On 02/03/08 Ben Settle
said:
Nice to see some familiar names on the site. I recall the 40+ rolls and endless nights
pouring pints down in the various ports like Dutch, Adak, etc. I was a QM3 when I flew into Dutch
to meet the Storis in 1991 and was transferred in 1995 as a QM2. Great friends and hysterical
watches! Zuber - if you're out there I've been looking for you and would love to catch up. Jim Van
Atta - great Chief who taught me the stars were a guide to those that know them! I only named a few
names but the list is long. I do miss the CG but miss the great friendships. I frequently flip
through the photos and have fond memories of a great ship and great shipmates. I drift at times and
think of Chris Lisagor (r.i.p) who died well before his time while we celebrated my departure and
that of Chris Hartzog. Shame on me for not doing a great job of keeping in touch with everyone but
I think of you all regularly!
On 01/20/08 mark
said:
I was on the storis from 88' to 90
On 01/11/08 Ron Matusky
said:
I first met her in dry dock at MCI shipyards just before she received her gold numbers. We
worked 8 hours on/8 hours off for 2 months until she looked brand new. I really miss her and the
late nights I spent laying in the tow bit gazing at the stars. I miss my shipmates and some of the
fun we had together. Sometime I dream I'm still on her and when I wake I want to see her again. Who
could forget 36 foot swells and the portal windows that looked like maytag front loading washing
machines? How about the JO's ripping the side of the ship open in Dutch while learning to cast off
and pull up to the pier? How about the time we were filmed by the discovery channel that was doing a
special on crab fishing? Who remembers all the scullery duty I had to pull because Cheif Rupert
disliked me? You have to admit - I played some good music while I was in there...lol. I've peeled
enough potatoes and shrimp to last a lifetime. lol. Get in touch with me folks : )
On 12/19/07 Glynn Davis
said:
Served aboard STORIS Then designated (WAG38) from April 62 thru Nov.63 . Came aboard as a
seaman left as BM3.
On 12/13/07 thomas hess
said:
On 11/19/07 mason r. lane
said:
I was on the Queen for 2 tours, 83-86, FA-FN-SS3, What a great reunion page with
all the crewmembers!
On 11/18/07 B.F.JACKSON
said:
I was a member of the crew of the STORIS Dec.1944-Dec.1945
On 11/16/07 Jim Cushman
said:
Just in case anybody is interested, my e-mail has changed. Should be: captc@mocinc.biz
On 11/09/07 Tom Tucker
said:
Served on the great lady from 1959 through 1950. Had a great reunion in Reno this year.
Wish there could have been more of you there. Also noticed an earlier message from me . . with an
outdated e-mail address. Now you all have the latest. Anyone on board during the same era . . .
would love to hear from you.
On 11/07/07 Andy
said:
Served onboard Dec 90-Dec 92. Had great times. Can nayone that remembers me believe I am a
Police Officer in Boston, Ma for the last 12 years.
On 10/16/07 Rick Niday
said:
I see there is a question from Mr. Cheatham “Who remembers Mongo”. My answer is “Who could
forget”. I served aboard from 75-77 SA-SN. I was unable to make the reunion because I still work on
boats (see MSNBC article) and we were underway. Still married to the young lady I meet while we were
in the yards in Seattle.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5676287/
On 09/30/07 eva ferrell@nps.gov
said:
On 09/28/07 Allen Pritchett
said:
I served on CG Cutter Unimak, RPT, 05/05/85 as a SS3 before transfering out , I made SS2
and RPT to CG Cutter Smilax in Brunswick GA, 1988 If anyone was on either one of these Cutters
please contact me.
On 09/18/07 Randy Merritt
said:
Would like to contact ENC Allen. Was aboard Storis 68-69
On 09/08/07 John Roche Rd2
said:
Just got back from Reno and some proud and misty moments with my 'Coastie buddies'
Chief Jim Barbarow, John Doherty and Bob Arakel. Would like to see some more vintage 63-64 sailors
at a future reunion.
On 09/03/07 John Doherty
said:
Well if God will'in And the creek don't rise My wife Barb and I wil be in Reno tomorrow
at noon flying from Cincinnati, Ohio. Hope you sailors are ready to drink enough to float the
'Storis' again! See ya all tomorrow!
On 08/24/07 Gilbert Flores
said:
Reservations made...airline tickets ready...am looking for a great time in Reno. I am
flying in on the 5th and will return home to San Antonio on the 7th. I hope that some of the crew
who served in '70 and 71' will be there. I spoke with 'Stud' Olsen and unfortunately he will not be
able to make the trip...He sure remembered a whole lot of names from the past. This should be a
great time...I look forward to meeting all who have served on the Storis.
On 08/16/07 John J Doherty
said:
O K Harrah's 4th thru 6th, got my reservations. Will be there, Hope theres some crew
there fom the year 1963 & 1964 from the Storis. My hair is all gray and I put on a 100 lbs so it 'll
be hard to tell who I am. See ya there!
On 08/13/07 darryl greene
said:
anyone know of anymore sites to find old friends or buddies?? this site doesnt seem to
have that many-thanks Darryl Greene 87-89 uscgc storis
On 08/11/07 Otto binder
said:
Retired ship approved as museum JUNEAU: Ship began patrols near Greenland in wartime.
By PAT FORGEY Juneau Empire (Published: August 11, 2007) The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Storis
was already a museum piece last winter when it spent 54 days pounding through the Bering Sea and the
Gulf of Alaska on its last patrol. Now it will become an actual museum piece, the heart of a
maritime museum on Juneau's waterfront. 'There is such an unbelievable outpouring of emotion from
crew and people in the Coast Guard to save this ship,' Juneau's Joe Geldhof said. Geldhof and
several other fans of Alaska's maritime history formed a nonprofit group to save the ship from the
scrap yard. Now, the storied Storis' fate won't involve being melted down to make razor blades, he
said. Geldhof said he expects it will cost about $750,000 to bring the Storis to Juneau, and he's
already working on ideas for raising the money. With 64 years on duty, the Storis was the oldest
vessel in the service and was known as the 'Queen of the Fleet,' according to its last skipper,
Capt. Jim McCauley. Because it was commissioned in the U.S. Coast Guard, it took action by
Alaska's members of Congress, including Rep. Don Young and Sen. Ted Stevens, to win the approval of
the transfer to the USCG Storis Museum and Maritime Education Center. 'You have to have
authorization to transfer a commissioned vessel,' he said. 'Fortunately, Congressman Young and Sen.
Stevens thought it was a worthy project.' In a press release Stevens noted that the Storis has
been in Alaska since 1948 and now will be here permanently. The Storis was commissioned in 1942
and immediately saw action in the dangerous seas around Greenland. The ship's mission there was to
prevent Nazi Germany from establishing weather stations on Greenland that would help it in the
Battle of the Atlantic and the air war over Europe. After the war, the Storis' ice-resistant hull
enabled it to be one of a fleet of U.S. ships that made history by transiting the Northwest Passage
through the Arctic Ocean. Geldhof said he envisions the Storis coming to Juneau's revamped cruise
ship dock now under consideration, sitting between the floating dock and the pier. 'It'll nestle
right in there,' he said. 'It'll be a good place for the Storis to be moored.' The ship was in
service earlier this year and is thought to need little major repair, but Geldhof said it would
likely need a substantial amount of work to convert it into a floating museum. He'd like to get
some of the maritime items from the Alaska State Museum on loan to tell the story of Alaska's
history at a more appropriate location. Some changes he'd like to make with the Storis include
replacing a modern 20-mm cannon with a 3-inch cannon of an earlier vintage. He'd also like to
accompany it with a period float aircraft, such as the kind Storis used to patrol Greenland during
the war, and a more modern helicopter. Geldhof said he expected it would take until 2009 before
the location would be ready and the Storis could be brought to Juneau.
On 07/31/07 Jess Cheatham
said:
Was on board from Jan. '76 to June '77...ships photographer and deckie. Can't wait to see
everyone in Reno next month. Burks, Conigilo,Nash,Baukol hope you'll be there. Did you'll know the
Sto was in National Geographic in 1979. I'll bring it to Reno. Best time of my life...who remembers
Mongo?
On 07/30/07 Ken Fisher
said:
My last posting was in 2000 and much has happened to the Storis since then. She is now
asleep in Suisin Bay just northest of San Francisco, along with other fine ships that are no longer
in service. It saddens me to see her fallow after the incredibel history and service she has
rendered to the USA and the USCG. I served aboard the Storis in 1957 and 1958 when we made th
eNorthwest Passage voyage and the circumnavigation of the North American Continent. She was the
first American ship accomplish that feat, but the honors of the first ship ever was the Canadian ice
breaker Labrador in 1955. We will be celbrating the 50th anniversary of our historic voyage in
Reno Nevada on that date in September. To anyone interested in the details of our trip, get a
copy of a recently published book, 'The Historic Northwest Passage' by Dick Juge who served along
side me at the time. It's availavable from Amazon books. Hope to see all of my shipmates in
Reno.
On 07/23/07 Frankie Moore
said:
Mates, Tomorrow at 3pm please take a moment of silence for Chief Ray Buckner .( The Camel
Man ) His funeral is at 3pm in Atlanta Ga.
On 07/22/07 Frankie Moore
said:
This is to inform mates of the Storis that Chief Ray Buckner passed over the bar on July
18th due to complications from colon surgery . Ray ( The Camel Guy ) was a very close friend of
mine and a old shipmate from the Eastwind. We served together from 1961 thru 1963 . There will be a
grave side service at Arlington cemetery in Atlanta Ga. at 3 pm Thursday July 24 . The address of
the cemetery is 201 Mt. Vernon rd. N.W Atlanta Ga. 30328
On 07/18/07 Lenny Rash
said:
Just finished watching the Kevin Costner movie 'The Guardian'. For those that don't
know, The Storis is featured in the film and is shown getting underway from Kodiak. Excellent movie
by the way.
On 07/16/07 James Hunter
said:
To my old shipmates from '87 and '88, love to hear from you. Send me an email.
On 07/08/07 Susan O'Connor Fraser
said:
Hey folks! Wanted to let you know that we finally got the new Cutters on Patrol segment
completed on the Cutter Storis. Check it out when you get a chance at:
http://www.coastguardchannel.com/24_7_vid/cutters.shtml Thanks as always for all you've done to
serve this country.
On 06/05/07 Teddy P. Andrion
said:
Hey Guys, Remember winning the championship volleyball tournament in Kodiak, kicking Navy
Marine butt that was really fun. Still had my trophy and treasuring it. We really had support from
the crew of the Storis. At first few of the crew were watching and next thing you know half of the
crew was there cheering. Hit in the head really hard but recover quick from it. The skeet range was
fun also but an E-2 does not make that much those days but fun and the comraderie on board the
Storis was really great. I remember slicing those caribou steaks, was so juicy and I can still
tasted it. eat your heart out guys. See you all in Reno in September
On 05/31/07 TeddyAndrion
said:
I was stationed on board the Storis 68, 69, 70. Escorting the Manhattan was a thrilled.
Crossing the 180 was also fun. Under the command of Cdr Byrd and Xo Lcdr Van Horsen. All good
officer especially all the Junior ones. Ens Martin, Gould, Bishop LT. , Chittick, Johnson, Lt,. My
first station and it was an experience that will remain in mind. Please E-Mail me whoever you
are, especially LTJG Frank Olson n his beautiful and kindhearted wife Anne.
On 05/31/07 Teddy Andrion
said:
On 05/29/07 Capt Ken Bishop, Jr
said:
5-26-07 While strolling down the sidewalk waiting for the Memorial Day Parade to
start in Coupeville, WA, Capt Ken Bishop, USCG (Ret), was hailed by a gentleman wearing an American
Legion hat and finishing off an early ice cream cone.. “Noticed your CG Retired cap and wondered if
you have ever heard of the cutter ‘STORIS’?” “Yes,” says Ken, “I served as OPS officer on her in
Kodiak, AK, ’67-69” “Well,” says he. “I have a story you might like to hear. “It was early in
’52 and I was working as a teacher in Wainwright, a small village on the Northwest coast of Alaska.
The village elder came to me and asked if I would become a state commissioner. When I asked why he
said they needed someone to marry two young people and only a commissioner could do this. I
suggested he ask the local missionary and he replied that that religious man refused as the couple
had a child already. After some thought I realized the Coast Guard Cutter ‘STORIS’ was due to make
her annual visit and remembered stories of Captains being able to marry passengers at sea. I
radioed the ship to inquire and the next day the Captain himself called back and told me that he had
spent the night looking through the regulations and nowhere did it give him this authority.
However, he said nowhere did it deny him authority. The end of the story... the ship came in, the
village went aboard, and the Captain preformed the ceremony, proving the motto true “Always Ready”.
The Coast Guard is a hero – the couple and child happy – the village had a new tale to tell - the
missionary is unsung.” As told by Roland F Gray, Ph.D. Oak Harbor, WA
On 05/24/07 Patrick Callahan
said:
On 10/16/04 I commented that I was looking for LT Bob Vassar, who was an SN on the Storis
around 1955. . Alas, I found his obituary today; he had died two days before I posted the message!
Robert Miles Vassar 'Bob', age 72, died at home near Caldwell on Thursday, Oct. 14, 2004. He leaves
behind: Lucile Westby of Boise, his first cousin; Rod Simpson of Caldwell, a friend for 40 years;
Paul Shoemaker of Caldwell, friend; and Munch, the lovable, impish, faithful family dog. Bob was
born on May 20, 1932 at the Werdenhoff Mine in the Idaho Primitive Area of the Payette National
Forest. His mother Edith Vassar n e Tallman and father Harold Vassar 'Slim', a ranger at the Big
Creek Ranger Station, 5743 elevation, decided on the 19th that the time was getting close for the
birth and set out by dog sled, in deep snow, to cross Elk Summit along Big Creek, Smith Creek, Elk
Creek, South Fork of the Salmon River and on to McCall, 5031 elevation, where there would be a
doctor available for Bob's birth. The stress of the seven miles up the mountain from Big Creek to
the Werdenhoff Mine was enough to start Edith's labor pains. They stopped at the mine for the
night--and shortly after midnight Bob was born, delivered by a miner named Miles (therefore Bob's
middle name in honor of the miner). Bob was the first white child born in the Idaho Primitive Area
as several Idaho history books document. His mother Edith, a teacher, was originally from Kalamazoo,
Mich. After moving to Idaho, she married Harold Vassar of Caldwell. With her husband, she helped
tend Forest Service Camps and Ranger Stations, as cook, and in her motherly spirit, offered mental
and physical support to all the miners and hermits living in the 'back country.' The Big Creek
Ranger Station became the social hub of the area where anyone might show up for conversation and a
meal at any time. Bob's personality reflected the characteristics of his parents. He was outwardly
friendly, his mind was sharp and able to logically interpret information, and he had a genuine
feeling for life, freedom and individuality. He was a special person to all who met him. During his
childhood, after Big Creek, the family spent life on the road, during World War II, managing
Civilian Conservation Corps camps in such places as Riggins, and then they later settled in McCall
where his father became chief Ranger in the U.S. Forest Service. When asked, Bob could talk about
chasing rattlesnakes in Riggins and the oppressive summer heat, but most important, he could
describe how Payette Lake at McCall was all his for swimming in the summers. His description of the
slow-paced, vibrant life in very small town McCall in the 1930s and '40s, where any kid had the
forest and lake to themselves, helps one to understand and appreciate what once was. Bob graduated
from Donnelly-McCall High School in 1949 and immediately went to the College of Idaho (Albertson's
College) in Caldwell. After three years, he transferred to the University of California, Berkeley
where he majored in astronomy. He graduated in 1954. Under his professors, he made significant finds
in the solar system, with the aid of an enormously large new machine called the computer. Upon
graduation, he entered the U.S. Coast Guard and served duty on the USCGC Storis as a seaman, then
went to OCS and served on the USCGC Citrus (1956-57). When discharged, he remained in Ketchikan,
Alaska, where he taught school and worked as computer programmer with the pulp mill. While there, he
married another teacher, Mina Nell Fields Johnson from Texas; later they divorced. From Alaska, Bob
started work for IBM in 1962 in San Francisco, then in Ibaden and Lagos, Nigeria, where he taught
computer science at the University of Ibaden. His students were from all over Africa. During the
second Nigerian revolution, 1967, IBM transferred Bob to Cura ao and Aruba in the Netherlands
Antilles, where he worked as a computer instructor, and computer programmer at Royal Dutch Shell and
Standard Oil Co. Upon the death of his father in McCall, he moved to Eagle in 1969, to be closer to
his mother. He worked with computers at the Idaho First National Bank, Boise State College
(University) as instructor and systems analyst, Hewlett-Packard and started his own computer
business. During this time, to express his enthusiasm for opera, he helped establish the Eagle
Island Opera Company with Rod Simpson, and they produced, in 1979, in the Liberty Grange Hall, the
first world performance, since the 18th century, of the opera 'Una Cosa Rara' by Martin y Soler.
Later the duo collaborated and founded 'Initium' dedicated to producing CDs of music from the 18th
century in manuscript form. Bob also published three CDs of his own music. In 1991 he developed lung
cancer and lost one lung. A short five years was predicted for his life, but he fought on and lasted
for 13. I was an Ensign on the Storis in 1956. I'm retired in Kona, Hawaii.
On 05/24/07 Steve Lindsey
said:
WW II Storis sailor passes over the bar. Robert L. Albertson | Investment manager, 84
Robert L. Albertson Robert L. Albertson, formerly of Drexel Hill, a retired manager for Prudential
Real Estate Investors, died of lung cancer at home in Venice, Fla., on Friday, three days before his
85th birthday. Growing up, Mr. Albertson played in a drum and bugle corps in Drexel Hill and
graduated from Upper Darby High School. He enlisted in the Navy the day after the attack on Pearl
Harbor and served aboard the Coast Guard cutter Storis in the North Atlantic. He crossed the Arctic
circle in the vessel, which remained in service until last year. After his discharge, Mr.
Albertson became a clerk for Prudential in Philadelphia, filling ink pots and doing other office
tasks. He eventually rose to become director of real estate investments. Among his projects was the
purchase and development of Horsham Business Park. He retired in 1983. Mr. Albertson was a judge
of elections at polling places in Drexel Hill, and served on the vestry of Holy Comforter Church in
Drexel Hill. He enjoyed barbecuing for family and friends. He moved to Florida in 1992, when
he married Jean Watterson, his former high school sweetheart. His previous marriage to Lois
Albertson, with whom he had three children, ended in divorce. In addition to his wife, Mr.
Albertson is survived by daughters Kim Kingsland, Gayle Summers, and Sandra Van Druff; a brother;
five grandchildren; and his former wife. A funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow at the
Church of the Holy Comforter, 1000 Burmont Rd., Drexel Hill. Friends may call from 10 a.m. at the
church. Philadelphia Inquirer---May 24-07
On 05/18/07 chad Galla
said:
89-90. Soon to early retire from the LAPD. It is so sad, so many have not taken the time
to check out this site. I find the time to check it every couple of months. Anyone ever retrieve
our starboard anchor off that island when Doty ordered the drop and pivet so we wouldn't run aground
(Alaskan Monoarch)?? Remember that fat red-head female Ens who apparently liked to bark orders at
FNs in bed?? Blount, did alcohol get u yet? Rip, where are you at?? Clark, give me a shout.
On 05/04/07 Melanie
said:
Searching for ships in port Bay Ctiy Michigan Christmas 1954/55. Any help would be
appreciated ....information as to what ships were in port at that time and who was on those ships.
Thank you. Melanie
On 04/30/07 George Cheney
said:
I was on St.Paul loran from Autum of 1948 to March of 1950, when we shut down the
station. Is there any one out there that was on the Loran 'A' station, around that time? I
also made a weather patrol on station Able. October to November 1947, onboard the Dexter. That was
some ride as I remember it.
On 04/30/07 George Cheney
said:
I was stationed on the Storis from Sept 1950 to March 1951, when I was discharged. . I
have not seen anyone on the blog list that was on the Storis at that time.
On 04/30/07 Estella McCoy
said:
I was on the Storis from Aug 87 to Jan 89 as an RM. Under CDR Al Walker aka Flotilla the
Hun.
On 04/18/07 darryl greene
said:
anyone going to Reno that was on Storis in 87-89 let me know-also anyone i severd with
going to be in orlando 4-26-07 thur 05-03-07 let me know-i will be playing golf at Disney-come join
me!!
On 04/18/07 darryl greene
said:
hello-looking for crewmemeber i served with in 87 to 89 on the Storis in Kodiak.
thanks darryl greene
On 04/11/07 Philip W. Van Winkle
said:
I was stationed aboard the STORIS during part of '68, '69, '70 as the senior yeoman. Served
with Cdr. Byrd. We made many fisheries patrols along with a trip up to the artic circle with an
Oceanography team. Put a hole in the bow and went to Seattle for repairs. My family and I have many
fond memories of our tour of duty in Kodiak. Retired from the Coast Guard in 1978 and then worked
for the VA for 22 years.
On 04/05/07 Ryan R Young
said:
STORIS was placed in status OUT OF COMMISSION - RESERVE as of 30 March 2007. She's moored
at the 378 pier on Coast Guard Island in Alameda, CA, awaiting her last availability, where she'll
be prepared for movement to the MARAD Reserve Fleet Suisun Bay. I'll post some photos to the album,
and add a link here shortly.
On 04/04/07 Paul Davis
said:
Godday,We need a wonderful nanny that can replace our nanny that will be leaving us after
2 years of staying with us. Our children are between the ages of 4 to 2 years, and 9 months of
age.We need someone who is willing to be flexible,hardworking in hours to fit in around our work,
The job entails childcare, light housework and laundry, meal preparation for the children and the
family, and transport of the children to activities/preschool, etc.i need you to be reliable,
honest, flexible and enthusiatic,we shall offer accommodation and take care of part of your trip to
london,while you shall receive 450 pounds per week as your salary for services. Thanks and God bless
you . Mr Paul Davis. talk2pdavis@yahoo.com
On 03/02/07 Dan Baumbaugh
said:
BULLETIN - STATUS OF STORIS The STORIS was decommissioned at Kodiak, Alaska on February
8, 2007. She is scheduled to be moved from Kodiak to the Coast Guard Base at Alameda, California,
leaving Kodiak on March 12th and arriving at Alameda on March 18th. For details regarding the
forthcoming move and present plans for making this beautiful ship into a museum, please visit our
website at: http://www.storismuseum.org. Also, feel free to contact Jim Loback, Reunion
Coordinator at jiml@storismuseum.org.
On 02/23/07 bob olson
said:
It seems the older we get the more we reflect, in one such moment I found an old scrap book
in my 'sea chest' and found the Storis daily newspaper: the 'WIERD DUCK' circa 1970-71, on the flip-
side of the sports scores this ironic poem was written: THE LAND THAT GOD FORGOT.... In the state
of Alaska, Kodiak is the spot, We are doomed to serve our country: In the 'land that God
forgot.' Patrolling the Bering on a white one up where a man gets blue: Right in the middle of
nowhere, thousands of miles from you. We're coasties in the Coast Guard earning our measley
pay: Guarding people with millions for two and a half a day. We sweat, we shiver, we freeze: Its
more than we can stand. We're not supposed to be criminals, just defenders of our land. Living
with our memories, waiting to see our gal, hoping while we're away she hasn't married our pal.
Nobody knows we're living, nobody gives a damn; Soon we'll be forgotten, while serving Uncle Sam,
The time we've served in the CoastGuard, the times of our lives we've missed: boys don't let them
draft you, but for God's sake don't enlist. But when you pass those pearly gates. You'll hear St.
Peter Yell: 'Fall in you guys from the STORIS , you've served your time in hell.' this came from
the pen of RM2 Pete Swanson who kept us up on the outside world before the world wide net and
published the 'WIERD DUCK' we still keep in touch. as a personal reflection i recall a cliche that
would serve to reflect the irony of the poem: ' all the youth is wasted on the young' how things are
view differently now some 37 years later for me. following seas and fair weather to all.....bob
On 02/21/07 Gilbert Flores
said:
Latest word from my friend on the STORIS. She will sail soon for Alameda. There she will
be turned over at Government Island on 30 March. Evidently whe will be refitted and made into a
museum to be docked in Juneau. This info came from a BMC on her right now. I hope to see many
people in Reno.
On 02/18/07 joe simek
said:
was aboard the mighty sto sep 67 to nov 68...came aboard as seaman apprentice ,and left
for radio scholl on governors island as a seaman..remember the pan oceanic faith trip...was closer
to seattle than kodaik...also the gulf of alaska and the bering sea and the priblofs...also sailing
by dead recononing past attu and int datline..then down to seattle shipyards for our new stripe...it
seemed so different then....sorry to hear about its decomisssioning.....had some good times and
wished for better seas..glad she went out in grand fashion...recall chief brady, rick toneys, and
capt hardy, fitz, crazy jack carlson..was glad to have served aboard her......
On 02/15/07 John J Doherty
said:
Aboard the Storis in 63 & 64' . Never forget Comander Clark our Captain 'Who's in
charge', his famous words. We couldn't have had a better crew! Want to make Reno.
On 02/14/07 Jason Stiffey
said:
I was so looking forward to attending the ceremony with my kids. They have been excited to
see my old ship since I told them about it. Then to see her and Kodiak in 'The Guardian' just fueled
it. Sadly my job wouldn't allow it. Maybe I can make the Reno convention. USCGC Storis 91-92. Kory I
bet you don't remember me??? LOL! FN Stiffey
On 02/10/07 Jim Henry
said:
I just got back home from the Storis's decommissioning. It was the first time I've been to
Kodiak since 1969 when I was discharged from the Storis. There were several of us former crew
members there and we swapped many stories. To you former crew members unable to attend, be assured
the Storis looks like she could have continued her mission for many more years. What a remarkable
ship!
On 02/09/07 John A. Camuso
said:
Now that the Queen has been decommissioned,it rekindled a brief experience I had aboard
her. Way back in June 1947, I was temporarily assigned to the Storis for transporation from
Boston,MA to Argentia, Newfoundland and my new permanent duty at the USCG Loran Station in
Bonavista,Newfoundland. During that timeframe, the Storis was homeported in Boston and was being
used to supply Loran Stations in Greenland and Newfoundland in the North Atlantic Region.When I saw
the Storis for the first time, I thought I was boarding a U.S. Navy Ship, because it was still
painted in wartimeNavy Gray. As a new Radioman 3/C, my first assignment on the ship was to paint the
radio room. However, I really enjoyed my brief three week stay aboard the'Queen of the CG Fleet'. I
feverently hope she can be kept a a very historical floating meseum.
On 02/08/07 Teddy P. Andrion
said:
The Queen was my first station.Crossing the Artic circle and the 180 Mer. at the same
year (68) was an experience of a lifetime.
On 02/08/07 Teddy P. Andrion
said:
On 02/08/07 Lloyd Allen
said:
I was an FM right out of boot camp in 1981. Storis was my first duty. I hated it at the
time, but after 26 years it is fondly remembered. I can't remember any of my old shipmate's names.
We were at Dry Dock in Seatle when I left.
On 02/01/07 Charles H Goodspeed
said:
To all you Old salts who sailed on the Grand old lady I salute you.I served aboard the
USCGC Acacia1967 to 1971 the last of the 180s.Enjoy the Decommissioning and take plenty of Kleenex.
God bless you all
On 01/30/07 Lee Dove
said:
Anyone remember Ensign Reiger or Lt. jg Carlos Amponin???? Or Darryl Green??? Ensign
Reiger was so HOT!!!! I just loved doing wake-ups on here for the dog watch!!! Just thought I'd
ask. Lee Dove
On 01/30/07 Lee Dove
said:
Lee Dove here! Storis 87-89. On there with Lambrides, Jolly, Loizakes, Steigleder,
Stoney, and the like. Won't be in Kodiak for the decom, but I am already in northern Nevada and
would have no problem getting to Reno for the Sept 4th event.
On 01/17/07 Gilbert Flores
said:
It is my understanding that invitations for the De-commissioning are going out to anyone
who served on the Storis. I received mine today. Unfortunately I am unable to attend, but I will
be at the Reunion in September in Reno. I told my wife that the invitation will be framed and put
in my office as a symbol of my youth and how long ago that was. There are many stories we could
all tell. Some good and some bad, one bad one was when a EN3 stabbed a FN numerous times...that was
when we just pulled into Juneau...I know that anyone who served on board at that time will never
forget the incident. Fortunately FN Spencer lived and I last saw him on Governor's Island at 'A'
school. I hope that there was never a dark time like that on board. It is an honor to say that I
served on board the Greatest Cutter that ever sailed the Bering Sea.
On 01/15/07 Chris Collins
said:
Was onboard the CGC Citrus in 1979 as a SN. when she hit the rocks in Ouzinkie Narrow. I
would like to thank the crew of the Storis for their professional and unselfish support and
assistance in our time of need. I spend many hours hot - racking or tring to find a spot on any
deck trying to get some sleep before my next P-250 watch. Semper Paratus! It was quite an
adventure for a kid right out of Boot Camp. I will never forget that day! Now the day has come to
decommision the Old Gal. What a tremendous and rich history. I envy the Sailors that where aboard
her. I'm glad I had a few days with her. Fair Winds and Following Seas to the present crew of the
Storis. Lets hope she becomes a museum. She has too much history to let her go. Thanks again to
the Officers and Crew that were with us on that day in 1979.
On 01/15/07 Wallace Willrett
said:
When I was 20 years old I HATED Kodiak, Storis, SAR...seemed every Friday afternoon it
was out for a tow. Now almost 50 years later I see my time with the Coast Guard (4 years), and
aboard Storis as a great memory and event in my life.
On 01/12/07 Jim Murphy
said:
Aboard the Storis from around September 78 to June of 79 right out of boot. Memories faded
somewhat on all of my mates. Remember Parisi, Golden, Malmo, and Sullivan of the top of my head.
Remember getting caught in the gale with 60 footers, rescue of the Citrus, seizure of the Kairo
Maru, which we brought back to port. Also remember coming out of the bars into broad day light and
the native women 'hey sailor, buy me a drink'. Good times, I may head up to Kodiak for the
decomissioning ceremony. I've been looking for an excuse to return to Kodiak.
On 01/05/07 bob olson
said:
Another ship crosses the bar to an uncertain fate. I think the 'grand lady' should be
permanently placed on training status in Kodiak for young officers and aspiring petty officers,
because she is a paramount example of the Coast Guard's mission in Alaska and the Bering Sea as
well as all over, it would make more sense than sailing around in an ex-nazi rust bucket that is
'rag powered' and only serves as a figurehead for the Guard. I think young aspiring guardspersons
need real ojt on the grand old lady,for growth and a real world education on the ways of the sea.
bob olson, ex BM2 (70-72)and sentimental keeper of great memories as well as great times with
greater people.
On 01/05/07 Tom Gemmell
said:
Storis stories wanted as ceremony approaches Article published on Thursday, January
4th, 2007 DAILY MIRROR STAFF The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Storis is seeking former
Storis sailors with stories to tell as the Storis’ Feb. 8 decommissioning ceremony in Kodiak
approaches. Former Storis crewmembers are invited to the ceremony. Their stories are being
solicited for possible inclusion in the ceremony and to build a Web site to memorialize the 64-year-
old cutter. The Storis’ last patrol was in the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea watching out for
Alaskan fishermen. But the ship’s rich history goes back to World War II. The Storis helped
prevent Nazi weather stations from being established on Greenland. In the late 1940s, the ship
supplied medical aid to Alaska villages while patrolling Southeast Alaska waters. In 1957,
Storis sailed the Northwest Passage in a historic trip to survey a deepwater route. The route was
needed to help protect North America’s Arctic Coast during the Cold War. Former Storis sailors
can send their stories to the Coast Guard pubic affairs and they will be forwarded to the Storis’
commanding officer for possible inclusion in the ceremony. Former Storis sailors who wish to
attend the decommissioning ceremony may contact Petty Officer 1st Class Lina Timeteo in Kodiak,
487-4166, or by e-mail timoteo@cgstoris.uscg.mil. The Storis Web site is to be hosted by
Military.com and supported by Fred’s Place.org. Storis sea tales may be mailed to Public
Affairs, Building 42 (Pep) Coast Guard Island, Alameda, CA 94501 or e-mailed to
Brian.N.Leshak@uscg.mil. http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=4216
On 01/03/07 John Nowakowski
said:
I'm with a group called the last patrol. We have submitted paper work to Congress
Woman Kaptur's office asking for help. We would like to bring Storis to Toledo,OH as a museum ship.
Most of you probably know she was built here in Toledo. I will keep you all up to date to our
progress
On 12/29/06 Jim Goss
said:
Great times, worked our tail off and played hard.....what a great memory from 1985 thru
1988. Remember well the patrols from hell and Capt Walker's ever ellusive 100 boarding patrol, oh
so close!
On 12/29/06 Gilbert Flores
said:
Since invitations are going out to certain people for the de-commissioning of the
STORIS...maybe we should have a special decommissioning ceremony at the reunion in Reno. Maybe that
can be worked into the agenda.
On 12/28/06 Tony Sciarrone
said:
I wonder when the decom ceremony will be final? By them sending out invitations. Does that
mean us poor mates cannot join the ceremony?
On 12/26/06 Kory Kindle
said:
I was onboard the old girl from march 1991 til jan 1993. I have fond memories of patrols in
the bering to over a month in hawaii to a few days in russia over my 22nd birthday. I feel blessed
to have had the opportunity to sail with her and a good chunk of her crew. I would love to see as
many of you as possible at a reunion or maybe the decomissioning ceremony
On 12/23/06 Otto Binder
said:
Merry Christmas to all Storis Crew members past and present. Otto Binder EM2 1969 - 70
On 12/22/06 Tom Gemmell
said:
Juneau boosters eye Storis Article published on Thursday, December 21st, 2006 By SCOTT
CHIRSTIANSEN Mirror Writer The 230-foot Coast Guard cutter Storis sits tied to a dock at the
Kodiak Coast Guard Base while the crew has been preparing invitations for a Feb. 8 decommissioning
ceremony for the 65-year-old ship. Aside from the formal events scheduled more than a month away,
Storis crewmembers really don’t know what’s going to happen next. The Storis is currently on
stand-down status in Kodiak, but in Juneau, California and places as far away as Washington, D.C., a
band of eager civilians have organized around what they hope is the Storis’ next mission. They want
to turn the ship into a floating museum. “We just moved forward because it’s too great of a ship
to be cut up and made into razor blades,” said Joe Geldhof, a Juneau attorney and Storis museum
advocate. Geldhof said Alaska’s congressional delegation is onboard with the idea and one aide
to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in Washington, D.C., confirmed that.
The plan earlier this year was to add a provision to the Coast Guard Authorization Act, allowing
transfer of the Storis to an Alaska-based museum organization, said Steve Hansen, press officer for
the House Committee on Transportation. The Coast Guard bill, like the Storis itself, is in a
holding pattern since Congress adjourned. “The committee may look at the possibility of
including the language in next year’s Coast Guard authorization bill,” Hansen said. The Storis
likely has enough historical cachet to become a museum. In the summer of 1957, accompanied by
two Coast Guard buoy tenders, Bramble and SPAR, the cutter surveyed a deepwater route across the top
of North America, and became the first U.S.-flagged ship to circumnavigate North America. The
’57 Storis crew encountered polar bears, attempted to blast ice with TNT (which didn’t work) and, at
one point, rescued a Coast Guard helicopter pilot whose aircraft crashed into the icy sea shortly
after takeoff. Their mission was part of the U.S. military’s Distant Early Warning project of
the Cold War. The “DEW line,” as it was known, was a series of radar and communications sites
stretched over thousands of miles of the North America’s Arctic Coast, meant to spot incoming
intercontinental missiles from the Soviet Union or China. The Storis left Seattle, Wash., July
1, 1957, and by the time it arrived in Boston on Sept. 24, the ship was world famous. The ’57 Storis
crew was met by fireboats spraying water in the air, a cacophony of ships’ horns and dignitaries
waiting at the docks to greet them. The Storis — the name means “big ice” in Scandinavia — could
make a great home for a museum telling that story and “a depository for a host of artifacts and
stories” about Alaska maritime and Coast Guard history, Geldhof said. The Storis would join
Alaska’s capitol building, the Mount Roberts Tramway, Mendenhall Glacier and the Alaska State Museum
as a keystone attraction in the Southeast city. Geldhof said Juneau hosts more than 1 million
visitors each summer. Most are cruise ship passengers, and the cruise ship companies are looking for
more shoreside tours, he said. The market is there, but a 230-foot ship is also a big
responsibility. Geldhof said museum organizers in Juneau are mindful of that. He said it might
take $1 million just to permanently dock the vessel. “It’s a daunting task. We know it is, but
we think if we can get the authorization the other part will fall into place,” he said. The
beginning of the Save the Storis movement might be attributed to Jim Loback, of Fountain Valley,
Calif. Loback, now 74, was 25 when he served onboard Storis during the 1957 exploration of the
Northwest Passage. Last summer Loback went to Washington to deliver more than 120 letters urging
Congress to preserve the ship. Loback is certainly not on the sidelines, but he doesn’t take
credit for the museum push. He said the Storis’ story has momentum of it’s own. “We’ve been
going under the fact that the Storis is 60 years old and a historical ship,” he said. Loback is
planning a 50-year reunion commemorating the Arctic expedition. He maintains a Web site,
www.storisbramblespar.org, where former crewmembers can locate each other, and plan for an event in
September 2007. The museum organization is another challenge, Loback said. The Storis might
be navigating bureaucratic waters — the Washington, D.C., equivalent of being locked in sea ice, and
sending out helicopters looking for leads. “First it’s offered up to other agencies in the
government, with the office of Management and Budget involved — but all that can be circumvented if
there is a bill before Congress,” Loback said. In Kodiak, one Coast Guard spokesman said the
Storis is “in a holding pattern” at the Base on Womens Bay. He also said the Coast Guard isn’t
empowered to simply transfer the Storis. “We don’t own that ship. The American people do,” Coast
Guard spokesman Kurt Fredrickson said. Lt. J.G. Josh Boyle was the Storis’ officer of the day
Tuesday. Many Storis crewmembers are taking time off for the holidays, Boyle said. He confirmed
that invitations are being sent out for the decommissioning ceremony scheduled for Feb. 8, but added
even that date is tentative. Until her decommissioning, the Storis could be called into service
at any time. The Coast Guard’s motto “semper paratus” — “always ready” — speaks to that. Boyle
said in addition to the ceremony preparations, the crew is preparing for two options for the Storis
next voyage: sailing via the Panama Canal to shipyards in Baltimore, Md, “where she’d be mothballed
or scrapped,” or sailing to Juneau. “Nothing is official and those are the two options,” Boyle
said. “We started preparing for the run to Baltimore first because, obviously, that option takes a
lot more preparation.” Mirror writer Scott Christiansen can be reached via e-mail at
schristiansen@kodiakdailymirror.com. http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=4173
On 12/20/06 matthew husler
said:
The Storis is the greatest vessel the Coast Guard has ever had. No other Cutter can
handle the seas or the weather conditions that she has encountered, but her time has come. I saw
the latest pictures of the Causalty that she had, and the 600 and some nautical mile tow that
followed. I, myself being station on her right out of boot camp in May 95 thru May 97, I can bring
up many stories, from 1 hour transits on the RHIB to do a 10 minute boarding in rough seas, to
staying above the 60 parallel for 21 consecutive days to get the arctic service ribbon, I tell you
we got out ass kick the whole time. But this I will tell you, I wouldn't have missed it for the
world, She is the best and that is why she has been around for so long. To Commander McCaulley and
her crew, take care of her upon decomissioning and hopefully you will be able to sail her around to
Baltimore Yard. Take care past, and present shipmates.
On 12/19/06 Arthur (Ben) Benevides
said:
I was aboard the Storis (The Queen) from 81-83. Best time of my career. To Commander Budd
thank you. Had great time in Lake Union Shipyard and Hawaii. Would like to get in contact with
other crewmembers from that time. Contact me at matchbx2@verizon.net
On 12/10/06 Jennifer Fischer
said:
Hi everyone! Mr Loback wanted me to post a message asking everyone who has written in to
please send him an email so he can post you on the crew members found site. Also if you know ways to
get a hold of old and/or new crew members, please contact them and have them email Jim with their
information.
On 12/05/06 Gilbert Flores
said:
Just got an e-mail from my friend on the STORIS. As we all know she is on her last patrol
in the Bering. Although I only served 4 years in the Coast Guard and I was quite young serving on
the STORIS, I can still remember those times going through Unimak Pass at Dutch Harbor. Coming out
of the Bering you just knew that it wouldn't be long before you would be going into Old Woman Bay
and docking at home. Although it has been over thirty years I can still picture it in my
mind...what a trip. BMC Papineau said that there would be a special entry into the log as she left
the Bering for the last time. I know that each of us who spent any time on her feels something
special just for having been a crew member at one time or another. I hope that everyone who can
will be able to make the reunion in 2007. I only wish that I could be in Kodiak on February 8th.
On 11/23/06 Jim Cushman
said:
Priviledged to have been CO 82-84. Great ship, great crew, great tour. Two seizures, E's
at RefTra, went by more sea buoys then most do telephone poles. Take a lickin, keep on tickin kinda
cutter. Thunder hog Bull Dog of the Bering. Feb 8th, 2007 will mark the end of an era...........
On 11/17/06 Otto Binder
said:
Press Release Date: November 13, 2006 Contact Public Affairs Telephone: 510-437-3375
LAST PATROL OF THE STORIS, QUEEN OF THE COAST GUARD FLEET COLD BAY, Alaska - The Coast Guard
Cutter Storis is assisting in the humanitarian aid of isolated villages located in the Aleutian
Islands. Capt. Carl Cwiklinski, a Coast Guard Russian Orthodox Chaplain, and Lt. Col. Les
Williams, a dental officer from Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage are onboard Storis visiting
the islands and providing services to the isolated villages in Atka, Alaska, before continuing on
their final leg to Kodiak, Alaska. Storis is scheduled to be decommissioned in Kodiak after
completing its last Bering Sea patrol, and more than 65 years of service. The decommissioning
ceremony is tentatively scheduled for February 8, 2007. Coast Guard Public Affairs will be
posting information and imagery throughout this final patrol, which is scheduled to end the morning
of December 3, 2006 with the Storis returning to Kodiak. Storis' keel was laid July 14, 1941.
Built as an ice patrol tender, it was assigned to patrol the North Atlantic during World War II in
1942. The 230-foot cutter was homeported in Boston, Massachusetts, and assigned to participate in
the Greenland Patrols, a mission targeted at preventing the establishment of German weather stations
in Greenland. After World War II, the Storis remained in the Atlantic, homeported in Curtis Bay,
Maryland. On September 15, 1948 Storis was reassigned to the home port of Juneau, Alaska,
beginning what would become 59 years of service in the Last Frontier state. Its new mission would
be the Bering Sea Patrol, delivering medical, dental, and judicial services to isolated native
villages in the far reaches of the territory. Crews aboard the Storis also assisted in establishing
LORAN radio navigation stations, providing supplies for the Defense Early Warning System and
conducting hydrographic surveys in the uncharted waters. On July 1, 1957, the Storis, accompanied
by the Coast Guard Cutters Bramble and SPAR, began searching for a deep draft channel through the
Arctic Ocean. The mission was a success, and ended a 450-year search for the Northwest Passage.
Storis became the first U.S. registered vessel to circumnavigate the North American continent.
Shortly after its return from this historic mission, Storis was reassigned to the homeport of
Kodiak, Alaska. In 1972, the Storis underwent major renovations, which converted it from a light
ice breaker to a medium endurance cutter. The cutter's primary function changed to enforcing laws
and treaties of the domestic and foreign fisheries in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska, which
remains its primary mission to this day. In 1986 the Storis' power plant was replaced and
berthing quarters were expanded to include female quarters and a new lounge for the crew. The
Storis is now the oldest commissioned cutter in the Coast Guard fleet. Careers have begun and ended,
and lives have undoubtedly been changed in the pursuit of its patrols and historic missions.
On 11/11/06 Steve Lindsey
said:
Link to the Storis article in the Juneau Empire newspaper is
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/103006/loc_20061030016.shtml Also a piece appeared in KVTA's
website.
On 11/09/06 Steve Lindsey
said:
Effort to Storis as museum ship, centerpiece to new Alaskan Maritime Museum. See the
Juneau Empire.
On 10/23/06 Gilbert Flores
said:
Latest word from my friend on the STORIS. She should be in Seattle in February...around
the third week. The dates are not really set yet, and when I get the correct dates I will post
them.
On 10/22/06 Otto Binder
said:
Storis reunion scuttlebutt.... Reno NV, September 4,5,6, 2007
On 10/22/06 Jennifer Fischer
said:
Hey there to all that is and was stationed on the Storis. I was stationed on the storis in
1998 and it was a very different experience. One that I will never forgot. I guess that you could
say that it had it's up's and downs! (no pun intended). Hey anyone that is still attached to the
Storis, I am collecting memorabilia. So if there is a way to get a patch and a T-shirt that would be
fantastic. Thanks
On 10/21/06 Gilbert Flores
said:
Latest word from my friend on the STORIS. She is on her last patrol. She is scheduled
to be decommissioned on February 8th. They are still not sure where or what will come of her. On
another note...my daughter is graduating from CG Boot Camp on 10/27. Her first assignment will be
at Air Station Sitka. I am so proud that she has joined such a fine service.
On 09/25/06 Gilbert Flores
said:
My thanks to the BMC Chief on the STORIS. I sent him the money and he returned a great
shirt and cap from the ship. My daughter is starting her 5th week of bootcamp. I will be going to
her graduation in October. That should be great, I've never been to Cape May. I heard that the
Storis is scheduled to go to Baltimore to the shipyard in March 2007. No word if she will be
decommissioned in Alaska or Baltimore.
On 09/24/06 Tony 'Shaggy' O'Neill
said:
Capt. DW Mac,Mr Steele, Chief Stiegler, What a salty crowd. She was my first of many
ships, but definately my favorite. Deck/Engine brawls, getting thrown out os the Mecca by a samoan
named Jr. just being a young meathead. i learned a lot about myself and grew up a little on the
mighty Sto.
On 09/24/06 Dave Horton QMC(RET)
said:
Onboard from 10-5-70 to 11-29-71 prior to going to the RCC in Kodiak Made QMC, Jim Brady
was the QMC at that time.
On 09/18/06 Gilbert Flores
said:
I am proud to annouce that my daughter has finished her 3rd week of bootcamp at Cape May
and has been guaranteed the 17th. With any luck she may get assigned to the STORIS. I know that
there are 6 billets for women on the Storis. That would be great . I served on the STORIS in
1970-71 as a SN.
On08/30/06 Mason Lane
said:
What a great ship I was on with alot of great people. Who can forget Dutch Harbor,
Adak, hunting for wild cows in the aleutians, busting through 5ft. of ice way up north and last but
not least trusting the ship and all your shipmates when the going gets tough! These were the best
times of my life! FN/SS3 1983-1986
On08/15/06 Tom Westerlund
said:
Would like to hear from old shipmates wherever you are
On
08/15/06 Tom Westerlund
said:
On08/08/06 Otto Binder
said:
Storis Reunion ? Sept. 2007 ? Anybody have a clue as to where it might be held?
On07/26/06 Steve Lindsey
said:
Effort to save Storis. See: http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=3429
And: http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/072506/sta_20060725013.shtml Best
Steve Perhaps Storis and Glacier will survive for new lives, avoidng the fate of the Northwind,
Westwind, Spar and so many others...
On07/04/06 gerard archibald
said:
i found this web site after reading about the cutter storis upcoming decommissioning. i
served as a radioman from 77-78.
On05/26/06 Tom Gemmell
said:
The US Coast Guard issued a Notice stating that it intends to prepare an environmental
assessment regarding the plan to decommission and excess the cutters STORIS and ACUSHNET. Comments
on this plan should be submitted by June 23. 71 Fed. Reg. 29968 (May 24, 2006).
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/pdf/E6-7864.pdf
On05/06/06 Gilbert Floes
said:
I would like to purchase a 'Storis' ball cap or other items before the decommissioning.
Does anyone know how to go about this, I've tried to write the ship with no response. I served
aboard in 1971-72.
On04/10/06 Frank Waters
said:
Did you know that during WW11, movie star Victor Mature served as Ch. Boats aboard
Storis. I remember his initials and date cut into some wooden part of the ship. We were still
printing the Storis white over WW2 grey as we went thru the canal all sleeping on deck. too hot
below.
On04/10/06 Frank Waters
said:
Seaman Storis, 1947 Curtis Bay to Juneau till 1950. Some trip thru Pan.canal, great
memories. Any other members of that crew ?&time?
On03/30/06 Rene
Plante
said:
Greetings All. I am Rene Plante http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/weberoo/album?.dir=
/b4fa&.src=ph&.tok=ph5drkEBN9wIwiAx and came aboard the Storis in Oct 65 and departed in Apr 67 for
St Pete Air Station then to Group Command Pt Canaveral as Sk2 and got out in July 69. The link is a
collection of photos from past crew. It would be great to receive more photos with IDs or even some
video VHS, Hi8 or Mdv or CD or DVD. I am putting together info and DVDs for the reunion. Thanks
On03/29/06 Dean Francisco
said:
My name is Dean Francisco and I was an Mk4 Main Prop engineer from 1979 to 1981
On02/16/06 Muster Host
said:
Last call for the Icebreaker Muster! All registrations must be in by March 15. To date
about 140 rooms reserved for the week long event in Laughlin, Nevada. Check out the website,
www.icebreakermuster.com for all the information. My promise is, “If you don’t have a good time in
Laughlin, you can take me out on the fantail and kick my a**”.
On01/01/06
Steve Lindsey
said:
Storis as museum ship in Toledo? Cutting the Northwest Passage Young passenger
revisits Storis decades after historic voyage Article published on Friday, December 30th, 2005 By
KRISTEN INBODY Mirror Writer When the Coast Guard cutter Storis busted through ice and uncharted
territory on its historic voyage through the Northwest Passage, 13-year-old Tim Wood had a view from
the deck. As the Storis moored Wednesday at the dock of Kodiak’s Coast Guard Base, Wood was back
aboard after nearly five decades away. The teenager’s father, Harold Wood, served as the
commanding officer aboard the Storis during the trek in 1957. Harold Wood, 92, was unable to
make the trip from Connecticut to Kodiak, but his son left with a Storis hat for him. Standing
in the wheelhouse with Jim McCauley, the Storis’s current commanding officer, Wood, 61, said he
learned to steer ships at the helm of the cutter on that trip. “Looks like we’ve updated the
electronics considerably,” he said. “It’s kind of a thrill to see all the electrical and
navigational equipment is state-of-the-art, but the basics are essentially the same,” Wood said.
With his wife Candace videotaping his reunion with the cutter, Wood’s daughter Kerry whispered to
her daughter Julia, 5, “Your (grand)papa came on this ship with your great-grandpa. It was a very
important trip.” “I was just a kid,” Wood said. That didn’t stop his father from putting him
into the watch rotation or sending him out with the smaller boats surveying the territory. “It
affected me. I ended up with a seagoing career,” Wood said. “It was a big influence on what I
thought was important in life. It got me directed to good seamanship.” Wood went on to attend
the Coast Guard Academy and recently ended his 23-year mishap-free career as a captain aboard Mobile
Oil tankers. Wood said his fondest memory was learning to pilot the ship, but he spoke with more
enthusiasm about movie night in the boardroom where the officers eat. “As I recall, there was
ice cream associated with that,” he said. The ship’s a bit cushier now with padded seats instead
of hard stools in the dining hall, he said after a tour that took him through the commanding
officer’s bunk, the engine room and the galley. One addition that caught Wood’s eye was the
women’s berth, the result of a 1986 renovation. “That was not even conceived of at the time,”
Wood said. Storis roots run deep The Storis was part of Harold Wood’s life before it even
set sail. Stationed in Toledo, Wood helped design the vessel, launched in 1942. During World
War II, the Storis led patrols of the North Atlantic around Greenland. Its charge was keeping the
Nazis from building weather stations in the area. Wood served a stint aboard as engineer. He
returned to the Storis as captain. By the Northwest Passage sailing, his dark, crisp hair was
speckled with gray. Beneath thick eyebrows, a stern visage and strong jaw, lay a dry sense of humor
and a calm that never faltered on the three-month sail. Former crewmen described his personality
as quiet and commanding. His pipe was constantly clamped between his teeth. His son learned
seamanship on the Storis, and now Harold Wood’s grandson-in-law Coast Guardsman Greg Tlapa is
stationed with his family in the Storis’ homeport of Kodiak. “He’s very tied up with the ship,”
Tim Wood said of his father. “You live on a ship, and it becomes part of your life, like the
first house after you were married,” he said. Sailing into history In 1906, Norwegian
explorer Roald Amundsen sailed across the top of North America, but the trip took three years and
some of the waterways he traveled were extremely shallow. The search was still on for a
commercially viable route. It was the Storis, together with the SPAR and Bramble, that ended
that 450-year quest for the Northwest Passage with the discovery of a deep-draft channel across the
top of North America.With auspiciously blue skies above, the cutter sailed from Seattle on July 1,
1957. By July 15, the ice was surprisingly thick and the temperature had dropped to 18 degrees
as the party reached Barter Island. Back then, the Storis carried a helicopter, used on this
expedition to scout routes through the ice flows. Wood said the three ships had to continually
break ice for each other. In fact, the Storis was originally designed as a light icebreaker. Its
name is Scandinavian, taken from an Eskimo word sirorssuit, meaning “great ice.” In 1999,
engineers downgraded the cutter’s icebreaking capacity after discovering structural damage. “I
don’t think they really want to send us into the ice again,” McCauley told Wood. As the historic
journey continued, the ice became thicker and thicker until it finally ejected the ships onto the
ice, according to an account by former Coast Guardsman Otis Shipp. Shipp recalled waking up the
morning of July 29 lying on the side of the vessel, which was no longer moving. Demolition crews
began blasting ice with TNT. But with ice 17-feet, there was no way to relieve the pressure. It
was as futile as throwing firecrackers at the ice, Shipp wrote. Wood said the crew was
discussing contingency plans for spending the winter there. “It was quite an adventure,” he
said. “They were definitely trapped.” By Aug. 2, the ships dropped back into the water as a
strong east wind moved the ice. They continued on to the mountainous entrance to the Bellot
Straits, believed the key to a deep-water passage. On Sept. 6, with helicopters overhead and the
small boats launched for surveys along the black-streaked, stony walls, the ships entered the
Strait. The flats at the eastern end of the Bellot Straits are home to the remains of earlier
explorers. With relief in their hearts, the crews left their names in bottles and planted an
American flag alongside one from the Confederate States. Mission accomplished. As the ships
sailed into Boston, “what a sight,” Shipp wrote. Fireboats sprayed water into the air. Ship
horns blasted; bells rang and the pier was filled with dignitaries. “We received the returning
hero treatment, the last thing we ever expected,” Shipp wrote. On that trip, the Storis also
became the first U.S. registered ship to circumnavigate the continent. It returning via the Panama
Canal to Alaska and shortly after onto a new homeport in Kodiak. Queen of the fleet As
Wood examined his former quarters aboard the Storis, he said it was satisfying to know that the
cutter has lasted so long. “It’s phenomenal the ship has been able to survive 60 years of active
service,” he said. Next to the plaque commemorating the Northwest Passage trip is a plaque that
denotes the Storis as the oldest ship in the Coast Guard’s fleet. The cutter has been stationed
in Alaska, first in Juneau, for 57 years, patrolling the Bering Sea, Gulf of Alaska and North
Pacific. The Coast Guard announced in November that the Storis will retire in 2007. The
final resting places of the other two cutters on the Northwest Passage voyage suggest divergent
paths. The SPAR was sunk to become an artificial reef, while the Bramble became a museum in
Michigan. A group in Toledo, the ship’s birthplace, has expressed interest in saving the
historic ship, McCauley said. He added that no one yet knows the ship’s fate, but that hasn’t
stopped the crew from making plans. “Everyone on the ship is trying to decide if we should
deliver the ship via the Panama Canal or the Northwest Passage,” McCauley said. Mirror writer
Kristen Inbody may be reached via e-mail at kinbody@kodiakdailymirror.com.
On01/01/06 Emilio Garcia
said:
Anyone Stationed at LORAN station Busuanga, Philippines from 1961-1962?
On12/21/05 Steve Lindsey
said:
Here's a chance for former Storis crewmembers and others to help save this venerable
vessel. Take five minutes to write a letter to the editor. Write a letter to one of the Alaskan
newspapers. In your own words, write the papers. They are all on-line. The Anchorage Daily News ran
run of my letters recently. Other papers one might consider: The Juneau
Empire(Letterstotheeditor@juneauempire.com.,) the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner(letters@newsminer) and
the Nome Nugget (nugget@nomenugget.com.) There are about a dozen others to consider too. If
Alaska's congressional deligation has such clout as to build bridges to desolate islands, perhaps
they can be rallied to save the Storis as a museum ship. That would be something for your
grandchildren to see. The Storis saved. Image that. Write a letter today.
On12/20/05 Ernest
said:
I am looking for a photo of the Cutter Sagebrush (W399) for a painting. Help please! &
thanks, Ernest ex RM2 65-69
On12/18/05 Tom Gemmell
said:
Anchorage Daily News. Alaska is missing the boat if it fails to save storied Coast Guard
vessel Two great American ships are to be decommissioned next year; the icebreaker Mackinaw and
the vessel Storis ('Voyage's end,' Nov. 27). Both Coast Guard cutters have served this nation well.
The Mackinaw was built during World War II for breaking ice on the Great Lakes. Its purpose was to
extend the shipping season into the winter months. It allowed lake boats shipping iron ore to the
blast furnaces of the 'arsenal of democracy.' Two cities vied for the honor of hosting the soon-
to-be decommissioned icebreaker as a museum ship: Cheboygan, Mich., and Duluth, Minn. Michigan
congressmen sprang into action, passing legislation keeping the Mack in its home. The Storis is
also a World War II vessel. It played an important role in the Greenland ice patrol, keeping Germany
from establishing weather stations. The Storis also passed through the Northwest Passage at a time
when few had. Its postwar years were spent in Alaska, where it racked up an impressive record of sea
rescues. The venerable Storis, like its freshwater cousin, should be saved. But Alaska,
surrounded by water, has done little to preserve its maritime heritage. The Storis as a museum ship
would rectify this omission. Save the good ship Storis. Save an important part of this nation's, and
your own history. ---- Steve Lindsey Keene, N.H.
http://www.adn.com/opinion/letters/story/7293732p-7205415c.html
On
12/17/05 Steve Lindsey
said:
Letter advocating preserving the Storis as museum ship...In today's Anchorage Daily News
Alaska is missing the boat if it fails to save storied Coast Guard vessel Two great American
ships are to be decommissioned next year; the icebreaker Mackinaw and the vessel Storis ('Voyage's
end,' Nov. 27). Both Coast Guard cutters have served this nation well. The Mackinaw was built
during World War II for breaking ice on the Great Lakes. Its purpose was to extend the shipping
season into the winter months. It allowed lake boats shipping iron ore to the blast furnaces of the
'arsenal of democracy.' Two cities vied for the honor of hosting the soon-to-be decommissioned
icebreaker as a museum ship: Cheboygan, Mich., and Duluth, Minn. Michigan congressmen sprang into
action, passing legislation keeping the Mack in its home. The Storis is also a World War II
vessel. It played an important role in the Greenland ice patrol, keeping Germany from establishing
weather stations. The Storis also passed through the Northwest Passage at a time when few had. Its
postwar years were spent in Alaska, where it racked up an impressive record of sea rescues. The
venerable Storis, like its freshwater cousin, should be saved. But Alaska, surrounded by water, has
done little to preserve its maritime heritage. The Storis as a museum ship would rectify this
omission. Save the good ship Storis. Save an important part of this nation's, and your own history.
---- Steve Lindsey Keene, N.H.
On12/06/05 Mike Dusza
said:
My dad, Ted Dusza, is gone now, but I have a framed certificate he got while serving on the
CGC STORIS on July 28th, 1947... anybody out there have a good black and white picture of the ship
back then or remember my dad (i think he was a radio-man). Thanks. Mike Dusza, Brick, NJ
On11/27/05 Otto Binder
said:
Cutter Storis to be decommissioned in 2007 Voyage comes to an end after six decade of
service By MEGAN HOLLAND Anchorage Daily News (Published: November 27, 2005) The Coast
Guard cutter Storis is so old it was built with cork insulation instead of fiberglass. The tangle of
pipes and wires wandering the 63-year-old vessel's hidden regions can pose a mystery to crewmen.
And if its engine were to break down, the only place to look for a replacement would be in a museum,
the Coast Guard says. The Kodiak-based Storis, the oldest ship in the service's fleet, will be
decommissioned in 2007, the Coast Guard announced last week. The cutter Munro, currently homeported
in Alameda, Calif., will fill in for it as a faster, better-equipped fisheries enforcement and
search-and-rescue vessel until a new ship is built for Alaska waters, the Coast Guard said. The
upgrade is part of the Coast Guard's multiyear $19 billion to $24 billion modernization of its
aircraft and cutters that began in 2002. Retiring the Coast Guard's oldest ship does not come as
a surprise to people who have served on it, including 71-year-old Gil Cragen, who was a gunner's
mate on the Storis from 1954 to 1956 and who now lives in Anchorage. 'A ship that old should be
decommissioned,' he said. Cutters, which are what the Coast Guard calls its bigger vessels, have
relatively long service lives compared to other military machinery and vehicles. According to a
recent U.S. Government Accountability Office report, medium-endurance cutters like the Storis have
average service lives of 30 to 49 years, depending on their size. But 'The Queen of the Fleet,' as
the Storis is called, has been in service more than six decades. No decision has been made as to
what will happen to the 230-foot cutter after it is decommissioned, the Coast Guard said. The Storis
could be mothballed, scrapped, sold or donated to become a museum. In a press release, Vice Adm.
Harvey Johnson, commander, Coast Guard Pacific Area, said, 'Storis has been a gallant workhouse for
the Coast Guard since World War II and has earned an honored place in Coast Guard history.'
Launched in September 1942, the vessel played a role in World War II, and the stories accumulated in
the decades since. Thousands of Coast Guardsmen have served on it. 'The Storis is one of a kind,'
said Cmdr. Jim McCauley, current captain of the ship, reached on phone while on patrol in the Bering
Sea. 'I've been on other boats built in the 1940s and '50s, but none like the Storis. Its rich
history is unbelievable.' For nearly 50 years, the one-time icebreaker has patrolled thousands of
miles from the Gulf of Alaska to the Bering Sea to the North Pacific Ocean. 'I sit around here
and think, 'If only these walls could talk.' I'm sure there'd be some interesting stories,' Ensign
Andrew Munoz, currently serving on the Storis, said in a telephone interview from the vessel.
During World War II, the Storis guarded the coast of Greenland to keep the German military from
establishing weather stations. In 1957, along with the Coast Guard cutters the Bramble and the Spar,
it ended the 450-year search for a Northwest Passage, a route for large ships to cross the top of
North America. Then, the Storis became the first U.S. vessel to circumnavigate the North American
continent. Cornelius Farley, 83, was an officer on the ship during the Northwest Passage trip.
Now living near San Francisco, he said he remembers being stuck in ice near Canada for 2 1/2 days,
cruising and sweltering through the tropics without a porthole in his cabin, and patrolling near the
Arctic Circle to protect a radar system during the Cold War. 'If the Russkies flew a plane over,
we'd know about it,' Farley said. But while the Spar was sunk off the coast of North Carolina to
become an artificial reef and the Bramble became a museum in Michigan, the Storis has continued
patrolling Alaska waters. When the Storis is decommissioned, the Ketchikan-based Acushnet will be
the oldest cutter in the fleet, having been in service since 1944. But the GAO report notes that
the Coast Guard fleet is aging. The service's cutters are approaching their maximum life expectancy,
the report said. The GAO report was in response to Coast Guard complaints over several years that
the existing fleet, especially the cutters, has been failing at an unsustainable rate. In response,
the report found, 'cutters are generally declining' and 'to help meet mission requirements, Coast
Guard staff are performing more extensive maintenance between deployments, but even so, aircraft and
cutters continue to lose mission capabilities.' On the Storis, replacement parts for the vintage
equipment have been expensive and, sometimes, nonexistent, Munoz said. 'Sometimes, when things
break, we have to fabricate it from scratch,' he said. 'Our engineers have to be a lot more
resourceful in resolving problems, overcoming obstacles and finding spare parts.' Munoz said the
technical manual used for the main motor is from 1941. 'You're holding a piece of history,' he
said. 'For being 63 years old and being passed down by engineers, it is pretty clean and in good
shape.' Munoz said parts of the motor are irreplaceable, except for parts that could be found in
a museum. 'There would be no going out and getting a new one,' he said. The Coast Guard plans
to save an estimated $4.7 million by decommissioning the Storis, it said. While the Storis
travels at top speeds of 14 knots, or about 16 mph, the Munro cruises at twice that, Munoz said. The
Munro, with 20 officers and 150 enlisted people on board -- nearly double the personnel of the
Storis -- also has a flight deck that can handle helicopters. The upgrades mean faster searches and
rescues, Munoz said. The Coast Guard said the Munro will be homeported in Kodiak until a new
offshore patrol cutter in 2011 will replace it. Both Farley and Cragen want to see the Storis
turned into a museum. 'It would be nice if it was preserved someplace,' Farley said. Daily
News reporter Megan Holland can be reached at mrholland@adn.com.
On
11/22/05 L.W. (Pete) Peterson
said:
Served on the Storis 9/49 - 6/51 RM3-RM1 and 1/55 - 1/57 RM1. Recall the first DEW Line
mission in '55. We were short RMs and the Navy gave us an RM1 and an RMC. Almost made it thru to
the East Coast that year, but were called back before we could make it thru the passage. Would like
to hear from any of the crew members from either tour of duty.
On11/01/05
Louie LaRiccia
said:
Six months to the Icebreaker Muster in Laughlin. To date about 150 people are signed up for
this event. You can't beat the price. So far, there are a couple of Storis shipmates who will be
there. Go to www.icebreakermuster.com for all the info.
On10/31/05
Scott Hover
said:
served onboard from nov96 to nov99 made Bm3 on board. Have many fond memories of my time
there,great crew haven't forgot any of you
On10/21/05 Kevin
Richardson
said:
Looking for anyone who may have any information on the Pan Oceanic Faith - she was sunk in
Oct 67, my father (Earl Richardson) was aboard and was never recovered. Any help would be very much
appreciated.
On10/20/05 Bruce Painter
said:
I sailed Storis as Operations Officer from October 1982 to July 1985. Good ship, great
crew and a real piece of history!
On10/19/05 Chad G
said:
...almost forgot; remember that dude, think he was an RM too, shaved his head, walked into
the XO's room, dropped a bag of weed on his desk and said, 'let's smoke it'. The drive-thru liquor
store! The John Wayne picture on the cliffs, way out toward the end of the road. Overnight at that
cabin, passed the end of the road. How good that red-headed female cook looked after 3 weeks at
sea. Bell trying to shoot a line to the 'Monarch' in those winds...
On
10/19/05 Chad G
said:
89-90; i was one of the cursed, meaning I did not get seasick, so had to work harder.
Yeah Dave, I remember the show put on by the couple sharing dry-dock with us in Seward. Retrieving
beer from the car after duty with a perfect layer of slush across the top. The little engine room
fire during my first patrol. Trying to fourwheel in my Chevette. Of course the 50x50x50 patrol but
thougt it was all 40s. Turning for 10, doing negative 6. Steering into the trough during chow...
Being one of the smucks caught onboard when we had to get away from the pier in Cold Bay because of
that storm. Still swear I could see a full shot of anchor chain stretched out across the water.
Man how hot was it in HI, no a/c and all. Breaking ice off the handrails to keep us from being too
top-heavy. Deer that weren't much bigger than a large dog, but good eating. So much more, I never
once missed!
On10/13/05 Robert
said:
Not to many shipmates aboard this website that were on the 'Mighty Sto', 64'-65' during
the 'Great Alaskan Earthquake'.
On09/01/05 Louie LaRiccia
said:
The September update for the Icebreaker Muster is on the website, www.icebreakermuster.com.
Don’t be left at the gangway – mail those registrations!
On08/10/05 Ray
L Buckner
said:
After thought. Old, old, meanns over half a century. Y'all come, heah, Laughlin,NV.....
On08/10/05 Ray L Buckner
said:
I hope everyone had a great Coast Guard Day celebration--beer and all the trimmin's. I just
learned that one of my old,old beloved shipmates followed me to the STORIS . I was aboard STORIS
1958-1961 QMC. I was QM striker and made qm3 aboard CGC AGASSIZ,125 footer in Morehead City,NC
under a guy named Milton J Stewart a former C.O.of Storis. I made a couple of BSP's and a DEW LINE
across Canada as far east as Cambridge Bay and Hat Island. I truly hope to see all of you in
LAUGHLIN,NV in May 1st at the ICEBREAKER MUSTER. y'all come.
On08/02/05
Bob Dick
said:
Served aboard Storis from July '66 to June '68. Did Panoceanic Faith SAR, Russian
Trawlers, Chief Skugaid SAR, Steel Flyer SAR, etc., etc, etc. Started as an SA left as a BM-3,
finished tour at Seattle Station, driving boats, with a short tour to Cape Disappointment MLB school
on Columbia Bar. Would love to hear from old (kinda goes without saying) shipmates from the era.
Is Big John still out there?
On06/19/05 Ray Buckner
said:
I have a strong feeling that the EASTWIND will have more attendees at May '06 NV reunion
than any of the other breakers.
On06/18/05 steve leiper
said:
I was on board from 87 to 89. Miss the great crew we had. Larrry Madrid,Alan Hofler,Bob
Notham, and all the guys. Hope to hear from you.Former EM3
On06/17/05
Louie LaRiccia
said:
NOW HEAR THIS!! For those not aware - The Icebreaker Muster will be held May 1 to 5, 2006
in Laughlin, Nevada. For full information, go to icebreakermuster.com. This will be a sellout!
On05/21/05 Mike Loizakes
said:
Served aboard the Storis 86-89. Sure do miss all the good times with deckforce, SN Dove,
SN Lambrides, Mr. Meyer, BM1 Modawell, GM2 Bergrenn, SN Kottrie. If I forgot anyone, sorry. Would
like to hear from some of the crew.
On05/10/05 Buck Owens
said:
Reported aboard as a shiny new Ensign in Lake Union shipyard (1974) and transferred out
while in Lockheed shipyard (1976). Two year tour, but three months were in summertime Seatle. Did
the Prudhoe Bay tug and barge escort, too. CDR Bruce Little was Captain.
On05/03/05 Mike Martin
said:
OH MY!!! what memories this brings back. I lived in Juneau from 1950-1967, while the
Storis was stationed there. Does anyone remember Lee Coon? He was very gracious to me and gave me a
keel to helm tour of the ship in the 50s. Last time I saw him was in 1986 in Juneau.
On04/27/05 Bill Burchfield
said:
To Steve Eckholm: I read your inquiry relating to an emergency appendictomy performed on
the Storis in 1947. It actually did occur. I was aboard as a Seaman1/c and remember the incident,
although some of the details are no longer as vivid as they once were. The purpose of our patrol
to Greenland was first to resupply the Coast Guard-manned Loran station at Fredericksdahl and second
to close down a number of military stations established in Greenland during WWII. To help with the
second mission, we carried a detachment of some 40 army personnel under the command of an army
captain. We also carried an army doctor. One of our crewmen, a Yeoman 2/c (possibly named
Richardson), became very ill and displayed the symptoms of acute appendicitus while we were
proceeding up the East Coast of Greenland. The army doctor considered his condition too grave to
wait until we could get him to the nearest military hospital at Narssarssuak. The captain pulled
the ship into a narrow fjord and anchored. The yeoman was carried to the Captain's cabin and the
operation was performed on the Captain's dining table. All work was suspended in order to maintain
quiet during the procedure. The operation was successful and the yeoman was moved to the spare bed
in the Captain's cabin. I believe that within a day or so, we were able to anchor near a small
landing strip somewhere along the coast and a small army plane picked him up and flew him to
Narssarssuak. I assume the operation was performed in the Captain's cabin so that he could easily be
moved out to the boat deck and lowered in one of the motor whaleboats we carried when it was time to
take him ashore, without having to move him up or down a ladder. These events occurred almost
sixty years ago and I apologize for any flaw in my memory.
On04/04/05
MKC Rick Sandbom (ret.)
said:
My time on the STORIS from the summer of 1985 to June of 1988 were great---fishing, trips
to the End of the Road, running ATVs on the old roads, feeling bear breathing down your neck--
doesn't get any better than that.
On03/15/05 shawn stamback AKA
LB
said:
Does anybody KNOw a guy called SHAGGY he served 93-94 i think
On
02/20/05 Hermie Fernandez
said:
Looking for Richard Miller who was the captain on the USCGC New Wagon? stationed on the
island of Maui, Hawaii back in the late 70's. I was like 11 years old then and my parents, like
many locals, took him into our home like he was their son. My father, Herbert Santos, Sr. would be
involved in a lot of water recuses with the New Wagon. Please any help with finding him would be
great. My parents are in their 70's and it would be great to have a reunion.
On02/17/05 Steve Ekholm
said:
My name is Steve Ekholm. I recently talked to someone who said they removed someones
appendix on the Storis off Greenland in 1947. I would love to learn more so I can pass on
information to the person I talked to. If you folks have any ideas of the direction I can go I
would be very grateful.
On02/17/05 SNQM
said:
I was on the CGC Storis from 99-01. I had a blast! I always wanted to go to AK as a kid,
but never thought it would be as great of an experience, as I had. I met a lot of really great
people and a lot of other people I'd like to forget. The overall experience of the Storis was the
best ship I've ever sailed on. I learned more lessons and other skills from seasoned leaders.
Something I shall value for the rest of my life. Storis was truely awesome experience. One I will
cherish forever!
On01/08/05 Kelsey Keller
said:
on the sto 2/78 - 10/78 What a ride, Charlie what happened to you? Nothing like artic
insulation in Hawaii in June. What a trip to Yakuska, Japan, Don't for get the change of command
over the 1MC on the mess deck during a 90 MPH typhoon half mile off the coast of Attu. Some great
memories. Would like to hear from any shipmates onboard at that time. Semper Paratus
On01/07/05 Gil Cragen
said:
GM On Storis1954-56. Met with Keith Rickenbrode last fall. Still have contact with Norm
Miller,Ken Swena, and looking for others of that time.
On01/03/05 John
Dickson
said:
Hello all just found this message board and glad to see a few of the crew I served with. I
came onto the Storis the Winter of 91 thru 93. Flew in on a C130 into ST. Paul AK. Alot of great
times but hard to believe that so much time has passed. I'm interested in hearing from anyone of
the crew. I tried sending out several Emails to those listed so hope to hear from anyone. I have
the Storis to thank for meeting my wife, on our trip to Petropavlousk Russia I met my wife Olga...2
years later we married after I left the Guard. Hope to hear from anyone also if you have pictures
of the the Storis or crew would love to see them.
On11/30/04 Don
Albrecht
said:
Anyone remember staying aboard Cutter Storis for 1981 refitting at Lake Union Dry Dock
Seattle? Please email gammadodger@hotmail.com
On11/26/04 Darl Large
SS3
said:
Fond greetings to all my old shipmates out there! I served aboard Storis from 87-90. God,
how I miss it! So many memories. I was sea sick 90% of the time but man every day aboard the queen
was an adventure. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.
On10/29/04
Mason Lane
said:
I think these were the greatest times of my life! What a great crew and ship! Sure miss
the Queen! USCGC Storis 83-87
On10/26/04 Otto Binder
said:
Looking for Storis Crew years 1968- 1971 want to set up a contact list for a possible
reunion. Please email any contact info you might have for shipmates aboard during 1968 -1971 Otto
Binder EM2
On10/24/04 Sandra
said:
Just took my dad info on the 'status' of the two ships he served aboard app summer 1946--
Spring 1947 The Storis and then the remainder of 1947 on the Bibb. Evidently woke some vivid
memories as he is 'very excited'!!! I printed him about 50 internet pages yesterday on the two
ships and he has already read them ALL!!!! He does not have access to email but I can pass along
messages - he is 76 years old, Richard Keith, Georgia and wants to know if any of his old crew mates
might be out there. He was on Storis for Icebreaking in shipping lanes in N Atlantic , evidently
last mission before it was sent on the NW Passage, as he was transferred to the Bibb. From my
researching the time and deployment I gather he was on the Bibb at Ocean weather station Charlie,
I think from my recent research. He doesn't remember much other than it was a weather ship and has
lost all his pictures of those days. He was in and out of Greenland/Iceland evidently several times.
Was discharged just before the Bibb was involved in the airplane rescue but was friends with
shipmates involved. Any contact at all or information, or suggestion where I could go to search out
shipmates of that time period would be greatly appreciated.
On10/22/04
Mary Jones
said:
Starting to feel like I am monopolizing this board...just want to say addresses for Chris
Larson and John Heininen are not good. Search for pictures of lighthouse, etc on google.search. If
you use the advanced search option you will get really good results. I started reading this page
because I wanted to ask about the fire picture someone posted of Storis's crew and a 1955 fire in
Juneau. Was that the Juneau Cold Storage or the pulp mill fire?
On10/22/04
Mary
said:
I saw alot of you want pictures, etc. Sending you all the link for Storis at military.com.
Also if you type USCGC Storis into the google.com search engine, I'm sure you will be pleased with
the results...http://www.military.com/HomePage/UnitCreatedPage/0,11003,400446,00.html
On10/22/04 Mary
said:
This Storis is still in action. Nice webpage at military.com which is free to join if you
wish. Has a bunch of buddies listed...
On10/16/04 Pat Callahan
said:
I'm looking for LT Bob Vassar, who was a seaman on the Storis around 1954. I served with
him on the Citrus in 1957, after he completed OCS. I was an Ensign on the Storis in 1956. I'm
retired in Kona, Hawaii.
On10/14/04 Angela Richardson
said:
Hello, looking for anyone that may have any information on survivors from the Mormackite
that sunk in 1954?? Looking for a friend..
On10/07/04 Peter Van
Horsen
said:
Anyone want to help with a reunion?
On10/01/04 Dale Rice
said:
Hi Stan I never though you was driving when we got hit, I was to busy looking for leaks.
I was on the mess deck when we went bump. I was headed aft when they piped steering casualty. Fun
day but we got home in time for Christmas. I heard on the base they will not let her go in the ice
any more. On a local radio story they said it was hard to find any for the engine room. Something
about the mains were so old now one knew how to run them when they reported aboard. Dale
74-75/78-90
On09/14/04 Stan Strain
said:
I served on the Storis from 1973 to 1975, straight out of bootcamp as a SA. I was at the
helm in December, 1974 when we collided with a disabled freighter we were attempting to tow out of
the shipping lanes (not my fault, I was 'spot on' as to ordered course). Put a nice vertical dent
(about 4 feet in length) aft port!
On08/04/04 Bruce Schrell
said:
Yeah I remember the canery fire at King Cove.. We did the work the 378 came after it was
out...oh well their CO out ranked our's....
On07/15/04 Bob Victor
said:
The Storis is still proudly serving the country...She gets to wear gold numbers on her
side. My nephew has just finished a hitch on the ship and signed for six more years states side in
Virginia. The ship is in great shape!
On06/26/04 Bob Beyer
said:
Ahoy Mates: I do the newsletter for the Westwind Association and we are featuring a short
article in the upcoming issue about the CGC Storis and one of her plankowners. I checked the USCG
web site and they had an article dated 6/24/04 that said the Storis was still in service. In fact,
they said she was the Queen of the Fleet. Based on that, I guess she is still in service.
On05/30/04 Lenny Rash
said:
Just want to wish everyone a happy Memorial Day. Also,a word to Chris Larson: I found Doug
MacCaskill. Drop me a line at my new e-mail address listed here.The old one is null and void.
On04/18/04 Chris Larson
said:
In edit to my previous post : I DONT KNOW if the Storis has been decomissioned . I am
trying to find out if she has. It was talking story with a Coastie down at the local lumber yard
and he said the Storis was done. Any one on this forum know FOR SURE ? Thanks
On04/16/04 bob olson
said:
Chris: sounds like something the alumni association could pull off, I think the old girl
would float another 60 years if we could keep her as a working tribute to Alaskan patrols, I wish
some of the brass could read this and communicate with us on this issue.as well as anyone out there
in e-mail land this will take the brains of many all of our scrounging abilities we picked up on
the Bering sea. anyway Im a history major and have helped in some similar projects in Wyoming.
anyone keep in touch .....
On04/12/04 Chris Larson
said:
Hey Bob , The buy out thing sounds like a good idea. If you took the number of sailors
that rock and rolled on her decks,for say the last 40 years, we could all probably own the Storis
for about $ 250 bucks each ......?? .....or else start buying stock in Gillette....
On04/05/04 bob olson
said:
I think we need to get the straight skinny on the old girl's demise. and maybe the alumni,
the thousands of us should have and 'employee buy out' before she becomes razor blades. would like
to see a floating museum if she really has to go. I think the washington bottom liners feed on the
bottom with such decisions... rro.
On03/31/04 Ken Perry
said:
Looking for anyone who may have served with my father. His name was John Roland Perry. He
went by Rolly or Roland. He was a radioman and then an electronics technition. He served aboard
the Storis, Northwind, Edisto, and Ingham that I know of. He retired in 1967 as a Master Chief
On03/24/04 JOHNHEINONEN
said:
WHERE DO I FIND PHOTOS OF CAPE ST. ELIAS LT.STATION
On03/18/04
Chris Larson
said:
Hey guys ,I talked to a C.G. guy the other day who said the Storis was just
decommisioned,?? Any truth to this? I am just trying to set the record straight, Thanks .
On03/16/04 matt husler
said:
I was on the galloping ghost of the alaskan coast from may 95 to may 97, the old boat is
still floating, but even after putting a 1 million 5 into her two years ago on the main motor I hear
she may still be decommissioned in 10 or so years, how can that be. She is the best running boat in
alaska. Gotta say hello out to good old master chief Lars Kent at sta tillamook in oregon if you
are still there. And good old BM1 Berry Spivey the only sailor that did five years on the boat and
remained somewhat sane, while advancing from E-2 to E-5, I remember meeting you on the jet from
seattle to anchorage when I got out of bootcamp, and didn't have a clue what I was doing. Berry you
have always been a good friend. Finally James Brown, my sea dad, you taught me many lessons and
have had a great time all around knowing you. For all you other queen of the fleet sailors,
champlain, gudger, Mr. Jenkins, and mike felkay, take care, and have fair winds and following
seas.
On03/16/04 ray l buckner
said:
A very touching story below. I was on the STORIS '58 '61 then went to EASTWINd in
Boston
On03/15/04 Patricia West
said:
I want to thank the Storis for her service 14 years ago today.I was searching the web for
any information on the rescue of the F/V Alaskan Monarch and stumbled across this site.It was
brought to my attention because one of the crewmembers commented of having a video of the rescue. I
wanted to see what 'video' was being referred to, on the off chance there was another one out there
other than the one that has been aired on tv.I have been searching through all of your comments to
find where the Alaskan Monarch was mentioned.I didn't realize until I found it that today is March
15. I started to cry because I, and my four children cannot thank the crew of the Storis, serving
that day, enough.I have a video in my personal collection of the Alaskan Monarch before you
arrived, while you were there, when your helicopter arrived, the rescue, the grounding,the clean up,
and the aftermath.Those of you that were there know there is so much more that the tv. doesn't
show.Happy Birthday to Her, and THANK YOU THE CREW and everyone involved for allowing me to spend 14
more years...and counting with my husband, the surviving engineer that was rescued from the water.
Although the pilot was named 'Alaskan of the Year' You all have my vote. I only have God and you to
thank. I hope you all know how valuable you are.
On03/01/04 Robert
Webster
said:
I was on board from Oct.87 thru May.89 in that time we spent 6 weeks in emergency dry dock
at ketchikan, AK , because the ship had lost the main shaft bearing. What a time that was, I look
back on my tour With found memory's and at times I wounder how I survived.
On02/27/04 Cecil Broome
said:
I was stationed on the Storis from Dec 79 to Jul 81. That was one of the best tours of my
life. We had a great crew; Gary Snodgrass, Bill Grunzner(sp). COs were Dave Freeburn (the best)
and HEC Budd. I still wonder how I survived that tour.
On02/06/04
Frank Barka
said:
Was on board Oct.88- Jan.91as EM 3.
On02/06/04 baukol
said:
Hey Chris, remember when we put out that fish processing facility fire? got a letter of
appreciation from some 378 that showed up late and drank beer they found in the rubble.
On01/03/04 Chris Parsons
said:
Was onboard in mid 70's, led a convoy of barges to Prudhoe bay, opening up the pipekine.
Cdr, Little, lt cdr. shearer was XO., BMC White, EO was Ernie Johnson was on board at the time I
was stationed on the STO.Look forward to hearing of old mates.
On11/25/03
RM2 Caruthers
said:
I was onboard in the mid 70's when the pipeline was just starting in Alaska. We helped
chart the Weldel sea that year. Out 27 days of every month on fishers patrol. Never in port in
Kodial AK.
On11/20/03 Jerry Furlough
said:
Cattle slaughter, so many cattle so little time. BM1 had to be rescued from other side of
the island after they moved the pickup point and no one told him. July 83-Jan 85
On10/03/03 Ken Lord
said:
I am looking for anyone who may recall Peter Demmerle on the Storis
On09/09/03 danny shedwin
said:
i am in contact with the only known survivor of Pan Oceanic Faith and will be talking with
either he or his family this saturday. if you want contact email me and i'll forward the
information. we want to do a documentary and some people are uniting with him sometime between now
and christmas.
On09/09/03 Frank Olson
said:
Finally found this site. DWO and OPS Jan'69-Nov'70 with John Byrd and Perry Allen, CO's.
Lots of names come to mind: Art Chittick, Pete Van Horsen, Bill Clough, Roy Little, Russ Camp, Ken
Bishop, Glenn Edwards, Bill Merchant, Roy Keel ET1, QMCM Harrington.... As for many, the
experiences of those months are indelibly etched in memory. Wonderful times. What is the current
status of the ship? How much longer as Queen of the Fleet? Now ret'd from teaching in Eastern Ky.
Let me hear from former shipmates.
On09/02/03 Bill Burgess
said:
I served on the Storis from '58-4/59 and am looking for old shipmates. Please contact me.
Bill Burgess.
On08/25/03 Harry Meyer
said:
Served aboard the Storis as a CS3 between January, 1969 and July 70. Recognize Pete Van
Horsen, Ken Santucci and Russ Camp's names. Served under Cdr. Byrd and remember the arrest of the
Japanese in Norton Sound, Polar Profile in 1969. Also recall the trip to Seattle to repair the hole
in the hull. Kept copies of the newpaper accounts of various exploits. Anyone else wonder why the
Confidence never left the dock in Kodiak? Also recall the night the jarheads in Kodiak tried to
throw off the mooring lines. Good ship, great crew and great memories. Understand that there is a
60th Birthday party in Kodiak in Septmeber and current skipper is looking for e-mails with memories
of their time on the old lady.
On08/07/03 Jack Woskowicz
said:
On-board May 83 - Nov 84...Anyone else out there...Jack Aitken, gotta love the cattle
slaughter...
On08/06/03 Ryan Darrow
said:
Jerry, you Mother Humpin' Mamma' Jamma', What have you been up to?
On08/06/03 Jerry Connolly
said:
Served on the Storis 93-95 as a deckie. Shout out to my boyz Royer, Gheen, Osborn, Reed,
Quinn, Cook, Smitty, Dangle, Strong, Hensley, Lester, and those i missed.
On07/12/03 Lenny Rash
said:
Looking for anyone I sailed with from '77-'79.Anybody know Doug MacKaskill,Charlie
Golden or Kevin Winner?
On06/29/03 James Lambrecht
said:
Is anyone going to the chase reunion in August 2003?
On06/11/03
Tony Coniglio
said:
The new Storis ball caps are the bomb! Thanks to the ship's store my +25yr ball cap will
be tucked away (it probably should be buried at sea). George Beam, Dean Koop, et al: I'm still
kickin'. Where are you? Tony Coniglio / Deck Force 75 - 76.
On06/05/03
TC1 Jeff Doramus
said:
Served as a deckie from JUN 98 to JAN 99, had fun but was glad to go. And Fischer, I
remember you coming, but I'm still trying to remember you working.
On
05/28/03 Bill Marney
said:
Aboard 1972 to 1975. Main Propulsion, Auxilary
On05/22/03
Wallace Willrett
said:
I did the Storis DEW line in 1959. Would like to say hello to crew members, and
especially would like to find Frank Azevedo, Gary P. Love, Richard Gruell (Sp?)
On04/12/03 CRAIG G. CARTWRIGHT
said:
SIR:S IM TRYING TO FIND MAP(EXACT LOCATION) & HISTORY,OF THE PHILIPPINE
ISLAND,TALAPULAND--U.S.C.G. BASE LORAN . I WAS ON IT IN 1967 BUT CAN FIND LITTLE OF IT'S EXASTANCE?I
KNOW ITS NO LONGER USED ,GPS & ALL,BUT MY GRANDKIDS ,ASK ME WHAT I DID,DURING VIET NAM WAR!!!ITS
ONLY 3BY 3 MILES BIG,HARDLY A SPECK.LOL.,ITS BETWEEN CULION-CORON-BUSUANGA ISLANDS..ANY HELP
SERCHING WOULD HELP ME,I DONT KNOW WEAR ELSE TA LOOK??THANK YOU
On
03/07/03 Jim Johnson
said:
A few weeks ago, I had a look at the new DEEPWATER plan for the CG. It is a schedule of
vessel procurement and replacement. There are no ship names on the list, but there is only one 230'
cutter in the fleet. The last year that a 230' cutter shows in the vessel inventory is 2005. That
means to me that a 230' cutter, CGC STORIS, that is, will be retired at that time. If we are ever
going to have a reunion, it had better be before she is retired. I'll volunteer to do whatever I
can, how about some more volunteers? I was EO on board from January 67' to January 69'.
On02/24/03 Dave Huntzinger
said:
I would like to here from anyone stationed aboard the STORIS between june 1975 and
december 1976. Drop me a line and lets chat.
On02/23/03 Tom Tucker
said:
Aboard the great lady in 1959 and 1960. Saw a note from Ray Buckner but when I replied,
the e-mail address was invalid. Ray, if you are out there, send me a note. Was a YN in Ships
Office with XO Angell. Great memories, great stories, would love to make contact with old fellow
shipmates.
On02/07/03 Dale`
said:
Sto is under way under her own power again
On02/07/03
Shannon
said:
I would like any information on the SS Oceanic Faith that went down on Oct 9, 1967
On01/27/03 Amy Renshaw
said:
Hey guys and gals of the Storis, I am looking for an old boot camp friend named HOLLY
MCALLISTER..I believe she was on the ship in 1997.... if any one knows where she might be please let
me know!
On01/09/03 Pete Van Horsen
said:
Jim Johnson and Ken Bishop I tried to e mail you guys but they came back. I was given a
tour of the Storis in Kodiak last summer. Shes the same old ship but a new type crew. She is now a
medium endurance cutter and lots of females in the crew. They were having a new radar installed and
lots of small repair jobs so it doesn't look like retirement soon. Anyone on the ship during 1968
and 1970 write me. I remember those days Dan, Russ Camp and Jim Henry.
On
12/30/02 Curtiss Bury
said:
Do any of you know officers or enlisted men on the USCGC Storis in 1942-1944? My uncle,
LCdr. Curtiss Howard, was part of the Storis crew during those years. In 1944 he was transferred
to the USCGC Eastwind, where he was the navigator under Captain Thomas and was assigned as the
commander of the prize crew for the German ship Extersteine captured in October, 1944. He always
spoke fondly of the Storis and would have been proud to know that is still sailing 60 years after
its commissioning. LCdr. Howard passed away a few years ago, but his wife Dottie, son David and
nephew (me) are researching his WWII Coast Guard career. Thanks for any help you can give us.
Curtiss Bury cmbury@intrepid.net
On12/30/02 John Heis
said:
USCGC Storis from 1943-44. Please email me? S 1/C John Heis from West Virginia.
On12/24/02 David Mitchell
said:
I placed a photo of the Storis patch from 1970 on the photo page. I like it better than
the 1997 patch -- but then I am a little biased for the early 70s.
On
11/17/02 Ken Santucci
said:
Served on board the Storis as an ETN3/2 from October 1969 to January 1971. Good ship, good
crew and good memories.
On10/09/02 Robert P. Russ
said:
Looking for anyone with information on the SS Panoceanic Faith. My Uncle Robert 'Bob'
Russ was lost on 9 October, 1967. Would like to talk with anyone with ties to the ship and crew.
On10/07/02 bob olson
said:
happy birthday to the 'great white whale'
On10/01/02
David Mitchell (SN)
said:
The Storis was my first permanent duty station -- from Sep 70 til Oct 71, when I
transfered to the White Holly to help take her from Ketchikan to New Orleans. Would love to hear
from anyone from that time - trips to Dutch Harbor and Unalaska, Sitka, Nome, Attu and points
inbetween and my favorite -- Seldovia! Our Captain was Commander Allen -- I was fersh out of High
School from the great state of Alabama -- what a transition. Now live in the Great Pacific
Northwest in Corvallis, Oregon -- working for Oregon State University.
On
09/11/02 Jerry Minchew
said:
Hey! Well now. I want to say that serving on the Sto pig was... interesting. Glad I did
it, don't ever want to do it agian. To Quartermunchkin, Frances Jiannalone, Jennifer Fischer and
the rest of the crew that were attached when we lost the MSB, I was one of the nine, Thank you.
On09/07/02 Michael McCormack
said:
Hi All, My dad, John McCormack Sr., served on the Storis as a radioman and was aboard for
the maiden voyage departing from the Great Lakes and made trips to Greenland. He's 82 now and lives
with my sister in Virginia. I think he had his guitar on the boat and liked to play with a group.
If anyone has a message for him I will be happy to pass it along. --Michael McCormack
On 08/27/02 Walt Sly
said:
It's about time that I checked back. I was onboard '92-'94. I remember many things (and I
try to remember many more.) I'm back in Alaska, Ketchikan this time, at a Loran Station no less.
Just want to say hello to a few like Tony Sciarrone, Bruce Brown, Jack Aiken, and many more. Keep in
touch if you get the chance. And as far as I know, there are no rumors about a decom flying this
year.
On 08/20/02 Bill Burchfield
said:
As we all know, the grand old lady will have to be retired at some time in the near
futire. Most of those who served her do not look forward to that event. I had the privilege of
serving aboard her on two patrols to Greenland in 1947. I'm sure there are many others like myself
who would like to be notified when the decision is made as to where and when and would like to
attend the final ceremony. Many, also like me, are getting on in years and need as much advamce
notice as possible for planning purposes. Is anyone specifically charged with disseminating that
information when it becomes available? Anyone from her Greenland days still out there?
On 08/18/02 Kevin Richardson
said:
Looking for anyone who has any information on The Pan Oceanic Faith, my father was on the
ship when it sank on October 9, 1967. The Storis was one of the Cutters called to search.
On 08/17/02 Rice
said:
Lenny Are you still putting your Mark-5 gas mask on upsidedown?
On 07/31/02 John Kurcheski
said:
Hi there guys, looking for a KURT KURCHESKI. Anyone know who he is? please e-mail
me...
On 06/28/02 Byron Mack
said:
Good to look through the entries and see some familiar names. Sure does bring back some
fond memories, like trying to sale Sandi Ellie in Petroplavask, Russia; Admiral Bennett in Russia,
and being stranded on Hotel Street in Honolulu after the busses quit running with James Browning.
If anyone wants to catch up on old times, drop me a line. Byron Mack
On 06/13/02 Curt Bury
said:
I'm looking for anyone who served with my uncle Curtiss Howard on the Storis in the early
'40s. He passed away some years ago, but his wife Dottie is still hale and hearty and would love to
hear from anyone who knew Curt. - - Curt Bury
On 06/05/02 timothy powell
said:
I saw a mesage from Rene' Plante,65/66/67- and I tried to send him an email but his
address is too old and doesn't come up any more. anybody know were he is?
On 05/21/02 Timothy Powell
said:
Hi 3rd class QM 65 / 66. SRTMs, Buoy's. Loggistics runs to Attu. Wow thats a long time
ago. Thousands of memories, most of them great. Finding this web site is going to force me to dig
out my old 35mm slides.
On 05/10/02 Peggy (Martin) Jensen
said:
Stationed on the Storis between 78-80. I'm looking for guys from the baseball and
basketball teams and anyone else that would be interested in a reunion. Would like to plan this for
the summer of 2003. Can't wait to see everyone!!!
On 05/03/02 kevin ohara
said:
am looking for a ss that served on the storis from bout 91-94.his name is jeff ellis,was a
vermont native.we went to ss a school in petaluma.any one know his where abouts email
me..dogma12550@yahoo.com
On 03/05/02 Lenny Rash
said:
Served on the Storis from Nov.77 to July 79 as a member of deck force. It was definately
a period of character development in my life. Lots of good times and lessons learned.
On 02/22/02 'Quartermunchkin'
said:
Hello to all who are 'lucky' enough to have served aboard the 'Queen of the Fleet'. I
personally consider myself lucky becaue I had an amazing experience onboard. Most of the crews that
I served with considered 'unlucky' to be stationed on the 'old lady', but I enjoyed every bit of
Alaska and the Storis. I am lucky enough to have aquired many memories, both good and bad! From the
International Dateline ceremonies to pulling 9 of my fellow crew members out of the freezing waters
of the Berring Sea. I have many a sea stories from that ship and can't wait til our next voyage
together! (Sept99-Jun01 crew)
On 01/19/02 Dale
said:
The Sto went out and pulled in the new Spar the other day.
On 01/06/02 Gene Dvorak
said:
The GRAND OLD LADY will turn 60 this year and wouldn't it be fun to throw her a 60th
birthday party/renunion. Could be our last chance, she won't be with us forever. Imagine 60 years of
crew members & families converging on Kodiak to celebrate the greatest Cutter in the Guard (OK - I'm
partial). Let me know what you think
On 01/04/02 BOB OLSON
said:
ALMOST 30 YEARS HAS COME AND GONE SINCE THAT NIGHT ON THE MARGE OF ST. MATTHEW WHEN WE
CAUGHT THE LAMUT AND KOLYYVANN 'TRESSPASSING' FOR A WILD NIGHT ON THE BERING. A CLEAN SWEEP AND A
NICE HAUL...TIME SURE FLIES
On 12/17/01 Joe Peterson
said:
My dad, Otto V. 'Sonny' Peterson, passed away 12-17-01 in Tacoma, WA, one day shy of his
81st birthday. He was in the CG from 1940 to 1952 (SK-1). Dad was on the Storis just after it came
around from Greenland (he helped form D-17 out of D-13) and said it was his favorite duty during his
CG years (I remember eating ice cream on the Storis in 1948 - thus I joined the CG in 1965!). Dad
served on the Taney 1940-42 and was on the Taney at Pearl Harbor 12-7-41 and has been credited with
being on the gun crew that fired the first shot that morning from the Taney. He also served on the
USN (CG manned) Gen. Muir (a 'plank holder', he helped commission the Muir in Portland, OR during
the war), NYC Navy yards and did SP duty in Paris after WW-II. Also was stationed at D-13, D-
Cleveland and Boston, and was at other places around the world. He was also Pacific Fleet heavy
weight boxing champ during WW-II (6'4' and 250 lbs). He was a member of the Pearl Harbor
Survivors Assoc., CG Combat Vets., and the Bering Sea Patrol and the VFW. He remained active in
those organizations, giving his last Pearl Harbor/Taney interview on KIRO radio Seattle at the
request of D-13 on 12-7-01. CG Headquarters web site featured dad and his 1941 Taney log album
over the summer. Some of his Taney/PHSA items will eventually be given to the Taney museum in
Baltimore. The family thanks all those 'old shipmate' who have contacted dad via Fred's Place over
the past year, he enjoyed that very much. He is survived by myself (USCG 65-69) in Tacoma, daughter
Ann in Everett, WA, five grand kids and one great grandson. Mom died in 1996 - she was one of the
first women to join the Women's Auxiliary Army Air Corp in 1942. Dad loved the 'guard', life and
meeting with his old coastie buddies.
On 11/24/01 Dan Ferrell (Seaman)
said:
I was stationed aboard Sep68 till May 69, anyone remember me?
On 08/31/01 Bob Olson (former BM3)
said:
was on the 'great white whale' from '70 to '72 yard period in Seattle. would like to hear
from shipmates , got to admit hard working, fighting,and drinking crew. Best guys I've ever known
and probably best years of my life.Am domesticated now and teach history in small high school in
Wyoming, too far from the sea, get in touch.
On 07/28/01 VIC POHLE
said:
On Storis mid sixtys.Served with some good sailors.Woukd like to locate Clay Swearingen
was EM1 back then last known duty was in 7th district.Also CS1 Bob Gant.
On 07/05/01 DAVID SEWALL
said:
Lots of great memories from my tour 88-90, a great C.O.(J.A.Doty), great shipmates (Hello
Dave,Keith and Shelly), unforgettable shoreleave (can you beat Cold Bay, Adak and most of all Dutch
Harbor!!) I'm settled down in Maine, an E.R. nurse and have a family of my own but it is amazing
how often my thoughts return to the gentle and not so gentle rolls of the ol' sto-pig.
On 06/20/01 Frances Jiannalone
said:
Hey no hard feelings Storis crew and ship! Life just directed me into a different
direction than where you were going! Being out of the military is quite a bit liberating....But I
had a lot of spiritual growing times...and a lot of times I would love to forget....(messcooking)
But I will be moving back to Alaska.(NOT Kodiak) sometime next year at least for the summer doing
Vet medicine..Hey Jeff Gose off the Sweetbriar, Email me!...Good Luck to everyone I met whom I
probably will never see again! Hope you find your purpose in your own life! Maybe the point of life
is that there is no point at all!
On 06/11/01 Jack Aitken (ret)
said:
Anybody off the 83-85 crew out there heard from the DC shop guys? DC1 Jewel, DC3 guess
(nickname 'dad')DC3 Curtis(nickname 'elmer'), FNDC Handlowski (nickname skidog)or any others out of
that shop?
On 06/09/01 Ray L Buckner
said:
I was aboard in 58,59,60,and 61 CO's were Foster and Dawson.XO.s were Boxwell,Angell,and
Terry Newman. I later ran into Capt Dawson in Antarctic. Anyone have any ideas for reunion.
On 05/21/01 Carl Roth
said:
Storis 45-46. Greenland,Boston at Davis Shipyard (for refitting). Any old shipmates out
there?
On 04/25/01 Mario Berriola
said:
My first time on this page and it brings back a lot of memories. Recognize Shuster,
Rasmussen, Dvorak, I came aboard in Nov.67 as an FA. Assigned to A GANG with ENC Lawrence. I
correspond with Randy Merritt EN2 from Temperanceville VA. (Outer Banker) and I will be sure and
tell him about this site. It's great to be back aboard.
On 02/28/01 James Hunter
said:
served from 86-88 in engineering. I'm looking for some of the guys I sailed with. I'm in
Texas, captain of a 51' sailboat.
On 02/09/01 Mike Harrington
said:
QM2 Storis Juneau/Kodiak 57-58, Dewline, Northwest passage(Seattle to AK to -Boston/New
York) second try. Tammaroa NY 56-57, Sebeago Mobile 59-60, Bootcamp Cape May 55? 56?. Nicknamed
'Hurricane Harry'. Looking for shipmates, NW Passage certificates and patches etc. for museum in
Kodiak.
On 01/21/01 Jolie Golphenee
said:
Hello!! Still in search of the infamous G-MEN. I found B.S. Where's Mark, Pete, and
Joey????? Anyone know where ZOG is??? Shane and I were discussing our own sea stories just the
other day. Couldn't remember some names. Get in touch!!!!
On 01/18/01 Kevin Fitzpatrick
said:
Served aboard the Mighty Sto 67-68; was there for seizing Russian Trawler; Search &
Rescue; Seattle ship yards; runs into the Bering Sea (always fun in winter)Painting the first racing
stripe on the STO (I have that pix in front of me now) great experience for a 19 year old from
Pittsburgh. Some names I remember: Chuck Hansen(BM3) Mike Barber (EN3) Gary Mei (SK3) Mike Lewis
(EM3) John Llulamaga (BM2) Chief Cook Honeywell CMDR HARDY, ETC.
On 12/30/00 Gene Dvorak
said:
Anyone remember the sinking of the Pan Oceanic Faith? we did find much except life
preservers. or the night the Russian Navy took care of the Foss barge so we didn't have to tow it
back to the US? Wou;d have been 67 or 68.
On 12/30/00 Gil Cragen
said:
Recently got in touch with Keith Rickenbrode,we are trying to locate Larry Tschantz and
others who served 1954-1956 on Storis.
On 11/20/00 Ron Carlile (elron)
said:
I was lucky enough to be stationed aboard the Storis from the spring of 76 through the
fall of 77. Would like to hear from any shipmates.
On 11/17/00 Tony Sciarrone
said:
Quite possibly the best time in my life so far, was on the Storis. I served from '91 to
'93 She was my first billet out of boot camp in November of '91. Being a boot and right out of high
school I was not the most intelligent person at that time. For one, In our 7th week at Cape May, we
were able to choose our billet. I stood up and said U.S. Coast Gaurd Cutter Storis Kodiak Alaska. I
sat back down put my head in my hands and said, good lord what have I done. I arrived in Kodiak
around midnight. I was picked up by some SN from the base. I got in the van, and he says; Welcome to
Hell BOOT! The next morning I was awaken and told that I was being flown out to St. Paul to meet the
ship. I thought I was going to Minnesota! Turns out there is some small island up in the Bering sea,
and get this they put a LORAN station on it. I spent the night there and the next morning STO1 came
out to pick me up. The coxswain, BM3 Schultz, tells me the ship is anchored just outside the harbor.
I get the first full view the Storis as she is making 40 degree rolls while she is anchored. The
boatdeck was about 5 feet from the waters edge at one point. BM3 comes along side, and I begin up
the Jacobs ladder. I get half way up as the ship begins to role. Before I know it I am back in STO1,
still on the ladder mind you. The ship roles to port and I am basically slung up on deck. My luck it
was lunch time and they were serving my favorite, sliders. After eating approximately one half of
this thing they called a cheeseburger, I lost my lunch, breakfast and the meal I had two nights
before. I would not change that experience for the world though. I met some of the greatest people
and some of the biggest drinkers I have ever met in my life. I hope all of my old shipmates are
doing well. What a Ship!!
On 10/01/00 Chris Larson
said:
When George and I both picked the Storis at TRACEN Alameda the boys thought we were
insane... 1977 ..walking down to the fuel dock,gray,clouds hanging at 50', rusted #38,
round...ancient,.. after one of the most turbulent airplane rides in my life... George looks at
me and simultainiously we said..What the %@#^!* have we gotten oursevelves into!! The ship was
well built, deffinetly an ice breaking hull.Had absolutly the meanest,saltiest son of a bitch, to
ever sail the high seas ,Bos'n Mate Chief Perkins, a Man of whom now I have great respect. Then
there was (then) BM2 Lynn Jezlyo ,who often had to tell the new Boats Chief and deck Ensign how to
run the ship.The Bering sea,Alutian Islands were our main patrol area,made runs to Ancorage,
Honolulu ,Sitka ,Ketckican ,Juneau,Seattle and various other ports and corners of planet Earth so
isolated it would make Jacques Costeau jealous. (Both Captians while I was on board were extreme
adventurers) Alaska and the Northwest are deffinetly some of the most rugged and beautiful places
in the World.Working on the Storis was exellent. If your a sissy ....stay home. (I went on to
become a Bos'n Mate and Coxwain). Now I am a finish Carpenter working in Hawaii.
On 09/13/00 John D. Moran
said:
Served from 79-80 as seaman. Great times, and beautiful sights. Miss the old girl, the
fishpats, 60' seas, the maytags, getting stuck in the ice, and lookout watch in -40 wx. We seized a
Japanese F/V, passed the 180 and all became Golden Dragons. Work as mate on ITB's now a days, pull
from my experiences on the Storis often.
On 09/09/ |
