Aloha everyone and welcome aboard to our shipmates. After much hard work (and a few cinderella liberties) the new NAFTS.com website has been relaunched. We will be shifting over the photo archives, member pages, guest book, articles, etc in the coming weeks with a goal of having the full site up by the new year.
All of the current NAFTS members have been sent an email message with their login information and password to access the full membership site. There are currently three (3) membership levels.
1. Free membership which is for new visitiors to the website. This will grant access to the main pages of the website and archived editions of The Towline.
2. Active membership which is for current lifetime, yearly, & 544 members which provides full access to the website pages and subscription to The Towline.
3. Inactive membership which is for those who are currently tardy or remiss on their dues. This grants access to the same level as free members.
All of the above information is laid out in greater detail on the membership signup options page (link at the top of this page) along with payment options
There are undoubtedly some errors and omissions in our membership database and also some outdated information. So if you need to update your email, contact information, check you membership status, pay your dues, please contact me at membership@nafts.com
Once again, welcome to the new National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors website - The Salvage Navy!
Home of the greatest complement of Veteran Salvors the world has ever seen.
Ahoy shipmates: I served aboard the Moctobi (atf-105) in the very early sixties, and also the Cacapon (AO-52) & the Guadalupe (AO-32). The last two out of Long Beach. After discharge spent 35 years working for the government in California. Worked another ten years in security, then finally retired to a little town near Boise, Idaho. My hobbies fishing ( I fish every other day…weather I need to or not!) I also grow, decorate and sell gourds..for fun. I volunteer at the Warhawk Air Museum in Nampa, Idaho. I interview WW2 vets for the Library of Congress and do some tour-guiding. I hope to accompany our next Honor Flight to D.C. in May as a guardian. I also volunteer at our local hospice as vet counselor.
I would really enjoy hearing from any sailor from my old ship….or any other from that era. Keep the wind at your back! Larry Gaukel
Email; flyingsanta@hotmail.com
Larry, I served in USS TILLAMOOK (ATA-192) from 1963-65. I live in Seattle and retired from teaching in June 2014. I am active in my American Legion and VFW posts, and in the Scottish-American Military Society (SAMS). Fair winds and following seas to you!
Clark.
I have written a book titled: A Tugboat Sailor, The Life and Times of Billy Jack McCoy in The Forgotten War (Korean War).
It is a book about war and a book about peace – aboard the USS Tawakoni ATF-115 (Korea 1950 ’51 part of ’52 and the USS Castor AKS-1 1951 part of ’52.You will find many American and foreign ships with casualties listed, and tugs in Korean waters with causalities – under the chapter: Minesweeping Operations. Amazon.com or Kindle
Looking for shipmates USS Penobscot ATA188….may 1959 to May 1961
My profile has me listed as being on the Tug LT2086. Actually I was on the Tug 2085. Can this be corrected?
I’ve been off the grid for some time. Good to be back. This might be an update. Went to Portland, for the reunion. Got to drive the p.T. boat #658 up the Columbia. Great thrill. I still volunteer at the Warhawk Air Museum in Nampa, Id. Interview dozens of veterans for the L.O.C Have a coffee hour once a month (first tuesday of month) for all veterans called “Kilroy’. WE have 150-200 vets show every month. Great speakers for them to hear. We have a “Warbird Roundup” once a year. Several planes from all over the country preform, besides our own planes. WE do a veteran breakfast on Vet. day. WE serve over 1100 meals in four hours. Our v olunteers are the best. They have helped my wife and I through some tough times this year. Always welcome emails from any vet.
USS Molala ATF 106 april 1963 to jan 1965 towed targets barges abd the USNS Card out of the Philapens to Japan Went to Honkong hit a British carrier toor up our mast left for the states lost shios servis generator and 3 main engines. Under tow, a day out of Pearl my mid watch tow was slipped whintin on our power