I reported aboard the USS Tucker in February 1939, direct from the Naval Training Station at San Diego. I was assigned to the number one fire room for my first duty station.

In the spring of 1939, the USS Case and Tucker were assigned to take ROTC officers on a training cruise up the Inland Passage to Alaska. On the way up, between San Francisco and Seattle we ran into a storm. At the time the number one fire room was “down” and we were cruising on number two fire room. I was inside number one boiler “punching” tubes. Punching tubes means to clean the boiler tubes with an air-driven rotary wire brush. The technique was to slowly push this brush through each tube to clean it of scale and sediment.

The ship was rolling and pitching and this being my first time at sea, I was a very seasick man. They put a bucket in the boiler for me to “heave”in, but I was soon to sick to continue. I crawled out of the boiler and staggered to my bunk, where I remained for three days. I resisted all attempts to get me on my feet. Boatswain Bounds finally gave up on me and left me alone. For a couple of days I wished I could have died and ended my misery. However, I survived and never was seasick again for the remaining time in the service. The Alaskan cruise proved to be one of the best cruises of my short (navel) career.

In 1940, when they were ferrying bombers from the Philippines to the States the 5^th and 6^th divisions of destroyers were assigned stations along the way. Arriving on station and to relieve the monotony the skipper allowed the crew to hoist our canvas awnings for sails. A picture of the USS Tucker under sail is in the October 28, 1940 issue of Life Magazine. The ship made about three knots under canvas! A swimming party was allowed and was soon in trouble. Swimmers couldn’t keep up with the ship. Whale boats were lowered to pick up the swimmers, but when they got to me they were full, so a life ring was tossed to me. The sea was a little choppy and the ship and boats were soon out of sight. For a while I thought they wouldn’t be able to find me. But, after circling a few times, I was sighted and picked up. I never attempted to go swimming again in mid-ocean.

In 1941 the 5^th and 6^th Divisions along with a couple of cruisers made the voyage to New Zealand and Australia, stopping at Pago Pago, Samoa, Suva, Fuji, Papeete and Tahiti. The 6^th Divisions ended up at Auckland, New Zealand and the 5^th in Australia. It was a very enjoyable cruise. Of course this pollywog ended up a shellback on this cruise. I have several pictures of the initiation.

After surviving the attack on Pearl Harbor and after making several trips to the mainland escorting convoys, The USS Tucker was assigned to escort the USS Wright to Perth, Australia. We went through the area where the battle of the Coral Sea took place, but were not involved in the action. Near Tasmania we thought we had submarine contact and dropped a few depth charges.

July of 1942 found the USS Tucker practicing landings with the fleet preparing to invade Guadalcanal. She was detached from this duty and ordered to escort the SS Niva Luckenback to Esperito Santos. On entering the Bruat Channel the USS Tucker hit a mine amidships and sank, thus ending my brief career in the USS Tucker.

She was always a friendly ship and always drew good duty until the end. We lost all the men in the steaming fire room and engine room. As a member of the damage control party it was my sad duty to stay and help recover some of the bodies. We never recovered them all.

The transportation of the USS Tucker survivors list me, Robert Sargent M1/C, as reporting aboard the USS Long Island from Roses; not so, that was my brother Everett E. Sargent, who is not listed. I stayed at Button. Calhoun should have caught this.

I went back to Boston and put the USS Guest DD 472 in commission. The USS Guest earned eight battle stars in the Pacific. At war’s end I mustered out.

My fondest memories of my short navel career are of my service on the USS Tucker, she was a “home and a feeder.”