Three Years & Two Days by Morgan Evans [USCG LSA]

Three Years & Two Days

by Morgan Evans

On August 20, 1946 I enlisted in the Coast Guard for three years. I was sent to Mayport, Florida for boot camp. Since I had completed a year in the merchant marine plus going to their boot camp at Sheepshead Bay, NY the Coast Guard boot camp seemed fairly easy.

In November I was sent from warm Florida direct to Newburyport, MA. When I got off the train dressed in "Whites" it was in a snow storm. I stayed at the Merrimac River Lifeboat Station there until I was sent to Radio Maintenance school in Groton, CN. After completing school in March 1947 I was transferred to the Radio Shop at CG Depot, Woods Hole, MA.

The day after I arrived at Woods Hole, the ET stationed there was transferred and I was left in charge and the only ET there for six months. I found out that I had many shore stations and 7 lightships to maintain all of the radio equipment. I didn't even know where they were located. So with a road map and a 1942 Ford Sedan Delivery with heater, radio, 300,000 miles and the third engine I started my new job. I soon found out that a lot of the equipment was radio beacons. At school we only spent a couple of days training on this type equipment. We were told that it was doubtful that we would ever see any of this! My territory covered from Provincetown on the tip of Cape Cod to Watch Hill LB Station on the border of Rhode Island and Connecticut. This also included Block Island, Martha's Vineyard and Cuttyhunk. The seven lightships were Pollock Rip (LV-196), Stonehorse Shoals (LV-53), Handkerchief Shoals (LV-98), Cross Rip (LV-96), Vineyard Sound (LV-110), Hens and Chickens (LV-86), and Brenton Reef (LV-102). My transportation to these ships ranged from a 180 ft bouytender, 98 ft icebreaking tug, 63 ft crash boat, 38 ft picket boat, 36 ft motor lifeboat or the lightship's motor lifeboat. Sometimes I would spend a week or two moving from one lightship to another before I got a chance to come ashore. Some of the shore stations included Highland Light, Chatham LB Station, Woods Hole Depot, Cuttyhunk LB Station, Sandwich LB Station, Nobska Point Light, Gay Head Light, Butlers Flat Light (Including radio controlled fog horn on Dumpling Rock), Cleveland Ledge Light, Castle Hill LB Station, Point Judith Light and LB Station, Watch Hill Light, Block Island LB Station, Southeast Light and all the 36 ft motor lifeboats, 38 ft picket boats, 63 ft crash boat and 3 buoy tenders.

In the summer of 1948 the Ford was put on surplus and they gave me a brand new Jeep with no heater or radio. When that winter came we had about two months of temperatures at -15 degrees at night and 10 degrees in the daytime. I kept a pile of newspapers in the Jeep to stuff in the cracks between the canvas curtains. It was pretty tough when I had to drive 100 miles or more in that kind of weather.

The last year at Woods Hole I was assigned to Nantucket (LV-112) to serve one month tours of temporary duty. I spent four one month tours on Nantucket while CWO Gosson was in charge.

I was rated ET3 when I completed training at Groton. I made ET2 after six more months. After about 8 more months I tried for ET1 but was told I have I would have to have some sea duty before I could qualify for that rating. I never received any sea pay for any of this since my permanent duty station was Woods Hole. I did manage to talk a Commander in Boston into paying me $300 mustering out pay for serving outside the continental limits of the United States. He said no one had ever been paid this for serving on Nantucket before.

My three year enlistment ended on August 20, 1949. Since this happened on Saturday, they made me stay until Monday the 22nd before I could be discharged. So hence the title "Three Years And Two Days".

When I was discharged I was being paid $115.00 a month as an ET2. They paid me mileage for 633 miles to drive from Boston, MA to Elizabeth City, NC at a rate of $.05 per mile for a total of $31.65. My cost for gas for the trip was less than that.

Don't miss "Time in the Merchant Marine" at the end or click here for quick access

Morgan Presents Woods Hole 60 years later

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