High Seas Series
Book One
The Stowaway
Chapter 04
Charles W Bird
[email protected]
This story is a fictional account of a period that begins immediately after the Second World War and chronicles what happens to a young teen boy who has escaped from a fiend who was sexually brutalizing him. While the story is completely fictional, actual names, characters, places and incidents that might coincide with actions, places, people or events have been changed to protect both the innocent and the guilty or are the product of my imagination and used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental. The actual shipboard processes, however, are based upon experiences of the author.
This story is copyrighted and may not be reproduced by any means without my express, written permission.
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EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER THREE
Both Japan and Korea were beginning the massive effort of rebuilding after the terrible war and the Mattie would be making round trip voyages, carrying supplies, steel, bagged cement and all the things needed to rebuild a shattered nation.
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SHUTTLE SERVICE TO KOREA
They began back to back shuttle service to Korea. The Chinese had effectively split the Korean Peninsula into two nations, North and South Korea. The north was a Chinese influenced communist state and the south was a struggling democratic experiment.
The major port for South Korea was Incheon.. There were not a lot of facilities there and the harbor was quite shallow. It was only ships like the Mattie that could use the port until major dredging could be done. Unfortunately, that would be sometime in the future.
South Korea had a fledgling civilian government, but most everything was being administered by General Douglas MacArthur and his staff.
For the Mattie, it was a twenty-six day trip each way and she was always loaded right up to her load line. The larger freighters could not get in the harbor and had to transfer their cargo to barges for transshipment to the harbor.
The only other port was Pusan on the southeastern tip of the peninsula, but there were no working railroads to deliver the cargo from the port to where it was needed.
Thus began a nightmare of round trips for the SS Matilda Carson and, as the political situation began to deteriorate on the Korean Peninsula, the Mattie’s voyages became more critical. It was hard on the ship, on the crew and on two little red haired boys who had been left behind in Oakland, California. Each brief time their Daddies got to see them, they had grown in all directions and parts.
Like all growing boys, as they approached their teen years, their feet outgrew their bodies. All of a sudden, Jeremy and Tommy found their sons were as tall as they were and they were both wearing size sixteen shoes! They were Junior Varsity heroes at school and their bright red hair made them visible from a block away.
The two boys had remained with slightly dark complexions, but they both had classic Caucasian features and they both had such sunny natures, nobody knew or cared that they were part South Sea Islanders. It didn’t hurt that they were standout students as well as terrific athletes. They were both on the school debating team and their Great Grandfather swore that they could charm water out of a stone.
It was February of 1951 and the Matilda Carson was tired. She was scheduled for an extensive overhaul in the Kaiser Shipyards and Joel and Angus were determined they were going to look for another ship while their sons were taking their Thirds’ Exams.
There was no question that they were going to pass their examinations, but, their competitive nature drove them to making a wager on who would pass with the highest score! They all were in for a staggering surprise!
The day of the examinations arrived, the air in their house crackled like static electricity. They would have three days of written examination, followed by several hours of oral questions thrown at them by the Board of Examiners.(in those days, the examinations were all hand written essay answers and “IN DETAIL” was understood)
While Jeremy and Tommy had different tests, they both finished about the same time, three days later. They were scheduled for their “Orals” the following Monday morning. Neither man was worried, however they were eager to get their scores to see which of them passed higher.
Unknown, but strongly suspected, both Joel and Angus had “inside information” on how well their sons were doing. They had both known the Examiners for years and had sailed with them on various ships. As strongly as they hinted, neither Tommy nor Jeremy could get any information out of either of them.
The next Monday, the two were scheduled first for their oral examinations. They were each led into a small room, where there were four men, who were obviously Ship Masters and Chief Engineers. There was one of each in each examining room and the other two remained behind to talk with Joel and Angus. Had Tommy and Jeremy been a little more experienced, they would have recognized that there was something “Fishy in Singapore”!
When it was all over, both Jeremy and Tommy felt as if they had been squeezed dry. It had been four hours of the most grueling questions they could conceive of. Those examiners knew exactly what Tommy and Jeremy each knew and how much of it!
They went home that afternoon, wound up like a seven day clock and so nervous, neither could sit for more than a few seconds at a time. Finally, TJ and JJ (Tommy, Junior and Jeremy, Junior) said, “Let’s go for a run!” Tommy and Jeremy were not given a choice, their sons practically shoved them out the front door.
The four of them ran through the hills above the University for several hours and, after they had cooled off, they all felt better. The returned to their homes, hot, sweaty and tired, but in a much better frame of mind. After a light supper, Jeremy and Tommy retreated to their rooms and nothing was heard from them until the next morning.
SUSPENSE!
The next morning, Tommy and Jeremy found their Maritime Commission uniforms laid out for them and their sons were waiting, dressed in new suits and highly shined shoes. When Tommy and Jeremy tried to argue about the uniforms, their sons gave them their choice, voluntarily or we will dress you ourselves!
Neither Tommy nor Jeremy were totally sure that they could take down their sons anymore, so, with as much grace as they could muster, which was not a lot, they got dressed up in their “Monkey Suits” and went down for breakfast.
Both Joel and Angus were seated at the table in their own uniforms and they were laughing at their sons. Tommy demanded, “You guys know something, GIVE!” Joel raised his hands and said, “Nope, WE KNOW NOTHING!” His grin, however gave lie to his words!
They took a cab over to the waterfront offices of the Maritime Commission, the traffic was usually awful and there was never a place to park. It was as if they were expected, everyone in the office stopped what they were doing and watched them as they walked down the hallway.
They were ushered into the Examiners’ Room and showed seats, where they were to wait for the Examiners to arrive.
The five members of the Board of Examiners arrived within a few minutes and sat down at the table, opposite to where Tommy and Jeremy were seated. Their family was seated behind them.
The Chief Examiner cleared his throat and began, “Gentlemen, in my nearly forty years in this business, I have never been confronted by a situation quite like this one.” Both Tommy and Jeremy were getting concerned.
The man continued, “Mr. Jeremy Angus McDuffy, Mr. Tommy Joel Carson, in the entire history of this Examination Station, there has never been an applicant who scored 100% on both tests, let alone two of you!”
Both Tommy and Jeremy felt like limp dishrags and their Sons were clapping wildly. Their Fathers had ear to ear grins plastered on their faces!
They were issued Third Assistant Engineer Licenses and Third Mate Licenses. Neither Jeremy nor Tommy had understood that they were taking dual license examinations, although they wondered about some of the questions that were asked.
After shaking the hands of the Examiners, Tommy and Jeremy were led out of the building by their sons. They both were still a little confused and more than a little shaky, as well as mentally thoroughly shaken up.
It was lunch time, so they all went over to Fisherman’s Wharf for seafood. As they watched their sons eat, both Jeremy and Tommy thought it should have been called “SEEFOOD – EATFOOD”!
While they were eating, Joel mentioned that the Maritime Commission was selling some C4 Freighters at auction the next day and, was anyone interested in going over to Oakland to take a look at them. They all were interested.
Joel registered them for the auction and posted the necessary bond. They were told that the auction would be held up in Suisun, at the offices of the Reserve Fleet. All ships were guaranteed to be in good condition and would have to be removed within fifteen days of purchase.
KOREA
The War News from Korea was dire, the Chinese Communists had taken the South Korean Capitol, Seoul, and were driving south, seemingly unstoppable. The President had relieved General of The Army Douglas MacArthur and the American Forces and what was left of the South Korean Army was reeling backwards under heavy assault, towards the only port left, Pusan.
Joel left the overhaul of their new ships in the capable hands of their factor and they all made tracks for the Mattie. She was out of overhaul and the Army was begging for ships to carry war supplies to Korea.
It was a desperate time, both Tommy and Jeremy would have been drafted, had they not been Merchant Mariners on a cargo ship loading vital war supplies for the American Troops.
The Army’s priority for the Matilda Carson was ammunition. Joel cringed, but he knew without that ammunition, there were going to be a whole lot of dead American Soldiers. They loaded out at the Oakland Army Terminal and sailed that same night.
The Mattie was fresh out of dry dock and her hull was clean. Joel rang up turns for thirteen knots and the gallant old ship responded with her main engine thundering as the throttle valve hit the stops.
Tommy was standing his first official watch as Third Mate and Jeremy was in the Engine Room as Third Assistant Engineer. They both had dual licenses, so they could stand the other’s watch, if need be.
Joel took them up and over on the Great Circle Route, the old steam engine in the Mattie was pushing for all it was worth. They were heavily loaded and sailing singly. The Chinese did not have a Navy (that would come later) so they were not concerned about being intercepted.. The weather held and they made a record (for the Mattie) twenty-two day voyage from Oakland to Pusan.
The Army was desperate for the ammunition on the Mattie, they sent their own trucks and practically snatched it off the hooks as the main boom swung the crates out of the hold. (In the early days of the war in Korea, the Army was using leftover ammunition from WW2. Ammunition was getting scarce as manufacturers were frantically bringing shuttered factories back on line)
In almost record time, the Mattie was riding high, her holds were empty. They departed four days after arrival for Sasebo, there was no fuel to be had in Korea, so they had to refuel in Japan in order to return for another load. This was to be the mode of operation for the next two years, - SHEER PANIC!
There was a slight ruckus at the fueling pier, but Tommy had the Bridge and Jeremy was on watch in the Engine Room during the entire fueling. Neither had any knowledge of the ruckus, they had seen police cars at the head of the pier, but nobody in the local authority came down to the ship.
As soon as the fueling was complete, it was 0200 hours (2 am) and both Tommy and Jeremy had been on watch since 1600 hours (4 pm) of the preceding afternoon. They were both “dog tired” and wanted nothing more than a quick shower and to crawl into their bunks in exhaustion.
When they got to their stateroom, both Juniors were standing outside the door like sentinels. Tommy, Jr. whispered to them, “We gots us new bros”.
Both Tommy and Jeremy were so tired, TJ’s words didn’t register on either of them. They entered their stateroom and were confronted with Cookie, he was sitting next to the fold down bunk like an armed guard.
Cookie stood and said, Mr. Tommy, Mr. Jeremy, us gots a problem n’ I’s just knows ya have a solution.” He turned and pointed to two “lumps” on the bed. He continued, “Wes founded thems in the lifeboat n’ theys was bleedin’ bad!”
Tommy lifted the covers a bit, so they could see two boy heads. They had rusty blond hair and were definitely Caucasian boys, most certainly not Korean or Japanese.
Not wanting to wake them, Jeremy asked, “Where did these boys come from!” Cookie replied, “Wes not sure, but it must’a been Korea, sirs, tha’ local cops had the pier closed up tighter’n a cow’s behind at fly time!”
Both Tommy and Jeremy sat down on the setee with a thud, Tommy said, “Hoo Boy, they ain’t Japanese boys, that’s fer certain n’ no way are they Koreans. Cookie, could ya’ discreetly get Cap’n Joel down here, while we get these boys awake n’ cleaned up a bit?”
Joel was neither concerned nor upset over the situation. He said, “Most likely, these boys are the children of Missionaries and you can be certain the Chinese murdered them right quick. No damned way are we gonna send ‘em to the Japanese Authorities, NO WAY IN HELL is that gonna happen! EVER! NOT ON OUR SHIP!”
So it was that the two Juniors had new brothers, Billy and Terry. They were friends, not brothers and they had run when the Chinese soldiers stormed the small mission church their parents had built, just outside Seoul.
Joel sent a Marconi to their lawyer in Oakland telling him to make it right!” The lawyer, Jerry Cole, would meet them at the pier with papers for William Jeremey Mc Duffy and Terrence Tommy Carson.
It would not be until April of 1953, before they could slow down. By that time and due to the emergency, Tommy had advanced his license to Second Mate, Third Assistant Engineer and Jeremy was Second Assistant Engineer, Third Mate.
They were serving on different ships, they had named the two new ships, The Tommy and The Jeremy, much to their namesakes’ disgust and their two additional family members were being cared for by their housekeeper.
JT and JJ were frothing at the bit to get their tickets “punched” for AB and Oiler respectively.
The SS Matilda Carson was on her last legs, she had seen more than fifty years of sea service. They all knew she was a breakdown just waiting to happen.
Joel pulled her into the pier in Oakland and, as he backed the Mattie down, they all heard and awful tearing of metal and a horrible KATHUNK! Her main engine crankshaft had shattered. Both Joel and Angus knew she was a goner and Joel dreaded having to tell his own father that their ship was no more.
The old man took it in stride and told Joel to go bid on a new ship from the Reserve Fleet.
BRUSH WARS
Joel and Tommy went up to the Reserve Fleet and looked around. Tommy spotted an almost new C4 Freighter that had been laid up almost as soon as she had been delivered from the builders’.
Like the C-3’s, it was a geared turbine drive and the living spaces were almost like a hotel, compared to the poor old Mattie.
Joel presented a cashier’s check for the surety bond and the auction was to be the next day. The minimum bid was set at $50,000. When the next day rolled around, Joel and Tommy were the only people there, the place was as empty as a tomb.
They walked away with an almost new ship for the minimum bid of $50,000!
Joel made arrangements to have the vessel towed to the Bethlehem Shipyard to have her hull inspected and the whole ship repainted. For Joel and Angus, this was a massive undertaking and they were advised to form a corporation to operate their several ships.
They formed the Carson Shipping Company, with Joel Carson, Sr. Chairman of the Board, Joel Carson, Jr. President and Chief Operating Officer, Angus McDuffy Vice President and Chief Engineer. Tommy and Jeremy were appointed members of the Board and the Juniors were appointed Officers at Large of the Board.
This was a whole new operation for them all, they were graduating from operating a single ship to directing the operations of several ships. The shipping business was good right then, it was a good time to get established. Everyone knew there would be bad times along with the good, but, they hoped to establish their niche and hang on.
While the new company was getting organized, there was time for Tommy and Jeremy to get acquainted with their two new sons. Both TJ and JJ were becoming REAL big brothers to the two little boys and, more than a few nights, they found themselves with a little boys clutched in their arms. The little boys were having nightmares about what had happened to them in Korea.
With almost infinite patience, the two Juniors got the little boys over their trauma and made sure they were ready when their Daddies had to go back to the sea.
Even though both TJ and JJ were ticketed Seamen, they still had to finish high school and, after talking with their Dads, they were determined that they were going to go to The Maritime Academy, just like their Grand Dads had done before them.
As the war in Korea began to wind down, trouble popped up in the Middle East, and Southeast Asia could always be counted on for the sparks of war. They had no doubts that their business would thrive.
They had established their reputation, first with the old Matilda Carson and more recently with The Joel Carson and The Angus Mc Duffy. The newest vessel would be named The Matilda Carson II.
On her first sailing, the New Matilda Carson proved to be a fast ship, she held 24 knots from Oakland to the Viet Nam coast. She was too big, however, to make it up the Saigon River, where the United States was bolstering the shaky Southeastern Asia country of South Viet Nam. Joel put her on the Philippine – Australia run, where she proved herself.
POST WAR – PREWAR
Business was booming in the Far East, all three ships were booked solid. The United States was propping up several countries against Chinese aggression, but it did not look like there was going to be any serious trouble for a while.
The years immediately after the war in Korea were good for all of them and the flow of ocean freight between Southeast Asia and America was frantic.
The American Merchant Fleet had shrunk, until it was almost impossible for the government to ship their own cargo in American “bottoms” as was required by law.
Joel and Angus had stubbornly refused to reflag their ships, so they were given first right of refusal to carry government cargo. There was a steady march of household goods, automobiles and equipment belonging to the government or its employees, including military service personnel.
The pool of merchant mariners had shrunk and it was no longer a popular line of work for young Americans.
Joel and Angus had ceased their back to back sailings as their sons began to take over the reins of operation. Both Tommy and Jeremy had both their Chief Engineer’s and their Master’s papers and they frequently sailed together on the same ship.
The Juniors were attending the Maritime Academy and would graduate in another year. They, like their Dads, were shooting for Dual Licenses and the little brothers were about to enter Junior High School.
They were impatient and insisted to be allowed to work on the ship during summer vacations. Both had recently reached Deckhand and Wiper level and carried Merchant Mariner documents to prove it. (There had been a “young” war about their age, but the authorities finally gave in.)
By the early 1960’s, the “Cold War” tensions began to rise, yet again, and it became obvious that the entire Southeast Asia powder keg was ready to blow. Everyone thought it would take place in the Philippines, there had been a Communist inspired smoldering civil war there for years.
They all were caught off guard by the Communist Forces of North Vietnam as they marched south, bent on conquest of the “decadent puppet regime” of South Vietnam.
For whatever reason, the American Government felt they needed to prop up the South Vietnamese Government and, by 1962, there was a steady stream of American Soldiers and their equipment being sent to Saigon. By American Law, all such equipment had to be shipped in American Flagged ships. To get a waiver was next to impossible.
The “New” Mattie was too big to get upriver to Saigon, so that left The Jeremy and The Tommy to carry the needed freight. They were back to chasing each other across the Pacific on back to back sailings.
Getting sailors who were willing to work like that was next to “not at all”! They even allowed the “little boys”, Billy and Terry, to sail during their summer breaks. They both had their “tickets” and there was never a complaint that they did not pull their own weight.
Both Billy and Terry spoke Korean fluently and could make themselves understood in both Chinese and Japanese. They frequently found themselves up on the bridge, translating for local pilots as their ship entered a Southeast Asian port.
Both boys had entered a growth spurt and their Dads despaired being able to keep them in clothes and shoes. It was accepted that they were going to go over six feet and both Joel and Angus were taking bets on how much over!
Billy and Terry had learned, as very small children, how abusive some Asians could be towards Caucasian children and they both swore it wasn’t gonna happen again to them or anyone they cared for.
It happened only once on the waterfront of Bangkok. They had gone ashore to look around and two thugs jumped them from a dark alley. By the time Billy and Terry had finished wiping up the pavement with them, it was unlikely that gang of thugs would ever try it again on anyone, that is, if they even survived.
Both TJ and JJ had followed their sons, just to make sure they didn’t get hurt, as the waterfront of Bangkok was notorious for attacks. They hung back and watched, just in case, but they never had to lift a finger and, like they later told their Dads, they weren’t going to bother again. Those two boys could take care of themselves!
By 1963, the Communist Insurgency against South Vietnam was getting underway “BIG TIME” and America was slowly being drawn into the conflict. First, it was advisory groups, but, soon, it was American Troops doing the fighting and by 1964, it was a full blown war.
Carson Shipping had negotiated the purchase of a fourth ship, which they named The Twins. It was another C4 cargo vessel and they pressed it into service as fast as the paint would dry.
The American Government was crying for shipping and not only were ships just not available, neither were the crews available to operate them.
The not so little, little boys, Terry and Billy graduated from the Maritime Academy that August with dual Third’s License’s. Like their predecessors, they already had experience in the Southeastern Asia waters and they spoke the language. They had pretty much lost the ability to read it, but they could talk to the harbor pilots and the longshoremen who offloaded the ships.
The Carson Ships were in high demand, the Government (military) liked them and so did the Navy Supply Corps. They knew how to handle the large and awkward equipment shipped by the Army and Army Supply Officials had learned that, when the Carsons made a delivery date promise, they had every intention to keep it, even if they had to expend extra fuel to do so.
A legend had appeared among the children who were refugees of the fighting, that, if they could get to any ship that had the name, “CARSON” on it, they would be taken care of. Some enterprising boys ashore made some hand lettered cards that they had printed by hand, the word CARSON so that children seeking sanctuary could compare the two words to know that they had the correct ship.
During that time, it was not at all unusual for there to be a half dozen “stowaways” on a Carson Ship headed back to the United States for another load. They did not know that many of the Carsons had, themselves, been stowaways themselves at one time.
The Carson Family had property in the San Joaquin Valley and they had built a facility there to house the children whom they had rescued. Old Captain Joel Carson had moved to the San Joaquin Valley property and was able to watch the children grow into happy near adults before he passed away.
By 1968, the Vietnam War was all but over and shipping began another rapid decline. The Carson Fleet, however, had built for themselves, an enviable reputation throughout the area and they were able to hang on.
HARD TIMES – LEAN TIMES
With the end of the war, government cargoes began to dry up, but Captain Joel sensed that there was a building boom about to explode throughout Southeast Asia. Instead of laying up their ships, as most American Ship operators were doing, the Carsons went scrounging cargoes, sometimes for just the cost of the fuel. They purchased a tanker and stationed it in the Far East, so they could extend the range of their operations without worrying about refueling their ships.
It was a gamble and could have been a disaster, but the Carson Family held on and, slowly, ocean trade again increased.
It was a “dog-eat-dog” business” and more than just a little “skullduggery was involved.
When the oil fields of Brunei came in, instead of waiting, Joel and Angus took the company into hock to purchase a second tanker. Marathon Oil was getting rid of the couple of tankers they had from a previous venture and The Carson Fleet bought one and took an option for the other. Brunei was still a British Protectorate, but the ruler, The Sultan of Brunei, could operate semi-independently. From there, small oil fields were discovered throughout the area, even as far north as The Philippines.
What had started as a modest venture soon became a booming business and the Carsons were in on the “ground floor” It was not immensely profitable but they made good money at it and they furthered their reputation in the area.
They also furthered their reputation among the abandoned children of the area. Unfortunately, the politics in the United States had swung to a position that the Carson Family could no longer bring children into the country and raise them to a better life.
It was into this climate that Joel Carson made an overture to the Government of Australia. They had been delivering cargoes and oil to Australia right along and they had a reputation of honest dealings with the “Aussies”, so, when Joel approached them about establishing a place where abandoned children could be raised near Darwin, they were not refused out of hand.
Australia had always been very careful about admitting refugees, but Joel pleaded his case in person. He flew to Australia and reminded the government people of how many times he had diverted their ships in order to meet Australia’s needs and now they needed a safe place to raise the children they had saved from fares even worse than death itself!
With the pictures they showed the government administrators, it was not long before their permit was granted. Several of those pictures ended up in the hands of newspaper reporters. More than a few fathers lost any desire for their morning breakfast when they read that morning news paper’s front page!
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TBC
What is this development going to mean for the Carsons? Will they continue to operate cargo ships? What will become of the boys, who are now men that make up the Carson Family and are becoming the Captains of the Carson Ships?
[email protected]
This story is a fictional account of a period that begins immediately after the Second World War and chronicles what happens to a young teen boy who has escaped from a fiend who was sexually brutalizing him. While the story is completely fictional, actual names, characters, places and incidents that might coincide with actions, places, people or events have been changed to protect both the innocent and the guilty or are the product of my imagination and used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental. The actual shipboard processes, however, are based upon experiences of the author.
This story is copyrighted and may not be reproduced by any means without my express, written permission.
***************************************************************
EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER THREE
Both Japan and Korea were beginning the massive effort of rebuilding after the terrible war and the Mattie would be making round trip voyages, carrying supplies, steel, bagged cement and all the things needed to rebuild a shattered nation.
***************************************************************
SHUTTLE SERVICE TO KOREA
They began back to back shuttle service to Korea. The Chinese had effectively split the Korean Peninsula into two nations, North and South Korea. The north was a Chinese influenced communist state and the south was a struggling democratic experiment.
The major port for South Korea was Incheon.. There were not a lot of facilities there and the harbor was quite shallow. It was only ships like the Mattie that could use the port until major dredging could be done. Unfortunately, that would be sometime in the future.
South Korea had a fledgling civilian government, but most everything was being administered by General Douglas MacArthur and his staff.
For the Mattie, it was a twenty-six day trip each way and she was always loaded right up to her load line. The larger freighters could not get in the harbor and had to transfer their cargo to barges for transshipment to the harbor.
The only other port was Pusan on the southeastern tip of the peninsula, but there were no working railroads to deliver the cargo from the port to where it was needed.
Thus began a nightmare of round trips for the SS Matilda Carson and, as the political situation began to deteriorate on the Korean Peninsula, the Mattie’s voyages became more critical. It was hard on the ship, on the crew and on two little red haired boys who had been left behind in Oakland, California. Each brief time their Daddies got to see them, they had grown in all directions and parts.
Like all growing boys, as they approached their teen years, their feet outgrew their bodies. All of a sudden, Jeremy and Tommy found their sons were as tall as they were and they were both wearing size sixteen shoes! They were Junior Varsity heroes at school and their bright red hair made them visible from a block away.
The two boys had remained with slightly dark complexions, but they both had classic Caucasian features and they both had such sunny natures, nobody knew or cared that they were part South Sea Islanders. It didn’t hurt that they were standout students as well as terrific athletes. They were both on the school debating team and their Great Grandfather swore that they could charm water out of a stone.
It was February of 1951 and the Matilda Carson was tired. She was scheduled for an extensive overhaul in the Kaiser Shipyards and Joel and Angus were determined they were going to look for another ship while their sons were taking their Thirds’ Exams.
There was no question that they were going to pass their examinations, but, their competitive nature drove them to making a wager on who would pass with the highest score! They all were in for a staggering surprise!
The day of the examinations arrived, the air in their house crackled like static electricity. They would have three days of written examination, followed by several hours of oral questions thrown at them by the Board of Examiners.(in those days, the examinations were all hand written essay answers and “IN DETAIL” was understood)
While Jeremy and Tommy had different tests, they both finished about the same time, three days later. They were scheduled for their “Orals” the following Monday morning. Neither man was worried, however they were eager to get their scores to see which of them passed higher.
Unknown, but strongly suspected, both Joel and Angus had “inside information” on how well their sons were doing. They had both known the Examiners for years and had sailed with them on various ships. As strongly as they hinted, neither Tommy nor Jeremy could get any information out of either of them.
The next Monday, the two were scheduled first for their oral examinations. They were each led into a small room, where there were four men, who were obviously Ship Masters and Chief Engineers. There was one of each in each examining room and the other two remained behind to talk with Joel and Angus. Had Tommy and Jeremy been a little more experienced, they would have recognized that there was something “Fishy in Singapore”!
When it was all over, both Jeremy and Tommy felt as if they had been squeezed dry. It had been four hours of the most grueling questions they could conceive of. Those examiners knew exactly what Tommy and Jeremy each knew and how much of it!
They went home that afternoon, wound up like a seven day clock and so nervous, neither could sit for more than a few seconds at a time. Finally, TJ and JJ (Tommy, Junior and Jeremy, Junior) said, “Let’s go for a run!” Tommy and Jeremy were not given a choice, their sons practically shoved them out the front door.
The four of them ran through the hills above the University for several hours and, after they had cooled off, they all felt better. The returned to their homes, hot, sweaty and tired, but in a much better frame of mind. After a light supper, Jeremy and Tommy retreated to their rooms and nothing was heard from them until the next morning.
SUSPENSE!
The next morning, Tommy and Jeremy found their Maritime Commission uniforms laid out for them and their sons were waiting, dressed in new suits and highly shined shoes. When Tommy and Jeremy tried to argue about the uniforms, their sons gave them their choice, voluntarily or we will dress you ourselves!
Neither Tommy nor Jeremy were totally sure that they could take down their sons anymore, so, with as much grace as they could muster, which was not a lot, they got dressed up in their “Monkey Suits” and went down for breakfast.
Both Joel and Angus were seated at the table in their own uniforms and they were laughing at their sons. Tommy demanded, “You guys know something, GIVE!” Joel raised his hands and said, “Nope, WE KNOW NOTHING!” His grin, however gave lie to his words!
They took a cab over to the waterfront offices of the Maritime Commission, the traffic was usually awful and there was never a place to park. It was as if they were expected, everyone in the office stopped what they were doing and watched them as they walked down the hallway.
They were ushered into the Examiners’ Room and showed seats, where they were to wait for the Examiners to arrive.
The five members of the Board of Examiners arrived within a few minutes and sat down at the table, opposite to where Tommy and Jeremy were seated. Their family was seated behind them.
The Chief Examiner cleared his throat and began, “Gentlemen, in my nearly forty years in this business, I have never been confronted by a situation quite like this one.” Both Tommy and Jeremy were getting concerned.
The man continued, “Mr. Jeremy Angus McDuffy, Mr. Tommy Joel Carson, in the entire history of this Examination Station, there has never been an applicant who scored 100% on both tests, let alone two of you!”
Both Tommy and Jeremy felt like limp dishrags and their Sons were clapping wildly. Their Fathers had ear to ear grins plastered on their faces!
They were issued Third Assistant Engineer Licenses and Third Mate Licenses. Neither Jeremy nor Tommy had understood that they were taking dual license examinations, although they wondered about some of the questions that were asked.
After shaking the hands of the Examiners, Tommy and Jeremy were led out of the building by their sons. They both were still a little confused and more than a little shaky, as well as mentally thoroughly shaken up.
It was lunch time, so they all went over to Fisherman’s Wharf for seafood. As they watched their sons eat, both Jeremy and Tommy thought it should have been called “SEEFOOD – EATFOOD”!
While they were eating, Joel mentioned that the Maritime Commission was selling some C4 Freighters at auction the next day and, was anyone interested in going over to Oakland to take a look at them. They all were interested.
Joel registered them for the auction and posted the necessary bond. They were told that the auction would be held up in Suisun, at the offices of the Reserve Fleet. All ships were guaranteed to be in good condition and would have to be removed within fifteen days of purchase.
KOREA
The War News from Korea was dire, the Chinese Communists had taken the South Korean Capitol, Seoul, and were driving south, seemingly unstoppable. The President had relieved General of The Army Douglas MacArthur and the American Forces and what was left of the South Korean Army was reeling backwards under heavy assault, towards the only port left, Pusan.
Joel left the overhaul of their new ships in the capable hands of their factor and they all made tracks for the Mattie. She was out of overhaul and the Army was begging for ships to carry war supplies to Korea.
It was a desperate time, both Tommy and Jeremy would have been drafted, had they not been Merchant Mariners on a cargo ship loading vital war supplies for the American Troops.
The Army’s priority for the Matilda Carson was ammunition. Joel cringed, but he knew without that ammunition, there were going to be a whole lot of dead American Soldiers. They loaded out at the Oakland Army Terminal and sailed that same night.
The Mattie was fresh out of dry dock and her hull was clean. Joel rang up turns for thirteen knots and the gallant old ship responded with her main engine thundering as the throttle valve hit the stops.
Tommy was standing his first official watch as Third Mate and Jeremy was in the Engine Room as Third Assistant Engineer. They both had dual licenses, so they could stand the other’s watch, if need be.
Joel took them up and over on the Great Circle Route, the old steam engine in the Mattie was pushing for all it was worth. They were heavily loaded and sailing singly. The Chinese did not have a Navy (that would come later) so they were not concerned about being intercepted.. The weather held and they made a record (for the Mattie) twenty-two day voyage from Oakland to Pusan.
The Army was desperate for the ammunition on the Mattie, they sent their own trucks and practically snatched it off the hooks as the main boom swung the crates out of the hold. (In the early days of the war in Korea, the Army was using leftover ammunition from WW2. Ammunition was getting scarce as manufacturers were frantically bringing shuttered factories back on line)
In almost record time, the Mattie was riding high, her holds were empty. They departed four days after arrival for Sasebo, there was no fuel to be had in Korea, so they had to refuel in Japan in order to return for another load. This was to be the mode of operation for the next two years, - SHEER PANIC!
There was a slight ruckus at the fueling pier, but Tommy had the Bridge and Jeremy was on watch in the Engine Room during the entire fueling. Neither had any knowledge of the ruckus, they had seen police cars at the head of the pier, but nobody in the local authority came down to the ship.
As soon as the fueling was complete, it was 0200 hours (2 am) and both Tommy and Jeremy had been on watch since 1600 hours (4 pm) of the preceding afternoon. They were both “dog tired” and wanted nothing more than a quick shower and to crawl into their bunks in exhaustion.
When they got to their stateroom, both Juniors were standing outside the door like sentinels. Tommy, Jr. whispered to them, “We gots us new bros”.
Both Tommy and Jeremy were so tired, TJ’s words didn’t register on either of them. They entered their stateroom and were confronted with Cookie, he was sitting next to the fold down bunk like an armed guard.
Cookie stood and said, Mr. Tommy, Mr. Jeremy, us gots a problem n’ I’s just knows ya have a solution.” He turned and pointed to two “lumps” on the bed. He continued, “Wes founded thems in the lifeboat n’ theys was bleedin’ bad!”
Tommy lifted the covers a bit, so they could see two boy heads. They had rusty blond hair and were definitely Caucasian boys, most certainly not Korean or Japanese.
Not wanting to wake them, Jeremy asked, “Where did these boys come from!” Cookie replied, “Wes not sure, but it must’a been Korea, sirs, tha’ local cops had the pier closed up tighter’n a cow’s behind at fly time!”
Both Tommy and Jeremy sat down on the setee with a thud, Tommy said, “Hoo Boy, they ain’t Japanese boys, that’s fer certain n’ no way are they Koreans. Cookie, could ya’ discreetly get Cap’n Joel down here, while we get these boys awake n’ cleaned up a bit?”
Joel was neither concerned nor upset over the situation. He said, “Most likely, these boys are the children of Missionaries and you can be certain the Chinese murdered them right quick. No damned way are we gonna send ‘em to the Japanese Authorities, NO WAY IN HELL is that gonna happen! EVER! NOT ON OUR SHIP!”
So it was that the two Juniors had new brothers, Billy and Terry. They were friends, not brothers and they had run when the Chinese soldiers stormed the small mission church their parents had built, just outside Seoul.
Joel sent a Marconi to their lawyer in Oakland telling him to make it right!” The lawyer, Jerry Cole, would meet them at the pier with papers for William Jeremey Mc Duffy and Terrence Tommy Carson.
It would not be until April of 1953, before they could slow down. By that time and due to the emergency, Tommy had advanced his license to Second Mate, Third Assistant Engineer and Jeremy was Second Assistant Engineer, Third Mate.
They were serving on different ships, they had named the two new ships, The Tommy and The Jeremy, much to their namesakes’ disgust and their two additional family members were being cared for by their housekeeper.
JT and JJ were frothing at the bit to get their tickets “punched” for AB and Oiler respectively.
The SS Matilda Carson was on her last legs, she had seen more than fifty years of sea service. They all knew she was a breakdown just waiting to happen.
Joel pulled her into the pier in Oakland and, as he backed the Mattie down, they all heard and awful tearing of metal and a horrible KATHUNK! Her main engine crankshaft had shattered. Both Joel and Angus knew she was a goner and Joel dreaded having to tell his own father that their ship was no more.
The old man took it in stride and told Joel to go bid on a new ship from the Reserve Fleet.
BRUSH WARS
Joel and Tommy went up to the Reserve Fleet and looked around. Tommy spotted an almost new C4 Freighter that had been laid up almost as soon as she had been delivered from the builders’.
Like the C-3’s, it was a geared turbine drive and the living spaces were almost like a hotel, compared to the poor old Mattie.
Joel presented a cashier’s check for the surety bond and the auction was to be the next day. The minimum bid was set at $50,000. When the next day rolled around, Joel and Tommy were the only people there, the place was as empty as a tomb.
They walked away with an almost new ship for the minimum bid of $50,000!
Joel made arrangements to have the vessel towed to the Bethlehem Shipyard to have her hull inspected and the whole ship repainted. For Joel and Angus, this was a massive undertaking and they were advised to form a corporation to operate their several ships.
They formed the Carson Shipping Company, with Joel Carson, Sr. Chairman of the Board, Joel Carson, Jr. President and Chief Operating Officer, Angus McDuffy Vice President and Chief Engineer. Tommy and Jeremy were appointed members of the Board and the Juniors were appointed Officers at Large of the Board.
This was a whole new operation for them all, they were graduating from operating a single ship to directing the operations of several ships. The shipping business was good right then, it was a good time to get established. Everyone knew there would be bad times along with the good, but, they hoped to establish their niche and hang on.
While the new company was getting organized, there was time for Tommy and Jeremy to get acquainted with their two new sons. Both TJ and JJ were becoming REAL big brothers to the two little boys and, more than a few nights, they found themselves with a little boys clutched in their arms. The little boys were having nightmares about what had happened to them in Korea.
With almost infinite patience, the two Juniors got the little boys over their trauma and made sure they were ready when their Daddies had to go back to the sea.
Even though both TJ and JJ were ticketed Seamen, they still had to finish high school and, after talking with their Dads, they were determined that they were going to go to The Maritime Academy, just like their Grand Dads had done before them.
As the war in Korea began to wind down, trouble popped up in the Middle East, and Southeast Asia could always be counted on for the sparks of war. They had no doubts that their business would thrive.
They had established their reputation, first with the old Matilda Carson and more recently with The Joel Carson and The Angus Mc Duffy. The newest vessel would be named The Matilda Carson II.
On her first sailing, the New Matilda Carson proved to be a fast ship, she held 24 knots from Oakland to the Viet Nam coast. She was too big, however, to make it up the Saigon River, where the United States was bolstering the shaky Southeastern Asia country of South Viet Nam. Joel put her on the Philippine – Australia run, where she proved herself.
POST WAR – PREWAR
Business was booming in the Far East, all three ships were booked solid. The United States was propping up several countries against Chinese aggression, but it did not look like there was going to be any serious trouble for a while.
The years immediately after the war in Korea were good for all of them and the flow of ocean freight between Southeast Asia and America was frantic.
The American Merchant Fleet had shrunk, until it was almost impossible for the government to ship their own cargo in American “bottoms” as was required by law.
Joel and Angus had stubbornly refused to reflag their ships, so they were given first right of refusal to carry government cargo. There was a steady march of household goods, automobiles and equipment belonging to the government or its employees, including military service personnel.
The pool of merchant mariners had shrunk and it was no longer a popular line of work for young Americans.
Joel and Angus had ceased their back to back sailings as their sons began to take over the reins of operation. Both Tommy and Jeremy had both their Chief Engineer’s and their Master’s papers and they frequently sailed together on the same ship.
The Juniors were attending the Maritime Academy and would graduate in another year. They, like their Dads, were shooting for Dual Licenses and the little brothers were about to enter Junior High School.
They were impatient and insisted to be allowed to work on the ship during summer vacations. Both had recently reached Deckhand and Wiper level and carried Merchant Mariner documents to prove it. (There had been a “young” war about their age, but the authorities finally gave in.)
By the early 1960’s, the “Cold War” tensions began to rise, yet again, and it became obvious that the entire Southeast Asia powder keg was ready to blow. Everyone thought it would take place in the Philippines, there had been a Communist inspired smoldering civil war there for years.
They all were caught off guard by the Communist Forces of North Vietnam as they marched south, bent on conquest of the “decadent puppet regime” of South Vietnam.
For whatever reason, the American Government felt they needed to prop up the South Vietnamese Government and, by 1962, there was a steady stream of American Soldiers and their equipment being sent to Saigon. By American Law, all such equipment had to be shipped in American Flagged ships. To get a waiver was next to impossible.
The “New” Mattie was too big to get upriver to Saigon, so that left The Jeremy and The Tommy to carry the needed freight. They were back to chasing each other across the Pacific on back to back sailings.
Getting sailors who were willing to work like that was next to “not at all”! They even allowed the “little boys”, Billy and Terry, to sail during their summer breaks. They both had their “tickets” and there was never a complaint that they did not pull their own weight.
Both Billy and Terry spoke Korean fluently and could make themselves understood in both Chinese and Japanese. They frequently found themselves up on the bridge, translating for local pilots as their ship entered a Southeast Asian port.
Both boys had entered a growth spurt and their Dads despaired being able to keep them in clothes and shoes. It was accepted that they were going to go over six feet and both Joel and Angus were taking bets on how much over!
Billy and Terry had learned, as very small children, how abusive some Asians could be towards Caucasian children and they both swore it wasn’t gonna happen again to them or anyone they cared for.
It happened only once on the waterfront of Bangkok. They had gone ashore to look around and two thugs jumped them from a dark alley. By the time Billy and Terry had finished wiping up the pavement with them, it was unlikely that gang of thugs would ever try it again on anyone, that is, if they even survived.
Both TJ and JJ had followed their sons, just to make sure they didn’t get hurt, as the waterfront of Bangkok was notorious for attacks. They hung back and watched, just in case, but they never had to lift a finger and, like they later told their Dads, they weren’t going to bother again. Those two boys could take care of themselves!
By 1963, the Communist Insurgency against South Vietnam was getting underway “BIG TIME” and America was slowly being drawn into the conflict. First, it was advisory groups, but, soon, it was American Troops doing the fighting and by 1964, it was a full blown war.
Carson Shipping had negotiated the purchase of a fourth ship, which they named The Twins. It was another C4 cargo vessel and they pressed it into service as fast as the paint would dry.
The American Government was crying for shipping and not only were ships just not available, neither were the crews available to operate them.
The not so little, little boys, Terry and Billy graduated from the Maritime Academy that August with dual Third’s License’s. Like their predecessors, they already had experience in the Southeastern Asia waters and they spoke the language. They had pretty much lost the ability to read it, but they could talk to the harbor pilots and the longshoremen who offloaded the ships.
The Carson Ships were in high demand, the Government (military) liked them and so did the Navy Supply Corps. They knew how to handle the large and awkward equipment shipped by the Army and Army Supply Officials had learned that, when the Carsons made a delivery date promise, they had every intention to keep it, even if they had to expend extra fuel to do so.
A legend had appeared among the children who were refugees of the fighting, that, if they could get to any ship that had the name, “CARSON” on it, they would be taken care of. Some enterprising boys ashore made some hand lettered cards that they had printed by hand, the word CARSON so that children seeking sanctuary could compare the two words to know that they had the correct ship.
During that time, it was not at all unusual for there to be a half dozen “stowaways” on a Carson Ship headed back to the United States for another load. They did not know that many of the Carsons had, themselves, been stowaways themselves at one time.
The Carson Family had property in the San Joaquin Valley and they had built a facility there to house the children whom they had rescued. Old Captain Joel Carson had moved to the San Joaquin Valley property and was able to watch the children grow into happy near adults before he passed away.
By 1968, the Vietnam War was all but over and shipping began another rapid decline. The Carson Fleet, however, had built for themselves, an enviable reputation throughout the area and they were able to hang on.
HARD TIMES – LEAN TIMES
With the end of the war, government cargoes began to dry up, but Captain Joel sensed that there was a building boom about to explode throughout Southeast Asia. Instead of laying up their ships, as most American Ship operators were doing, the Carsons went scrounging cargoes, sometimes for just the cost of the fuel. They purchased a tanker and stationed it in the Far East, so they could extend the range of their operations without worrying about refueling their ships.
It was a gamble and could have been a disaster, but the Carson Family held on and, slowly, ocean trade again increased.
It was a “dog-eat-dog” business” and more than just a little “skullduggery was involved.
When the oil fields of Brunei came in, instead of waiting, Joel and Angus took the company into hock to purchase a second tanker. Marathon Oil was getting rid of the couple of tankers they had from a previous venture and The Carson Fleet bought one and took an option for the other. Brunei was still a British Protectorate, but the ruler, The Sultan of Brunei, could operate semi-independently. From there, small oil fields were discovered throughout the area, even as far north as The Philippines.
What had started as a modest venture soon became a booming business and the Carsons were in on the “ground floor” It was not immensely profitable but they made good money at it and they furthered their reputation in the area.
They also furthered their reputation among the abandoned children of the area. Unfortunately, the politics in the United States had swung to a position that the Carson Family could no longer bring children into the country and raise them to a better life.
It was into this climate that Joel Carson made an overture to the Government of Australia. They had been delivering cargoes and oil to Australia right along and they had a reputation of honest dealings with the “Aussies”, so, when Joel approached them about establishing a place where abandoned children could be raised near Darwin, they were not refused out of hand.
Australia had always been very careful about admitting refugees, but Joel pleaded his case in person. He flew to Australia and reminded the government people of how many times he had diverted their ships in order to meet Australia’s needs and now they needed a safe place to raise the children they had saved from fares even worse than death itself!
With the pictures they showed the government administrators, it was not long before their permit was granted. Several of those pictures ended up in the hands of newspaper reporters. More than a few fathers lost any desire for their morning breakfast when they read that morning news paper’s front page!
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TBC
What is this development going to mean for the Carsons? Will they continue to operate cargo ships? What will become of the boys, who are now men that make up the Carson Family and are becoming the Captains of the Carson Ships?