ROSTER OF THE USNS BARRETT (T-AP 196) BETWEEN MARCH 1955 AND MARCH 1956, AS BEST I CAN REMEMBER IT:

Some names are first names only, some last names only, some nicknames, some are "guesses" on my part, (and they weren't all on board at the same time). I'll use xx's for parts of names that I can't remember. Commanding Officer was LCDR A. H. Terry who was later replaced by LCDR Robert Bidwell. Executive Officer was LT Ben Prickett who was later replaced by Ltjg xx Sharkey. Division Officer was Ltjg Ronald A. Louis later replaced by Ltjg "Skip" Wollenberg. Chaplain was Ltjg William A. Getchey. Doctor was LT C. B. Sigal. (Believe middle name is Benjamin). Nurse was LT Janet Pohlman. Another Nurse was LT Riley ("Miss Riley") BMC's were James Maxwell later replaced by xx Fredericks ("Chief Freddy"). HMC's were xx Olsiewski later replaced by xx Eleyet (or Elliott). Yeomen were: Jon L. Gateley, YN2; Robert H. (Bob) Rust, YN3 (senior yeomen or "Captain's Yeoman"); Paul David Johnson (purser's office or Cabin Class Yeoman); John Bell; William Button; xx Boettiger; and xx Fortson (from Alabama). These four were the Chaplain's yeomen. I can't remember what order they were in. Ship's Servicemen: William W. Silver, SH1 (in charge); xx Podzcervinski, ("Big Ski") SH2; xx Sinawski ("Little Ski"), SH3 to SH2 while on board; xx Sader; "Chick" McLane (from Alabama). Corpsmen: Two waves, Coronation ("Connie") Helm and Mary Ann Short; xx Murray HC1; James J. Slicer; xx Paulino; another "Smitty"; xx Gibbs; xx Camp; xx Salazar; xx Goodwin; xx Lagleva; xx Gillen; Electricians: Steve Ellis; "Smitty"; and xx Moore. I may be wrong about "Smitty". His last name may have been Burr; xx Wadley (may have been a corpsman). I make out about 29 Military Department members all total. The Medical Department had about 14 of those. Some trips we ran with an extra or two, like my first trip, and I don't remember ever running with a military department crew shortage while I was on board. Ship's Captain was S. J. Reddy. He was not the Barrett's first skipper but was probably its second.

We really had quite an amazing turnover in the crew during that twelve month period. Since there was almost nothing to do for most of us, I suspect that perhaps duty on the Barrett was mostly just a place to put a lot of us when they didn't particularly know what to do with us. I only had about a year left on my enlistment when I went aboard. Paul Johnson told me a number of years ago that LCDR Bidwell was hurt and disappointed to have been assigned to the Barrett having an attitude something like "Why would the Navy do something like this to me?"

THEIR WHEREABOUTS NOW: My only known living shipmate is William W. Silver who lives happily in St. Marie, MT. We used to talk frequently but it has been quite some time now since we last talked. Paul Johnson has been "missing" for a long time. The chaplain, the "padre", has died (Sep 20, 1926 - Feb 16, 2001). It won't be too long now before we are all gone. I'll have to try to get my sons to pay the bills to keep these sites open for another 20 or 25 years if something happens to me. And now, 9-29-04, I have heard from Coronation "Connie" Helm! And now, 17 JUL 07, I have recently talked with Robert H. Rust, YN3 and Ronald A. Louis, then a Ltjg! APR 09: Heard from William Button, a YNSN for about three trips. William lives in Seattle. More later about what I can remember about where they came from and what happened to them. I really know little of what became of them. Dr. Segal did go to Oak Knoll Naval Hospital for awhile, I was advised. He had surgical experience.

With an exception or two, they were really a wonderful collection of people. Tremendously varied in their ages, background, experiences, beliefs, and in every other way, and yet almost like God chose that crew (which, of course, I know now, He did!). Even the "exceptions" were not bad. I appreciated them then and thought back with great pleasure on them in the years that followed. I was particularly close to and appreciated Paul David Johnson, William A. Getchey (the "padre"), and William W. Silver, SH1. I was fortunate to have maintained some degree of contact with all of them over the years. We have truly lost the padre, Johnson is "lost" and unaccounted for, but I am so grateful that I can still talk with Silver. And I do hope to hear from some of the rest of you or at least hear more about you if not from you directly. That's one of the primary reasons I set about creating this site. Like so many things in so many of our lives, I didn't come close to appreciating every day and everybody in my life at the time I was living it. Frequently I could hardly wait to get the day over with so I could start on tomorrow.