Page 40 - The History of Veterans at Highland Springs

WILLIAM J. BOGLE HIGHLAND SPRINGS RESIDENT, NAVY
It is impossible for me to share my experience in the US Navy without going back to where it all began. I graduated from "Fourche Valley High School, Yell County Arkansas, in 1950, in a class of thirteen students. After graduation, I attended the fall semester at Arkansas Technical College in Russellville, Arkansas. I didn't take too much to college and finances were a problem. I decided to join the the Navy. Assigned to boot camp in San Diego, I took my first train ride from Little Rock, Arkansas along with 27 other recruits. For some unknown reason I was put in charge of the group and assigned a "drawing room" as my sleeping quarters! I was given the meal tickets to disperse to the others. What a deal for a Seaman Recruit! Next stop: San Francisco and radar school on nearby Treasure Island which was in sight of Alcatraz prison. Graduating from radar school, I was assigned to the US Submarine base in Hawaii. I ended up aboard the U.S.S. Tiru (SS-416), a Guppy Snorkel Submarine. This was an old WW2 sub that had been overhauled. A snorkel was added so that the engines could be run to charge the batteries without surfac- ing. Basic training, radar school, and various travels made up year one of my 4-year enlistment. One year was spent on a trip to Japan and Korea. The sub was loaded with torpedoes although never fired one at an enemy ship. Living conditions aboard a sub were not the best. Fresh water was scarce and when underway for long periods of time had to be distilled from sea water.
The commanding officer of the U.S.S. Tiru was, L.P. Gray, a graduate of the Naval Academy and a native Texan. After an interesting career in the Navy, he became Acting Director of the FBI. My memories of Commander Gray can be summed up in one word, “tough”. I spent the last two years on the beautiful island of Oahu where the Tiru was in port at Pearl Harbor! We had regular training maneuvers with other ships, some of which consisted of destroyers dropping hand grenades to simulate depth charges. Otherwise, I will admit, it wasn't bad! I am proud of my service to my country and would gladly do it again if necessary and physically able.
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