Gilding the Coucal

Copyright © 2017 by James W. Gibson

Cover art © by James W. Gibson USS Coucal (ASR 8) coming into port, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

prior to dry-dock repairs in 1969. Photo used with permission from TenderTales website

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

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including photocopying, recording, or by any informational

storage and retrieval system, without permission in

writing from the Author.

For information, contact James W. Gibson.

3540 Tamarack Drive, Redding, CA 96003-1715

ISBN 978-0-9994647-0-0

Published electronically by SmashWords

SmashWords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to SmashWords.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy.

Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Dedicated to:

Those submariners now living

and those on eternal patrol.

Acknowledgments:

Thanks to my loving wife Mary Lou.

Without her constant help,

none of this would have happened.

Thanks also to

Vice Admiral James Wilson

Rear Admiral Randy Moore

Captain Herbert O. Burton

Captain Jerry J. Nuss

Captain James Varley

Captain James Patton

Captain Mike Tiernan

Commander Peter Fawcett

Captain Barney Barnett

LCDR Jimmy Gee

Dominic Boncore

Norman Hosking

Paul Berry

Contents

Copyright information

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Foreword by Herb Burton

Chapter 1 — First Impressions

Chapter 2 — Settling In

Chapter 3 — Taking Inventory

Chapter 4 — Accepting the Challenge

Chapter 5 — Mind Your Ps and B

Chapter 6 — Captain on the Bridge

Chapter 7 — Pennsylvania Roots

Chapter 8 — Dad, Mom and Me

Chapter 9 — Faith and Service

Chapter 10 — Great Depression

Chapter 11 — Uncle William Douglas

Chapter 12 — Day of Infamy

Chapter 13 — First Job

Chapter 14 — Traps, Pelts and Skunks

Chapter 15 — Earning $1 per Hour

Chapter 16 — Baseball with Honus Wagner

Chapter 17 — Top to Bottom

Chapter 18 — Selected for Command

Chapter 19 — Deep Diving School

Chapter 20 — Warmed Over Death

Chapter 21 — Protecting My Candy Ass

Chapter 22 — Saving the Tree

Chapter 23 — Take Your Bubbles With You

Chapter 24 — Managing Buoyancy

Chapter 25 — Walking on Eggshells

Chapter 26 — Averting Disaster

Chapter 27 — Mary Lou to the Rescue

Chapter 28 — Sinking a Destroyer

Chapter 29 — Working Nights and Weekends

Chapter 30 — Blood, Sweat and Tears

Chapter 31 — Fast Cruising

Chapter 32 — Engineman School

Chapter 33 — Climbing a Fence

Chapter 34 — Fireman Apprentice

Chapter 35 — Submarine School

Chapter 36 — Momsen’s Lung

Chapter 37 — First Submarine Ride

Chapter 38 — Dirty Laundry; Dirty Tricks

Chapter 39 — Time for Fishing

Chapter 40 — Boosting Morale`

Chapter 41 — Paybacks are Hell!

Chapter 42 — Personal Touch

Chapter 43 — Traversing the Isthmus

Chapter 44 — Hot Bunking on the Conger

Chapter 45 — Getting Qualified

Chapter 46 — Non-Combatant

Chapter 47 — Engineman Duties

Chapter 48 — Learning a Lesson

Chapter 49 — Humor in Uniform

Chapter 50 — Another Lesson Learned

Chapter 51 — Hot Shot!

Chapter 52 — Getting Qualified Redux

Chapter 53 — Wetting My Dolphins

Chapter 54 — Atlantic Coast Duty

Chapter 55 — Time Out for Sports

Chapter 56 — Underway Training

Chapter 57 — Rescue Missions

Chapter 58 — Kudos to the Coucal

Chapter 59 — Medical Emergency

Chapter 60 — Armed Forces Day Parade

Chapter 61 — Special Ops in the Arctic North

Chapter 62 — Diesel Fumes and Oil Stains

Chapter 63 — California Bound

Chapter 64 — Casting the Leads

Chapter 65 — Horse and Cow

Chapter 66 — Back on the Gridiron

Chapter 67 — Moonlighting for C&H Sugar

Chapter 68 — Time to Re-Enlist

Chapter 69 — Chance Encounter

Chapter 70 — Fate Steps In

Chapter 71 — Mary Louise Buckthought

Chapter 72 — Allure of a Convertible

Chapter 73 — Whirlwind Romance

Chapter 74 — Sea Trials on the Bass

Chapter 75 — Permission Granted

Chapter 76 — Hawaii, Here We Come

Chapter 77 — Sand Castles and Motel Rooms

Chapter 78 — Playing Tourist

Chapter 79 — Flying on Marina Mars

Chapter 80 — Visiting Relatives

Chapter 81 — Managing the Fleet

Chapter 82 — On the Mound

Chapter 83 — Sailing Vessels

Chapter 84 — Sick Leave and Paperwork

Chapter 85 — Expecting our First Child

Chapter 86 — Goal Worth Chasing

Chapter 87 — Stay or Play

Chapter 88 — War Story

Chapter 89 — Jumping Ship

Chapter 90 — Bugler’s Call

Chapter 91 — On the Picket Line

Chapter 92 — Mixing Oil with Sea Water

Chapter 93 — Engine Repair

Chapter 94 — Just Desserts

Chapter 95 — Third Lesson Learned

Chapter 96 — Going Nuclear

Chapter 97 — Making Ends Meet

Chapter 98 — Hunter’s Paradise

Chapter 99 — Instructing Legends

Chapter 100 — Going AWOL

Chapter 101 — Witty Repartee

Chapter 102 — Jumping Ladders

Chapter 103 — Starting Over

Chapter 104 — Survivor’s Remorse

Chapter 105 — Officer and a Gentleman

Chapter 106 — Qualifying as an Officer

Chapter 107 — Guide to Pink Elephants

Chapter 108 — Herbert O. Burton

Chapter 109 — My Man Finch

Chapter 110 — Diving Solo

Chapter 111 — Starry, Starry Night

Chapter 112 — Custom Tailored

Chapter 113 — Ready for Qualification

Chapter 114 — Dolphins Get Wet Again

Chapter 115 — Through Sickness and Health

Chapter 116 — Plebe Orientation

Chapter 117 — Friendship versus Professionalism

Chapter 118 — What is Your Call Sign?

Chapter 119 — Ship in Distress?

Chapter 120 — Shopping Cart Races

Chapter 121 — Snake Ranch Christmas

Chapter 122 — Finch Strikes Again

Chapter 123 — Stay-at-Home Mom

Chapter 124 — Speedy Diet Plan

Chapter 125 — Overcome by Smoke

Chapter 126 — Rubbing Shoulders With Stars

Chapter 127 — Flying Submariner

Chapter 128 — Cooper River Desk Job

Chapter 129 — Blue and Gold Coordinator

Chapter 130 — Field of Dreams

Chapter 131 — Gibson Field Commendation

Chapter 132 — Extended Road Trip

Chapter 133 — Unexpected Problems

Chapter 134 — Dry Dock Refueling Test

Chapter 135 — Deep Knee Pain

Chapter 136 — Take the Hake for Knee Relief

Chapter 137 — Winning Admiral Nimitz Trophy

Chapter 138 — Small Ship Training Officer

Chapter 139 — City of Brotherly Love

Chapter 140 — Sounding the Alarm

Chapter 141 — Pennsylvania Crude

Chapter 142 — Monumental Climb

Chapter 143 — After-Hours Research

Chapter 144 — Sailing First Class

Chapter 145 — Crown of Thorns

Chapter 146 — Scourge of the Sea Bat

Chapter 147 — Complete Turnaround

Chapter 148 — Career on the Line

Chapter 149 — Carrot, Stick and Falcon

Chapter 150 — Inquiry and Intrigue

Chapter 151 — Under Investigation

Chapter 152 — Classified Assignment

Chapter 153 — En Route to WestPac

Chapter 154 — Cold War Spy Craft

Chapter 155 — Visit to Saipan

Chapter 156 — Mystery of ChiChi Jima

Chapter 157 — Shopping Therapy

Chapter 158 — Close Call

Chapter 159 — Navigating by Braille

Chapter 160 — Mystic Hong Kong

Chapter 161 — Land of the Morning

Chapter 162 — Mary Sou’s Girls

Chapter 163 — Navy Achievement Medal

Chapter 164 — Return to Pearl

Chapter 165 — Relinquishing Command

Chapter 166 — Kudos All Around

Chapter 167 — Old Man and the Sea

Chapter 168 — Standing Watch

Chapter 169 — Meritorious Service Medal

Chapter 170 — Navy Recruiting Officer

Chapter 171 — Puppy Smuggling

Chapter 172 — Making a Name for the Navy

Chapter 173 — Epilogue

Afterword by Dominic Boncore

About the Author

Foreword by Herbert O. Burton

I was shipmates with James Gibson on the USS Pomfret (SS 391) in the early 1960s. He was a newly commissioned Ensign in a Navy program that allowed outstanding senior enlisted personnel to be commissioned as Limited Duty Officer. Jim had qualified for submarine duty as an enlisted member and made sure we knew he intended to re-qualify as a submarine officer, which he did. He joined a wardroom consisting of officers commissioned from the US Naval Academy and the US Navy Reserve Training Corps and was exposed initially to some uncomfortable moments.

But he was not affected. He only worked harder and quicker to qualify for the golden dolphins.

He and I lived some distance from the berth of the Pomfret but in relatively close neighborhoods so we shared car pooling. After one or the other of us transferred, we lost contact. I next heard of LCDR Gibson from another officer with whom I served. This officer was a once removed Commanding Officer of the USS Catfish (SS-339) from the time period when Gibson was in her crew. He proclaimed that the former Commanding Officer and he had each reaped the rewards of Jim’s hard work, tenacity and professionalism. It was well known throughout the submarine force that the Catfish had gone from an unsatisfactory condition to an almost unbelievable improvement during Gibson’s tour onboard and being in charge of several different departments. I happily indicated that I too had served with this outstanding officer.

As a newly commissioned Lieutenant Commander, Gibson continued his professional ambition and was designated Qualified for Command. He was now assigned duty as the Commanding Officer of the USS Coucal (ASR-8). I next encountered him when he and the Coucal had deployed to the Western Pacific (WestPac). As a Commanding Officer, Jim was making a call on the Commander Seventh Fleet. During his call, Jim was asked several questions regarding current operations by units of the Soviet Navy in the vicinity of Guam. LCDR Gibson’s ship had surveyed that area during their transit to WestPac and he provided the Admiral with a firsthand evaluation of that situation. Later I was advised by the Admiral that he was most impressed with the report and with the presence of LCDR Gibson.

So my personal knowledge of LCDR Gibson spans the circuit from a newly commissioned Ensign in the Limited Duty Officer Program to Lieutenant Commander and the Commanding Officer of an ASR. LCDR Gibson was highly praised by the Commander of the Seventh Fleet and several commands. He has demonstrated professionalism, dedication and continued involvement throughout his entire Navy career. In retirement, he continues to provide these same attributes. His contributions are reflected in the attention to the Submariner community in his retirement area. It has been my personal pleasure to have known him and I have always admired his intense drive to make things better.

Herb Burton

Captain, US Navy (Retired)

North Carolina

Chapter 1 – First Impressions

I can imagine no more rewarding a career. And any man who may be asked in this century what he did to make his life worthwhile, I think can respond with a good deal of pride and satisfaction: ‘I served in the United States Navy.’

President John F. Kennedy

August 1, 1963

Bancroft Hall, graduation ceremony

US Naval Academy

My first real glimpse of the USS Coucal (ASR-8) was in the Pearl Harbor shipyard shortly after I arrived in Hawaii as her newly assigned skipper.

A once proud Chanticleer-class submarine rescue vessel, her keel had been laid down on September 30, 1941, at the Moore Dry Dock Company in Oakland, California. She was launched May 29, 1942, and commissioned into service by the US Navy on January 22, 1943, with Lieutenant Commander David H. Byerly as her first skipper.

During World War II, the Coucal had been assigned to patrol the Asiatic-Pacific theatre and even saw some action in Europe in support of Allied submarines operating in those waters. Between 1945 and 1951, the Coucal and her various crews had earned two Navy Occupation Service medals in Asia, another in Europe and a China Service Medal (Extended) during a nearly two-month posting there.

However, when I first saw her in 1969, she was well past her glory days and in the final throes of a complete overhaul after returning from a six-month tour in the Western Pacific.

Named for a family of 30 species of birds in the cuckoo family, the USS Coucal was the second in a series of five submarine rescue ships — Chanticleer, Coucal, Florikan, Greenlet and Macaw — built by the Moore Shipyards.

By the time I first saw her, the USS Coucal, through no fault of its own, had acquired a terrible reputation. There were stories that the ship should have been towed back to Pearl Harbor from Yokosuka, Japan, because of the terrible shape she was in. It seemed that every time the Coucal was laid up in port for scheduled routine maintenance, something would come up.

Repeatedly, the ship would be half-fixed or partly torn apart and the powers at be would get her underway in that condition. Maintenance was quite often put aside leaving the long-neglected ship to suffer and limp along. Eventually, the ship would be patched together enough to continue her duties, but it had been a long time since the Coucal had been fully serviceable.

Chapter 2 – Settling In

For these and other reasons, the Coucal had earned a bad reputation in the Pacific Ocean’s Seventh Fleet at the various ports of call including at several US Navy shipyards. However, those decisions by the command staff and the lack of attention from its skipper and crew were never mentioned when those same powers that be were bad-mouthing the Coucal.

I knew from the research I had done on her from Navy records that she displaced 1,780 tons, was 251 feet and 4 inches from stem to stern, carried a beam of 42 feet and drafted 14 feet, 3 inches.

When working properly, her four Alco 539 Diesel main engines driving four General Electric generators were coupled with a single Westinghouse main reduction gear producing 3,000 shaft horse power to a single propeller.

All this was music to my ears because I had originally trained as an Engineman right out of basic training.

Although her top speed was nominally rated at 14 knots, a more leisurely 9 knots was her normal cruising speed I quickly was to learn from practical experience.

I knew the Coucal could comfortably carry a crew of six commissioned officers and 96 enlisted men around the world, as she had ably demonstrated during World War II, just as long as her fuel tanks, containing 74,970 gallons of diesel, were topped off regularly.

Having seen her share of warfare, the Coucal had once carried a full complement of light armament, including two single 3-inch or 50 caliber dual-purpose gun mounts, eight 20-millimeter Anti-Aircraft gun mounts and four depth charge tracks.

By the time I joined up with her, however, most of those weapons had since been removed and the deck space converted to the ship’s peace-time missions of submarine rescue.

My off hours during this dry dock period were spent finding a place for my family to live while I was at sea. Even though I was somewhat familiar with Oahu and Pearl Harbor from previous stays there, I received a lot of help from friends in other squadrons. Very quickly, through their efforts, I was able to rent a comfortable home in the Little Makalopa neighborhood, up the hill and across the Kam Highway from the Pearl Harbor Submarine Base.

Our home had a beautiful view of the entire base and I could see the USS Coucal waiting for me down below, even if it was some distance away.

Chapter 3 – Taking Inventory

The Coucal was in the shipyard completing the final days of an overhaul after returning from a six-month Western Pacific (WestPac) tour.

During the weeks of repair leading up to my taking command, I spent many hours on the barge going through all of the ship’s records, classified documents and orders. I made an inventory of all the paperwork and signed for all of the classified documents. The Coucal was not occupied during the repair work being done on board, so all of the ship’s commissioned officers and enlisted chiefs met on the barge each day to take care of port duties.

I garnered some sense of the morale problems amongst the crew simply by watching the officers at work on the barge and how they interacted with their skipper. I could tell the officers were all walking on eggshells. The skipper would come in each morning and issue his orders, then he would go up to the Officers Club on base for lunch. When the skipper returned to the barge several hours later, he would change his previous orders.

I also got a feel for the morale because somebody told me during that transition period that no one had re-enlisted on board the USS Coucal during the past four years, whether by a first-termer or guys that had done 10 years in the Navy. The sailors that did re-enlist had all transferred to somewhere else and then re-enlisted there. That told me a lot about the morale issues right there.

All of this was going through my head as I approached the gangway of the ship with a few of the other officers I had invited to the ship’s Change of Command ceremony on Oct. 12, 1969.

Suddenly, from high above me, I distinctly heard a shout, Boy, Jim, I sure am glad you got here. To this day, I have no idea who gave that greeting. I do remember, however, that the previous skipper muttered under his breath, That sailor is an asshole!

At the Change of Command ceremony, there were probably 30 people there, including 18 of my friends and three members of my own family — my wife Mary Lou and our two boys — whom I had invited. I wore my dress whites with my ceremonial sword dangling from a sash tied around my waist.

As I looked around, however, I noticed there were few others present, especially those from the base command headquarters located just up on the hill. That indicated to me a level of contempt held for the previous commander and the Coucal at large.

Something would have to change quickly, and I would need