I remember Capt Townsend inviting retired Capt Nick Smith to go water skiing behind the Captain’s gig with us.  Capt Smith had a wooden leg, but that didn't stop him or slow him down!  We got Capt Smith up on skis, and then noticed that the bow hook didn’t bring in the ladder, which was now floating in the water.  Consequently I kept going in circles trying to keep track of the ladder and Capt Smith had to keep fighting the waves of the Gig, with his wooden leg at an angle bouncing up and down over the waves! After a few circles, the Capt let go of the rope.  I retrieved the ladder, and then returned to Capt Smith to ask him if he wanted to try it again!  He replied that he would like to go straight this time!

Little did I know until years later when Capt Townsend told me that Capt Smith was an Ace Pilot in WWII and a one time champion tennis player.  He was Director of the Navy Test Pilot School where Capt Townsend was an instructor from 1962 through 1965.   He lost his leg as a result of some previous injuries that could only be corrected by removing it.   He still flew after losing his leg!  In the movie "Men of Honor" they talk about a pilot that had lost his leg and was still flying active duty in the Navy - that had to be Capt Nick Smith!

Another time, we had visited with a Retired Capt Nello Perrosi, good friend of Capt Townsend, in the Caribbean who was flying an old amphibian plane.  A short time after Capt Perrosi had dropped off his passengers and we were heading out to sea, here comes that amphibian plane heading right toward us at low altitude and just clearing the Captain's gig.  Capt Townsend was laughing as he waved to the plane flying over us!  To find out later that Capt Perrosi was a Blue Angel when he was in the Navy.

It was an honor to be a Coxswain on the Captain’s Gig for Capt Keener and Capt Townsend.

BM2 Bob Miller