Bill's first day on board

Bill Fariello was a little bit insane.

He was a nice enough guy so long as you didn't cross him. But it was important to avoid crossing him. He was a little guy, about 5'5", but muscular with a quick reaction time.

He established himself quickly when he first arrived on the ship. He'd spent a couple of years driving a forklift at a Navy warehouse in Pearl Harbor before arriving on board so he was far from new to the Navy even though this was his first sea duty.

His first day on board he was working on deck on the 01 level when a signalman walked by. The signalman was a tall guy, well over 6 feet tall, and he towered over Bill. Bill was blocking his way to a ladder up to the signal deck and when the signalman told Bill to move he did so while calling Bill a "little shit". Without uttering a word Bill punched him. He did a quick little crouch and sprung up into the air so that his 5'5" frame came up off the deck and he could deliver a straight on punch flat into the signalman's face.

The signalman actually went down from that one punch and Bill just walked off.

His reputation was permanently established.

*************************
This story, and others like it, can be found in Navy War Stories.