When I arrived at the Des Base, I found out I was to attend pre-commissioning school. The school was not to start for 2 weeks, so as usual, we were detailed out. I was a DC 3 at the time.

My first day on detail, I was sweeping streets. I heard my name called out and it was my old chief I worked for at the Mayhan Carpenter Shop at the Training Center. He asked what I was doing at the Des Base and I told him I was going to pre-commissioning school when it started. He told me to drop the broom and come with him. He explained he ran this school. We went to his office and reminised about the carpenter shop. Then he told me I was going to teach emergency pipe repair, to get studying and make a lesson plan because I would start in 2 days. I started teaching and taught until my class was formed.

Members of my new crew for the conflict were starting to report to the barracks I had been assigned to. My classes consisted of shallow water diving, advanced fire fighting, the usual ship’s structure, and Navy regulations. After the school ended, we were to report to Long Beach Terminal Island, California. When we arrived, we found more of the Conflict crew. I became good friends with First Class Boatswain mate Joe Balzrina and Third Class Henry Gallegos. We were assigned to very nice barracks, we had good liberty, so things were looking up. We had one problem. There was nothing to do during the day, so Balzrina got all the petty officers together and asked what we thought of having schools on our ratings. By this time, we had engine men, damage control, pipe fitters, boatswain, electricians, sonar and radar men, gunners mates, core men, yeomen, and cooks.

Terminal Island was the Mine Pack Headquarters, so we were able to get classrooms. The schooling worked out very well. About 2 weeks later, the Executive Officer, Mr. Whittaker, and several junior officers showed up and they were very pleased with what we had done with the school. Several of us were given Navy commendations. The Exec explained to us that the ship was being built at that time at the time at the Fulton shipyard at Antioch, California. He said he had made arrangements for us to report to the Pacific Reserve Base in Stockton, California, so we would be close to him and the ship. The crew reported to the Pacific Reserve Base several days later. The higher petty officers went to Antioch to be with the ship. Gallegos and I stayed with the rest of the crew. We were assigned living quarters on an APL. It was a ship that was used for troop living and was towed by another ship during World War II. It was a living hellhole. Bunks were 2 feet apart, 6 high and the isles were only 24 inches apart. One cubical would hold about 300 troops.

Our crew ended up being assigned to work for their ship’s company. I was sent to a carpenter shop that had been closed for several years because they did not have a DC carpenter on base. A chief metal smith ran that building. He gave me a stack of work orders and told me I could start working. Our crew was treated terrible. We started doing the ship’s company work for them. Also we stood all their watches. We were there several months.

I finally called the Exec and told him we were having problems with the crew. We had one go over the hill and things were not good - the way we were treated, the food was lousy, and we got very little. He told me to find a building we could use for a meeting with him. I told the ship’s OD all the ship’s company of the Conflict was to report to this building at a certain time to have a meeting with the Exec Officer.

Well, as usual, the crew did not show up. The Exec asked me where the crew was and I told him they had all been notified, but Gallegos and my orders meant nothing to their ship’s OD. The Exec stormed up to the quarterdeck of the APL and told the officer on duty that he was giving him 30 minutes to have his crew report to him. The crew finally reported and he started speaking to us about the ship and how he was very sorry about the problem he had made for us. He thought it would be better to have us closer to Antioch and the ship. I told him we had never seen him or any officer from the ship since we arrived here and that we should have been left in Long Beach where we had nice barracks, good liberty, and good food. He said we would be over to the ship shortly and he was sorry about the problems. After the meeting, Balzrina came up to me and said, “Al, I have never heard an enlisted man talk to an officer like you did.” I told him Gallegos and I had been responsible for the crew, but we could not protect them.

Several weeks later, we reported to the ship and helped prepare for the commissioning day. After commissioning, we sailed down the San Joaquine River to Hunters Point, San Francisco. We stayed there several weeks checking the ship out and loading it with food and material. Then we went out on a shake down cruise. We went to Long Beach after the shake down. Then we were sent to San Diego to sweep some mines that were dropped during the first part of the Second War, these mines were not charted, only the general area of the mines were known. We swept for 3 days and cut several mines. We brought up 2 and placed them on the fantail. A frogman that had been assigned to the ship for this operation disarmed the mines. They were to go to a lab to see how they held up for all these years. The rest of the mines were shot and sunk by the firing squad.

We went back to Long Beach for a short time, then went to Hunters Point. We spent several weeks while they worked on the gyro. We left and went north to Tacoma, Washington, to run sounding tests. We tied up in a private dock with all the fancy yachts. We would leave each morning for sounding tests. We would sail up a sound that went under the Point Defiance Bridge. We anchored in a large lake and they would take sounding tests on each piece of mechanical equipment. After several days, they said the engines were too loud so we had to go back to Hunters Point. On the way out, we went up through the Strait of Juan de Fuca and ran into a bad storm. Almost everyone on the ship was seasick. The swells were at least 20 to 30 feet. When we got to Hunters Point, they put us in dry dock and removed the stainless steel motor mounts and replaced them with wood and neoprene cushions. They also checked the hull over and replaced the anodes to repel static electricity.

We returned to Tacoma to go through the sound test again. It was quite cold and wet on this trip. The officer and sailor on watch did not have any protection. Balzrina came to me and asked if I could build some sort of a windshield. I looked it over and told him I could, so I built the framework out of brass angle and put Plexiglas in for the windshield. Balzrina made a canvas top and we put it on. The Conflict Bridge was the first to be enclosed. Also I made a desk for the Captain’s quarters and he was very excited about that. He could do his work in his quarters and not the officer’s mess. Below is a picture of the new windshield.

On the way back to Hunters Point, we had our first on board fire. One of the main shaft bearings overheated and started a fire. The damage control crew that was assigned in that area moved with excellent speed and we foamed the area down and had the fire out in a very short time. The Captain commended us for our speed and expertise.

We got to Hunters Point and repairs were made. At this time I had been notified that I had made Second Class and it would go into effect in January. Also, an order came out if you had less than 3 months in your enlistment you could take a discharge. Carl Seffert and I decided to take it. Also 3 of the engine men were eligible. The Captain came to us and asked if we would stay with him until he got back to Long Beach as all of us were out of the Engineering Division and he would have a hard time getting the ship back. The 3 engine men stayed. Carl and I decided to leave. Big mistake!

We reported to Treasure Island. We were told they were not going to process anyone until after Christmas. We were the first two to report. They told us we could go on leave if we wished and our position would stand for discharge when we got back. We took the leave. I took 15 days and Carl tool 10 days. When he got back he sent me a telegram and told me to get back as soon as possible because thousands had reported in and they were just pushing us down the list. I returned and was placed on several details and also lost my Second Class rating. Before leaving on leave, I was almost to the point of re-enlisting, but after several months on Treasure Island I wanted out. After arriving at Treasure Island, I had 3 months to go on my enlistment. I got out 11 days early of my four years.

I can say the USS Conflict was the best ship and had the best crew of all the new mine sweepers built at that time.

Lt. Whittaker as Commanding Officer replaced Lt. Scott, after several weeks.