PORT AND STARBOARD
The terms normally refer to the opposite sides of a ship. They also refer to a duty list where you alternate a
watch station with just one other individual to cover a 24 hour period. Sometimes the period of duty extends
for several days and other times you “go” port and starboard for what seems to be eternity. The 1962
deployment of USS Trathen was to test both the Gunnery Officer and the Engineer Officer.
The ship had gone through several months of intensive training with what should have been a stabile crew
for the 6 month deployment. We had just the number of officer and enlisted personnel qualified for the
normal three section watches and to man the ship for General Quarters.
I was the engineer officer and, as was my usual practice when we went to sea, I reported aboard very early
in the morning. We were to leave Long Beach CA. for the Western Pacific. My normal at sea watch would
be as Officer of the Deck in rotation with the other qualified OOD’s.
My first shock was to find 2 of my senior watch standers on deck with their sea bags and orders for transfer.
One was a senior chief Machinist Mate and the other was a qualified “Top Watch” Boiler Tender who stood
as the supervisor in the forward fire room. I was instantly short two qualified watch supervisors. How or why
there was not advance notice of these transfers was a mystery. I was without the time needed to resolve or
reverse the ordered transfers. What was apparent was I did not have enough people to man the ship at sea for
an extended period--- such as a six month deployment.
As my miscreants were preparing to leave the ship the Captain came aboard----and my remaining Chief
Machinist and Chief Boiler Tender arrived for a four way conference. Unfortunately for the Gunnery Officer
he was unaware of the problem or the conference taking place to plan a resolution --at his expense.
The decision was for me to stand my watches in the engine room and fire rooms instead of on the Bridge.
The Gunnery Officer would then be in a “Port and Starboard” watch as OOD and I would be “Port and
Starboard” in an alternating sequence between the fire room and engine room. This P/S routine would be
followed for several months. We had some breaks when the ship made port and we went to 3 section watches
on the bridge and in the engine room –but just for the few days we were in port. Finally back to sea and P/S
for the bridge and engineers. We were really dragging when the ship was assigned to the Formosa patrol. We
would operate out of Kaoshiang for our patrol area. The patrol area watches were a modified General
Quarters with some battle Stations manned around the clock. This made our upcoming 3 section watch
sequence during our visit to Kaoshiang very important as a period of rest. Then came the shocker. The Fleet
Commander required that the ships provide Shore Patrol Officers with the rank of Lieutenant or above. You
guessed correctly----the Gunnery Officer and I were the only lieutenants aboard. Further the Shore patrol
shifts were basically 16 hours. There was no rest for the wicked.
By the time we left the Formosa Patrol we were navigating on our knees ----but---- more officers and
enlisted had been qualified to permit a return to three section watches for the Gunnery Officer and me.
We slowly recovered but I heard some crew members suggesting that we were both mentally disturbed after
our experience.