Father-Daughter Central California Coast Trip – Day Four, Part Two

June 20, 2010
Happy Fathers Day from Naval Station Treasure Island, San Francisco, California

After having lunch at the Bay Thai Cuisine in San Rafael (Yum), we headed back towards San Francisco.

Thirty-nine years ago this month, I reported aboard Treasure Island for duty at the Damage Control “A” School.  Even though I had received basic damage control instruction along with all of the other “boots” at Naval Training Center (NTC) San Diego, I was still a “wet behind the ears”, non designated Fireman Apprentice, with very little knowledge of what to do in emergencies on board ship let alone what a Damage Controlman did.

A Damage Controlman, for you non-sailors, is the “subject matter expert” when it comes to how to contain the effects of any kind of damage that threatens a ship and the crews survivability.

Damage Control “A” School provides the knowledge and hands on skills to contain those threats by teaching the concepts and techniques required to successfully fight and extinguish shipboard fires, maintain stability by controlling flooding, contain hull breaches and affect temporary repairs to restore operational integrity to the ship.  Included in the course of instruction are the techniques required for self and shipboard protection and decontamination against the effects of nuclear weapons and biological and chemical agents.

When we drove onto the base, finding my old barracks was easy.  It was just down the road that ran along the quay wall from the main gate.  The hardest part was remembering which one it was.  When you stand in the parking lot, you have Cosson Hall on your left and Sage Hall on your right.  After racking my brain I stood quietly in parking lot, closed my eyes, and zenned back 39 years.  Then I remembered it was the one on my left.

Damage Control School, on the other hand, was a bit more difficult.  I remembered that the school was located on the far side of the island but going from point A to point B on any Navy base is not as easy as it sounds.  When we did find it, I hardly recognized the place because there were many new firefighting simulator buildings that were not there during my tour.

Upon graduation, I became a designated striker, which meant I was now a Damage Control Fireman Apprentice.  I was then was transferred back to NTC San Diego, this time to attend the 12 week Shipfitter “A” School before my being assigned to the fleet.

Salamat Malaki for a fantastic Fathers Day gift and for allowing your Tatay to take a journey back in time and for patiently allowing me to remember and ramble (and ramble) on.

The next time we are on a long drive, remind me to tell you of what I remember about liberty in the Haight-Ashbury District, Golden Gate Park, Chinatown and the rest of the Bay Area during my tour of duty at Treasure Island.

Mahal Kita

Tatay

“The road of life twists and turns and no two directions are ever the same.  Yet our lessons come from the journey, not the destination.”  Don Williams Jr.

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