Looking For Shipmates

[Bobby Sowers]

There's a lot of shipmates I would sure like to hook up with again. Had a lot of fun with these guys in Hawaii and all the WesPac cruise ports. Not to mention the good times we had during every day life onboard the Dirty Ernie at sea and in port. Some names that come to mind are DC3 "Ham" Rehburger, Eddie Smith, (Texas) "Pee Wee" Gray (California), Jimmy Currier (Louisiana) and DC3 DW Green from the Dallas area. I'd like to hear from and see any of the guys that I served with from March of '69 to April of '70 onboard the "Small". Not to mention, any sailor that served on the "Small". Lots of great memories.

[RNunes]

Bobby:

Welcome aboard!

We hope you'll be able to connect with your shipmates as well. These forums should help you reach out to folks who might be in contact with them. But that's just the beginning.

The forums you see here are just a "piece" of the Ernest G. Small website which is currently being developed. Our plan is to have an up-to-date searchable database at the website with all the names of known shipmates from various cruises and time periods. We're still developing the system, but hope to get everything deployed within the next 30 days.

And we'll definitely keep you posted on the development.

Thanks again for posting!

[Tom Erdner]

Bobby:
A few years back Jimmy Currier was living in Amite, Louisiana. I've lost track of him since. I remember once we were coming back to the ship in Pearl and he picked up a dead 4-inch cockroach off the pier. We went into the mess decks because he said Cervini would be there playing cards. Currier snuck up behind Cervini and put that huge roach down Cervini's shirt. Cervini was terrified of bugs. He shot out of his seat and levitated in mid air while he ripped his shirt off. We damn near died laughing. Cervini didn't think it was funny at all, and left in a huff to go take a shower.

I was an RDSA, worked in Combat. Got sent mess cooking right after I got on board, met Currier there.

Tom Erdner

[Arnold Dyre]

I came aboard the USS Ernest G. Small on January 2, 1968, and left shortly before decommissioning. I served under Skippers Gorman, Mann and Cromwell.
I made the last two WestPac cruises and went to Adak, Alaska when the ship participated in a nuclear bomb test mission. I would like to locate and hear from Radiomen, Signalmen, and Quartermasters of the OC Division. RM1 Eddie Robinson, RM1 Richardson, RM2 Ray Lybrand, RM2 Oscar Mize, RM2 Roger Gleason are all prominent in my memories. Also, Bo Settle, Wayne Chapman, Kennedy, Saul, Horne and Osorio. Signalmen John Byrd and Utter. And of course there was Mercer. Is he still alive or has a lady's husband shot him already? --Arnold Dyre RM2