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An up close and personal interview with U.S. Coast Guard Veteran and Togetherweserved.com Member:
MKCM Chuck Worthen U.S. Coast Guard (Ret) (1964-1987)
PLEASE DESCRIBE WHO OR WHAT INFLUENCED YOUR DECISION TO JOIN THE COAST GUARD?
Looking back to my high school years, there could have been only one person who could have influenced my decision to join the Coast Guard: Retired QMCM Perley Burrill Jr. of Lynnfield, MA. Even in my year book it says I would make a career in the Coast Guard. I  remembering having a conversation with him during my high school years. It would be ten years after my high school graduation that I finally entered the Coast Guard. Right after high school I very briefly went to Wentworth Institute in Boston due to pressure at home.
In 1964, after working construction for two years I received my draft notice. I knew I didn't want to go into the Army, so I went to the Coast Guard Recruiter in Lynn, MA. It turned out that he was not in his office at the time but the Navy Recruiter was. He talked me into joining the Navy and for the next eight years I was a Machinist Mate in the nuclear field. It was only after I was stationed on a nuclear submarine out of New London, CT and had started a family who were living in ME that I decided to look into the Coast Guard and make it a career.
After learning that the Coast Guard had steam ships stationed in Portland, ME I decided to leave the Navy and join the Coast Guard. In October of 1972 I joined the Coast Guard as a MM1 and reported to the USCGC Duane WHEC-33 home ported in Portland, ME.
WHETHER YOU WERE IN THE SERVICE FOR SEVERAL YEARS OR AS A CAREER, PLEASE DESCRIBE THE DIRECTION OR PATH YOU TOOK.
When I joined the Navy in 1964 I had no path or direction other than to keep from going into the Army as a draftee. I enjoyed the water so it was only natural that I join the Navy or Coast Guard. The CG was my first choice but since  the CG recruiter was unavailable and the Navy recruiter was, my path headed in that direction. It might have been fate or luck that lead me on the path I took. I would never have dreamed that my path would lead me to becoming a Machinist Mate on a nuclear submarine and then finally retiring as a Master Chief Machinery Technician in the Coast Guard after 22 1/2 years of military service. The following is my path:
Boot Camp at Great Lakes IL beginning on July 30, 1964. Graduated on September 11, 1964.
MM "A" School Great Lakes, IL beginning September 25, 1964 until December 18, 1964.
First phase nuclear power school Bainbridge, MD, from January 3, 1965 and graduating on August 6, 1965.
 Second phase nuclear power school West Milton, NY began in August 1965 until April 1966 at which time I was transferred to the USS Lexington CVS-16 Pensacola, FL. I was then transferred in March 1967 to USS Bainbridge DLG (N)-25 , home ported in Long Beach, CA, until July 1969 when I was sent to submarine school Groton, CT, graduating in October 1969.
After graduating from sub school I was transferred to the USS Jack SS (N)-605, home ported in New London, CT until August 1972 then discharged from the Navy as a MM1 (SS) in September 1972. Less than a month later I joined the US Coast Guard in October 1972.
My first assignment in the Coast Guard was the USCGC Duane WHEC-33 home ported in Portland, ME until September 1976. I was then transferred to the USCGC Mesquite WLB-305 temporarily home ported in South Portland, ME where I served for a couple of months until November 12, 1976 at which time I was transferred to the USCGC Spar WLB-403 South Portland, ME. That assignment lasted until November 1978 when I transferred to USCG Station Indian River Inlet, Rehoboth Beach, DE where I stayed until August 1981.
Next was USCG Group Southwest Harbor, ME until June 1984. My final assignment was CGDONE (ene) Boston, MA.
On February 1, 1987 I retired from the U.S. Coast Guard.
IF YOU PARTICIPATED IN COMBAT, PEACEKEEPING OR HUMANITARIAN OPERATIONS, PLEASE DESCRIBE THOSE WHICH WERE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT TO YOU AND, IF LIFE-CHANGING, IN WHAT WAY.
 While in the Navy and stationed aboard the USS Bainbridge DLG (N)-25, I made two West Pacs. One in 1967 and the other in 1969. The ship operated off the coast of Vietnam.
My duties were in the engine room and I was unaware of the mission of the ship other than escort operations for the carriers USS Kitty Hawk, USS Bon Homme Richard and USS Ticonderoga. Part of our mission was plane guards for the carriers.
OF ALL YOUR DUTY STATIONS OR ASSIGNMENTS, WHICH ONE DO YOU HAVE FONDEST MEMORIES OF AND WHY? WHICH ONE WAS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE?
While stationed at the 1st CG District (ENE) Boston, MA. It was while I was assigned to the District inspection team that gave me the most satisfaction. When as a team we would visit each Group and station and give them our time and experience to ensure that when they  went out on a mission they were ready to meet all demands that could arise. When I got through inspecting the station boats to insure they were ready in all respects, it was very satisfying to hear the positive feedback from all hands, from the skipper to the seaman.
The district inspector, Capt. Hickey Jr. made the team flow. He was always ready to back you up. A very rewarding part of my career. When your Captain gives you a remark as none better, you tend to feel good about what you are doing.
My least favorite would be when I attended Nuclear Power School. I was not a very good student and almost did not graduate. Some of the courses were like going to college and I had a very difficult time.
FROM YOUR ENTIRE SERVICE, INCLUDING COMBAT, DESCRIBE THE PERSONAL MEMORIES WHICH HAVE IMPACTED YOU MOST?
 I guess the one that really stands out was going through the qualification training to be qualified in submarines. It was a process that took a full year for me to receive my submarine qualification certificate. I qualified in submarines on the USS Jack SS (N) 605 on October 12, 1970 and received my Dolphins in Rota, Spain at the EM club.
They were dropped in a concoction of a little of everything from the bar. You were told, if you want them drink up. Something I will never forget.
IF YOU RECEIVED ANY MEDALS FOR VALOR OR AWARDS FOR SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENT, PLEASE DESCRIBE HOW THESE WERE EARNED.
There were two that stand out. The first one was the Coast Guard Achievement Medal. It was while I was stationed at USCG Station Indian River Inlet, Rehoboth Beach, DE.
I was the Engineering Petty Officer. My duties were to ensure the 5 boats attached to the station were always in  a ready condition. Ensure the engineers were trained in all aspects of their assign duties. During my time there the station underwent a major renovation. It was my job to liaison with the contractors to ensure funds were spent wisely and over see their work.
The second award was the Coast Guard Commendation Medal. This was awarded while I was stationed at the 1st CG District. The award states of the dedication and long hours put in mostly performing as a naval engineering pro tem inspector. It notes the willingness to spend long hours during inspections to ensure all district boats and personal were ready at all times both materially and professionally. It also noted that the small boat repair and overhaul programs far exceeded what was expected.
OF ALL THE MEDALS, AWARDS, QUALIFICATION BADGES OR DEVICE YOU RECEIVED, PLEASE DESCRIBE THE ONE(S) MOST MEANINGFUL TO YOU AND WHY?
 I would have to say the device most meaningful to me was the submariner's device.
It's the one I had to work the hardest and longest for while I was aboard the USS Jack SS (N) 605 in 1970.
Also very meaningful was when I made Chief Machinery Technician aboard the USCGC Duane WHEC-33, in July 1976 and Master Chief Machinery Technician while stationed at Group Southwest Harbor, ME in January 1983.
WHICH INDIVIDUAL(S) FROM YOUR TIME IN THE MILITARY STAND OUT AS HAVING THE MOST POSITIVE IMPACT ON YOU AND WHY?
CWO Wm. Bush, the Group Engineer at Southwest Harbor, ME. From the very beginning a trust was established between us. He said that I would have all of the Naval Engineering responsibility in the group and that if I needed him, he would be there for me.
CWO T. P.  Ryan, the Commanding Officer at Station Indian River Inlet. We butted heads a lot only because we both had such high ideals. He expected only the best from his crew.
BMCS Arthur Alley was OIC at Jonesport Station and Assistant Group Ops at Group Southwest Harbor. He became one of my best friends both in and out of the service. He had a way about him that commanded respect in a very personal way. We conducted many group inspections together, from Eastport to Rockland. Together we did our best to ensure all units were at their peak to get the job done. He was always one to take responsibility. He helped me when I found it hard to make tough decisions. One day when I was struggling with a decision he would say, look chummy right or wrong you got to make that decision. I hated to be wrong!!
The one on the left helping retired Captain Clifton Smith is my friend Arthur Alley.
CAN YOU RECOUNT A PARTICULAR INCIDENT FROM YOUR SERVICE WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN FUNNY AT THE TIME, BUT STILL MAKES YOU LAUGH?
While I was stationed aboard the USS Bainbridge DLG (N)-25 after undergoing a reactor refueling and close to one year ships overhaul at the Mare Island ship yard in Vallejo, CA, some of the crew were allowed to be off on liberty for about twelve hours. We were to be  back in time for dock trials. Back then I had a taste for alcohol and missed getting back to the ship on time.
When I got back it was dark and the gang way had been pulled and watches set to simulate being underway. The ship was in a sense under way at the dock with all machinery running. What was I to do, I was already UA. A fellow crew member was standing on the dock when I arrived. He apparently didn't need to be on board. He told me that if I could somehow get aboard it might go easier on me. He said if I were you I would try to crawl up that water line and get aboard. I did just that. When I got on board some of the other engineers suggested I call the bridge and report aboard. When I did that the person who picked up the phone got very confused about how to log in someone just coming aboard a ship which was supposed to be underway.
The next day the XO called down to the engine room where I worked and told them to send Tarzan up to see him. I don't remember how much trouble I was in, but it does make me smile from time to time.
WHAT PROFESSION DID YOU FOLLOW AFTER YOUR MILITARY SERVICE AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW? IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY SERVING, WHAT IS YOUR PRESENT OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY?
 After my retirement from the Coast Guard I went back into the construction field close to where I lived in Kennebunkport, ME. I operated trucks, loaders, bulldozers, rock crushers and other equipment. I worked with the mechanic in the shop and performed minor repairs to equipment in the field. There were days while operating some of the equipment I would catch myself saying, I'm getting paid to do this!! After about 4 years of this kind of work the economy slowed way down and I started to look into other work.
I went to the Webhannet Golf Club in Kennebunk, ME and was hired on the spot. I spent the next 19 years working in grounds maintenance, doing whatever was needed to maintain the course. I have always enjoyed physical outside work so that was just the place to be.
I completely retired about three years ago and now do a little volunteering and help around my neighborhood.
WHAT MILITARY ASSOCIATIONS ARE YOU A MEMBER OF, IF ANY? WHAT SPECIFIC BENEFITS DO YOU DERIVE FROM YOUR MEMBERSHIPS?
I am an inactive member of the Boston Chapter of the CPOA, the USCGC Duane Association, the USS Bainbridge Association, the Navy Together We Served and the USCG Together We Served. The only benefits I receive are just keeping informed of some old shipmates and changing times.
IN WHAT WAYS HAS SERVING IN THE MILITARY INFLUENCED THE WAY YOU HAVE APPROACHED YOUR LIFE AND YOUR CAREER?
When I first joined the service back in 1964 I had no direction. Had I not received my draft notice, which forced me to take the action of first enlisting in the Navy and then 8 years later joining the Coast Guard, I'm not sure where my life would have  gone. The service gave me a direction which after I finally grew up and realized what a good thing the service was, I started to build my life. I am very proud of how I turned out. Every aspect of my career lead to a very rewarding life.
I am now 70 years old and feel good about what I have accomplished and maybe who I might have helped along the way. Some people spend their whole life doing the same thing which was just the opposite for me with all the different ships and stations I've been attached to, the schools I've gone to and the places I've been all over the world. Sure there was times that I didn't like where I was or what I was doing, but that's just part of life.
BASED ON YOUR OWN EXPERIENCES, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO THOSE WHO HAVE RECENTLY JOINED THE COAST GUARD?
Advancement for me became an extremely important part of my career. When I was young I didn't much care, but as I grew older it became very apparent that the higher I advanced the more opportunities in the field I was in were available.
When I first joined I was  a Machinist Mate working in the engine rooms of several types of ships. Since each ship was different, I was constantly training. After joining the Coast Guard things changed. My first ship was a steamer, then slowly they would all be gone. In the seventies I transitioned to becoming an MK which meant going back to "A" school as an E-6 to learn about diesels. This opened up new opportunities for me. All of this lead to my most exciting and rewarding assignments.
When I was assigned to Group Southwest Harbor and then on to the 1st District, I felt I had finally arrived. Part of my responsibility was to inspect small boats, at both the group and district level. When the Captain of the inspection team gives you a comment of "none better," I felt I had done my part.
It's up to you what you make of your time in the service. Never stop learning. Life goes so fast. Always give your best and the rewards will come, if only in the fact you did your best.
IN WHAT WAYS HAS TOGETHERWESERVED.COM HELPED YOU REMEMBER YOUR MILITARY SERVICE AND THE FRIENDS YOU SERVED WITH.
It got me to relive my past and all the things that made me who I am today. I have just a few shipmates that I keep in touch with but they played a very big part of how my career played out.
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TWS VOICES
TWS Voices are the personal stories of men and women who served in the US Military and convey how serving their Country has made a positive impact on their lives. If you would like to participate in a future edition of Voices, or know someone who might be interested, please contact Major Wesley Prater HERE.
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For current and former serving Members of the US Coast Guard and US Coast Guard Reserve, TogetherWeServed is a unique, feature-rich resource enabling Coast Guardsmen to re-connect with lost Shipmates, share memories and tell their Coast Guard story.
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