Summer 1968, somewhere in the Carribbean aboard the USS Boxer. My Cheif wanted the ships emblem painted on the hangar deck, wouldn't take no for answer no matter how hard I tried to wriggle out of it. Told him I couldn't do it without a projector. He found one somewhere, an overhead. Tried to use it with a Boxer decal, of course it wouldn't work, told him I thought we needed one of those transparant type of artwork. He took the decal to the ships photographer and came back in half hour with a transparancy. I gave up, had no more excuses and started to work
I was twenty two, doing my time as most other guys my age were back then. I can't, for the life of me , recall just what kind of brushes I used, the paint was enamel that we used on the ship and I had a hell of a time rounding up all the colors needed....the Chief had long quit helping. Anyway, it took what seemed like forever to finish the job compared to how it would go today. About all I remember about the actual job was how I signed it when I was done.....ABH-3 Perkins 157 days.
My son gave me this pic today. His Mom had sent it to him a little while back.
Posted by Ian Stewart-Koster (Member # 3500) on :
Mmm- a sign of things to come!
It's nice to have them (old pix)- thanks, George!
Posted by Neil D. Butler (Member # 661) on :
That's a great Memory there George.. thanks for sharing.
Posted by Marge Cameron (Member # 11336) on :
What a cool photo! Thanks for sharing the story. Nothing like making the best of what you had!
Posted by Rick Sacks (Member # 379) on :
George, that looks like one of the best ways to count down the days! I'm glad you're here to share it.
Posted by bill riedel (Member # 607) on :
Nice work George, they knew you could do it. I never had to do mess duty in the Navy because they always had something more important to do, like painting pin ups in the commander's office. Bill
Posted by Dale Feicke (Member # 767) on :
Lots of guys in the service never had to do any "real" work because of all the "official" military work that they had to do.
Lookin' good, George. I just don't see any pinstripes....hope you didn't leave them off?!
Posted by Periandros Damoulis (Member # 4473) on :
Great Memory George...!!! Thanks for posting.
Posted by jimmy chatham (Member # 525) on :
and his hair was short.
Posted by stein Saether (Member # 430) on :
overhead, you could have called Bill R
he do that kinda stuff fast and freehand
Posted by Preston McCall (Member # 351) on :
I painted my first window for a gas station in 1979. I was clueless how to do it and read somewhere that after outlining in reverse, you use Kotex pads to daub on the One Shot lettering enamel from the backside. You should have seen the look from the lady checker at the grocery store when I was buying my "application pads". Then I got to the job and carefully laid out the outlines with masking tape and grease pencil, taking most of the morning. Brushed on the black outlines and went to lunch. Naturally the owner came in before I got started again and complained that he could not see the sign. I explained to him that I still had to add the colors inside. He stood there in disbelief when I pulled out the box of Kotex. One Shot Fire Red application pads really were a bit disgusting!
Well, after several more hours and some white latex back up, the sign was done. Very tidy and neat using a fancy font and everything looking very square. The sign stayed up for another five years before they tore the building down for a new shopping center. I recall I charged $200 and it took me most of the day! No picture remains. Darn it!
Posted by Bill Diaz (Member # 2549) on :
Ah, to be a young whipper snapper again, eh George!
![[Rolling On The Floor]](graemlins/rolf.gif)