For those of us aboard the USS Ernest G, Small in 1964-66 those words should instantly bring back memories.  It started out as just a little something to do for fun, and then probably became the one thing we were most remembered by many other ships crews who steamed with us.  Back in those days we had Lt. Cmdr. Mike Trens as our XO and he was just a touch off plumb.  Of course most of our crew got that way after a month or so cruising up on Whisky Station.  We would travel down out of ‘Indian Territory’ to Unrep every week or two to meet up with a Carrier Task force or a supply ship before returning back for more of the same routine.  Back in those days if we Unrepped off a Carrier we also usually got serenaded by the ship’s band.  Ahhh yes, the memories do return, don’t they, shipmates? 

Now for those who were not there then, we have to talk about OUR ship’s band.  Yes, one was formed the old fashioned way, by people who were so inclined and using what ever they had.  We had a very excellent Sax man named Sullivan (Sully) RD2, Ensign Osborn was a man who knew how to make rhythm (using drum sticks on his very own empty five gallon paint can, he could beat out a tune with the best of them), Conlon, SN on trombone, Benson, SN on trumpet and another Sax man Gravelin, YN3.  I think Rose, TMSN later joined the group sometime after the “OB” (Original Band) formed.  I recall it was a three-piece (counting the paint can) band combo that initially performed for all hands.  I, on the Highline Midships station during an Unrep, got the full appreciation of watching the faces of the other ships as our band (Mr. Osborn beating on his tin can, Sully crooning on his Sax and someone else tooting their horn) did their entertaining best.  Our band turned out loud enthusiastically played tunes (sometimes all three played the same song at the same time, which was nice to hear) with a rather unique sound to a somewhat captive audience.  That is, until one day an Admiral on a Carrier had pity and gave us a real drum to replace Mr. Osborn’s tin can---whereupon the quality of our band’s music improved greatly! 

For the other ship, when our Unrep was completed the show had only really just begun.  Our XO would suddenly appear on the wing of the bridge wearing a…errr…SMALL (pun intended) red plastic fireman’s hat with a star on its peak and wave around a fake little wooden sword (his version of a cutlass).  At that point all Unrep lines were let go, our band would strike up a theme song whose words went: “You can trust your car to the man who wears the star…the big red TEXACO star”.  Then a hand-cranked siren would start wailing as we began to build up our speed.  A horn would sound a call and all hands would yell in response…charge…CHARGE…CHARGE!!!

WETSU!

Bert Royster, STG2 1964-1966