Keith Tillotson
The United Victory (February to May 1944)
Keith circa 1940s
But anyway, I ended up in Portland Oregon again. Met some of the same guys that got off the ship. I got on what you call a Victory ship – another class. A turbine job – just like the destroyers, they had turbine engines. Went to Hawaii and broke a record for speed, over to Hawaii and back.
I didn't like the chief engineer there. He wouldn't even let anybody handle the controls. He was just one of these guys that just wouldn't let you do anything.
I do remember getting steel in my eye. I can't even remember which eye it was, now. I think it was this one [gestures]. I was grinding something, or doing something.
I was still second engineer, and I had to test water, you know. This acid stuff dripped on my clothes, and I didn't notice it 'cause I had this patch over my eye. You lose your perspective a little bit. And I thought somebody's rippin' up my clothes after I washed 'em. It was all these cuts, but all it was, was acid. I don't even know how to test water anymore, you know. But you had to test the boiler water to keep it treated just right.
All us engineers got off and went back to Portland Oregon to get another ship.