Ronald Kercher

DOB: 10/21/32
Service Dates: 11/21/50-8/30/54
Boats Served On:
USS Remora (SS-487)

SEAMAN

I was leading Seaman from 1951 to 1954, making sure everything was clean and shipshape on the outside of the boat. I remember a time when we went into the shipyard for general maintenance. My crew was instructed to paint the boat. Somehow their paint mixture came out pink! I had gone ashore and when I returned to the pier the Remora was a beautiful light shade of pink which really stood out among all the other gun metal gray boats in the yard. Even before I got off the tender when returning to the boat I could see the pink Remora. Then all the sailors onboard all the other boats started laughing as I walked up the gangplank. Needless to say the captain was not too happy and we had to repaint the boat immediately.