Emotional trips down memory lane have the weirdest way of sneaking up on me. During one of my rambling internet sessions (those are the ones where you don’t have anything in mind so you just “Google” around) I was entering the family name-Kilgallon. After the requisite number of hits on Irish genealogy sites. I refined the search to my father’s name: James R. Lo and behold I struck a little gold!
One of the hits took me to usschivo.org which commemorates the voyages of USS Chivo (SS 341) and those that sailed with her from 1945 to 1971. Dad’s name came up on the crew rosters from 1956 to 1959 as an EN1 (SS) and as an Ensign in 1960. This was the period he was stationed in Key West and then moved to Charleston with the boat in 1959. I was born in Key West in 1958 and my sister, Theresa, was born in Charleston in 1959.
So I began to peruse the picture galleries on the site under the Periscope Liberty link. On the Center Line page I noticed a picture (scan0042) of an unnamed sailor holding a baby dressed in blue. I looked closer and—it was Dad! If the shot was from Key West as the caption indicated then that would make the child in his arms—Me! Looking closer at the photo and details surface: Fridge and Freezer on right, baby bottle warming in saucepan on stove under the window in the rear!!!
The next page I checked was VLF Loop. And there, in scan0053 is Dad again!! The picture is captioned: scan0053 – Key West – EN1 (SS) James R. Kilgallon (56-59), holding his ass – without looking he sat down on the escape buoy, which was wet from morning dew. Others unknown (Gonzales). I fell out laughing!!
I had forgotten about his post war submarine assignments until then. I knew he was on Chivo because I have always carried in my memory box the black shoulder patch from the USS Chivo. Memories of Ice Cream on the boat and fishing off the pier in Charleston returned to me.
This entry was posted on Saturday, December 17th, 2005 at 0910 and is filed under General, Post War, Sea Stories. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
John, if you like you may use the pictures I took of your dad for your website, and a “neat” website it is! In fact, once the pictures are returned I will send you the originals with your dad. I also must comment on the picture taken in Key West of your dad holding you. I’m amazed that I didn’t recognize “Killer.” Once I looked again, of course I did, and if I’m not mistake also remember more about it – It’s not the barracks but naval housing. You dad invited the engineroom gang to your place to show you off. I don’t remember who all went, but there were several of us. Speedy
Thanks! I shall definitely get those posted here with credit. I bemoaned not being able to find too much in the way of his WW2 adventures. I’m definitely going to have to expand the “Post-war” segment. John