Aft Berthing

Home for two thirds of the crew aboard USS CASSIN YOUNG

Courtesy Jack Surre

Quick Facts

Location:

USS CASSIN YOUNG

Through the hatches at the stern of Cassin Young and down the ladders is Aft Berthing. This is where two thirds of the enlisted crew called home. Each man had a bunk, one small locker, and many, many neighbors. Men found the conditions from acceptable, to tolerable, to absolutely unbearable. For some it was the noise. For others it was odor of fuel oil, paint, and their fellow crewmembers. For many still, it was the extreme heat of the South Pacific or the cold dampness of the North Atlantic.

Despite these conditions, crewmembers formed friendships in these tight spaces that would last a lifetime. Returning to reunions decades after their service, men could always recall their bunk, their neighbors, their friends, and their best and worst times living aboard USS Cassin Young.