Life on a Mine sweeper-Living in fear.

[oneighty]

Oh if only I could go back to spring of 1952 in the mined waters of North Korea. This time I would not live in fear of every unusual noise. I would not huddle in life jacket and battle helmet on the deck of the minesweeper as we entered mined waters in the dark of night so that watchers on the shore could not see us, could not fire on us with their big guns.

And further north near the Russian border we are informed an attack from Russian Migs is a seven minute round trip from Russia. So we watch for mines we watch for flashing lights from the big guns ashore and now we watch for Migs.

The older men aboard the mine sweeper have experience from WW2 and they try to give their courage to we young sailors. I am seventeen years old and scared shit-less.

Later anchored up in the safety of Sasebo Harbor in Japan we are reminded of Russia's Atomic bombs so even in the safe harbor we are frightened. Not everybody I suppose. But I was.

As I grew older and entered into the field of deep sea diving and explosive ordnance explosive disposal I learned that fear is a state of mind and that attention to the duty at hand conquers the fear.

I have learned that every day is a new challenge one to be lived free of false fears, a day to be enjoyed.

I will not allow fear to rule my life.

And I hope DUers do not either.

So screw you Bush you and your fear mongering.

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[tatertop]

1. Did you sweep many mines?

[oneighty]

5. Not a darned one

while I was aboard that mine sweeper.

A point-there I wished to make. Mines need not be visible to frighten you.

The neo-cons have put out a mine field of what ifs and mis-information.

Later with the mine disposal team I was involved in bringing a Russian mine back alive. That was fun and a turning point between my fear and my understanding.

To be informed is to be brave.

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[SlipperySlope]

2. Good Post - N/T

[Elidor]

3. Well said

:hi:

[oneighty]

6. Hey Hardhead

In your sport you know this to be true. I bet.

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[Elidor]

8. Fear is something I have a lot more work to do with

But yes, it amazes me the simple things that used to terrify me. I've come to realize that those who excel at it have merely had more experience pushing past their fears.

[oneighty]

10. Yes experience

I would not go with you on such an adventure.

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[Elidor]

20. Ah, but you've done things I wouldn't dream of doing

I'd never make it past the initial training. Heck, I can't even swim, lol!

[FarLeftRage]

4. "You have nothing to fear, but fear itself...."

:hi: my friend, long time no see!

[oneighty]

7. Hey Far Left Rage

Yes I have often thought of FDR's simple words as I move along through life.

I think he was right on unlike those fear mongers in the white house. If those ass holes living there believed what they are telling us they would be living in bomb shelters because they are all cowards.



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[ewoden]

9. back in the day

At 19 I sat in a hot steamy jungle in the dark of the night. Desperately trying to peer into the darkness. Looking for movement, a rifle barrel, a helmet, anything that would confirm that feeling deep, way deep down in my guts that little yellow men were out to kill me.

Peripheral vision, so our training went, was more effective in the dark than our fovial vision. The trick was not to look directly at what you wanted to see. So there I was, looking yet not really looking and hoping, yet not really hoping to see something. First one eye, then the next, scanning, ever scanning for the horizontal shape in a green/black sea of the vertical shapes. At times my eyes felt like they were going to pop right out of my head. Sometimes too frightened to breathe, I could wear I would go hours on one breath of air.

All night long clutching that claymore clicker. A cold sweaty finger cramping on the little lever. Occcasionally, you'd get a murmer from the RTO, doing his nightly radio checks. Lucky SOBs back at the firebase, hot chow, radio, playing grabass in the dugout. Sometimes, somebody would pass some corned beef hash gas, evil invention that GI hash. Little critters would scurry across your feet, reminding you that the jungle lives, despite you or more likely indifferent to you.

In the dawn, after such a night, you'd rise as if from the dead. There'd be a nagging feeling in the back of your head that there really might have been something out there last night. Then you'd stoop-crawl to the perimeter only to find a neat pile of human excrement plopped right out where we would have to see it. Charlie had a sense of humor.

I fear nothing anymore, save the times when my gut speaks to me of what's beyond my perimeter. I'm there now. Waiting for shoes to drop. I do not fear the Bush adminsitration. I fear the people that blindly follow it into oblivion.

[oneighty]

11. You too have learned.

A high five would be corny so instead

a((((((((((hug))))))))))

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[nookiemonster]

12. K & R!

Fear can take its happy ass for a long ride off a short cliff.

What an incredible life experience. Good on you.

:)

[NNN0LHI]

13. Sure am glad I clicked on this one. Hope others do. K&R n/t

[Stinky The Clown]

14. Wooden Ships and Iron Men

Great post, oneighty!

Fear.

Yup. Its all they have. Why, just today, Professor Turdblossom was threatening Senate repubs to either vote for Lord Pissypantz' spying bill or get blacklisted.

Fear.

Fuck 'fear'.

Nice to meet another sweep sailor. I was on the Adroit in the late 60s.

http://members.aol.com.nyud.net:8090/transportraits/mso509p.jpg

[oneighty]

15. Ahhh Adroit

Korean Mine Sweep was an AM-220 foot steel hull left over from WW2. There were quite a few AMS there too. For a while I was attached to COMINRON three Mine Disposal team. We worked off LSDs with Mine Sweep boat Division One.

Later with EOD Unit two in Charleston I rode many an MSO. Went to the Med (EOD Detachment Ten, spring 1957 aboard the Detector came back on the Dash, Did many a mine exercise with the MSOs and the Yazoo. Yes those were Wooden ships and iron men.

Do not let 180 take the helm! Hahahahaha

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PS. EOD School was in Indian Head Maryland in my time.

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[Stinky The Clown]

16. Dash and Detector were in my MINRON ... one other ... who's name

.... escapes my bald and aging brain sheel!

Adroit was made into toothpicks about 10 years ago ......

[oneighty]

17. Me too.

I belong to the Mine Warfare Asso. I will find out get back to you.

Yes toothpicks.

Med trip was fun fun fun. I was conned into standing 'Bos'n mate of the watch. The ship was not safe. I was a mineman by rate. Hahahaha

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[Stinky The Clown]

19. Cross training, my friend .... cross training .....

I was a storekeeper and stood both bos'ns watch and QM of the watch ...... imagine my sorry ass figuring out where the hell we were supposed to be!

[oneighty]

18. Direct

Dominate, Dynamic. The five 'Ds'

Google tells me.

My korea sweep was USS Symbol AM 123

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