Sam Lock:  

This site seems better, one unread inbox message I have no clue where it is or who sent it. My story? It has been a great ride. I've been to places nobody else will ever be. Started working at NASSCO as an Outside Machinist for a few years until the lay offs reached me. The one ship I loved so much working on is called USNS Zeus. Perfect name for her (Shhh). One of the first of two machinists with my lead man on her flat keel, and one of the last off of her before sea trials when I asked for a transfer off of it. I shot those twin shafts with my best partner ever down there, Nancy (the one pretending to be Minnie Mouse in my pictures). We aligned just about every coupling she (Zeus) had in her, with other Apprentices and new hires under my wing. The side thruster alignments became my class room to teach others with. I thunk I was a lifer there until the lay offs hit me. I moved onto Telecommunications work and never looked back at the shipyard. I lost a cousin and several friends to the dangers down there at that shipyard. I was injured badly a couple of times, and it wasn't my fault. You needed your head on a swivel when you moved around at tha...Expand for more