevin Headley and RMSA Jeff Natske in 1983.


Sharing a laugh with PH2 Steve Bevacqua in 1983.


ET3 Kevin Headley, Linda Petitpas and ET3 "Beef" Knudson in 1983.


PH2 Steve Bevacqua and RM2 Tim Spivey in 1983.


GI tech Mike Rizzo and Megan Hughes in 1983.


ET3 Kevin Headley in 1983.


ET3 Bill Ashburn in 1983.


Two GI Tech Reps and two gravity reps. Mike Rizzo, Bill Truslow,Mike Librizzi and Carlos Mandry. Photo from 1984.



DUTTON PHOTOS 1984-89

Between November 1983 and July 1984 the Dutton and Hess were both working the same area south of Hawaii and inporting together at Pearl Harbor and Guam.  In April or May, 1984 the SASS on the Hess died. The Dutton had the part needed to restore the Hess SASS. The Hess steamed toward the Dutton to collect same part. Picture shows ET3 Mark ("Mort") Morton and me holding a message for the Hess crew reminding them that the Old Lady saved their ass. The Hess sent over a boat and when I looked over  the rail to see the handoff I heard "Hey Bill'! I saw 3 guys I had sailed with on the Hess in 1982.  This was common during the last 5 years of my NAVO career. No matter what ship I went to I was always running into people I had sailed with on another ship.



Dutton pig roast. When the Dutton docked in Guam in early 1984 I rented a car and ET3 Mark Morton, RM3 Larry Letofsky and started exploring. In walking distance to the ship was a beach with two concrete tables, volley ball nets, and a fire pit with a large grate.  I immediately thought pig roast! Since I was a civilian and  not allowed in the Commissary, Mort and Larry went and secured a pig. The entire Dutton crew was invited and since the Hess was parked next to us, they were also invited.  Night before Mort, Larry, and I stayed up all night feeding the fire and slathering the pig with barbeque sauce. We were unable to get a keg so  in a giant trash can we iced down 25 cases of Budweiser. Next day crews of both ships ate, drank, and played volley ball well into the night. It was a fun day!

This photo shows Bill Truslow, ET2 Mike Librizzi, ET3 Mark Morton and ET1 Pat Duggan.



Dutton pig roast, 1984. Bill Truslow, Megan Hughes and ET3
Dick Williams.

Streaming the magnetometer in 1984. Gravity Rep Jerome May, Bill Truslow and ET3 Mark Morton.

ET3 Mark Morton.and RM3 Larry Letofsky at Guam in 1984.

LTJG Mary Kay Copper competing in the Dutton olympics in 1984.

Down in Survey: Jean Lambrect, RM2 Bobby Earl Woodell, ET3 Mark Morton, Bill Truslow, RM3 Larry Letofsky, ET3 Travis Culp and ET3 Val Walmark.

ET3 Julian Cole, ET3 Charles Ripple and ET3 Curtis "Spike" Milligan in 1985.

ET3 Mike Anderson and RM3 Phil Botsford about to hit the beach in Barbados in 1985.

ET3 Scott "Seb" Sebastian surveying Dutton in dty dock at Port Arthur, Texas in 1985.

ET3 Charles Ripple and ET3 Scott Sebastian during yard period at Port Arthur, Texas in 1985.

ET1 Lee Johnson at shellback initiation as Dutton crossed the equator in 1985.

Shellback initiation in 1985. SK2 David Tiddy is standing at left.

ET3 Pat Evans and ET3 Julian Cole in 1985.

A party in Bill's room. ET3 Mike Anderson, Megan Hughes and Tom Sandidge in 1985.

Dutton crew having a good time at the Ship Inn during Barbados inport in 1985.

Pictured are ET3 Pat Evans, Megan Hughes, ET1 Lee Johnson, ET3 Spike Milligan, Dale Klemm, Karen Headley and ET3 Dusty Traill.

Dutton pool party. In the summer of 1987 while Dutton inported in Hawaii, ET1 Kelly Winegarden went out and bought a blow up kiddie pool. During the next two survops from  Pearl Harbor to Diego Garcia, those of us on the 3-11 watch cooled off in the pool before work.

Dutton pool party in 1987. DS3 Janet Nemenic and Bill Truslow in pool with ET2 Jim Manning in background.

Frequent attendees were ET1 Mike Pearson, DS2 Gordon Foster and Hydro rep Dale Klemm..


Gravity rep Tom Whitacre at shellback initiation in 1987.


Dutton being docked at Gulfport, Mississippi for the last time, finishing distinguished 31 year career on September 4, 1989.


On Monday September 4, 1989 Dutton arrived in Gulfport to end final survop.  This was Labor Day weekend and since Monday was a federal holiday, NAVO was not working.  However when Dutton arrived the dock was lined with NAVO employees. The Customs agents didn't feel like working on a hoilday and quickly cleared the ship. This was great for those of us with cases of Barbados rum stored in the ship and didn't have to pay duty!  The NAVOs that  had sailed on the ship gathered for a final photo on USNS Dutton, the most reliable of the TAGS ships.


H. H. HESS PHOTOS 19
81-82

CMDR John Pfeiffer with ET1 Bob Reck in 1981.

 

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ET3 Bruce Martinez and ET2 Paul Brackett in 1981.

 

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USNS H. H. Hess at Balboa, Panama in October 1981.

 

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Three gravity reps: Mark Bridges, Bridget Anderson and Bill Truslow. Oakland, December 23, 1981.


During my 7 years in North Carolina I learned first hand how to roast a pig.When the Hess docked in Pearl Harbor in July 1982, I checked the yellow pages and found a pig but had no place to roast.  My buddy Bill Ross rented a cabin at Bellows Beach at the Air Force Base across the Pali Highway from Honolulu.  Behind the cabin was a big fire pit.  This picture taken at the pig roast shows ET2 Bill Ross, me, and RM3 Kevin Freemano.

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In the Fall of 1982 several friends from the Hess visited my home in Pass Christian, MS. One evening we drove across the border for a night of drinking in New Orleans. This picture was taken at the piano bar at Pat O'Brians in the French Quarter. ET3 Roger Swanson, RM3 Kevin Freeman, Bill Truslow and ET2 Bill Ross.


ET3 Bruce Martinez, Hess 1981-82. When Bruce left the Hess he took his picture from the Ocunit photo board.


RM3 Kevin Freeman in 1982.


ET3 Dick Williams in 1982.


ET3 Bill Ross in 1982.


RM3 Kevin Freeman, Hydro Rep Mark Alonso and GI tech Bob Reck at Guam in 1982..