I saw Portland on only one ship and that was during my third employment with
Military Sealift Command. I was aboard USNS KAWISHIWI at that time and we had
come to Portland to enter the Swann Island Ship Yard on the south side of the
River. Portland did not prove to be one of those tourist trap towns like Seattle
or San Francisco. While in the shipyard I would spend my free time going to the
local mall in Jentzen Beach. I had gone on one date there with a girl I met
in a cafe, this is before I met my wife . The girl was kind of flakey so
not much became of it. I did get around to see the sights including Mt
St Helens. This occurred in early 1990. The NEPTUNE was in the
yard at the time so I went over to visit Chief Engineer Tommy Thompson
who had been my CHENG aboard USNS MIZAR. Tommy died a few months later
according to news that I received.
