Whenever old sailors gather, sea stories usually abound. Every sailor has his share of stories garnered from his Navy experiences and at least one will fit in almost any topic being discussed. He g...view moreWhenever old sailors gather, sea stories usually abound. Every sailor has his share of stories garnered from his Navy experiences and at least one will fit in almost any topic being discussed. He generally will not be the least bit hesitant to insert it into the conversation. The author of this book is no exception. After years of participation in such gatherings, it occurred to him that others, not just old sailors of his acquaintance, might have an interest in his stories and therefore he should record them for posterity. This task remained unrealized for several years until his grandson, Sean Kristofer Vail, was attending college at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. In one of his courses, he was assigned a project requiring that he interview a senior citizen and write a report on the interview. He selected the author as his subject who used the opportunity to write his memoirs. As a result, the grandson received considerably more material than his professor wanted to review, so he was faced with the task of drastically editing the information for his report. He received an A for the project. The material in this book is entirely factual and is taken from those memoirsview less