Charleston was not really a port that I called on. However in 1981 I did join
the recently transferred USS KILAUEA there after transferring off the USNS
AEOLUS T-ARC3. The KILAUEA was being refit for civilian manning as the USNS
KILAUEA. During this period I did not live aboard ship We started living in
hotels on per diem and I had rented a car. Soon I found it much better just to
rent a furnished apartment. I was prepared to spend at least six months with the
ship and see her sail for the first time. We were berthed at a dock which was
operated by Braswell Shipyard. The chief electrician working with me was a
Japanese immigrant by the name of Fuji. I would work with him one more time
during my third employment with MSC. There was a third engineer by the name of
Robinson and another 2nd Electrician by the name of JJ Jordan. JJ was from Ft.Worth Texas and he used to ride in the Rodeos as a black
cow boy. JJ and Robinson lived out in Hanahan. Robinson owned a Jaguar
and the police would regularly pull them over thinking that they had
stolen the car. I guess the local police at that time had never seen a
rich black person. I had made the comment to the guys before ; "Next
time they pull you over tell them, hey ya'll were driving Roll's Royce's
out in Oakland."
I had flown off to Dallas Love Field
from Charleston and made that fateful mistake of marrying the wrong
woman. I was not back to the ship for 2 weeks before she started
threatening suicide if I did not return to Dallas. Well I gave in and
wound up in a life of poverty for 9 years. Of course she did not like it
when I lost that lucrative income. There had been Christian advisors in
Charleston imploring me that I wait on God and not marry this woman and
I did not listen. I spent a total of 3 months on my 2nd employment
with MSC. I was lucky that they hired me back in 1989. I did get out to
Patriots Point and see the Saratoga exhibit, the SS SAVANAH was on
display there at the time. I also toured downtown Charleston and saw the
Citadel.
