You plank owners should remember Francis (Fred) Ball. He was with us through pre commissioning school until just before we left on the 66 cruise. I think he was a MM2 at the time. Fred passed away in 1991.



Edited by - John Freeman on 02/18/2001 14:54:34

Wes,
Thanks for posting about Fred, am sorry to hear about him. I had a few drinks with him while I was aboard. Always rembember him as a nice guy.
ken

Hi Ken, I saw Fred occasionally over the years. He owned a transmission shop in Casper Wyoming. He later went to school and learned to be a gunsmith. I saw his wife Sandy last year. She is a nurse and has worked many years at Wyoming Medical Center in Casper.

Wes, Talk about small world, Freds wife most likely knows a friend of mine in Casper who is a caradiac Surgeon, guy by the name of Lou Steplock. He owns some rail passenger cars and I used to repair them in my shop when I was in Portland Oregon.
He was also a partner in the business that I am now a small owner of in Sandpoint, Id.