USS Estes Association

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Dan Withers

Withers,Dan, SN - OE Div - 1963-64 - - Submitted 2/18/14

Dan Withers – SN, from Salem, Oregon

At the end of boot camp when orders were handed out I was shocked to see that I was headed to the fleet and not ETA School as promised. I went to the USS Estes, AGC-12 instead. She was in dry dock at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard. It turns out I was on a 6 month program called Pre School Indoctrination.

After several months in 1st Division running a paint chipper and painting I was whisked away to OE Division where my duties changed to compartment cleaner and colonel of the urinal. Then the bad hand of a card draw (Ace of Spades) sent me to Chiefs Mess for 2 months of Mess Cooking. That was fun and I had great food.

In the last month of the tour one of the ET-2s discovered I was a ham radio operator and knew how to operate a voltmeter and oscilloscope, so I became his personal gofer as we worked on the new SPS-30 radar system being installed.

The radar was located directly above the 6-71 engine run up stand. I can still hear those engines screaming.

The other thing I remember is watching the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show debut on the black and white TV somewhere. That was just 50 years ago.

On July 10, 1964 I reported to Treasure Island and continued with ETA school. Following that school I went to the USS Stoddard, DD-566.