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Captain George Silvani C.O., USS Hopewell DD-681
(1959-1961)
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During the years of the cold war, the Navy deployed ships to the
Mediterranean and the
Fareast on a regular basis. If lucky , deployments lasted 8 or 9 months.
Ships and crews
worked during these over seas tours. Long underway periods, watch sanding,
exercises , rough
weather and meeting commitments were enervating. When orders were received
to proceed
home, the long trip was always welcome. Our four ship destroyer division
was ordered to steam
home alone. There would be no accompanying carrier conducting night flight
operations that
would require duty life boats, rescue crews on the alert and maneuvering
at high speeds.
These activities would necessitate destroyers to fuel at sea. Steaming at
an economical
speed of 16 knots, with a layover in Pearl, to transit from Japan to San
Diego could take
up to 20 days. The sea was glass the weather great. The only thing to
interfere with sun and
sack time besides ship routine were occasional divisional tactics ordered
by the division
the commander, the Commodore.
A message was received from him announcing a pancake eating contest would
be held on board
the flagship in four days time, and that he would award a prize of $25
dollars to the
winner. Each ship was to select and prepare a contestant and assign one
officer and one
enlisted man to observe and monitor the contest. The batter recipe would
be taken from the
Navy Cooks Manual. Each cake was to be no smaller in diameter than 7 and a
half inches in
diameter or larger than eight. The officers were lukewarm to the contest
because it was
one more thing to interfere with needed sack time. However, the crew took
the flapjack
eating contest seriously. Had it been known then, the winner had been
decided the moment the
contest was announced. The destroyer on which Ashcan Ack served already
had a lock on the
win.
Ashcan was a 19 year old 6 foot 3 inch cherub who resembled a chubby 2
year old child.
Almost hairless, smooth skin. massive arms legs and a roly-poly belly.
Ashcan had a pleasant
personality and a ready smile. He was the first to show up for exercises
and working
parties. When the ship had to be secure for heavy weather. he could be
counted on to be out
on the wet and heaving deck to tie down loose gear.
He was popular with the ships crew, particularly with the ships cooks. He
took the sign on
the mess deck that read," Take all you want, eat all you take" very
seriously. However he
ignored the compartments in the steel mess trays that kept food items
separated. He piled
the chow on as he worked his way down the service line ending up with all
items on the menu
molded into a six inch pyramid completely covering the tray. He then
proceeded to destroy it
in the reverse order of construction--- top to bottom. A rumor had it that
when Ashcan went
home on first leave out of boot camp and knocked on the door, his father
opened it spotted
Ashcan, groaned and slammed it shut . The door opened in a few seconds and
a 20 dollar
bill was thrust at him with a plea, "Give your mother a break, go feed
yourself then come
home" If Ashcan Ack had a given name it wasn't known to his shop mates. No
one ever thought
to ask. It must have been recoded on his health and pay records.
On D-minus one, the day before the pancake eating contest day, The
Commodore sent out his
operations order that gave detailed instructions and times for that days
events. The
preciseness and complexity coupled with the military jargon in which it
was written, it
could have been used as a model for preparing an op-order for a major
amphibious landing.
At 0800, all units form into a column, Junior ship take lead in station No
1 At 0810, slow
to 5 knots; 0820, lead ship lower whale boat with contest personnel, pick
up personnel from
units 2 and 3 and deliver to flagship in station No 4. Unit No 1 retrieve
whale boat. All
ships prepare high lines port side for transfer of personnel upon
completion of contest.
Twenty minute notice will be given to each unit to make starboard side of
flagship and rig
high line for transfer. Guard mail and movies will be exchanged. Actually
all this stuff
could have been set up with a few signals. The last sentence in the
op-order riveted
attention. Ship handling and seamanship will be included in the divisional
competitive
program and will be observed and graded accordingly.
When the Commodore heard that the crews were betting on the contest, he
added two appendices
to the op-order; ALPHA, Commanding officers will take personal custody of
all wagered monies.
BRAVO, Maintain radio silence during period of contest except for command
channel. Only
commanding officers transmit. The other ships sent hospitalmen as the
enlisted observers.
Presumably hospitalmen were better qualified to administer medical aid and
comfort to over
stuffed eaters. Ashcan's ship sent a signalman as the enlisted observer.
It's amazing how
much and how fast information can be sent with signal flags for short
distances. The
signalman would observe the pancake destruction for a while, then
surreptitiously sneak out on
deck where he could only be seen from Ashcan's ship and send status
reports----Ashcan just
finished 4th stack of three, second place working on 2nd.------Ashcan on
17th. and going
away, closest guy on 11th. And so it went. Encouraged by these reports the
crew scraped up
an additional $2000 dollars. The captain came up on the command channel
and asked if anyone
cared to cover the $2000. One ship took $1200 and another covered the
rest. The flagship did
not respond because half the crew was watching there man trailing far
behind. The Commodore
became concerned when the rate of consumption slowed down to a pace where
the cook manning
the grill could not only keep up with the eaters , but was now a few
stacks ahead. One guy
quit and the other two were picking at their plates. Ashcan had slowed
down considerably but
he was still racking up the numbers. For the safety and well being of the
contestants, the
Commodore stopped the contest and declared Ashcan the division hotcake
eating champ and
presented him with the $25 prize money. Then a few people witnessed a most
peculiar action
on Ashcan's part. He tried to give the Commodore a $5 bill of the prize
money. The Commodore
smiled shook hands with Ashcan and refused to take the money.
With the contest over the remainder of the op-order was carried out. Ships
were ordered to
come alongside the flagship and send over high lines to take back
contestants. Highline
transfers can be exciting, particularly for the guy sitting in he boson's
chair. The line is
sent across to the other ship and made fast. The loose end is passed
through a pulley on the
sending ship and run along the deck where 20 or so sailors grab a hold of
the line much like
in a tug-a-war contest. The sailors keep tension on the line to prevent
slack while the
ships open or close distance. When Ash can got in the bosons and lifted
out over the side,
his bulk and cargo caused the line to sag and almost was dunked in the
water. Supper human
effort and additional sailors tugging on the line successfully landed him
on the deck of his
own ship with a thump that was followed by an instantaneous roar. He was
mobbed by his
grateful admirers. A triumphal procession was formed to escort him aft to
the quarterdeck
where the captain would officially greet and congratulate him for
successfully
representing the command in the contest. No one suggested carrying Ash can
on their
shoulders. Ashcan seemed to be in a bemused mood rather than his usual
cheerful self. He
hadn't spoken a word since his victory. He just shook his head when asked
if he was ill He
was told to get with if he wasn't sick. The Captain is giving you his
winnings and he crew
1/3 of theirs. The cooks have changed the chow menu to steak and eggs with
ice cream. Then
the hero spoke his first and barely audible words. "I bet the Commodore I
could break my
record of 36 hotcakes, he stopped me at 33."
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