Written by Kris Land
Lieutenant Thomas Heggen: Before Mister Roberts
World War II was a trying time that impacted the lives of people all over the world. During this period, there was one individual who was impacted but for different reasons. While men were traumatized by the horrors they saw and experienced, there were those who had to wait it out along the sidelines. They were anxious to get involved but had no choice but to go through the daily motions and wait for their turn, if it would ever come.
Thomas Heggen's Wartime Experiences
Just like many other young American men, Lieutenant Thomas Heggen enlisted in the Navy immediately following the attack on Pearl Harbor. He was awarded his rank in August of 1942. During his enlistment, Heggen was stationed on supply vessels traveling the Pacific ocean, Caribbean and North Atlantic ocean. He was later assigned assistant communications officer aboard the cargo ship the U.S.S. Virgo.
Heggen spent 14 months aboard the U.S.S. Virgo, including a period spent off of the coast of Iwo Jima resupplying destroyers. To help pass the time, he began writing a collection of short pieces based on his experiences. Through his writing, Heggen described the mundane existence of daily life aboard the cargo ship. It was difficult for men like Heggen, who were anxious to contribute but felt separated from what was happening in the war.
The Creation of a Literary Success
After returning from the war, Heggen went back to work for the Reader's Digest. His cousin, Wallace
Stegner, encouraged Heggen to compile his stories for publication. The original title was going to be The Iron Bound Bucket. By 1946, Heggen's literary debut was published with the title Mister Roberts. It was very well received and earned rave reviews from critics.
Later, the 1955 film version of Heggen's novel would bring fame to the U.S.S. New Bedford. The New Bedford is still around today as a part of the Seawind Fisheries. An effort has begun to acquire the vessel and transform it into a green sea craft that will help change the world for the better.
A Short Lived Triumph for Heggen
Success came quickly for Heggen after Mister Roberts was published. As a result, he left the Reader's Digest to pursue his future as an author. Things were looking up and his career showed a great deal of potential. Heggen had transformed his personal wartime experiences into a comical, compassionate and understanding portrait of life along the sidelines during World War II.
Heggen would not live long enough to savor his achievements. On May 19th, 1949, roughly three years after Mister Roberts was published, Heggen was found deceased in his apartment bath tub. He had been combating insomnia by taking increasing quantities of alcohol and medication. He had overdosed and drowned in his bath tub. Although it was ruled a possible suicide, family and friends were not convinced. They believe his untimely death was an accident that ended his potentially fruitful career.
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1944: Camano Class Light Cargo Ship was laid down for the US Army as FS-289 at Wheeler Shipbuilding in Whitestone, NY.
1945: Delivered to US Army.
1950: Acquired by the US Navy on July 1, 1950 and placed in service as USNS New Bedford (T-AKL-17).
1954: The movie, Mister Roberts, was made on the USNS New Bedford (T-AKL-17).
1955 - 1963: Used as a cargo supply ship for the Texas Towers, a network of advanced radar stations located off the Eastern Seaboard. In 1957, Capt. Sixto Mangual was commander of the AKL-17 and in 1961 it was rechristened the USNS New Bedford. The New Bedford, sailing out of State Pier, was keeping vigil when Texas Tower No. 4 callapsed off the New Jersey coast during a January 1961 nor'easter.
1963: Reclassified as Miscellaneous Unclassified (IX-308).
1971: The New Bedford (IX-308) served as a Torpedo Test Firing Vessel in the Puget Sound area.
1994: Ceremony in New Bedford.
1995: The ship was struck from the Naval Register on April 4.
2004: The Sea Bird's current disposition is a tuna long liner (fishing boat) out of San Diego, CA.
2006: Design of the Tesla Turbine began on June 11, 2006. The Sea Bird was sold by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service for commercial service.
2007: The Sea Bird was drydocked for renovations.
2008: The Sea Bird setting sail to Sea-Tac in Seattle, WA.
2009 - 2010: The Sea Bird is currently docked at Seattle Sea-Tac.
