Doug, your research is amazing, can you tell me about. . .

[Pumbaamd]

My first cruise was all pre-paid (but I earned no points or miles). I had the top bunk in a layer of 5, a 21 day sail courtesy of the US Army and Military Sea Transport in 1966. We sailed from Tacoma, Washington to Vung Tau, Vietnam, on the MST Gen. Walker. On the 18th day, or so, we got off at Okinawa, our first and only port of call, and did PT on the dock. There were no taxi drivers waiting to give us a tour of the isalnd. Got right back on after 45 minutes of physical training. No one checked us for locally bought booze. And, at that time, the x-ray scanner had not been invented, and we had no Sea Pass to show.

When we got to Vung Tau it was easy to disembark, our luggage was on our back. No need to put it out in the hallway the night before. No custom declarations to fill out. Actually, no custom inspectors, either. They just put us aboard the local military shuttle. And off we went. . .

Anyway, Doug, back to you. What happened to the Gen.Walker? Can't call her she. Gen.Walker was an Army General in Korea in the 50's. What happened to him? Good luck with this one!

[dougnewmanatsea]

Anyway, Doug, back to you. What happened to the Gen.Walker?

If your ship was the GENERAL NELSON M. WALKER, I believe that the ship (I'm going to avoid whether to use "she" or "he" here since I really don't know which is correct) is laid up on the James River in Virginia. She is on my list of passenger ships over 40 so I must have determined that she still existed in March, and presumably nothing's happened since.

 

She was laid-up there in 1968 in what is called the National Defense Reserve Fleet (the James River fleet is just one of several around the country). A ship such as the WALKER is of no use at this point, and while there are many such vessels in the Reserve Fleet, it's extremely difficult to scrap them because of a law preventing toxic waste being exported overseas: almost all shipbreaking occurs in developing countries like India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, and it would be against the law for the government to export the toxic waste (i.e. ships, which are of course filled with the stuff) for disposal overseas. So this is why she's still there rusting away amongst all sorts of other disused ships owned by the Federal Government that they cannot figure out what to do with.

 

A few pages that came up: an interesting overview of her history here with some good photos, and here official history from the Navy.

 

Hope this helps.

[Druke I]

He or She?

 

I'm told that even ships with masculine names are she.

 

Don't remember the USNS Gen. Walker, but do remember the E.D.Patrick, M.M. Patrick, and Breckinridge, all of which pulled into Okinawa during the mid 50s. I'm sure there were others, but those come to mind at the moment.

 

I lucked out - flew both ways, although I did have orders to come home on a carrier, "chasing" prisoners en route to Ft. Leavenworth. Managed to get those changed!