STORY BEHIND THE PLAQUE
Service Reflections of CWO4 John Trombitas, U.S. Coast Guard (1977-2003)

My brother motivated me to join the Coast Guard. He knew I was contemplating joining the service and told me it was a smaller, more elite sea service. He said there, you’ll be a face, not a number. He also said I probably would not leave the continental US because the Coast Guard was primarily in the US (Well, I proved him wrong on that one).

I served in the Coast Guard for 26 years, from September 1977 to November 2003. I went to Boot Camp in Cape May, NJ. My forming company was Kilo 99, and I was invited to be a band member in Charlie’s company, Recruit Band. While in Boot Camp, the band Traveled to Boston, Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Wildwood. It was a lot of fun.

I went to Base San Juan, PR., from Boot Camp as a brand-new SA. While there, I was a gate guard and a small boat seaman. We had two 40-footers, a 30-footer, and a 19-foot Boston Whaler. I made Seaman there and accepted orders to SK A School in Petaluma, CA.

After graduation from SK A School, I was assigned to CGC Polar Sea. When I got to Seattle, the cutter was away on her second north trip, so I was assigned to the Support Center awaiting her arrival. I did the first South Trip aboard her DF 80. And what a trip it was. We visited Honolulu, Sidney, AU; Wellington, NZ; McMurdo Station, Scott Base, Palmer Station Ant, Tiera Del Fuego, Arg, Valparaiso Ch, and Lima, Peru. My next patrol was AWS-80, where we transited from Seattle to Point Barrow, AK, in the waning summer months. My final patrol was AWW81, which turned into PSDP-81. During this trip, we became the first cutter to transit this far north during the winter. In February, we were heading north of Prudo Bay when we encountered extreme ice ridges these damaged two screws (propellers) and bent our rudder. We spent the next 140 days drifting from Prudo Bay towards the north of Kamchatka, USSR. We airlifted half the crew off, and the remainder bided our time until an ice lead guided us due south to Seattle. Arctic winter-over completed, and I departed the Polar Sea as an experienced SK2.

I received orders to CG Loran Station Hokkaido Japan. I was the sole SK on station 23 at a Loran Transmitting station in northern Japan. Here, I enjoyed new cultures and old traditions. I was fortunate to have made SK1 a month after I arrived. For that reason, I stood OOD duties rather than Loran watches. From here, it was back to sea.

I called the detailer while in Japan and asked him if a cutter was available in the lower 48. He said Kodiak, I said that was Alaska, and he said that was where I was going (so much for choice). CGC Storis was already an Alaska establishment over 40 years old when I got aboard. Her crew was a hardy group of individuals, and I truly enjoyed being among their ranks. I was the sole SK aboard and a fisheries boarding officer. We traveled throughout Alaska from the inland passage to the Aleutians as far north as the Bering Straights. I participated in the fisheries seizures of two foreign flag fishing vessels.

I then got orders for CG Activities Europe in London, UK. I highly desired billet. Her,e we were assigned to the American Embassy to provide Loran support to our 6 CG stations throughout Europe. I was fortunate to travel to Spain, Italy, Turkey, and Germany in support of this mission. I also spent three years traveling around Europe on Uncle Sam’s dime. I had great fun with a great crew here. We wore suits and ties and were given a civilian clothing allowance. I started my college studies here at City College of Chicago and University of MD.

After two years in London, the sea beaconed me away again, this time to Key West, FL, aboard the Cutter Ute. Here, I road out two hurricanes and was a law enforcement boarding officer, being the sole SK. I participated in two large drug busts of marijuana and hash oil. After just shy of two years, I was part of the decommissioning crew and received orders to Europe again.

I received orders to Loran station Sylt Germany, stating that I would only be there for six months. The station was in the midst of decommissioning and handing over operations to the host nation of Germany. I made chief there and, along with a friend,d Jim Simpson, in Naples. I was invited and accepted an invitation to my chief’s initiation in Naples, Italy, so I trained across the Alps to attend the Navy-held chiefs’ initchiefs’ The two Coasties, along with the 6 Navy personnel, were the toast of the town. After a year, we decommissioned the station with 6 personnel and handed over operations to the German Ministry of Shipping.

My next tour took me back to sea as a Chief. On USCGC Sherman, I was fortunate to be a part of an A1 chief’s mess, a fantastic crew. Our operations took us to Alaska for three ALPATs and a JTF5 Interdiction patrol off the coast of Columbia and through the Panama Canal. After numerous north patrols, the warmth was a great change, as were the ports of Colon, RP, Kingston, JA, Orange Stadt, Aruba, and Puerto Veria MX. I ended my tour aboard Sherman, being commissioned as a Warrant Officer.

My first tour as a commissioned officer was aboard CGC Rush. I was fortunate as being single, a tour in Hawaii was 2 years verses 3 years aboard a cutter stateside. It was nice coming aboard Rush after 3 years aboard Sherman, as the systems and logistics were almost identical. The officers and crew were superb, and it was another memorable tour. It took us to another ALPAT and a cruise south on a migrant interdiction cruise to the Midway and the Marshall Islands. A vessel we stopped had 239 undocumented Chinese migrants aboard. That was fun logistically. Upon completing my tour, I again got the opportunity to return and decommission CG Activities Europe.

My return to CG Activities Europe was bittersweet as I received orders stating that I would be there to decommission the unit within six months. Fortunately, the closure of all the stations took a little longer, and I ended up there for just over a year. It was a great tour. I did some neat things like the Ceremony of the Keys in the Tower of London and drank with the beefeaters in their pub in the tower; we also participated in numerous VE 50th Anniversary events and met many CG WWII Vets. After we decommissioned ACTEUR, I got Orders to CG Group St Petersburg, FL.

My final years in the Coast Guard were out of the St Petersburg Fl area. As the Group Supply Officer, we supported (an office of 5 SKs) 4 cutters, five stations, and an ANT team. Then, my follow-on tour was working with the Coast Guard Exchange service as a retail sales advisor for the SE Region from Charleston, SC, to San Juan, PR. In the St. Pete area, I was advanced to W3 and W4. I received my bachelor’s degree and retired from the area.

I participated in DF 80 Antarctica, AWS 80, AWW81, and PSDP81 aboard the USCGC Polar Sea.

I participated in numerous Magnusson Fisheries conservation zone boardings in Alaskan waters. Two resulted in the seizures of a Japanese and Korean fishing vessel for mis-logging their catch and having illegal species aboard.

Repatriated Cuban and Hattian migrants back to their countries.

I participated in numerous Law Enforcement boarding in the Moana and Leeward passages of the Caribbean Sea. Two of which netted a 13-ton and 2-ton Marijuana bust along with 23 gallons of hash oil.

I participated in JTF5 operations off the Coast of South America, which provided intelligence on the illegal transportation of contraband drugs and aliens.

Stopped a pirated vessel attempting to import 223 illegal Chinese aliens into the US.

Each experience helped me hone my skills and truly appreciate what we, as Americans, have and what we protected our nation against.

Did you encounter any situation during your military service when you believed there was a possibility you might not survive? If so, please describe what happened and what was the outcome.

Although I was 20 years old, I don’t think I appreciated the danger of wintering over in the Arctic aboard a vessel. As was evident from the Scott voyage to Antarctica, our winter over could have ended much differently, either with the vessel sinking due to crushing ice or the crew being taken prisoner by the Soviet Navy, as our relations at the time were fragile. Luckily, through our Captain’s seamanship, we traveled until a lead was found that led us to safety.

The personnel transfers from the Storis’ boat alongside some of the fishing vessels were extremely dangerous. We attempted and did climb the Jacob’s Ladder in the bucking and yelling waters of the Bering Sea. Although a few bumps and bruises were received, nothing serious came of it.

Looking back, different assignments carry fond memories for different reasons. I think the people made the assignments through good times and bad times. Many of whom I still keep in contact with this very day.

My least favorite was my last tour. It was my least favorite because I no longer worked with the rank-and-file Coast Guard Personnel; I was more involved in the civilian world. But in my case, the end justified the means, as it allowed me to remain in the Tampa Bay Area for my last tour.

From your entire military service, describe any memories you still reflect on to this day.

The opportunities that I experienced and the places I traveled to I still reflect on—the Cutters, places, and people that I remember back on and the outstanding things we did. True lifetime memories.

I think having the opportunity to not only be a Supply specialist but a boarding officer, a tower climber a sailor and experience new and different experiences in different places.

I am proud of being promoted to Chief Petty Officer and Warrant Officer and of achieving my bachbachelor’sree under the 20-year plan.

Four are most noteworthy to me: the Arctic and Antarctic, service medals, the CuttCutterman’s, and the German Military Sport award, which I was awarded while serving there. I regret that the CG would not allow me to wear this latter award on my uniform after I departed Germany.

There are so many that it’s safe to say, but I will attempt to list a few.

Gary Lewis was my first chief and sea daddy aboard the Polar Sea. It has been 45 years, and we are still close friends.

Jim Cooper was my XO on Storis and Sherman.

Rick St Piere BMC on Storis

Ron Evans Ensign on Storis

Mel Girardin CWO Elec on Loran Station Sylt

Brian Jordan, CG Activities Europe, and Sherman

Jerry Lewis, CG Activities Europe

Each person above was a great mentor and friend, full of pride, grit, and determination.

The Chiefs mess aboard the Sherman: Jerry Bigelow, Terry McEvily, John Haine, Steve Ward, Mike Grady, Dave Jones, Charlie Martinez, Dan Cherry, Joe Passalequa, Joe Mize, Lenny Hauws, Paul Martin, John Gore, Dave Black, Willie Mengus, Steve Austin, Ray Notman, Eddie Silvestre. We worked together to achieve a common goal and kept the cutter working like a fine timepiece.

Rich Klein, Ray Cappazuto, and Abe Garcia were all at ACTUR. On Fridays, we would go to the pub in the Navy Building across from the embassy. Ri h was the Captain’s driver, and he would get the Captain’s car and drive us all home. A BIG NO NO, luckily we were never caught.

We would fuel the Storis across the pier from the Airport in Dutch Harbor. Rick St Pierre, Jim Cooper, and I would have coffee at the airport diner. It was great just getting off the ship.

Brian Jordan and I were stationed numerous times throughout our careers. The road trips we took and the predicaments we got into make me smile.

Brian has crossed the bar, and I am still in contact with Rich, Rick, and Jim. I would like to hear from Ray and Abe again.

One day during our winter aboard Polar Sea, a number of us decided to go to the flight deck beach to sun tan. So, we donned our shorts and tee shirts to go outside. Needless to say, it was 30 below with a wind chill of 60 below. We managed to circle the flight deck and rapidly B-line back to the nearest hatch to the warmth of the interior; so much for an Arctic tan.

Service: Following my 26 years in the Coast Guard, I worked as a claims representative for 16 years at the Department of Veteran Affairs. I think my service gave me a greater appreciation of service to those who served during and after me.

American Legion, CG Chief Warrant Officers Association, and Military Officers Association of America. Comradery and service.

The biggest look back is as Shakespeare was quoted as saying: Time and the hour run through the roughest day. In other words, no matter how bad it might be, things will get better.

I miss the adventure, followed by boredom and, foremost, the people.

Savor each and every moment. Even the suck times. These are the days/times you’ll remember for the rest of your life, so make it good. Carpe diem!

It’s not only to find the names of old shipmates and units but to reminisce. Most of all, being remembered and appreciated for your contributions is rewarding.