READERS' STORIES

Pictures and comments  from Mike Klapka  San Diego, CA

I was browsing thru your site and noticed that a photo I sent you a long time ago may not be the boat I thought it was. On the PTF-26 page the picture in the right column 2nd and last on down, is not PTF-26. It was a small picture when I scanned it and I did not look close enough at it. It lacks the vents down the side of the center tower and it as what I guess to be an anti aircraft gun under a gray cover on the starboard side forward. 

The photo is one that I took so I'm sure this boat was in the San Diego area probably in 1979. Sorry for the error, however this does raise the question, what boat is it? It may be of interest to other readers. 

Thanks for your time... 
Mike Klapka 

05/06/00
Hi,
I just wanted to thank you both for taking time out of your trip to visit with me. It was a real pleasure to meet you both. Hope we can do it again someday soon. 

I have attached a scan of the CRS1 Logo, and two more emails to follow with a PB engine room and the patches.

03/07/00
The tour of the 26 was great! Lots of memories came back quick. One in particular, I can't believe the pic of the GQ alarm.... Before I clicked on the thumbnail I remembered the dent in it. It was put there by the fist of a crewmember who slept in the bunk next to it. He did it in his sleep... weird the things you remember huh....

All the additions look great, thanks again for the MkIII page too. I hope your having as much fun and I am with all this. Please thank Roxane for all her work for me too. Ok now I am planning to dig through the old albums maybe I can find a surprise or two more.

Looking forward to DD-566 info, sounds like its gonna take off! I'll get the MkIII tech info together asap.
See ya,,,, Mike

03/06/00

http://www.blarg.com/~whitet/sbu.htm - Click here: Special Boat Units

http://www.specialoperations.com/Navy/SBR/default2.html -- Click here: U.S. Navy Special Boat Units

http://www.specialoperations.com/Navy/SBR/default2.html

Oh boy, Have you seen this one? Looks like to be a crewmember of a boat now days means you have to go thru seal training! Interesting article, good history info about what went on after we left...
Mike

03/05/00

The MkIII docs I sent, have all the info on them that I have. You may have to zoom in to read them. If they are not readable I'll be happy to type them up. The command history makes a note of 3 Spector class boats in their inventory when SBU ONE was formed in Oct. 1979. That would be the MKIII's, the one I was on at the that time was PB751. This history came from a change of command ceremony book from '79
Mike

[Liberty-Maritime
Yes, we would like any pictures we can get. Have you already been on the www.ptfnasty.com site? We are working on getting in touch with ex-crewmembers. Maybe we could do a reunion on board or something, we did that when I was restoring a PT boat. Thanks for the kind words, I'll keep your name in case anything comes up. What years did you serve & in what location(s), capacity? 
Jim West ]

[----- Original Message ----- 
From: Havnfunnow@aol.com
To:  Liberty-Maritime@msn.com
Sent: Sunday, March 05, 2000 3:15 AM 
Subject: Ptf

> Hi, 
> I just wanted to say I was very pleased to find your site. The pictures of 
> PTF-26 on your site are ones that I took when I served on it in the late 
> 70's. If you would like more of them or better quality scans of the 
> originals, I would be happy to send them to you. If you happen to get 
> contacted by any of the old crew members, please send them my way if you 
> could. You have a very special piece of history, and it make me very happy to 
> see the boat being used in such a terrific way. I wish the best for your 
> organization and good boating! 
> Mike Klapka]

I am looking forward to your future updates, you have a great page! Thanks again so much for keeping our past alive. I hope to visit my old unit in Coronado this summer and I may be able to talk my way into a ride on the new boats. I found out from a member of the unit there that there is a storage box near the pier that has a lot of our old stuff in it. Maybe Ill be able to take a peek there too. 

Keep in touch and thanks again. 
Mike Klapka

01/19/00
Dan,
Thanks for the reply, I can tell you really enjoy what your doing. I spent hours pouring over your site and some of your links. I think more than ever, ex military people are rediscovering old friends and old interests.

More than ever I am itching to find some old friends and info about my old boats. I have some good photos of the last PTF26 crew before it went on the wall when CRS-1 took it out of use. Would it be possible to post a couple and maybe others may recognize them? If so let me know. I can post them on a personal web site, and when I'm done give you the web address. You can copy the ones you want from there. Now I'm starting to get curious about the Mark III's and where they are.

Dan you have a great thing going here. Thanks for all your hard work, It is most definitely appreciated.

Mike Klapka  
San Diego, CA

November 08, 1999
I would like to offer you this picture of PTF26 underway off Pt. Loma, San Diego. This picture was taken close to 1978.

It is a small scanned image of the original, if you would like a more detailed larger file I can send it also.

I spent just over a year as a crew member and I would love to contact others who I served with. Maybe this photo will help me do that.

I can recall some good info if you need it and I hope this will be of interest. I do have some more pictures of PTF26 and also some PB's that I served on. The boats were attached to Coastal River Squadron 1 on the Amphibious Base in Coronado.

Hope to hear from you and thanks so much for a great web site, I'll be checking in again.