Last updated January 3,2012
The Port of St Johns was a refueling and repair port that was called upon by two of the ships that I was assigned to. The first time I called upon St.Johns was aboard the USNS Aeolus T-ARC 3 in 1981 we called on the port twice I believe. This is where I met the Osmond family from the local Assembly of God Church it is also where I met a local missionary to seaman named Carl Davis whom I had become friends with. I had kept in touch with him through the years by mail and sent him Christmas cards. The relationship ended in 1989 when the USNS Mizar-T-AGOR 11 called on the port for fuel and repairs. In the evening photo in the foreground you see a ship docked. This is where the Mizar docked for repairs. After I had been trained in state and national security at South West Texas State University now known as the University of Teas at San Marcos I began to see Carl in the light of an intelligence agent. This suspicion developed because he claimed not be supported by any missionary board yet his current home life indicated a source of income not normally afforded by a missionaries lifestyle. Further he was cataloging every ship that arrived in St.Johns particularly of a military nature. I believe that he was using his self described role as a missionary to seaman to gain access to US Navy assets. Aboard most ships I served on most crew members recognized me as a quasi Christian lay leader. When the Mizar came in to port and arrived at the fuel dock this is where he first tried to gain access to the ship and the deck watch alerted me to his presence. What also alerted me to his role as a possible cover is the behavior and attitude of his children. I know the normal behavior of children growing up in the home of missionaries and Carl's children did not demonstrate such behavior. I reported my suspicions in a letter to the FBI and also reported them to the Master of the Mizar who at the time was James R. Driver. Driver thought I was creating an international incident and did not take the suspicions seriously. However during the Mizar's repair period at the afore mentioned dock there had been a Soviet Missile Range Instrumentation Ship at the quarantine dock located at the northern wall of the harbor. I had taken pictures of the ship from a telephone booth with my telephoto lens which resulted in some fellow wearing a trench coat following me all over town. Sometimes history has a way of short changing you. Had I not gotten married to that woman back in Dallas, Texas that I had gotten engaged to while aboard the Aeolus I might well have been the husband of a preachers daughter. Mr. Osmond's red haired daughter had been asking about me. If only I had listened to the Lord more acutely back then. I would never had married the wrong woman and sired two daughters who have suffered as a result of that bad judgment. But all things work for good to those who call upon the Lord and eventually I would marry the woman I have called my wife for 20 years now. On a lighter side St.Johns is full of history and even figures in the rescue of the Titanic's survivors. However I must warn you that if you are a pizza fanatic like I am do not expect to find a normal pepperoni pizza in St Johns in a local pizza joint. If you ask for a pepperoni pizza you are going to wind up with something like bologna on it.. For further history on St. Johns visit this link. St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador - Wikipedia, the free