Small Boats and Brave Men

The security for the administrative complex and range house areas are provided by a chain-link fence enclosure. Overall security is maintained by a 24-hour civilian guard force. Secure stowage is available for classified material.

Approved for public release;

NSWC MP 89-2444

Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8-98)

Prescribed by ANSI Std Z39-18

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An addendum described the qualifications needed. I did meet the two major ones.

Rank - Check -Lieutenant Commander or above.

Education - Check - I had a Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering as well as minor in Marine Engineering.

My service record I knew was exemplary. Every one of my FitReps (Fitness Reports) were scored as 'excellent'.

I wrote up a request for change of duty to this position.

That evening I showed it to my buddy Dave.

"What do you think, Dave, should I submit it?"

When he finished reading he said to me, "looks like you have as good a shot as anyone."

"Yeah," I replied. "Maybe that Purple Heart will get me the sympathy vote."

Dave just sat there, sighed, and replied.

"I think the Silver Star you were awarded will carry more weight."

"How did that citation read, again, Eric . . .?"

"Oh yeah, and I am just paraphrasing off the top of my head here."

' . . . on 15 March 1969 Ensign Eric Mueller while returning from patrol on the Mekong River repulsed three separate attacks by Vietcong and North Vietnamese regulars after his crew was rendered helpless by an ambush by said enemy forces. In spite of being wounded Ensign Mueller successfully defended his crew and effected their safe return. Because of his action, Ensign Eric Mueller, is hereby awarded the Silver Star for Valor.'

"Eric, I'd say that alone will put you at the top of the list."

So I submitted my request and, as usual with the Navy, the wheels of bureaucracy turn slowly.

It was February 1976 when I received word. My request had been granted. I had been selected to command the Warfare Center. By March 1st I was back home in Fort Lauderdale and assumed command of the center. It took me the better part of six long weeks, working ten hours a day, to get up to speed with my new responsibilities.

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It was after seven o'clock one Friday evening in early May when I changed into civvies and I left my office for the drive home.

Just on a whim I decided to stop at a new restaurant I had heard about on the 17th Street Causeway instead of just heading on home to my apartment.

Stepping into the dimly lit lobby I was met by the hostess. I indicated that I was alone and was led to a secluded table along one wall. She handed me a menu and said my server would be with me shortly. When I got a good look at her face I could have swore I knew her from somewhere but just couldn't quite remember. She gave me a puzzling look, as well, before returning to the hostess station in the front of the restaurant.

I ordered the house specialty, a rib-eye steak . . medium rare . . , loaded baked potato along with the customary veggies. I had a cold draft imported beer to complement the meal. The place far exceeded its reputation. The meal was excellent.

As I sat there enjoying an after dinner brandy the hostess reappeared and said to me.

"I know you from someplace, don't I?"

After asking her to sit down it hit me.

"Oh, my God. Elizabeth . .? Elizabeth Becker . ." I stuttered. "We . . . we met at UF in 1964. Didn't we?"

Her face lit up in recognition as she replied. "Eric, Eric Mueller? It has to be almost twelve years since I last saw you."

I asked if she had some time so we could talk for a while and she responded.

"Yes. I'm finished for the evening. I really don't work here. I'm filling in for a friend. She and her husband own the place and they wanted to go watch their daughter perform in a school play this evening so I volunteered to help them out. They both just returned so I'm free for the rest of the evening."

I asked if she cared to join me for a drink. Catching the eye of the waitress I ordered. "Chardonnay for the lady and another brandy for me, please."

As we sat there a young woman strolled over to the table and Elizabeth introduced her to me.

"Eric, I like you to meet my very good friend, Charlotte. She and her husband are the owners."

"Charlotte, this is Eric Mueller. I haven't seen him since my Freshmen year of college twelve years ago. Would you mind if we sat here and caught up on what has happened in our lives since then?"

"Not at all," she replied. "Stay as long as you like."

After exchanging a few more pleasantries she left us.

Elizabeth leaned forward across the table and asked me.

"So, Eric what have you been up to since our Freshmen year?"

I gave her the 'Cliff Notes' version of my life since we last saw each other.

I glossed over the time I spent in Vietnam, and all the associated horror that went with it, just telling her I was there for two years. Instead I focused on what I did in California at Mare Island.

I briefly mentioned Deloris and how that all ended. At that point Elizabeth just shook her head and, in muted voice, said to me.

"She was incredibly stupid."

I then told her about my new position here in Fort Lauderdale at the Naval Surface Warfare Center. I explained that this is where I grew up and how good it felt to be home again. Adding that my mom and dad still lived here in the very same house in Rio Vista right on the river. I hastened to add that I did have my own apartment though.

When I finished I said. "I was surprised when you didn't return for the Fall Semester. I was really looking forward to spending more time with you. I tried to get in touch with you but was unsuccessful. What happened?"

She sighed and responded. "It's a long story."

"When I got home that summer I discovered that my father didn't want my mother, or me, in his life any more. He emptied all their savings from the bank along with all of the money my grandmother had left me for my college education. Then he took off for parts unknown with his twenty-three year old secretary."

"We had to move from the house because mom couldn't afford the payments on the mortgage. It happened so fast we hardly had time to find a new place to live. During the move I lost my address book along with your phone number."

"Mom divorced him a year later on the grounds of abandonment. We never saw any of the money he stole from the both of us."

"Even though mom was working as a nurse at the local hospital, she couldn't afford the out-of-state tuition for me to return to UF. Getting a job I worked full-time for six months before I could save enough money to enroll in the local college."

"With what mom could afford to give me, along with what I was earning working part-time, a large student loan, scrimping on clothes, no social life and living at home I was able to make it through and finish. It took me almost five years to get my degree in nursing."

"Two months before my graduation my father re-appeared sick and broke. His girl friend left him when his money ran out after he became ill and could no longer work."

"He begged for us to take him back. We both realized that all he was really after was for someone to take care of him while he recovered from his illness. Mom said 'No' and closed the door in his face."

"You have to understand that we lived in a very small town. My father's family had lived there, like, forever. People did not know the whole story. They knew nothing of the divorce and what precipitated it. All they saw was that a poor, sick man had been turned away by his wife and daughter in his time of need."

"Really nasty things were being said behind my mother's back and sometimes to her face. Mom refused to air her dirty laundry in public and expose him for the SOB he really was."

"When she found another job here in Fort Lauderdale at Broward General Medical Center I was thrilled."

"I remembered that you told me that you lived here. I tried to look up your parents several times but with no success."

"As soon as I passed the Florida State Boards I went searching for a job. I didn't want to work in a hospital. Shift work didn't appeal to me along with being constantly being moved from one set of responsibilities to another within the hospital."

"I found a job working in a pediatrician's office. I love it. Doctor Chapman has been in practice for more than twenty-five years. I work five days a week eight to five and a half day on Saturday but only every other week."

"Working with children is very rewarding. It is so neat to see them as they grow from infants to adolescents. It is where I met Charlotte when she brought her daughter in for a school physical."

As she finished she looked at her watch and exclaimed.

"Oh my gosh. Look at the time. It's after mid-night. I have to go to work early in the morning so I really need to go home and get some sleep."

I settled up the bill and walked Elizabeth out to her car. As she got into her car she told me how much she had enjoyed the evening. Before she could get in I told her I would like to see her again. She scribbled her phone number on a piece of paper and said "Call me." Then I closed her door and stepped back.

She turned the key and nothing. Not even the click.. click.. click signaling a dead battery.

She got out and said, "I have to go back inside and call a taxi to get home."

"No, you don't. My car is right over here. I'll drive you home."

On the way to her apartment I asked how she would get to work in the morning. She told me another one of the nurses lived nearby and she would catch a ride in with her.

When we arrived at her place I walked with her to the door and asked for her car keys.

"I don't have anything planned for the morning. I'll go over to the restaurant parking lot and see if I can get your car up and running for you."

"You don't have to do that," she said.

"Really, it's not a problem. I don't have any plans for the morning," I replied.

"You are so sweet," she said, giving me a hug and kissing me on the cheek.

"Come inside for a moment while I get my spare set of car keys."

Returning with the keys she said to me.

"Wait a moment I have something else I want to give to you."

Going into her bedroom she returned a few moments later with a packet of letters bound with a blue ribbon.

Handing me the packet she went on to explain.

"This may sound a bit strange but I wrote these letters to you even after I lost your address. Somehow writing them gave me the feeling of still being connected to you. I saved every letter you wrote to me. The only thing I didn't save were the envelopes with your return address. I was so stupid not to have done so, but I didn't plan on losing my address book."

It was a little one in the morning when I got back to my apartment. I wasn't sleepy so I opened the first of her letters. It pretty much explained what had happened when her father took off. It was in much greater detail than what she had told me several hours ago. I could almost feel the pain she was experiencing as she wrote it. The next few letters she wrote were all about her waitressing job and her plans for going back to school in North Carolina to pursue her degree in nursing.

The last of her letters described the life she wanted to have and the kind of man she wanted with which to share it. She mentioned an assignment she was given in one of her

classes, 'Marriage and Family Living', where she had to develop a list of physical and personal characteristics of her ideal spouse.

These letters gave me pause for thought and encouraged me to think. One, what was this about a list of physical and personal characteristics? Two, did I want to pursue establishing closer relationship with her?

With these thoughts in my mind I fell asleep. When I awaken in the morning I had the answer to one of my questions.

It was after nine-thirty in the morning when I went over to see if I could figure out what was wrong with her car. As soon as I opened the hood I saw what the problem was, the battery terminals were full of corrosion. Taking a wrench, I had in my tool box, I removed the cables and cleaned them as well as the battery terminals.

After re-installing the battery cables I moved my car over as close as I could and, using my jumper cables, I managed to start her car.

As I removed the jumper cables I happened to notice that the date on the battery indicated it was almost five years old.

Figuring that it would not last much longer I drove over to an auto parts store and purchased a new battery for her. It only took a few minutes to install it. I, also, changed the fan and alternator belts as they looked about worn out.

While I was at the auto parts store I looked in their telephone book for the address of Doctor Chapman's office.

While driving over to his office I noticed that her gas gauge read empty so I stopped at a gas station and filled the tank. While I was there I had the garage do an oil and filter change.

I arrived at Doctor Chapman's office just before they closed at noon. Walking in I was greeted by the receptionist with a puzzled look on her face as I didn't have a child with me.

After telling her why I was there she said to me.

"Oh. You are the reason Elizabeth has had such a big smile on her face all morning. Let me tell her you are here."

She picked up the phone, hit a button and said. "There is a gentlemen here to see you."

"She will be right with you. She's just finishing with our last patient for the day."

A few minutes later Elizabeth appeared carrying her purse.

I held up her car keys and told her, "all fixed, let's go."

Handing her the keys, as we got in the car, she asked me, "what was wrong?"

"It just needed a new battery and a few other minor things. The receipt and paperwork for the warranty on the battery are in the glove box."

Before she started the car she said that she needed to get gas as the tank was empty.

"Wait a minute," she exclaimed after she started the car and looked at the gas gauge. "Did you fill my tank up?"

"Guilty as charged, Elizabeth. I, also, had the oil and filter changed. It really needs to be done every 3000 miles or you could have serious trouble."

"How much do I owe you for all of this?" She asked.

"Nothing. It wasn't really that expensive and I figured you were entitled to a little TLC once in awhile."

"Really, come on, if you won't take any money at least let me feed you. Can you come for supper tonight?"

"I'd love do that, Elizabeth. What time and what can I bring?"

"Six o'clock and you needn't bring anything other than your appetite."

So at six that evening I found myself standing at the door to her apartment with a bouquet of flowers and two bottles of wine, one white and the other red. When she answered my knock, I handed her the flowers and held up the wine for her to see.

"I thought I told you not to bring anything," she said, smiling.

"I couldn't come empty handed," I shrugged.

Dinner was wonderful. Afterward I helped her clean up the dishes in spite of her protests. I told her that I had read all her letters the night before.

"All of them?" She asked.

"Yep. All of them."

Elizabeth looked at me with a questioning expression but I changed the topic of conservation.

The remainder of the evening was spent talking and laughing about some of the silly things we had done when we were kids.

It was after ten when I decided to leave and let her get some rest after her long day.

As I rose from my seat she said to me.

"Mom and I go to church every Sunday. Would you like to join us tomorrow morning?"

"Yes. I would really like to go with you. May I pick you and your mother up in the morning?"

We agreed upon a time and as I was leaving she gave me a quick kiss on the lips saying to me.

"Thank you for everything. You make me feel very, very special."

I arrived five minutes early the following morning, got out of the car and proceeded to Elizabeth's apartment. Before I could knock she opened the door and I was ushered inside.

Introductions were made and I immediately could see where Elizabeth got her good looks from.

If I had not known, I would have sworn that they were sisters, not mother and daughter. Both were the same height, had the same colored hair, both had blue eyes and both displayed the same dazzling smile.

After church I suggested we all go out for lunch. We went to the 'Sea Watch' a wonderful seafood restaurant nestled between the sand dunes overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

I suggested we share the coconut fried shrimp for an appetizer. The girls then selected the grilled Sea Bass while I chose the Swordfish Oscar for my entree. I insisted that they try the Key Lime pie for dessert.

It was almost four that afternoon when I dropped them off at Elizabeth's apartment. They both thanked me profusely for the wonderful lunch.

Before leaving I asked Elizabeth if she would like to go out next Friday or Saturday evening. She surprised me by saying, "why not both nights?"

From then on out we were pretty much inseparable. Every weekend we did something from airboat rides in the Everglades to picnics at Birch State Park. Sometimes we went to the beach or just lounged around the pool at my condominium apartment.

I remember the first time I saw her in her bikini swim suit. Oh my God!! She was absolutely stunning.

One Friday evening I took her to Pier 66's rooftop lounge. The entire floor made one revolution every hour providing panoramic views of the city and the ocean. It soon became one of our favorite places to go and relax at the end of the week.

Another activity we both enjoyed was when I borrowed my dad's boat and we would slowly cruise north on the Intracoastal Waterway stopping at one of the many bars or restaurants that provided dockage along the waterway.

My dad's boat is a thirty-eight foot cabin cruiser with a fly bridge. I had helped dad build the hull during my last two summers of college over ten years ago. Since then dad replaced the twin gas V-8s with twin diesels. They were more reliable and afforded better fuel consumption.

On Labor Day Elizabeth and I took a day trip down to Key Largo and snorkeled the pristine coral reefs of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. Returning late in the day, exhausted, we had dinner at her apartment.

Moving into the living room we sat next to each other on the sofa, each with a glass of wine.

"I re-read the letters you wrote me again last night. I'll admit I'm curious about the class assignment you mentioned in the last one. What was that all about?" I asked.

"Would you pour me another glass of wine while I retrieve something from my desk?" She responded.

When I returned with the wine she was seated on the sofa with her feet tucked up under her holding a spiral bound notebook. Opening it to a specific page, she handed it to me and told me to read what was written.

There were two written columns one headed 'Physical' and the other 'Personal'.

Under the column headed 'Physical' there were a half dozen traits. Each one had my name, 'Eric', written with an exclamation mark next to it.

Under the column headed 'Personal' there were eight characteristics listed. All but the last one, again, had my name by it followed by the exclamation mark.

The last of the personal characteristics she had written was 'Sexual Compatibility'. Again, it was followed by my name. But this time there were a series of question marks.

I looked at her with a puzzled expression on my face but before I could say anything she said.