In the 1960's, it was common for a young man to enlist in the military out of high school. Some did it for the excitement, some to be courageous, and others just to see the world. In September 1969, 17 year old Paul Cuddy - having graduated from high school merely three months earlier - found himself signing up to enlist in the Navy, a job which would take over his life for the next seven years. In the following interview, Paul Cuddy, my father, tells of a day in his life in the Navy.
Jen Cuddy
Although there was only one month left of our six month cruise to the Mediterranean, I felt on March 6, 1971, that I'd never see land again.
We had been battling a fierce storm of waves 30 feet high for nearly three days in the Adriatic Sea. I had had to work the night shift on watch in the engine room for the last two nights and felt as if I hadn't slept in weeks. To make matters worse every morning at 0630, I was graced with the likes of my officer, Lt. Manno.
Manno was a good man and a good leader but I couldn't help but feel contempt for him considering he was the one who dragged us out of bed in the morning at un-godly hours and shouted orders in our faces for the better part of the day.
Anyway, I'm sure it was the mixture of the storm, my lack of sleep, and Lt. Manno that gave me an awful case of cabin fever. That stupid boat was bouncing around like a tin can in water.
So, that particular day in March amidst the storm, I and two of my friends decided to go up to the signal bridge to get some fresh air. The winds were blowing wildly so we went into the signal house. Just as we did, the most massive wave I ever saw in my life crashed over the signal house, leaving its inhabitants in the pitch dark for a few seconds. I was scared.
When the water cleared, we couldn't help but think what might have happened had we not been in the signal house. So feeling a bit weary from our near death experience, we descended the steps back to the main deck.
By the fourth day, the storm had cleared but the problems hadn't. We found ourselves low of fuel bobbin around the Adriatic in that tin can. It was announced that we would rendezvous with an aircraft carrier, the U.S.S. Saratoga, to refuel. This was to become one of the most exciting things I ever saw.
The U.S.S. Saratoga was nearly six times the size of the U.S.S. Waldron. In order to exchange fuel, we pulled along side of the huge ship less than 100 feet away. Huge hoses were thrown from deck to deck to refuel our ship.
I remember watching the rendezvous and being amazed. The sight of our small ship next to that huge ship was incredible and something I'll remember for the rest of my life.
So, storm over and fuel tank full, the captain announced a two day stay in Venice, Italy, filled with rest and relaxation. I guess in the Navy, you have to take the good with the bad.
Paul Cuddy
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