I served in the Thompson from Oct 46 - Dec 47. When I reported aboard she was stone cold dead--at Mare Island undergoing repairs. All power and water was received from the wharf and we took our meals ashore. I was one of many new young sailors--none ever having been to sea--as she was re-crewing. Shortly thereafter, we were ready and headed for sea engine trials out of San Francisco. I can still remember day, cold even though the sun was shining, riding high as our ammo was at Port Chicago and we had taken only enough fuel for the trial. We hadn't even cleared the sea channel when the Captain kicked her in the butt, and we went screaming out to sea at 38 knots which we maintained for 30 - 45 minutes before slowing down--thank God-- and steaming at various speeds to complete the trials. During that initial spurt there were young sailors strewn around the deck passed out with sea sickness; the sea was quite choppy that day as it usually was around northern California, and they were getting a salt water bath from waves splashing aboard. Before I got sick, I remember hearing the ship's First Lieutenant telling several chiefs to leave the youngsters where they lay but to watch that they didn't get washed overboard. I got over my sea sickness one day before arrival at Pearl Harbor on our way to Tsingtao, China. She was a good ship, and I grew up a lot during the 14 months I served aboard her.
Thanks,