Seeking Stories about Capt. McGrail

[Billntwrk]

Folks,
Anyone with stories about Capt. McGrail, Please post here, His Children would love to read about the Old Man. The family will collect the stories for Cpat. McGrails grand kids. These kids never knew their grandfather as he had passed on before they were born.
Darth Vader? Green Flash? That Set Of Green Coveralls he used to wear that Just Said Chuck on the Name Patch? It is a free-wheeling forum so let them Rip.
Billntwrk@yahoo.com sends

[Face]

I remember the green flash :), he would call out over the 1mc to come up to the flight deck to see the green flash, this was almost always followed by a "while your up here FOD walkdown"!
Another time I was up on deck, and a Bear was going to do a flyover, so Capt McGrail said once the Bear was close for everybody to stop what they were doing, and when he said so to flip the Bear the bird when the Bear flew over. Of course everybody complied!!! :fbomb:
Another time on a dependants day cruise, they were having a FOD walk down and Capt Mcgrail was on the 5mc telling all the guests what a FOD walkdown was and how to do it. while the line was moving aft, a lady in a red dress must have stopped and was looking at something on deck. Capt came over the 5mc and told the lady, "you in the red dress, yes you (of course the lady has no idea where he is) bend over and pick up that FOD"
Thats all I can remember now, besides he was always on the 1mc. at first we didn't like it, then we couldn't do without it. We really appreciated being told what was going on in the world (no internet then) on his daily talks.

[snipeN2able]

At first I did not know what to think of him. He turned out th be the best Capt. I had in the Navy.Hard core ,but funny,disliked the "reds" bigtime.I am sorry to hear of his passing ,it saddens me very much. If his family would care to contact me my e-mail is :golfer_dude63@yahoo.com

[pr2aimd]

:D I remember the green flash, he would call out over the 1mc to come up to the flight deck to see the green flash, this was almost always followed by a "while your up here FOD walkdown"!
Another time I was up on deck, and a Bear was going to do a flyover, so Capt McGrail said once the Bear was close for everybody to stop what they were doing, and when he said so to flip the Bear the bird when the Bear flew over. Of course everybody complied!!! :fbomb:
Another time on a dependants day cruise, they were having a FOD walk down and Capt Mcgrail was on the 5mc telling all the guests what a FOD walkdown was and how to do it. while the line was moving aft, a lady in a red dress must have stopped and was looking at something on deck. Capt came over the 5mc and told the lady, "you in the red dress, yes you (of course the lady has no idea where he is) bend over and pick up that FOD"
Thats all I can remember now, besides he was always on the 1mc. at first we didn't like it, then we couldn't do without it. We really appreciated being told what was going on in the world (no internet then) on his daily talks.

Was on the brdge as an MAA, capt. cracking jokes at the kids on the deck (hay you if you are lost find a saler and ask what to do) i almost lost it,could not lagh that close to capt. i also rember the green coveralls and midway magic song :lol:

[Eagle3]

I still have my buttons that Capt McGrail had made for the crew. One says, "I witnessed the Green Flash!" and the other reads, "I'd Rather Kill Commies". He was a great skipper and certainly made my tour all that more enjoyable. He always kept us informed with what was going on with his constant addresses to the crew on the 1MC. I think he was also the skipper that used the closing theme to Monty Python as the break away music for unreps. :hehe:

[cloud9driver]

Captain McGrail was the best C.O. that I had the pleasure of serving under. After reading the other responses, I remember all of these events, but there were several things that made him unique in my book. His love for the crew and wanting to get out and see what was going on first hand. I worked in IM-3 Division, and it was a regular occurance for him to knock on the front door, close the door on his marine escort, and disappear out the back door, so that he could wander the ship on his own. He would show up in your shop, and just sit down, grab a cup of coffee, and ask you how it was going, did you have any suggestions, etc. He also had the bagpipe music during unreps, and getting Crystal Gayle to be our Music Officer, with our theme song, is a memory as well. He was also a "Everything is fair in love and war" type, when it came to exercises against other carriers, and real world encounters with the Bears and AIGS that surveilled us constantly.