Unit Members
Listed below are some of the unit members about whom I have information.
I've also included excerpts from any notes they have sent about their memories
in the unit and about their lives thereafter. |
Glen Bertholf (E3-E5) (8/65 - 11/68)
196 Spring Valley Avenue
Hackensack, NJ 07601
201-488-4305
TheBertholfs@verizon.net
After leaving the service, I wound up working in an electronics R&D
lab developing phototypesetting equipment. That was followed by jobs with
an optical scanner company, a tollroad equipment maker, and a software
developer. Every time I thought I was settled in a job, the company left
the area or went out of business. By then I was working as a desktop publisher
/ technical writer. I'm currently trying to start a new career working
for Primerica selling mortgages, life insurance, and some securities.
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Lloyd G. Cheney Jr. (E-4/5) (1964-1967)
9315 Arnold Road
Denham Springs, LA 70726
Cheney0345@cox.net
After leaving the service in 1967, I returned to my home town of Denham
Springs, La. I returned to the sheet metal trade which I am still in today.
I will retire in March, 2004 (hopefully). I married the girl that some
of you met while we were in New Orleans in fall of 1967. Her name is Barbara
(Bobbie). We have been married since December 1968. We have two children
. Our son Adam is 33 years old and a Police Officer in the CSI division
with the Baton Rouge City Police in Louisiana. He is married to Karen and
they have one child. Our grandson, may I say, is 10 years old and has his
PawPaw wrapped around his finger. Our daughter Amy is 30 and is a 7th year
teacher in Education in our local parish school system. We have enjoyed
our lives and are truly blessed. My memories of Boat Support 2 are many
fond and many not so fond memories, but I feel I truly made some
friends while there. I hope to hear from more of these members in the future.
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Bob Follett (EN1) (1968-69)
Bfollett8@comcast.net
I was in BSU 2 during 68-69 as an Engineman (EN1). During that time
I mostly was assigned to the LSSC Boats when we first got them. I usually
was the Engineer with BM2 Fitzgerald. LT Backe was the OIC. You didn't
mean much to him unless you were a Boatswains Mate since he had been one
himself before going LDO. I ran around most of the time with AL Kitts,
Al Horn, Charlie Mandt, and a few others. Had a good time in that unit,
including 3 months Winter Training in Roosevelt Roads with UDT 21 &
22.
I live in Central Florida in a place called
The Villages now and am fully retired both from the NAVY and Civil Service.
I saw a few names in here and probably will contact them. I retired in
October 1982 at Little Creek from the Diesel MTT as a ENCS. Good to see
a site about BSU2.
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Albert R. (Frosty) Hutcherson (SN - BM3) (6/65 - 2/67)
2418 Northbrook Dr.
Gautier, Ms.
228-497-2260
hutchersona@bellsouth.net
It has been pretty close to 38 years since BSU-2 was started up. When
I arrived at BSU-2 there were only three guys and a LT.jg. There was Edward
Lautenschlager (SN), Charlie Leifert (EM3), Ken Hubel (EM3), all these
guys were from New York. Laukey was from up state and Charlie and Ken was
from the city.
After that it seemed everyone all came at once. There was you, Johnson,
Ingham, Reagan all ETs.Then Dusty Barnes, Steve Warzinski, Joe Kitts, Alton
Horn, Ernest Tanner, Fletcher, Janazeski,Marshall,Walker,Dedrich, Horton,
Chaney, Rawls, Jones, Baggett,and another engineman,I can't put a name
on him. He was married had 2 girls and 1 boy. He lived next door to me
in Navy housing at LIttle Creek. You will have to forgive the spelling
of the names. So much for all that.
I retired from Shipley Electronics back in Feb 03 after 20yrs. I stayed
off work for 12 weeks, got bored and got me a job at the local Hospital
keeping up the floors. I love it! no stress. I was a Production Supervisor
with Shipley and under constant stress. Two weeks after I retired, they
announced that they were shutting the plant down and moving everything
to China, so I made a pretty good move to retire. Most of the people that
was left are getting it stuck to them.
I will try to fill you in on what little bit of information that I rememberabout
aome others in the unit.
I don't know about Joe Kitts state of health, but he came to Ingalls Ship
Building here in Pascagoula Ms. Ingalls builds a lot of ships for the Navy.
Kitts was working for an engineering company in Washington D.C. I had lunch
with him on a Sunday and we sat around his Hotel room one evening drinking
a few cold ones. He retired a LT. COMMANDER. He was living in Maryland
at the time. I have his business card and will have to find it. It has
his address and phone number on it.
I also went to Pa. once and found Ernest Tanner and spent the weekend with
him and his family. T passed away several years ago from cancer. His daughters
called me when he died. T retired a BMC at the Naval Yard in Philly.
The other Engineman that I was trying to place was named Charlie Smith.
He was an EN3 when he came to BSU-2 and later made EN2. He was from Kansas.
The guy that I said was Dedrich is not right. His name was Wedrich or Wedrick.
He was an EN1and I think he later made Chief.
I looked at the web site and was glad to see SKY INGHAM is still alive.
He came to see me once and gave me a ride in a plane that he was delivering
to a man in Texas. Matter of fact he stayed almost a whole weekend with
me.
Steve Warzinski - you should have tried to contact me when you were in
New Orleans, it is only about 90 miles from where I live in MS.
I will close for now, man it is great to see all the names of the guys
from back then. Most all of us are grandpas now.
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Don Ingham (ET3) (1965-1967)
Box 457A South Road
Williston, VT 05495
dingham@pizzagalli.com
I also arrived straight out of ET school in 1965. I was regular
Navy on what was referred to as a kiddy cruise . That was a program where
if you enlisted prior to your 18th birthday, you would be released on your
21st birthday. I was sworn in right out of High School, just prior to my
birthday and went on about a one week leave prior to reporting so that
I could join The Vermont Company , a whole company of high school grads
form Vt. who would all go through basic training together. I went through
another enlistment ceremony and swearing in with the rest of our group
on our departure day. With the one week seniority, however, I was placed
in charge of the whole plane load of new recruits going to Great Lakes.
This put me in position to be selected as the acting Company Training Petty
Officer. I always felt that that seniority was also what got me the east
coast assignment, which was Little Creek, Va. This 3 years plus a
couple of days enlistment set me up for the G.I. Bill training program
of the late 60 s, that required 3yrs. minimum active duty.
Those that remember me might recall my interest in getting my private pilot
license. Glen, you and I on several occasions would go to the Norfolk airport
and watch the planes come and go. We finally went to a civilian flight
school there and got information on how to get a license and in the process
we were told that the big competition they had was the Norfolk Navy Flying
Club. Needless to say, that was our next stop. With Christmas approaching,
I decided to join the club and start training after returning with the
goal of having my license in 6 mos. as my enlistment was up in June, 1967.
As a side note, the training cost was $8/hour for the Cessna 150 aircraft
and $4/hour for the instructor. To help fund this expensive habit I worked
with you (when you weren t in the Caribbean) and Dave Janizewski at the
local Burger Chef that was located on Shore Drive close to the entrance
of the Bay Bridge access. I did get my private pilot license one week prior
to discharge. My original logbook shows that on that same day I took Lloyd
Cheney BM3 for a ride as my very first passenger. I never had any additional
contact with him. That week I also took Bill Akins BM1 and Gene Reagin
for rides. My last passenger that week was in fact you, Glen Bertholf.
How fitting, as you and I had done the research together. Had you not loved
deployment so much, you might have also gotten the flying bug.
Speaking of Gene, here is a career story. He went up the enlisted man latter,
continued through the Warrant Officer Program and continued in the Officer
ranks, I think retiring as a Lieutenant. We did meet up for a few minutes
at the Charleston Airport, near where he lives. That was a long time after
a group of us went to Indiana to observe and enjoy his wedding to Becky,
whom he soon moved to Government housing near the base. Those that knew
me will remember the red 1960 Ford Falcon. Glen, you and I did many trips
up and down the east coast, you getting off or on in New Jersey while I
continued to Vermont.
Being bitten by the flying bug, I utilized the G.I. Bill program for obtaining
my advanced flight training for commercial flying. After a short stint
flying for a Commuter Airline that was an off shoot of the flight school,
I joined a Corporation, flying their company aircraft to places they had
construction projects which were mostly in the northeast. That was 1970,
and I am still with the same company, flying all over the country, but
primarily all of the east coast. We are operating a turboprop King Air
350 and a Beechjet. I am Director of Flight Operations with total logged
flight hours in excess of 20,000.
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David Janiszewski (1965-??)
109 Howell Street
Buffalo, NY 14207
(716) 873-9935
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Al Kitts (EN1) (1/68 - fall of 72)
5290 N. Scenic Hwy.
Bastian, VA 24314
(276) 688-4782
souzi1025@yahoo.com
I came to BSU-2 while you was in Morgan City with BM1 Tanner and company.I
was an EN1 attached to the LCSR's. I enjoyed your article, however you
left one thing out. That crazy horn, that went off when you had an engine
problem, usually when you were going full speed toward the viewing stand.
I was in the crew that took the ATC to South Carlonia, for some riverine
op the navy was doing then. The CCB sank in the bay, partially since they
had all that floatation foam installed. Couldn't operate in a sea state
5.
BM Kitts retired as a Commander and was OIC of the brig in Norfolk when
he retired. I haven't heard or seen him for over 20 years. He may no longer
be with us as he was having some health problems, cancer.
Now for what I know of the LCSR's. The 1313 boat was completely modernized
with new engines, enclosed pilot house, updated living space with a small
galley insert. By the time it was completed the Navy had decided to get
rid of the boats. The 1313 went to Key West as a rescue boat. While on
a mission it caught fire and burned. The rest of the boats were taken to
inact ships, and the engines were removed. The engines were rebuilt on
one of the tenders, and converted to generator sets, then installed
on what at that time was called DLG's, but later called cruisers. All but
2 of the remaining boats were fitted with high horsepower diesels and given
to Isreal. The other boats were used as test platforms for new propulsion
engines for about 10 years.
The ATC/CCB were operated for about a year. After the CCB sank in the bay,
a team came up from Morgan City and installed a new pilot house, one that
gave visibility. After the testing they were returned to Morgan City where
the prop units were removed and water jets were installed. What happened
after that I don't know. Then we got 2 ASPB's, one can be found on the
general dynamics website. That's the one I had. After these things took
place we got a mix of craft to support the UDT/SEAL effort. We also had
a lot of good people come aboard. I am currently a licensed engineer working
aboard merchant ships. I retired in 83 as a senior chief gas turbine tech.
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Joe Kitts
jkitts@csc.com
(webmaster note - I've edited Joe's letter to comply with what I believe
the tone of this website should be)
I was doing a little surfing and accidentally came upon this web page,after
spending a few minutes, I realized that I was reading about several old
friends that I have not thought about for more than 30+ years. . . . Al
Kitts and I did have a few drinks about 20 years ago in Norfolk and haven't
seen him since. He also has a bad memory for I was never at the brig in
Norfolk, however I did retire as a commander after 30 years service and
now work for Naval sea systems command here in Washington as a marine engineer
- have been in this job for 15 years already and have no intention of retiring
Too bad about Ernest Tanner, he was one of
the good Guys, Good to hear about Gene Reagan, he was one of my favorite
people. . . . I have now been married to the same Lady for 39 years,
,have three sons and five Granddaughters. I have seen many of the old crew
over the years. BM Fitzgerald became a navy seal, BM Williams got shot
up pretty bad in Nam and was retired. Don't know what ever happened to
Bill Marshall the ET - he was the hyper one always on the go and boss of
the bulkhead building crew on weekends where many of us made extra money.
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Edward C. Lautenschlager
5126 Climax Street
P.O Box 66
Castorland,NY 13620
315-376-3101
Sparkee@northnet.org
After leaving the Navy in 68, I came back to my hometown and went
to work where my father had worked and married the girl across the street,
who I hadn't really paid any attention to before I went in the Navy. When
I came home for some reason I really was impressed with her and one thing
led to another and we were married in 1971. Two daughters and three grandchildren
later we are still plugging along. I'm an electrician for Climax
MFG, a manufacturer of cardboard boxes. It is a family run business by
the Hirshey Family and it's a great place to work. I've been there for
36 years and it's doubled in size and keeps me very busy. I'm training
two other guys right now because in 3 yrs I'd like to retire and travel.
I have 8 brothers and sisters living all over the states and I'd like to
visit for a while. I haven't thought about BSU-2 up until Glen called
one day and said he set up a web site for BSU-2. I thought who cares, But
I guess we should at least check and see if anybody remembers anybody.
So that's it for me. I also have a lot of slides that I took in the Virgin
Islands and aboard ship. I haven't looked at them in 30 yrs or so. I'll
keep checking the web page. I'll cast off for my mates.
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William (Bill) Marshall (ET3/2/1) (1965-??)
PO Box 1791
Shepherdstown, WV. 25443
Home: 304-876-9161 Shop: 304-876-9106
benthoop@frontiernet.net
I went to Charleston SC after Little Creek and was there only
several months before I was transferred back to Bainbridge Md. NTC for
the same Naval Preparatory School I had been in prior to coming to
Little Creek, only this time it was for the NESEP (Naval Enlisted Scientific
Education Program) instead of the Naval Academy. While in BSU-2 I had applied
for this program twice only to find that I wasn't qualified at first because
I didn't have enough sea duty, and then not enough time in grade. The third
time I was accepted while in Charleston. While at BSU-2 I had applied
for the program and was scheduled to take the tests ( basically the SAT
and another one as well). I recall Cdr. Backie ordering me to get
tires for the 63 Riviera I had. He said that if I didn't have them
by thye following Monday, he was going to put me on report. I submitted
a chit requesting that I be dropped from the NESEP consideration and he
denied permission for me to drop it. I said that OK, then I'll just fail
the test. Well, he ordered me to pass the test!! When I went over
to the Commodore's office to take the test, I explained to the Commodore
that I wasn't interested in staying in this man's Navy if I was going to
have to obey orders like getting tires for my car, and passing tests and
would just finish out that tour and get out. The Commodore convinced me
to take the test and he'd talk with Backie. Well, I swear I rolled
the pencil for most of the first part of the test ( Ticonderoga up-A, to
the side-B,down-C, other side-D, anything else-E ). The afternoon test
I at least answered the questions using my brain. The odd thing is that
when I got the results, I ended up in the 99th percentile. Go figure!!.
I honestly don't remember when I bought tires for that car, but it certainly
needed them.
After Bainbridge, I went to Auburn U. in Auburn
Ala.. BuPers told me I'd be an Electrical Engineer, but finally allowed
me to switch to Mechanical Engineering in my last year, so I almost ended
up with a double degree except they of course wouldn't let me stay for
another 6 months. I went to OCS in Newport in the summer of 1971 and had
my final physical for commissioning that fall. I couldn't do the duck walk,
so they decided to operate on my same knee again, this time at Ft. Benning
Ga. I came home from the hospital the day before Christmas andwas still
pretty doped up on pain killers, so my wife had to make love on top as
I had a full-leg cast and couldn't move too well. That's when my son was
conceived. Five months later after re-evaluating my knee, they decided
to Medically retire me and so I went to Pensacola NAS to be mustered out.
I went back to Bucks County Pa. and got a job in
a manufacturing company designing equipment for collating and binding books.
After exactly one year there, I was told to redesign a machine to fail
after a rather short operating time. The reasoning was that the new
parent company, Harris Intertype Corporation wanted to build up the service
dept. and the spare parts division, so I was to redesign a cam- follower
to fail prematurely. I offered my resignation and they showed me the door
the same day.
I then worked for my best friend for 6 months until
I took a position with Ingersoll-Rand in Phillipsburg N.J. with the idea
of working there until I built a garage to go into business restoring antique
and classic cars. Ten months later in April of 1975, I left Ingeresoll-Rand
and opened my business. Three weeks later my wife left with my son, having
had an affair for over a year. I decided to continue with the business,
though it was a most difficult time.
In 1978 I was driving up along the Delaware river
when the steering box in my 1949 Triumph Roadster broke loose from the
frame, and the next thing I knew, I was upside down on the road with the
car on top of me, unable to breath. To make a long story short, I died
twice that day, but I came back.First because I couldn't breath until my
90 lb. girlfriend lifted up the car for a few seconds, giving me a shot
of air in my lungs. Later that night my heart stopped and they defibrillated
me in ICU. I watched them working on me and kept telling them to leave
me alone cause I was OK, but nobody would even look at me in spite of my
jumping right in front of them and yelling. The last I remembered
after that for a week and a bit was the shock from the defibrillator. Eventually
they transferred me to a hospital near my home and business and after 4
months they sent me home with 28 broken bones sort of back where they were
supposed to be. I had 8 employess at that time, so my foreman and secretary
came up to the hospital every morning to go over things.
Three years ago I moved to Shepherdstown WV. with
2 final cars to finish restoring, a 1941 Cadillac Convertible Coupe that
used to belong to Robert Oppenheimer, and a 1952 Bentley that used to be
a right-hand drive Park Ward Coupe, that is now a left-hand drive Convertible
Coupe. I had a couple of auction sales and got rid of most of my stuff
as I had had 3 bouts with Lyme disease since 1995 and couldn't keep up
with my property etc..
These last two cars should be done by the end of
this year, and that will make 136 cars I've restored since 1975. That's
enough for me.
I'm now elliding into a career as an intuitive healer.
I am no longer the hyper-active person I've been my whole life as a result
of eliminating refined sugar, processed wheat etc. from my diet. I've always
been borderline hypoglycemic, but I only found out in 1995 that I was an
ADHD-ADD poster child. Once I started to take amphetamines, I settled right
down and relaxed. Now I have discontinued the drugs now that I have
changed my diet, and I am calm with no drugs whatsoever. Go figure!! If
only I knew way back then what I know now. Hooh-boy!! I may keep
some of my equipment when these cars are finished as I may want to do sheet
metal sculpture, which has been my forte over these years.
My son and his wife-to-be are giving birth to their first
son, William Steele Marshall this coming June(06). I am excited to say
the least. My son has been restoring cars now for several years in Asheville
NC. Go figure again!
It has been wonderful reading about all those guys who've
written. It certainly would be nice for us to get together someday.
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 Fred Thomas (Tiny)
Propst (BM3 - twice) (2/66 - 8/68)
2052 North College Ave.
Newton, NC 28658
(828) 328-4036 (828) 238-8888
augustpi@bellsouth.net
It has been a long time since I thought about my days in the Navy.
If my memory serves me right, I was on just about all the trips to St.
Thomas and Puerto Rico, during the time I was at BSU-2. I volunteered for
all the trips, but was not allowed to go when I got busted to SN 2 for
hitting an officer (Vaness). Vaness (UDT) was a fresh ensign assigned
to my boat. He freaked out on one of our night missions, thought
I was going to hit a ship at full speed, jerked the throttles from full
speed to reverse, tearing out our reduction gears, slamming us all against
the cockpit. Of course it pissed me off and I floored him.
I was confined to the ship for the rest of the tour. When I returned
to Pier 2 at Little Creek, the Chief Whitley (I believe that was his name)
met me and took me to see Commander Backie in his office. What a
hoot.
I still have the scar from the "Lucky Seven" on Luna Street. I remember
the shore patrol taking me and the idiot outside, blood was streaming down
my face onto my shirt. I remember you talking with them. One
of the SP handed me back my papers and I escaped over the rock wall into
the park as the paddywagon approached. I hid in the bushes until
the excitment passed and made my way to a park bench where this little
Puerto Rican girl (Anna Maria Medina) comforted me. Funny that I
remember her name. I remember getting up with you later and we waited
on the bus as they were having a May Day Parade. I do remember the
beautiful girl on the float throwing confetti and she looked right at me
and threw me an unopened bag.(I kept it for many years). Do you remember
that the bus was full and we stood in the aisle and I was hovering over
an old woman with blood all over me, as an ambulance passed us blaring
the sirens. I stated to her that there went the other fellow....What
a hoot!
I left BSU-2 in August 68, 45 days early to attend school. I met
a girl in St. Thomas and was to meet her in New York when I got out, that
she would wait on me. So I had 45 days to play at home until I went
to NY. On the first night out at home, I met my wife of 34 years,
Janice, fell in love. (I didn't make it to NY) We have two male children
(Shannon and Dustin) with two grandchildren and one on the way.
I painted houses with my father for a while until I was asked to join the
Police Dept. of my small home town (Maiden). From there I went to
the Catawba County Sheriff Dept, received an Associate Degree in Police
Science. The last four years there, I was an undercover narcotics
investigator.
In 1978 after many brushes with death, I decided to resign and started
a Landscaping business which I turned over to my son.
In 1990, I became a NC Licensed Private Investigator and now have my own
business since 1993. (August Investigations, Inc.)
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Albert Eugene (Gene) Reagin (ET3/2/1) (1965-??)
333 Early Lane
Summerville, SC 29483
(843) 761-4981
reagingene@starband.net
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Don Umphryes (EM2) (6/66 - 11/68)
Route 6 Box 1014
Salem Mo, 65560
573 729 9282
Don.Umphryes@geco.com
I remember spending a lot of time working on the boats trying to keep
them running. We had 5 or 6 boats. I went to Rosie Roads twice w/ the boats
on a LSD. We would take UDT 21/22 and SEAL Team 2 out on war games
all hours of the night. The stay was usually 6 to 8 weeks. On the way back
we would fill the bilge area of the boats w/ duty free booze. We could
get 30 to 40 gallons in each boat. I spent a lot of time w/ Al Horn ENC
at the Ace/Duce club in Little Creek. We had a great time together.
Remember Marshall's old Pontiac and Trout's red Dodge. We spent a lot of
time working on both cars. We had a volley ball game almost every day at
noon.
After the Navy, I received a EE from Southern Illinois University and an
MBA from the University of Nebraska. I have been working for electrical
contractors for the past 30 years. I manage heavy industrial projects and
am the operation manager for the national group at a St Louis electrical
contractor. My wife of 18 years is a horse trainer. We have a farm in SW
Mo. I bought a Harley Davidson the year I was discharged and have gone
through 7 bikes. I ride a FLHT now. I get to Sturgis and Daytona about
every other year. We also take our horses on weekend trail rides. Would
like to hear from any of the old gang and maybe get together if anyone
ended up in the Midwest. Sure would like a mold copy of the BSU-2 placard.
I joined the UDT-SEAL Association. I get a lot of email from them.
I plan to make it to Little Creek reunion one year. Maybe some of the guys
would be interested in getting together there.
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Steve Wawrzynski (EM2)
4939 Roszyk Hill Rd.
Machias, NY 14101
sjw_101@yahoo.com
N2ZDM (Ham radio)
I served with you at BSU-2 in Little Creek. We were on deployment in
St.Thomas also. Wow, that was a million years ago. I started to think about
the names of people I remembered. The only person I still keep in touch
with (Christmas Cards) is Gene Regan. He is retired now. I spent the last
5 months of my tour in the Med aboard the USS Oglethorpe with Ed Lautenschlager.
I really hadn't thought about those days much.
I spent a lot of time down in Louisiana working at the NASA Facility
in Michould. I installed a couple of machines over the years that rivet
the External Tank for the Space
Shuttle. One of the machines was featured in a Popular Science article.
Sort of the highlight of my career. I lived down there for about two years
and spent a lot of time fishing on some of the bayous around there.
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