MAN OVERBOARD!

A drill we practiced for but hoped it would never happen...Well one day it did...And it was on purpose....Seems one of the guys back on number 4 hold was up on the bomb loads with another standing ready with straps to hook up the loads when they were ready to transfer to the other ship along side....

Suddenly the ship took a roll and the load already in the air swung back and hit the loads they were on knocking them off balance....The guy had two choices...Allow the loads to fall on him and most likely crush him or go into the water....He looked around in a split second and saw a tin can (destroyer) off in the distance and decided right then and there he would rather get wet, so he jumped....

As soon as we had mustered on deck for roll call, the tin can had him safely on board and about an hour later he came back aboard via bosons chair from the other ship, cheering as he came over the rail, yelling at the top of his lungs..."I got the mail, I got the mail, I went swimming and got the mail"...He also brought two movies, a load of ice cream and 20 pounds of pot for the officers (remember an officer was supposed to be above such things, so they did them)