Eventide

Just Soldiering

By Stanley E. Halfhill

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Running Lights

    Chief "Denny" Humphreys has returned to the Harbor where he served years ago as an engineer, at Fire Boat 2.  Those were the days when he used to have an almost night (every shift)feud with Erv Cody on the old open handball court out in front of quarters.  Since his return he has been challenged on the new court by the same old gang and we wouldn't be surprised if he could still take 'em.  Welcome home, Chief...

   Captain Colby is reported to have "put in for it" (his pension) and considering a new position as a firefighter on Terminal Island...

   Fire Boat 1 had a run to an expected fire, last week...Two Danish ships were taken over by the Coast Guard...Reminded the boys of the old strike days of '34.

    Notice:  The A Shift is gong to throw a big "shindig" at the Police Pistol Range in San Pedro soon.   A big barbecue and all the "trimmings's. Proceeds to go to the Battalion Six athletic fund.

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Mud at Six Fathoms

   Revolution at 36's... The new B Shift mess went pfft... And we never did get the groceries... Also the new house dues man had no more than got his name on a note for the new ice box when he was petitioned by the "reds" to "throw the blank old ice box in the bay"... So he in turn asked the Chief's operator where he kept the "dolly" that he used to get the Buick into quarters with--that he might haul the ice box to the edge of the wharf... But it turned out all right... We still have a coffee club... Did you ever try to row a boat through a bunch of willows with five hundred people watching you and two other Joes giving you all kinds of instruction?... Such an experience had Hisse, Perry and Glover, all in turn, last Saturday night... Things are sure getting thick down in the Harbor lately... If a stranger comes up to you and starts asking a lot of questions, you never know for sure whether it is a G-man or a fifth columnist... And speaking of traffic snarls--up town at five p.m., has nothing on Dock street on Terminal Island, these days...


This article appeared in the December 15, 1941 issue of THE GRAPE VINE.

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