"It was just one wrenching experience after another...."

Hello John,
I was surfing the web tonight, and in looking for information about my time on the U.S.S. Hermitage from 1960-61, I came across your website.
I am the dentist in the picture "Men at work 2". I was assigned to the Marine Corps at Camp Lejeune immediately after graduating from Emory University School of Dentistry in Atlanta, GA. in June of 1959. My unit was 2nd Dental Co., Force Troops. I understand that at some point, Force Troops was re-named as a Logistics unit. Solant Amity I was an unforgettable period in my life, and I am sure, in the lives of many others who were on that cruise. We had experiences that could not have happened as tourists. I served two years at Camp Lejeune and then left the Navy to re-enter civilian life in Atlanta.
In the middle 1960's one of the helicopter pilots whose last name was Sims called me to let me know the status of some of the other pilots. Unfortunately, some of them had been badly injured in Vietnam.

Sims had left the Marine Corps and was flying commercial transports at the time. I haven't heard from him since.
Someone else who contacted me in the 60's was a dental tech from my company by the name of Doctor Bowen. "Doctor" was really his first name!
If you have heard from any other members of my dental company, I would be glad to know what has happened to them since 1961.
It is really amazing that after all these years I would stumble upon your website.
Cordially,
Thomas H. Poole, Jr. D.D.S. [thpjrdds35@comcast.net]
4275 Owens Rd. #533
Evans, GA 30809

In subsequent communications between Tom and myself [Somantamity.com's webmaster], he elaborated on the above and expanded upon it in ways sure to give you a giggle or two and bring to mind events of your own from so VERY long ago. Here is Tom's wonderful exposition from his own perspective dated 10/18/06:

Hello Ed,
Thank you for your reply of yesterday. It was good to hear from someone from the "old days". It's hard to realize that our time on the Hermitage was nearly fifty years ago, when so many of the memories seem like only yesterday.
I sent a copy of our letters to Charles LaMarr, but have not received a reply. I will let you know if he responds.
The reason for my finding your website was that I was looking for an automobile license plate with a Marine Corps theme for my car. Then one thing led to another. You know how it is when you start surfing the web.
I had been in the Navy Reserve in dental school, and had requested San Diego for active duty after graduation, but my orders were for Camp Lejeune. The opposite of my request! This was really surprising, because one of my classmates had requested Camp Lejeune and he got San Diego. Either somebody mixed us up or they were playing a joke on us.
During the time I was assigned to the Marines I was anxious to get out and go back to Atlanta to start a dental practice, but after a few years back in Atlanta, I became fed up with it and tried to re-enlist. Unfortunately, I was 35 years old by then, and just past the acceptable age.
I wound up going to work for the Veterans Administration as a staff dentist in VA hospitals, and retired in 1995.
Many times over the years I have wished I had stayed in the Navy. Our executive officer in the dental company, Commander Funk, at Lejeune liked duty with the Marines. He even bought a set of Marine uniforms and wore them. Maybe I would have done the same thing. Some of my best friends were Marines that I met during those two years.
My next door neighbor in our duplex on Onslow Drive was a helicopter pilot named Ernie Contreras. He went back to Los Angeles and was a physical education teacher. He usually sends me a Christmas card.
Looking at the websites about Solant Amity, I remember Major Kurth and the other officers, and Lt. Stockwell of the Pathfinders. I surely wish I could hear from them.
Some of the experiences we had were life-changing, or at least "attitude" changing. Seeing how people lived in those other countries was amazing. I remember one day on the Hermitage I was lying in my bunk and the ship's captain stuck his head in the room and said "I thought I was in the bilge." That was because of the mess that was left every morning after some of the Marine officers stayed up all night partying. That happened nearly every night. I don't know why they picked the room I was in to do their partying.
For a while, I went to the Navy officer's quarters to try to get some sleep, but I was told to stop doing that. I had always heard that Navy ships had good food, but that was not the case on the Hermitage. The Navy officers had decided to feed themselves as cheaply as possible, and were trying to do it on 95 cents a day, so the result was some of the worst food I ever ate. As often as I could get away with it, I sneaked down to the mess at night and looked for something to eat. Here again, I was told to discontinue that practice.
Of course, if I had stayed in, my next duty might have been in Vietnam, and I might not be here as a result.
Someone told me about a dental company that was over run by the Viet Cong. Another reason for not staying in was the separations from family.
In any case, my time with the Marines was a pleasure, and I wish I could re-live it with the benefit of what I know now, after gaining more experience and maturity. But then we would change a lot of things if we had it to do over, wouldn't we?....

Please keep in touch.
Tom Poole [thpjrdds35@comcast.net]

Thank you, Thomas Poole, Jr., D.D.S. and Semper fi. And, I ask that anyone with answers to any of Tom's question PLEASE get in touch with him.