News From Fort Schuyler

January 13, 1999 - Volume 3, No. 3

THE CAPTAIN, A CADET, AND A GIRL NAMED YVONNE - Recent postings about CAPTAIN ALFRED F. OLIVET, Class of 1921, the long-time Master of the Training Ship, brought this note from ED DANGLER, Class of 1949:

After starting my mug year at the Fort in 1946, I quickly figured out that the way to stay out of trouble with upperclassmen, officers, and particularly the Commandant of Cadets, CAPTAIN OLIVET, was to maintain a very low profile. I immediately located several unique hiding places in gear lockers, storerooms and other remote parts of the Fort where no one ever checked. In my spare time, I spent hours in these locations studying, writing letters to girls etc., only surfacing for classes, sports, meals - hence my nickname 'The Mole.' I was quite successful in that Captain Olivet didn't know me, and I was just as happy he didn't after seeing his punishments meted out at Captain's mast.

All this anonymity, however, came crashing down on our First Class cruise as I was selected to be the Cox'n of the Captain's gig. There was no way to escape him and he sure got to know who I was. He could spot me goofing off in the gig and remind me that he wanted certain tasks done and I better turn to.

Just prior to our 1949 cruise it was announced that we would be in Rouen, France for 9 days and that if anyone had family in the various European ports, upon request from our parents we would be given leave during the in-port time. Otherwise it was liberty expiration at 2200 even for First Classmen. Having met a very lovely young French gal in Nice the previous year, I conspired to have her vacation visit to her aunt in Paris coincide with our visit to Rouen. I then asked my mother, whose English literacy skills were very poor, having immigrated shortly before I was born from Hungary, to sign a letter stating that my aunt in Paris was very ill and she would appreciate it if I could be given leave when the ship arrived in Rouen.

The ruse worked. I was granted 8 days leave. Taking the train down to Paris and enjoying 7 days with a young lady (she later became my wife, and still is) was all romance and sightseeing until late afternoon on the last day of leave. As we were walking hand in hand on the Champs Elysees, who do I see walking in our direction but none other than Captain Olivet. Well, since I was wearing sandals, chino trousers, a sport shirt, and would you believe, dark glasses and a beret, I figured we could go unnoticed. Ha, was I wrong. After I passed him port to port and breathed a sigh of relief, I heard a commanding voice bellow "Dangler, is that you?" Trying to be Mr. Cool, I turned around and gave my best Maurice Chevalier impression and said "Vous m'appellez Monsieur??" It didn't work. After laughing for about a millisecond, he then said, "I remember you were granted leave to visit a very sick aunt." I responded, "No sir, it was a very sick cousin." He asked if Yvonne was my cousin and when I said yes, he stated that she didn't look very sick to him. I retorted that my arrival in France caused her to have a miraculous recovery.

He then asked why I was not in uniform, and thinking quickly, I responded that cadets were allowed to be out of uniform when going or coming from athletics activities. Not one to be put off by his wise-ass coxswain, the Captain asked very seriously what type of athletics I could possibly be anticipating considering the way I was dressed. I told him "Tennis." Nevertheless he told me to have a good time for the rest of the leave period, but he would see me when I returned to the ship. I returned and he saw me, and I was restricted to the ship for the rest of the cruise.

Captain Olivet was firm, and yet very understanding in the ways of the cadets because he had been one himself. Yvonne and I sometimes reminisce over that incident. Ed Dangler (Capt. Mole)

OTHER MEMORABLE MENTORS - According to PETER BACI, Class of 1964, besides Captain Olivet "...there were a number of tough taskmasters at that time. Another who comes to mind is Guy DeSimone. When I was in his class, he used to scare the hell out of me, but I always came to class prepared. We all thought he was a tough old bird, didn't have a soft spot. But several years after I graduated and was going to sea, I wrote to him and told him that I realized his tough demeanor pushed me to do things I might not otherwise have been able to accomplish. And I thanked him. I got a nice letter back saying that hearing such things was what made the job worthwhile...and I still think of him fondly."

FEATURING GOVERNOR'S ISLAND - The British nautical magazine, SEA BREEZES, inaugurated a new, big, colorful format with its January 1999 issue. Featured are some stunning aerial color photographs of Governor's Island taken by FRANK DUFFY, for many years the Executive Director of the Maritime Industry Museum at Fort Schuyler. Frank also wrote the accompanying article, "U.S. Coast Guard Leaves Governors Island in New York Harbour."