During the 1972/1973 Westpac I worked in the Captain’s Office, which was in X Division. We had a good relationship with the Post Clerks and they always ensured we got a copy of the Playboy magazine every month. We would put the centerfold picture up on the walls of the Captain’s Office. Once a month

Captain Foley would come down to the Captain’s Office and after we yelled attention-on-deck he would go over and see Mac for the latest Playboy. He would stand by our file cabinets with the magazine on top of them and browse through it. Then he would tell us to keep up the good work and off he went.

One day myself and one other guy were in the Captain’s Office when the door opened and in walked the

Executive Officer. He looked around and said that all pinups had to be taken down prior to returning to homeport.

Well, that didn’t sit well with us, and on the Captain’s next visit to read the latest Playboy I asked him about it. He looked around the office and said that it looks good. He said to tell the XO we didn’t have to take them down.

So, a few days go by and the XO returns, just me and the same other guy in the office again. He asks why we haven’t taken down the pinups. I informed him that the Captain likes them and said we didn’t have to take them down. He didn’t say anything, just left.

Before the ship left for change of homeport to Japan, we had a dependents-day cruise. Captain Foley came down to the Captain’s Office and said that he might want to show his wife the office and maybe we better take the pinups down, but then put them back up the next day. The day after the dependents-day cruise, the Captain did stop by the office to see if we put them all back up.

All of us in the Captain’s Office enjoyed working for Captain Foley. It was sad to hear of his passing (see his notice in the “In Memoriam,” this newsletter), he had a great career in the Navy.

Several months later I decided to reenlist. Captain Foley had left and I didn’t really know the new CO.

The Ship’s Secretary was only a W-1 and couldn’t reenlist me. He suggested I ask the XO to do it. I was a little nervous the XO would remember me from the pinups, but I guess not, because when I stopped by his office and told him my problem, he said he’d be happy to reenlist me. In fact, I still have a picture of the Midway in my office that he signed for me.