Douglas Cates

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Douglas Cates CRD-22 History


 

06-24-06 

I was the very first person to be assigned to CRD-22 in New Orleans. It was about 3 or 4 weeks before any other activity duty persons showed up. Then a month or more before we got any reserve persons. So I am the # 1 plank owner. I stayed there for a bit over 2 years then went to CRD 11 at Mare Island by direct orders from Adm Zumwalt. I stayed there for over 2 years and changed Rates from EN 1 to MA1 and left for school back east.

CRD 22 had 2 PTF Boats used normally for off the coast and in the intercoastal water ways and on the LARGE RIVERS LIKE Mississippi .They had 2  Napier Deltic 18 pistons German engines. The Nasty Class Boats were Faaaaaaast. I do not recall the hull #'s. The PCF were used with the PT's and with the PBR and MATC. As I recall we had 2 PTF, 2 PCF,, 3 MATC and 6 PBR's.

The PCF were used as command and control and as fuel stations for PBR's and MATC's, I recall a 2 week training that we all went to Aplalatchacola FL on the Pearl River for training and on 1 week end of training a crew of a MATC got lost and was about 1/2 to 3/4 miles off the water way out in the swamp. It went a ground it took us about 4 days to get it out using P 500 fire pumps and at last someone got us a very large Army Helo to drag us the rest of the way out. I had a lot of friends on the Reserve side of the division.

I lost all my stuff to a fire and look for anything I can get of the 1/5/67 to 5/10/72 from Nam and my years at CRD 22 and 11. There is one 8 mm film made of our trip up to Little Rock from Nola. I 1 PBR, mine and 1 PCF by some LTJG. I Hope this has been of some help.