Memories of...Shower Pools

Perry Lamy

Clockwise from Front Left: John Sheriff,
Tom Gillette, Dave Defoliart, Chip Kerby,
Steve Marino, & Jay Schell

These two pictures (Right) were taken in the early Fall of 1972, 3-degree semester, Friday night before a SAMI inspection...when the dam broke, we trashed the hallway and a couple of doolie rooms in 11th Squadron (I think they had just finished buffing). The Squadron CC (Class of '73) who had earlier told us not to do this came in, looked at the mess, and walked out looking pissed, and never said a word. (He was a good guy and we knew we had screwed up).

Steve Marino

Rear: Tom Gillette & Steve Marino
Center: Chip Kerby & Jay Schell
Front: Dave Defoliart & John Sheriff

Photos are from CS-12, 3rd class year, Friday night before a SAMI. That's me with the Class Crest prominently displayed. Unfortunately, shortly after the photo, the "damn" burst – water everywhere, especially in squadron storerooms. Found doolies sleeping on their desks to avoid messing up their beds when the water entered their room. Mark Mayhew, ('73, CS-12 Squadron Commander) was NOT amused!!

John Sheriff

I remember that experience vividly, although some of the details may be imagined rather than real. The showers had a relatively small door and we simply put up a piece of plywood in front of it and turned all the showers on – worked pretty well until we had a leak we couldn't stop.

Chip Kerby

Ok, I can finally write after finishing up my bout of hysterical laughter! Its always unbelievable when these images of almost 40 years ago surface (and we remember what we USED to look like). And I have to tell you, I’m always glad when I remember those times we created our own fun, refusing to let the bastards get us down. God, Mayhew was pissed. HA! As to Tom's thought that it may have been my idea, I admit only to being a co-conspirator or possibly an agent provocateur, but I cannot possibly have executed this much fun all by myself! Always good to hear from you guys. Best regards.

Tom Gillette

That's me, all right. Back when I had hair. Perry's got us all labeled correctly. I'm sure the whole thing must have been Chip's idea... And, I don't know what happened to John "Omar" Sherriff. Really terrific guy. Somewhere in my old photos I have one of Chip, John and some of the others that left at the end of our 3rd class year just before they drove off in a rental car. Dirty Dozen missed them. As with many of our squadrons, we lost some of the very best long before graduation.

Craig Naas

Steve Marino also sent me the photos. In addition to the guys in the photo, I also remember John Sullivan, Perry Lamy, and myself being part of the swimming and diving team that night. I don't recall the reason we decided to build the pool other than boredom and it seemed like a good idea for some clean fun, but as aspiring civil engineers, Dave Defoliart and I were part of the design team for the construction of the dam. There was minimal leakage until someone was unable to successfully negotiate the entrance to the pool, broke the seal and created the great flood.

Hoss Erving

Bill Buchta, et. al.

One Saturday night when we were 3 degrees in 13th – the Group AOC and Capt Welty restricted the whole squadron when they found a disassembled motorcycle in the firstie locker room, the Squadron First Sgt (Jim Luntz '74 as I recall) having a refrigerator in his closet, a couple of TVs, and assorted other heinous crimes. I thought Welty was going to cry.

Anyway, I remember the CQ from 15th came up about 2230 and wondered if we had any leaking pipes in our central latrine because they had water dripping out of the elevator shaft and out of the ceiling over their CQ desk (which sat out in the hall right beneath our latrine). I can't remember who our CQ was, but he did say something about "no leaky pipes" just as Norm Sipe ('74) walked out of our center latrine in swim fins, mask, and SCUBA tank. I think we got the water up to about 5 feet deep before Pete Bonani ('76) came out of his room (next to the latrine) to complain about the water flowing through his room from the wall next to the john.

Mike Magee

We had a couple of "white water rafting trips" in the showers! A sidewise table covered in plastic garbage bags, plug up the shower and, presto! – a six man raft with oars 3 - 4 feet high in water!! An awesome sight. Good times until the dam broke . . . wooosh . . . a waterfall cascading down the hall into CS-27. Oh well!

Also . . . we had NO carpeting back in the purple A-jacket days, and the floors were buffed, right? One Saturday night during yet ANOTHER restriction, we soaked the floor with water, and proceeded to have a contest between '75, '76' & '77 on who or whom could slide the furthest down the hallway towards the Grim Reapers, naked, with only the use of soap on one’s tush to combat friction, and consequently gain velocity! (Not a bad description from a Life Sci guy, huh?)

Well, the contest was going alive and well, when in the midst of the competition, a female officer (a what?) came wandering down the side hallway and got quite a sight! No one heard "female in the area" or anything! Imagine that! But I'll never forget the look on her face, as she gazed upon us 30+ naked sliders. As she was exiting down the stairway, one of our juniors was "sliding" by, and still managed a salute, greeting her with a loud "Good Evening, Ma’am!" as he passed her by! She was horrified, and we laughed our soapy asses off! Must be time for the Family Subs delivery!

Fred Weems

Can anyone identify the '75ers in the attached shot (Right) of a dorm "pool" in the showers?

From Duane Jones: Joe May, Mike Coman, & Rick Dahlstrom (in the mask) in CS-39 southwest corner shower.

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