LCDR Bill Bourne, C.O. of Raton

Since 12-25-04

From: Bill Decker [bdecker@shentel.net] 
Sent: Monday, December 20, 2004 3:06 PM
Subject: Fw: Fw: LCDR Bill Bourne, CO Raton


----- Original Message -----
From: "kenneth shaum" <kshaum@yahoo.com> 
Sent: Monday, December 20, 2004 2:16 PM
Subject: Fwd: Fw: LCDR Bill Bourne, CO Raton

Note: forwarded message attached.

About Billy Bourne:

When I was 9 or 10 years old my Uncle pulled into Long Beach. He was in high cotton. As an L.D.O., he was one of the rare few that commanded a warship. It was a full blown destroyer.

I was so spoiled and proud that day. It was 1954 or 1955. Talk around the table, as young as I was, is that since he did not do Academy he would never see Commander. He retired and became a state Senator in New Mexico and was to visit me on my shore duty tour at Sub Base Pearl. Oddly enough, he had never visited the Arizona Memorial and that was quite a day for us.

The rules change. I have had the same stepmother for close to 50 years now, and her father joined the army when he was 15. He retired Lt. Col. Who knows? My recruiter told me that since I was only 16, I would never make it past E-5. He discouraged me. He said no matter how smart I was, it just didn't matter. Of course I didn't know what an E-5 was, but I also didn't care. I just wanted to be out of a bad home life and be a sailor.

Sometimes it is just luck of the draw!

To this day I am happy with that decision. The day I did beat E-5, barely 22, I remembered exactly what my recruiter said to me.

The point of this tale is that I have always been happy for have personally known all of you. In my travels over the years, most sub sailors I have known have been close to my thoughts. Thoughts is the the way it had to be, because we do not just casually bump into each other on the street.

I am only sad that I did not sit still long enough to get in contact before. I am proud to find others that have geared up when the time came. I know exactly what I did and I know exactly what you did. Things came up in my life that requested deeds beyond the call of duty. I really started to learn how to do that on the Raton. We were of "True grit".

I know that Bill will forward this. KOOL! It is just part of our legacy. I am long winded, I know, but am just trying to make up for lost time.

I, Am Always:

Kenny

P.S. Anyone, write at anytime.