From the interview with Larry Frankini of Flushing, NY conducted by phone by Henry West from the Fort Worden History Center on March 2, 2005. Mr. Frankini served in Company B of the Boat Battalion, 369th EASR fom 1951 to 1953. Here he describes his work:

“I was on a salvage boat. It was an LCM, we had rigs and it was set up for a salvage boat. If any of the boats got broke–in combat, sometimes they would broach on shore and we would pull them off with a tow line. The boats would get turned sidewys by the waves, they would broach and we’d get them and do minor repairs.”

How he felt about Army life:

“I enjoyed the Army and I liked Washington State. I liked Port Townsend very much when I was there in ’51, it was a great place. Worden was a good camp, it was a good town, people were great and the people in town were very good to soldiers. A lot of times when you get in these Army camps, they resent that you’re even there. But those people were very, very good.”