Three Day Leave Day 1
THREE-DAY LEAVE – PROLOGUE Enrique (Eric) Cordero’s parents had immigrated to the United States from Naples, Italy in the mid 1920’s. Eric was born in New York City in 1930 and joined the Navy in 1948 – he was my shipmate and buddy. We had been looking forward to our ships scheduled five-day visit to Naples, where many of Eric’s close relatives still lived. He had many uncles; aunts and cousins living near the port where our ship would be “tied-up”. Because of his family proximity and the fact that Eric and I would be staying with them, we were granted a three-day leave – starting in two days. The ship docked in the conventional “Med Mooring” method, in which anchors are dropped off the bow of the ship and utilizing the anchor winches and …