U.S.S. YANCEY AKA-93

Ken Grooms's Navy A story for the USS Yancey

He Stuck in His Thumb and Pulled out a Plumb

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Most of this story is true - I have added a touch of "what probably happened" to make it more complete - can always blame fading memory with age.

In the early 50's, our baker on the Yancey, was called "Mother Goodwin" - his real name was Frank E. Goodwin. "Mother" was a former bell hop from Miami, Florida. I was told by someone that they called him mother because of his pleasant personality and his humming while working at his Navy profession. If someone knows of his whereabouts today - I would certainly like to know.

One night on our way to Japan and right after the movies on #4 hatch, I happened to go up on the 'O1' deck above the bakery on the Starboard side. That deck had an outside passageway with railings. It was a very calm night with a sea like glass. In the dim light I saw a group of sailors around the railing above the bakery.

It seems that "Mother' had just baked a bunch of pies and had opened the porthole to allow the pies to cool. Why pies need to cool in fresh air I don't know, but we do know that our mothers did it that way. Anyway, I assume that during the movie the aroma of fresh pies were sent aft as the vapors expanded and thinned. By the time the aroma diluted and reached the number four hatch - only the tuned orifices of the most sensitive nostrils could detect them.

Who ever detected the smell of the pies was lured into a devious plan. The bakery was locked, so the only way to get a pie was thru the porthole. This would require the skill of a gymnast, wiry, as well as one that was willing to be part of this plan. Thru some careful selection process one man was chosen. I imagine the ground rules for this selection process included: a gymnast, a daring individual, good looks, 'friend of the working girl' (as Doc said in Mr. Roberts) and a partiality to pies. This narrowed it down to Luke Roberts.

As I walked forward on the 'O1' deck, there was Luke Roberts hooking his legs over the rail ready to do his act. He had someone holding on to him and then he went over the rail and "pulled out his plumb" - (a pie).

I suppose there was feasting, frolic and fun following this historical event, but I was not a party to that.

If someone has information on the above events, I would like to hear.

Ken Groom
Yancey Historian
12/16/2000

Submitted 2/10/07
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