A Tribute to Bill Earle
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
by Captain W. E. “Wee” Smith (Ret), ’53
When Captain William K. Earle ‘40, died on March 29, 2006, in Port Isabelle, Texas, after a number of years of failing health, he left a legacy with the Coast Guard, the Academy, and the Alumni Association that very few Academy alumni can rival. It’s unlikely that we’ll ever see another like him.
Bill was predeceased by his wife, Cindy. He is survived by his twin son William K. Earle Jr., and daughter, Cynthia (“Punky”) Chambers.
Bill loved the Coast Guard and the Academy. During his 29 year active duty career, he: served aboard nine ships and commanded six of them; earned a Juris Doctor degree from George Washington University; was a law instructor at the Academy; chaired a board whose recommendations significantly and dramatically changed the Academy; was the advisor for the Class of ’56; and, was the head of the Academy’s Professional Studies department. His final active duty assignment was as Chief of Staff, Eleventh Coast Guard District.
After retiring from active duty, Bill earned a Master’s Degree in Political Science at the University of Washington; was a member of the faculty of California State Polytechnic College from 1969-1970; taught at Massachusetts Maritime Academy from 1970-1971; and served as the Alumni Association’s Executive Director and Editor of The Bulletin from 1971 to 1981, the longest that anyone had served in these positions.
Bill’s avocations included: fresh and salt water fishing; recreational sailing trips with friends; traveling; playing racquetball, golf, and poker; and he was a strong advocate and supporter of the Academy’s intercollegiate athletic and sailing programs.
The Cadet
Excerpts from Tide Rips 1940 accurately describe Bill Earle’s qualities that many of his friends and colleagues observed in him over the years. He came from a family which for many generations had served its country as seafarers. With three brothers in the military services Bill was carrying on the tradition and was predicted to “surely enhance it.” ‘Jug’ (his cadet nickname) “is generally found in the center of an argument, eagerly propounding his ideas with that dynamic forcefulness of his. Very determined in manner and hearing, he will permit no opinion contrary to his own go unchallenged, but will argue his point capably and vigorously. With his ready smile and engaging manner, Bill has been very popular with classmates and underclassmen alike.”
RADM Bill Jenkins, ’42, who was a fourth classman when Bill Earle was a second classman, remembers him as “very military in his demeanor and conduct. He was strict but fair and with a sense of humor. He had a reputation in our class as being ‘one of the good guys’.”
Bill’s Professional Side
The Seaman
Bill’s first assignment from the Academy was to the CGC Campbell. He subsequently served aboard the patrol frigate USS Davenport (PF-69) and commanded these six ships: the frigate USS Hingham (PF 30), the destroyer escort USS Rhodes (DE 384), the cutters Matagorda, Ponchartrain, and Edisto, and Barque Eagle; and he was XO on the cutter Mackinaw.
The first time RADM Chuck Larkin, ’49, saw Bill Earle was in 1946 when Chuck was a cadet aboard the cutter Mackinaw and LCDR Earle was her XO. Chuck said, “We saw him conn her out of the tight quarters of Cheboygan, MI — coolly, quietly, confidently, and professionally — truly an example of the seaman extraordinaire.”
RADM Norm Venzke, ’50, served back-to-back tours with Bill. It began in 1963 when Bill assumed the duties of Head, Department of Professional Studies while Norm was Chief, Weapons Section at the Academy. Then in the fall of 1965 both were transferred simultaneously to the icebreaker USS Edisto as prospective CO and XO, respectively. Their first task was to effect the transfer of the Edisto to the Coast Guard. Norm said the Edisto was in poor material condition, but that “Bill grabbed the ‘handlebars,’ the deficiencies were expeditiously corrected, and we were able to make an emergency deployment to the Arctic, albeit somewhat shaky, just three weeks after Edisto was commissioned as a Coast Guard icebreaker.”
For VADM Howie Thorsen, ’55, “the one singular instance which will always personify Bill is indelibly etched in my mind. In 1954, we were in Copenhagen on cadet cruise, about to leave port, when the word was passed that Danmark was sailing toward us, and the question of which stalwart ship and crew was best was to be resolved (‘fastest’ being the only gauge available). Same wind and sea, side by side … what better could one ask?
“We set some sail at the dock, with the idea of sailing away when the last line was cast off .… but, truth be told, ‘Elmer’ (Eagle’s Diesel engine) had to give a short kick to prevent the stern from leaving a bit of paint on the dock.
“But, then we were underway, and sails quickly set. We had been told that the sailors on Danmark had some mechanical assist while bracing the yards, but we were confident that our own ‘Norwegian Steam’ would be more than a match. As Eagle came nearer to where the race was to begin, we were ordered to crouch down, stay below the gunnels, out of sight. Adrenaline was the order of the day, and when the anticipated order came to brace around, a hundred and fifty or more sailor-suited cadets materialized seemingly out of nowhere, and no such order was ever before (or since, I’ll bet) executed with such precision and speed.
“The two ships were settled on course and all hands nervously watched for any sign of going ahead or falling back … Before long, a cheer went up as it became apparent that Eagle was pulling ahead. I don’t have any idea of the speeds, but if Danmark was making six knots, then Eagle was making seven. In a short while, the flashing light on Danmark became active, and we quickly penned the query, ‘Are you using your engine?’ CDR Earle, hearing this, quickly climbed up to the signal lamp and batted out, ‘No, are you dragging your anchor?’ End of communications!”
The Ditching of PanAm Clipper 943 (“The Sovereign of the Skies”)
Most skippers will agree that there’s a lot of luck as to when your ship might get an opportunity for a dramatic rescue. They will also agree that it takes a lot more than just luck for your ship to be prepared and ready for a rescue when/if it does occur.
Then-LTJG Bob Guibord, ’54, and ENS Dick Abrahams, ’55, were DWOs aboard the CGC Ponchartrain when CDR Bill Earle relieved as CO in the late summer of 1956.
The Ponchartrain was scheduled for an “Ocean Station November” patrol and, as Dick recalls, “CDR Earle realized he had little time to get to know his crew and they him before departing on patrol. So, to build the ship’s team readiness in the short time available, he scheduled ‘Ponch’ to conduct an underway SAR ditching drill with Air Station San Diego, enroute to OS November. He wanted to insure that he and his crew would be prepared and ready if a plane was to ditch alongside the Ponchartrain. Careful planning was typical for him and it reaped great benefits when on October 16, 1956, PanAm Clipper 943 ditched alongside us, halfway between San Francisco and Honolulu. All 31 persons aboard the aircraft were rescued and survived with only minor injuries.”
Bob, who was the OOD on the 04-08 watch that morning, and Dick, who was in CIC, recall that CDR Earle was in almost constant radio contact with the captain of PanAm 943 (Captain Richard Ogg) from about 0415 when Captain Ogg first sent his “Mayday” until PanAm 943 ditched at about 0820. Both recall how cool CDR Earle’s demeanor and performance was during this entire incident. It reassured Captain Ogg that the Ponchartrain was “ready” and it gave the Ponchartrain crew confidence that the ditching would be successful.
This PanAm Clipper rescue was one of the pinnacle moments in Bill’s career. His longtime neighbor, friend, and former Academy psychologist, Dr. Dick Slimak recalls that Bill proudly kept a sterling silver pitcher in a prominent position on the fireplace mantel in his home. It had this inscription on it:
CDR William K. Earle, USCG
For Services Rendered
Pan American Airways
The Mentor
CDR Henry Haugen, ’55, said “Bill Earle was the Ultimate Mentor to me, to many of my peers, and to our entire Coast Guard Academy family. As an instructor and senior officer, he treated those of us trying to learn with the utmost respect, welcomed dialogue, and yet made his well reasoned points in a forceful manner. He had a good sense of what a Coast Guard officer should be and how he should act. I can’t say we always agreed, but he did listen and care.”
In describing Bill Earle, former Commandant, ADM Jim Loy, ’64, said, “Somehow we all think we knew Bill Earle. He’s one of those omnipresent father/mentor/boss kind of figures that is pervasive in a good way as to his influence on others. My favorite anecdote about Bill was about an article I wrote for The Bulletin as I left for my new afloat assignment. It was titled ‘The Versus Attitude’ and chronicled my concerns that the three big players at the Academy, (the Commandant of Cadets, Dean, and Athletic Director), were being observed in less than a positive light by the Corps by their constant insistence that each deserved more of the cadets 24 hour day than the other two. I suggested in the article that these bright young cadets were watching carefully and learning lessons we might not want them to be learning. I submitted the article to Bill and received it back with a nice letter suggesting that I would be jeopardizing my career if he printed it. He made some suggestions as to how I might rewrite it. I returned the article without change and received a second letter! After two more exchanges, Bill finally printed the article as originally offered. Always one with the last word however, Bill introduced the article in The Bulletin with an inch-wide black mourning band around a full-page of commentary from the editor. (This was in contrast to the two sentence preliminary notes from Bill that he usually put on each published article!). Basically he was saying to the reader, ‘Read on if you must. I’ve tried without success to bring this young officer to his senses!’ This exchange with me was Bill at his finest! The father/counselor/mentor side was there to give me every chance to reconsider writing something that he felt might hurt me”.
When he was one year out of the Academy, VADM Chuck Larkin, ’49, served as a DWO on the Matagorda when Bill was CO. For some reason the XO took a dislike to Chuck and made life difficult for him. Bill sensed Chuck’s discomfort, called him to the cabin, counseled him to be patient, told him that the XO was leaving soon, and to quietly continue what Bill considered his outstanding performance. The XO left, Chuck completed his tour, and received a great fitness report from Bill. Chuck recalls Bill as “inspiring, competent, and the epitome of a true leader. Serving under him was an experience that I treasure.”
CAPT Doré Hunter, ’56, recalls an incident when he was a cadet that Bill’s trust probably affected Doré’s entire career. Doré was hoping to go to postgraduate training in Law after graduating from the Academy and was doing very well in Bill Earle’s Law Course first class year. Bill knew of his interest and very much encouraged it. One of the monthly Law exams that Bill gave in the spring of 1956 had a final page with a large number of multiple-choice questions. Doré remembers, “Somehow I did not see those questions. I completed the rest of the exam, turned in my paper and left the room while there were still about five minutes remaining for the exam. Out in the hall one classmate mentioned to another that he had trouble with the multiple-choice questions! I was thunderstruck! I rushed back to Bill in the exam room, asked if there had been any multiple-choice questions, and was told there were. I looked Bill in the eye and told him I had overlooked them but had heard in the hall that there were such. I added that I had not heard any answers and asked if I could have my exam back. Bill smiled and said ‘I trust you but you will have to finish in the allotted time.’ I flew through the questions like a whirlwind, just finishing as he called time. I got the highest grade given on that exam and ended up winning the graduation Law Prize. Without the multiple choice answers my grade would have been poor. In 1961, I was selected for George Washington Law School and graduated first in my class. If it had not been for Bill’s kindness, trust and exercise of discretion to let me come back to finish that exam I would not have been selected for the Coast Guard’s very small legal postgraduate training program and my whole Coast Guard career would have been different.”
Class of ’56 Advisor
Class of ’56 President, CAPT Joe Smith recalls that ’56’s first class advisor was a LT who was transferred a short time after being selected by the class. The class then selected CDR Bill Earle, the Academy Law instructor, as their advisor.
The dedication from Tide Rips 1956 reads: “To every man there is one person to whom he looks as an ideal; a person who possesses many qualities to be desired in one’s self. As a tribute to an officer of such caliber, we of the class of 1956 dedicate this humble volume. A mere choice selection of words, no matter how elegant or elaborate, cannot encompass our admiration, our thanks, our very special affinity to him. We, as does he, leave the Academy this summer of 1956, but in each is a nurtured hope that a little of him goes with us to our duty stations. In him we have found unique qualities of leadership, devotion to duty, and all that a class advisor should and could be. He required of us the work, conduct, and ideas of a man, and in turn he treated us as men. His guidance has paved the way on our tour through Academy life and by example he has fashioned a goal, breathing purpose into a service career. We thank you for all you have done for us, Commander WILLIAM K. EARLE.”
The Board that Significantly Changed the Academy
In 1957, at Bill Earle’s urging, the Superintendent, RADM R.J. Mauerman, ’22, appointed Bill to serve as Chairman of a Board to investigate and report on the state of the morale and efficiency at CGA.
It was an unusual situation in that Bill was allowed to recruit the other members of his Board and they, in turn, were allowed to draft the Board’s convening order, which RADM Mauerman then signed. The Board charged itself to make a thorough study of all aspects of the Academy’s training and educational programs and were directed to visit both the Naval Academy and Military Academy to study and compare CGA’s programs with the programs at Annapolis and West Point, and to make recommendations to the Superintendent to institute changes when deemed to be advisable.
Bill recruited then-CDR Stan Smith, USMA ’37, who was head of CGA’s Mathematics Department, and LCDR Jack McCann, ’45, who was in CGA’s Professional Studies Department, to serve on the Board with him.
Stan recalls that they “carried out their assignment with enthusiasm and vigor.” Jack remembers, “the report was quite explosive even after we had ‘toned’ it down to insure a fair reception. The main criticism by the committee was the day-to-day functioning of the Commandant of Cadets office and well-meaning but manipulating machinations by people in authority, actually the Superintendent.”
After the Board submitted its report to RADM Mauerman, Jack remembers that “an ominous silence descended on the Academy. Then one day, all hell broke out on the three of us when the Assistant Superintendent, CAPT F.P. Vetterick, ’27 summoned us to his office and asked each of us if we had sent a copy of the Board’s report directly to the Commandant, ADM A.C. Richmond ’25. We, of course, had not and told him so.”
What had happened is that someone, unknown to the Board, had sent a copy of the final report in a plain envelope directly to ADM Richmond. ADM Richmond returned the report to the Academy directing that it be resubmitted to him with an appropriate endorsement.
The upshot of it all was that RADM Mauerman retired quickly. He was succeeded by RADM Frank A. Leamy, ’25, who then implemented almost all of the Board’s recommendations, including revamping the Commandant of Cadets office, improving the cruise planning, having full-time company officers assigned to the Academy, and the physical modernization of CGA.
Stan and Jack readily agree that Bill was not only the chairman of this board, but that he was the architect of its recommendations and because of Bill’s efforts, the Academy is what it is today.
CGA Sailing
Former Superintendent, RADM Bill Jenkins, ’42, had set “getting the cadets back on the water” as one of his top priorities and remembers that Bill Earle’s crusade ‘Where Have All the Sailors Gone?’ coincided with his thinking exactly. Bill was “a great help in reinstilling the ethic of the Coast Guard’s primacy on the water at all levels of our activities.”
CAPT Larry White, ’51, and Bill Earle shared a passion for sailing. Bill’s campaign to enliven Academy sailing, (i.e., his 1985 Bulletin article, “Wanted: A Few Gifted Sailors”), played a part in then Superintendent, RADM Rick Cueroni, ’53, requesting Larry to return to the Academy in 1987 to head up the Academy’s sailing program.
“The Ultimate Writer”
ADM Jim Loy, ’64 described Bill Earle as the “Ultimate Writer” and he certainly was!
Bill authored more than 35 feature articles for The Bulletin. A number of them were deliberately intended to “stir the pot” and with these, he especially invited and encouraged debate and rebuttal.
He’s probably best remembered for his 1974 classic, “Where Have All The Sailors Gone?” in which he expressed great concern about the diminution of sea experience within the Coast Guard’s Officer Corps.
In his follow-up sequel in 1977, “Let’s Bring The Sailors Back!,” he concluded that “we can no longer afford to have all Coast Guard officers go to sea.” His article included a number of “solutions,” some of his own, (e.g., for the Academy to have a tenth “major,” Nautical Science, for those who want to have sea-going careers), and some that other officers had submitted in response to his original article, (e.g., to stop sending all new graduates for an initial tour at sea). The Academy does not have a Nautical Science major, yet, but not all new Academy graduates are being sent to sea.
Bill’s writings did not have any particular “targets;” he “fired at all of them” including:
• Admissions: “Is Our Cadet Appointment System Really The Best?” (September/October 1980) — in which Bill noted “The other military service academies, operating under entirely different selection systems, are coming up with at least equally well rounded cadets and midshipmen — but with higher SAT averages than ours. Why is this? Maybe our much vaunted competitive appointment system needs shoring up?”
• Academics: “Professional Studies at the Academy — a 20-Year Survey” (March/April 1975) and “Education and Training at the Academy: Are They Really Partners? (March/April 1978). In the former article, Bill decried the decline of professional courses at the Academy, (i.e., seamanship, navigation, weapons, communications, and law) from 35% of the curriculum in 1954 to 14% in 1974. The latter article was Bill’s “return salvo” to an article by the Dean of Academics (CAPT Rod White, ’50) that appeared in the November/December 1977 issue of The Bulletin. In it Bill noted that “a few rotating military ‘pro studs’ die-hards were waging what seemed to be a losing battle to return a modicum of professional and military training to the Academy’s esoteric — and expensive — nine majors curriculum.” He asked, “What are we running — an Academy for Coast Guard Officers or a University for Studies of Possible Interest to the Coast Guard?”
• Commandant of Cadets: “A Proposal To Debate Swab Summer” (November/December 1976) — He asked, “Is there any real need for the mindless brain-washing that seems to take place during Swab Summer? Is there any real purpose served by developing a cadre of wooden faced automatons who walk in ridiculously exaggerated postures, cut square corners, salute like toy soldiers, gaze unseeingly into the blue beyond, and give predictably programmed responses — but only when spoken to? They look more dead than alive — and seem manifestly unhappy to boot. What officer-like qualities are we developing through such nonsense?”
In 1976, Bill collaborated with the Academy Librarian, Paul Johnson on a Centennial issue of The Bulletin, The U.S. Coast Guard Academy — The First 100 Years. It was a collector’s historical document that also included a complete Register of Graduates from the Class of 1879 to the Class of 1975. Paul Johnson remembers that he and Bill shared a strong interest in Coast Guard history. “When I came to the Academy and met RADM Hadley Evans, ’27, my interest in Coast Guard history grew, rapidly stimulated by Aldis Browne’s murals in the Henriques Room in Hamilton Hall.” When Bill approached him regarding the Centennial issue, Paul said, “I jumped at the chance. I expanded the articles I had written on Academy history and gathered related photos. Bill added articles on Academy grads who had distinguished themselves. Meeting deadlines set by Bill was difficult considering I had a library to run and a growing museum collection to oversee. Bill had posted on his office wall the slogan, ‘Lead, follow, or get out of the way.’ When my attention wandered to other matters, Bill gently but firmly brought me back to our project.”
Some of Bill’s articles described what was happening around the Academy, such as “Women To Join Cadet Corps” (September/October 1975); “The Academy Today, An Old Grad’s View” (March/April 1976); some discussed Coast Guard topics of interest, such as “Deep Selection” (November/December 1972); others were informative articles about his space-A travels and cruises, such as “Spain, Space Available” (May/June 1966), “Magic Carpet to Portugal” (May/June 1984) and “So You Want To Take a Cruise” (March/April 1977).
In the Fall 1957 issue of The Bulletin, in an article entitled “Greener Pastures?” Bill analyzed and compared the potential financial rewards of an officer leaving the service as soon as his obligated service was completed vs. staying for a Coast Guard career. In the November/December 1959 Bulletin, Bill wrote “Early Retirement?” in which he analyzed and compared the pros and cons of retiring at 20 years as a CDR (age 42), as a CAPT at 22 years (age 44), as a CAPT at 30 years (age 52), and as a RADM with 35 years service (age 57).
The Alumni Director
Bill Earle was the visionary who upgraded the Alumni Association from a “marching and chowder society.” He drafted the “blue print” and laid a solid foundation on which today’s Association is built.
From 1971 to 1981 Bill did everything. He was the Executive Director, the Bulletin Editor, the fund-raiser, and handled the member services programs.
The Fund-Raiser
Shortly after taking over as Alumni Director in 1971, Bill recommended to the members of the Board of Control ( CAPT Ed Cassidy, ’47 – President; CAPT Bob Boardman, ’45; CDR Jack Costello, ’52; CDR George Vance, ’57; LCDR Jim Loy, ’64; and LT Walt Viglienzone, ’65) that the Association should take a more active role in its fund-raising efforts and initiate a “New Direction.” The Board approved, and so did 96% of the Association’s membership.
Previously the Association’s fund-raising efforts had consisted of sending a portion of its membership dues to the Coast Guard Academy Foundation and letting the Foundation solicit our members and others for donations. With the “New Direction,” the Association’s Objee, Eagle, and Broad Command donor club levels were established and members were asked and encouraged to support one or more of six donor options: Athletics; the Cadet Recreation Area at Stonington; Academic and Cultural Enrichment; Memorial/Historical; Operation Pride; or Unrestricted.
It was Bill’s initiative to use the increased donations that came in from the “New Direction” fund-raising efforts to challenge the Academy Foundation to be an equal-partner with the Alumni Association in building the Academy’s Rowing and Seamanship-Sailing Centers.
While achieving increased contributions to the Association, Bill was especially proud that he was able to keep the operating costs within the membership dues so that 100% of the donor’s contributions went for alumni projects. His operating budget was less than 10% of the Association’s current $1 million operating budget.
Bill’s results will probably seem insignificant to some when compared with today’s greatly successful Association development program. But, remember, back then, he was doing and handling everything with a “staff” that consisted of his Administrative Assistant, (Rives Boardman), and an occasional part-time clerical helper, and he did this for 10 years!
The Bulletin Editor
Bill’s editorial policy laid the foundation for today’s Bulletin. It was three-fold: (1) he wanted The Bulletin to be both an alumni magazine and an informal professional journal for Coast Guard officers; (2) he wanted The Bulletin to provide a free and open professional debate on matters of general significance affecting the Association, the Academy, and the Coast Guard. His mantra was: “Every organization can benefit from free, open, and independent exchange of professional views. The Bulletin is available as an informal medium for such exchange within the U.S. Coast Guard.” To this end, LCDR Dick Wright, ’66, wrote in the January/February 1977 issue, “The Bulletin has changed from a sort of belated Commandant’s Bulletin into a thought provoking forum through which the Officer Corps can express its collective feelings in a relatively free manner. It can gripe, bitch, argue, and fight and hopefully grow closer from the experience.”; and (3) Bill said The Bulletin would not: generally publish material anonymously; serve as a medium for personal attacks or vendettas; or publish material which was offensive or in poor taste. And, he didn’t!
The Boss
Rives Boardman, (widow of CAPT Bob Boardman, ’45) was Bill’s administrative assistant for most of his tenure and knew him pretty well. She fondly recalls that Bill was “always willing to listen and interested in what I had to say, whether he agreed or disagreed.” “Just before Christmas he would take me (and the other person working in the office) out for a ‘two martini’ lunch.”
The Board of Control
ADM Jim Loy, as a former member of the Association’s Board of Control, remembers how Bill was “able to use his mischievous and captivating smile, or his stern ‘let’s get down to business’ look to simply reorder your intentions, and usually in a very positive way. He believed deeply in what he felt was right and took great pleasure in ensuring you got that message.”
Member Services
During Bill’s era Homecomings were as well attended as they are today, but they were more “all hands” events rather “5-year reunion class” events. Many alums came back for Homecoming every year rather than just every five years as they do now. Bill recruited Academy faculty and staff members to be bar-tenders for the jam-packed post-game cocktail parties. The Saturday night dinner dances were also well-attended and the “Hundreth Muster” Dinner at Homecoming in 1976 was a “sold out” affair.
To add ceremony to Homecomings, Bill had the Fifty Plus Medallions created. They were, and still are, presented as favors to the members of the 50th reunion classes.
When Bill retired as Alumni Director in 1981, to honor him and also to encourage cadets to write, the Coast Guard Academy Foundation intiated and sponsored the Bill Earle Creative Writing Contest which is still being conducted today.
Bill’s Recreational Side
The Fresh Water Fisherman
Bill’s long-time fishing partner, Morgan McGinley, has these memories of their fishing trips.
“Bill was a wonderful companion on the stream. He had a great love of nature and he rejoiced in the beauty of the surroundings. On a spring day, with the lime-green colors breaking out in blossoms on the trees and the purple and yellow wildflowers sprouting, Bill could truly get carried away. He’d catch a few trout, muse audibly about the loveliness of springtime and then burst into a chorus of ‘How Great Thou Art.’ Many startled anglers, not knowing they were in Bill’s cathedral, looked up abruptly at the sounds of the old-time hymn. Bill just kept bellowing in his deep baritone, I joined in harmony, a third above him.”
“Bill expressed a child-like joy at the pleasures and the purity of each woodland and stream setting we encountered. We never took life too seriously as we analyzed where the trout might be lying and how we could catch them.”
“Bill was nothing if not stubborn. One day, Bill, CAPT Joe Maka, ’64, and I arrived at the Shetucket River to fish for trout. The dam had just been opened and the release sent a huge volume of water cascading downriver.
“‘It’s too high to fish,’ I said to Bill. ‘No, I can get out there to that spot in the middle of the river,’ Bill replied.
“Off he went against our advice. Bill got there and made about two casts when he realized he shouldn’t have waded into the middle of the stream. He got this sheepish look on his face. He couldn’t go ahead at any speed and he couldn’t figure out how to put himself in reverse. Joe and I joined arms and inched our way out into the river. We weren’t sure we could make it. But going slowly, we managed to brace each other until we reached Bill.
“Joe, a very strong guy, grabbed Bill as if he were a football, kind of tucked him under his arm and together, we inched our way safely back to the bank. Once there, Bill didn’t say much. He simply looked relieved.”
The Salt Water Fisherman
Bill’s neighbor and good friend, LT Frank Jurin, recalls that “when the blues were running, Bill would call and away we would go. He always wanted me in the very bow of the boat to better distribute the weight. As soon as we passed the drawbridge, Bill would open the throttle to full speed and I usually got wet. He always got a kick out of this. Bill gave most of the fish he caught to his friends, He didn’t really like to eat bluefish but they gave a good fight and this is what gave him pleasure.”
Former Crew coach, Bill Stowe remembers a time that he used the CGA Crew Launch to take Bill Earle fishing for bluefish in the Race in Long Island Sound. Because bluefish can be vicious and dangerous when brought aboard, Bill Stowe carried a small club, like a toy baseball bat to tap the fish on the head to quiet them down. There were some other boats fishing in the area including two party boats within 50 yards packed with fishermen. Bill Stowe said that quiet Bill Earle hooked a twelve pounder. When he brought the fish aboard he grabbed the bat and proceeded to “unmercifully beat the poor fish, all the time cursing a spiel that would make even the saltiest sailor blush. After thirty seconds of this loud outrage, Bill sat and a gentle smile replaced the demon-like face he had during the slaughter. I glanced over at the several hundred fishermen nearby who witnessed Captain Earle’s attack on the now badly beaten fish, and they had blank stares of disbelief. So much for the gentle and quiet Bill Earle!”
The Entrepreneur
Bill always recognized the source of his good fortune. He and Cindy had a registered thoroughbred springer spaniel named Samantha. She produced a number of litters of puppies which Bill would sell for a tidy sum. When he had accumulated enough money from these sales, he bought an 18' fiberglass outboard with a center console and named his new boat “Puppy Money.”
Recreational Sailing
CAPT Bob Ketchel, ’56, and his wife Bobbi made a number of sailing trips with Bill and Cindy Earle on Academy boats to Woods Hole, Cuttyhunk, and Block Island and on bareboat charters in the Virgin Islands.
Bob remembers “On one trip the weather was misty, cool and the boat pitched a lot. Most of us were feeling less than perky, and in fact a little green. About 11:00 a.m. Bill announced that it was time for ‘bloodies’ and a cigar. The rest of the crew said, ‘No Way!’”
Bill and Cindy made their first bareboat charter with CAPT Jack Natwig, ’42, and his wife, Kit and CAPT Art Hesford, ’30, and his wife, Nita. Bill wrote a detailed account about that trip in the January/February 1985 issue of The Bulletin.
Bill introduced the Ketchels to bareboat chartering and the Virgin Islands and they made three trips together. Bill taught them to snorkel and opened up a whole new world of excitement for them. Bob remembers that Bill was “like a little kid in the water and he loved to touch, examine, and explore every part of the environment. I particularly remember one day at St. John’s when Bill was using the dinghy to drop the rest of us off at a snorkel site. When we noticed Bill was spending a lot of time circling another anchored dinghy. We later learned that the other dinghy was occupied by a beauty sun bathing in the nude and Bill was enjoying the view.”
Bob remembered another trip, that also included RADM Danny Danielsen, ’54, and his wife Joan. “We grounded on a sand bar as we were departing the Coast Guard Station at Menemsha Harbor. The CG Station crew watched as Bill ordered Danny into the dinghy with an anchor so we could kedge off. No way would we ask the Coast Guard for help! At this time Danny was Commander 9th, Coast Guard District.” Bill’s and Danny’s friend, Morgan McGinley, heard about this grounding from both Bill and Danny, and each blamed the running-aground on the other. Morgan remembers numerous spirited arguments between them about who was at fault.
Golf, Poker, and Raquetball
Bill enjoyed playing golf with his friend Frank Jurin at Cedar Ridge, a par 3 course in East Lyme, but he always wanted Frank to give him strokes. Frank recalls, “Each time he beat me I would hear about it for the next several days. If I beat him, he wanted more strokes and I usually gave in because we had so much fun.”
Frank said, “We also formed the ‘East Lyme Poker Club.’ A few of the first group included Ed Perry, ’42; Joe Vorbach, ’59; Ernie Manfred from the CGA Math Department;John Busavage, ’66; Bill Coste, ’59; and a host of others. This monthly game still continues today. Bill’s favorite game was called ‘midnight baseball.’ Each player received seven cards face down, and after the ante, we turned over one card at a time. The three and nine cards were wild but cost extra if you wanted to stay in. Bill was fairly lucky with this game and really let you know it when he won. We still play ‘his’ game now in his memory.
Bill enjoyed playing raquetball, (especially with those who were new to the game whom he called his “pigeons”). Howie Thorson, ’55, remembers, “Bill’s competitive juices continued to flow, and one learned that accepting his courtly invitation to join him on the racquetball court was actually an opportunity for him to out-muscle, out-play, and generally bully his opponent into submission. Then he would congratulate said opponent on a game well played.”
Live by the Pen … Die by the Pen
Sometimes Bill’s writings backfired. This account by Morgan McGinley, Editorial Page Editor of the New London Day, describes Bill’s stubborn side.
“The moment I read the sentence, I knew it would get Bill Earle in trouble. The venerable Coast Guard retiree, racquetball demon and freshman fisherman, was complaining in his letter to the editor that it was getting more and more difficult all the time to live on a poor Coast Guard retiree’s pension of just $60,000 a year. Because the letter was written about 15 years ago, the pension was a handsome sum, much more than many people were making at full-time active jobs.
“‘Bill, you don’t want me to run this letter,’ I said. ‘They are going to kill you in rebuttals. We’ll get all kinds of letters to the editor against you.’
“‘Yes I do,’ he said stubbornly.
“Bill lived by the pen and he died by it. I tried once more to deter him. It was no use. Bill Earle was going to have his say.
“The letter was published in The Day and our readers also had their say. Boy, did they. The predictable avalanche of letters of a different point of view followed. They were justifiably tough on Bill.
“The next time I saw Bill Earle, he said to me: ‘I’m mad at you. You didn’t protect me. You published that letter and got me in all kinds of trouble.’
“I protested to no avail. In Bill’s mind, personal responsibility had shifted magically from the letter writer to the editor of the page. It was all my fault.”
As noted earlier, the Academy Admissions Department, was one of Bill’s writing “targets.” When Bill decided to retire as the Alumni Director, CAPT Bob Getman, ’54, Director of Admissions remembers it gave him a chance to “return a subtle salvo” at Bill.
Bob submitted a letter of application for the Alumni Director’s job and said that “since Bill only works part time, I can do the job as a collateral duty while still remaining as Director of Admissions.” Bob’s letter arrived in the Alumni office while Bill was away on vacation. Before leaving, Bill had left instructions with Rives Boardman, his administrative assistant, to forward copies of any application letters that came in while he was away to each of the members of the Board of Control. When Bill returned from vacation, he knew he had been “gotten” by Bob’s “gotcha.”
Sometimes things didn’t go as Bill planned
While visiting West Point in the winter of 1957 for their board study, Bill along with CDR Stan Smith and LCDR Jack McCann were in uniform and approaching a group of West Point cadets coming from the opposite direction. Bill said, “Render your sharpest salute now on my command.” While giving his snappy salute, Bill slipped on a patch of ice, went into the air, and landed on his rear end while |