Looks like Dennis D. Krause unknowingly crossed paths very closely in the 9th MEB. While I didn't volunteer as he did I was plucked out of G2 1st MAW and added to the ranks of the 9th MEB back in the day, and like he, enjoyed time on "Greasy George" Clymer.
And I definitely recall that very same swim call. Once or twice was enough for me as well. And he got it right, below deck was an oven. I don't recall feeling any coolness, but rather what stuck in my mind is the wierd feeling when jumping in and going under, that relatively speaking, it was bottomless. This was in the S. China Sea and it's really deep there.
The 9th MEB floated off of Nam for I don't know how long. It seemed like an eternity. Lot's of ships of various kinds and that was it, you just floated, perhaps moved around a bit, They'd invent things for you to do. I was on the G2 staff so I had a job and a place to go, but the grunts were penned up with nothing, literally nothing to do. Scuttlebutt was one took his rubber mattress, went overboard and started peddling to land.
We were off Danang and then things got interesting. Seems there was a coup down Saigon way and the Admiral got orders to move the fleet down there in case we had to evacuate Americans. I was on the Admiral's/Generals flagship, which may have been the Clymer, (I moved to another ship somewhere along the way, but don't recall it's name off hand) and as Dennis said, these ships were long in the tooth). when the order came in.
I remember this scenario well. Though we were afloat, doing nothing, going nowhere, Uncle Sam actually paid you. In US dollars I think, not funny money (military script). The way this was done is a Captain carried the money from ship to ship, with a Sgt packing a 45 in tow for protection. He was ferried around in a small boat, pulled up to the Jacob's ladder (staircase), would come up, sit behind a little table and dole out the cash to we troops, who signed off that they rec'd it. You could opt for it all or part. But he had to have enough case for all. So he had a LOT of money.
It so happened that one eventful day, A bunch of Marines, including me were standing on deck (hanging around doing zip) just as he came aboard our ship. They say timing is everything in life and that day it was for the Marine Captain & Sgt.,Literally a few minutes after the Captain & Sgt set foot on deck, the Admiral himself stuck his head over his perch and shouted the order down to the navy guys that we we're ordered to pull out and head to Saigon. Included in this short order was to "pull up the Jacobs ladder and get under weigh" This, as you can imagine got the Marine Captain/paymaster's attention. He and the Sgt quickly gathered themselves and the Captain, politely and properly asked the Admiral who was still looking down from ahigh, the words just out of his mouth, if the Admiral would hold that ladder a moment so he & the Sgt could get off.
The Admiral said "Captain, my orders are to move my fleet South IMMEDIATELY, and that's exactly what I'm going to do….Welcome aboard" And stunned he watched the crew hop to, pull up the ladder, and off we went. And that poor Captain and Sgt were with us all the way to Saigon and back (eventually we came back when the coup quieted down Big Minh was overthrowing Little Mihn or vs versa). All they had was what they were wearing (uniform of the day, not dungerees) their 45's, and a pile of money. And I suppose a neat story to tell.
What else comes to mind, is the Admiral had a very high pitched voice, which amused the Marines to no end, but you had to be Very careful of when and where you were amused.
Along the lines of vintage liberty cards being sent in, attached is mine from the 9th MEB. As you can see it wasn't a card per se. just a piece of fragile paper. You carried them with you, not much liberty as you may think, being on a ship. When we pulled into Subic, you had a step in front of you before that pass meant anything, you had to get off the ship, i.e. be on the roster approving it.
Subic is another story. As well as the tour to Bataan and Corregidor.
Don Harkness
1961-1965