The Hawkins would go to sea again almost immediately to load all of its ammunition now that it was completely qualified for unlimited operations. While i began the nuclear weapons inspection, i had a couple of days with my friends, Doc Jarden and another guy from Norfolk who stayed in my upstairs apartment while the ship was in refresher training.

Their training was ending as we returned from refresher training at Guantanamo. The three of us had dinner at my apartment the night before they went back to Virginia. They invited two of the Salve Regina coeds they met at the Tavern. The group had come up with nicknames for fun. One was “Irene the Sirene.” The other was “Kathy the Drunk” (she had gotten at bit tipsy at the Tavern outing).

We had a great time. The young women were pretty and fun. It was perfect dining while looking across Easton Bay to Cornelius Vanderbilt’s mansion, the Breakers. i was taken by how much fun Kathy was and especially her great laugh that would make everyone else laugh, too.

We said our goodbyes. Doc and the other guy (i swear i will figure out the other guy’s name) took them back to the college dorm. They left the next morning. i was still how to deal with the broken and very short marriage. It was apparent there would be no reconciliation. I had to put that aside as we were headed to the Yorktown, Virginia Naval Ammunition Depot, the last step in becoming fully operational as a “Man of War” — and i still wonder why we considered ships female but called them “Men”).

Within the week, we set the sea detail, let go all lines and once again, stood out of Narragansett Bay for our next adventure, which turned out a bit more than i had anticipated.