I went directly to Sub School, after joining the Navy, in September 1957. An 18 year old from Melrose Park, IL. Never saw the ocean before. Imagine my surprise to discover that I got sea-sick. I decided to take the ferry from New London to Montauk, Long Island because the legal drinking age in New York was 18. I was sitting next to an older woman who was knitting, when I decided to feed the fish what was left of my breakfast. I the next 2 years I would never get used to the motion on the pitch and roll of the boat when we were on the surface. I graduated from Submarine School in class 150 December 1957 and received orders to the USS SEGUNDO in San Diego.

Shortly after reporting aboard, we went to Hunter’s Point Navy Yard in San Francisco for a 6 month overhaul. I began mess cooking near the end of our stay in the Yard with my running mate, Al from Brooklyn. Shakey took one look at AL and said “guinea guinea wop wop wop”. Wop it was and, to me, still is. My sea sickness never did resolve. I would be throwing up for the first 3 days at sea and then was alright. A part of the illness was that I was incredible tired. One day, after lunch, I was cleaning the mess deck.  24 men sat at 4 tables set up as booths with a back rest and storage benches with Naugahyde cushions on the other side. To clean under the tables, I had to lean over the bench. As I was cleaning the deck, I dozed off. I was soon awakened by a swift kick to my backside from Shakey, who said he had never seen a mess cook fall asleep while swabbing the deck. After that I was known as Sleepy Pete. This was because we already had a Pete (Alex Pettersen).

 2 days after we arrived in Melbourne, Australia our Commanding Officer, LtCdr Douglas was invited to a reception in Melbourne. He was chatting with a society matron who informed him she had met 2 of his crew. “Who were they?” he asked. “Mr. Mumbles and Mr. Jingles” she replied.

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