Chief Burton L. Dickinson ETC was a Chief quartered in the after Chiefs Quarters aboard Claud Jones during 1972 and previously.  I was the Chief's Mess Cook for several months, including the day he died aboard ship.  We were underway as memory serves, on local ops. The Chief, who was a very nice guy and who I considered the most friendly among the Chiefs aboard the CJ had a pronounced weight problem.  AND he liked to eat, so much that the other Chiefs used to take food out of the Chiefs refrigerator in the Forward Chiefs Quarters and hide it one him as he was always eating.  While eating a pork chop crossing the mess decks amid ship, during the day, he began choking in front of several of the crew. If memory serves someone called our HM1 who came and saw he was not breathing and began to try and clear his airway and give CPR.  I was there shortly afterward as I was moving between the two chief's quarters doing my duties.  Mr. Chew, then I believe Communications Officer, arrived not long afterward.  It got to the point afterward, that about four crew, myself including were trying to give CPR to the Chief alternating as each got tired. The Chief never responded, and in front of our eyes turned progressively more blue, as the minutes passed (lack of oxygen to his body)

I believe he died all most as soon as he hit the deck, near the mess decks.  Our HM1 even tried direct stimulation, with adrenalin I believe, injected directly into his heart with long cardiac needles, right in front of us. ....to no effect.

We learned later, from other Chiefs that Chief Dickenson had just received, that day, a teletype message that he was a new father.  His son, was born on the day he died.

For all of us who were present, most of us in our early 20's, this was a disturbing course of  events.  I remember our HM1 apologizing to the Captain later, that he could not save the Chief

Mark Weber

Claud Jones

1971-1972

teachweber@aol.com