As I previously mentioned being a cook had many more benefits than first meets the eye. I had the keys to all the food storage lockers on board. This was a big responsibility
But along with this responsibility came power. Most of the work to keep the ship running and battle ready is handled by highly trained men in various occupations or rates as the Navy calls them. For example anything to do with the structure of the ship or it's interior is done by the ship fitters.
Anything to do with anything electrical was done by electrician mates.
Anything to do with weapons from small arms, pistols and rifles, etc. all the way up to the 3 inch 70 cannons mounted on the main deck was handled by the gunners mates and so on.
Most of these occupations need and have a work space or shop where their tools and materials are stored. Likewise most of these occupations have their sleeping compartments occupied by rates related to each other. Or as the Navy's designated departments. These sleeping compartments were scattered throughout the ship several decks below the main companion way located just below the weather deck.
Like we cooks were in the supply department. We bunked with ship's servicemen, laundry men, barbers and the like.
Now these work areas, shops, all had their own little area designated as a "mess" meaning they had their own coffee maker, sugar non dairy creamer, stir sticks, small fridge, etc. so you could grab a cup of coffee and a small snack without having to go to the mess deck or bug a cook.
Now at sea and on a cruise there were certain items in great demand for these mess areas. Oh like coffee, sugar, non dairy creamer, stir sticks, for the coffee mess. Not to mention crackers, peanut butter, canned tuna, and stuff like that. Most of this stuff, except for the coffee, was not exactly Navy issue. In fact it was not regulation at all. Cans of peanut butter and tuna fish at sea were worth more than money. We, the cooks, were part of this conspiracy and ordered these things in huge quantity at the Navy's expense in the name of good will. I made sure that I regularly made the rounds to these shops to see everyone was well supplied.
Also way below decks are the propulsion spaces. The USS Norfolk was a steam driven vessel. In other words oil was burned under huge Steel boilers filled with water to create high pressure steam that pretty much produced all of the electrical power on board which in turn ran everything. The ship also had huge evaporators that produced all of the fresh water for the ship's drinking water, showers, laundry, etc. And steam turned the huge propellers use to drive the ship, at the time, at incredible speed.
Unfortunately for us the supply sleeping compartment was directly adjacent to the number one boiler room. And given most of our cruise was in and around equatorial South America in their summer time. Our compartment was always very hot. In fact we would often sneak up and sleep on the weather decks at night.
There ocean breezes and millions of stars would make life bearable. Naturally there were a few drawbacks to that solution. The ship had very sophisticated radar if the bridge saw a rain storm near by the officer of the deck would have the coxswain steer through it to wash the ship off. Which drenched us asleep on deck. Or we would be in all night long ASW maneuvers with South American Navies. This would entail severe turns at high speed throwing us around the slippery steel deck like rag dolls. Not to mention the, boom, boom , boom of shooting off rocket propelled depth charges. But most nights sleeping on deck in the tropical Caribbean was heaven.
I was in the commissary office where the chief did his work writing menus, keeping track of everything, and making the division run smoothly. The chief was bitching out loud about how he knew how hot our compartment was. He had ordered a fan installed but nothing was happening. I said, "Chief, Let me see if I can find out what is going on with that."
He said, "What the fuck can you do kid?"
"Well I know the guys in the ships office pretty well and I know the ship fitters too, won't hurt to ask."
"Yeah, go ahead son," he chuckled.
The guys in the ships office handled just about everything that happened on board ship. They saw all the requisitions and everything else that happened on the ship. I hung out with those guys because they were intelligent, cool, and good guys. We went on liberty together and hung out in their office at sea.
So after chow I stopped by and asked about the fan for supply. They looked it up and said that the commissary chief had in fact put in a request chit and it had been approved by the supply officer. The request had been sent down to the ship fitters two weeks ago.
My friend said, " hasn't it been installed yet? You want me to check on it?"
"no," I said, "I'll check it out, no sense getting official if it is just an oversight. The ship fitters are pretty cool."
So I headed down a deck and walked into the ship fitters shop. The first class ship fitter petty officer says, "Hey stew how's it going?"
I said, "it's going ok, I got a question for you"
"What do you need man?"
I said, You guys need anything coffee, tuna, crackers, or peanut butter?"
He says, "naw man, we got all we need."
I asked, "Good cause I was worried I might have overlooked you guys on my last rounds and I wanted to be sure you were ok?"
"No were cool"
"Don't I always take care of you guys?"
"Sure do stew, whats up?
Well I can't understand why my chief requisitioned a fan for the supply compartment two weeks ago and we don't seem to have it yet. I understand if you guy are really busy and all."
"Oh shit man, I thought it was for the ships service weenies in your compartment. Those guys are always pissing and moaning and giving us shit. I'm sorry I didn't know it was for you."
"Yeah our compartment is right next to the boiler room and it's hotter than a mother fucker down there."
"alright man I'll take care it, I got you."
"Hey thanks a lot man, I appreciate it. it'll make the chief happy too. Trust me he is the last guy you wanna piss off."
I smiled and left.
Next morning our watch was gonna take over for the port watch and start cooking the noon meal. So I was still in my rack asleep at 0630. All of a sudden there was a lot of noise, a sort of acrid smell in the air, and actual sparks falling all over me. It was a couple of ship fitters on a ladder welding the fan bracket to the bulkhead. Not just in the compartment but directly over my rack.
Before I went into the galley I went into the commissary office. The chief was at his desk. I said, "Good morning chief." he just grunted like he always did. I said, " Oh chief I checked into that fan you ordered for us. It was just a misunderstanding by the ship fitters they installed the fan this morning. Thanks a lot it really helps."
He looked up at me from his work and said. "Yeah, yeah, fucking Comshaw."
"You know chief you would have saved a lot time and trouble if you would have come to me in the first place."
"I'm beginning to see that, now get your ass to work you got noon meal to prepare."
I smiled and said "Aye, aye chief" and went into the galley.
Yeah, fucking Comshaw, I honestly don't think the Navy could function without it.