by St Crapo » April 26, 2016, 5:43 am
Any time i look threw my older photo albums from when i became a Boatnerd as a teenager and i see the pictures i took of the Alpena back then i always think of Capt. Ward and the maney times we would talk on my ship to shore radio i remember how kind of a man he was and the maney Salutes he would blow on the Alpena's loud steam whistle to me and my family no matter what time of the day it was. I wouldn't talk to him for a long time as he navigated the Saginaw River, but always felt like i knew him and he always had kind words for me and besides the Salutes he gave he also always had a friendly wave from the pilot house window. I wish i could have met him in person and gotten to know him better while they unloaded at Lafarge but i never asked any of the guys comeing off the boat to go up the street if i could go aboard and meet him because i didnt want to bother him if he was busy with paperwork or resting. I still did consider him a friend of mine though. I will never forgett him and the Alpena on the old Saginaw River. May he rest in peace and his memory live on forever. I know i will never forget him thats for sure.
3 Long and 2 Short to one of the Lakes best Captains Ray Ward.
Dan McNeil
Any time i look threw my older photo albums from when i became a Boatnerd as a teenager and i see the pictures i took of the Alpena back then i always think of Capt. Ward and the maney times we would talk on my ship to shore radio i remember how kind of a man he was and the maney Salutes he would blow on the Alpena's loud steam whistle to me and my family no matter what time of the day it was. I wouldn't talk to him for a long time as he navigated the Saginaw River, but always felt like i knew him and he always had kind words for me and besides the Salutes he gave he also always had a friendly wave from the pilot house window. I wish i could have met him in person and gotten to know him better while they unloaded at Lafarge but i never asked any of the guys comeing off the boat to go up the street if i could go aboard and meet him because i didnt want to bother him if he was busy with paperwork or resting. I still did consider him a friend of mine though. I will never forgett him and the Alpena on the old Saginaw River. May he rest in peace and his memory live on forever. I know i will never forget him thats for sure.
3 Long and 2 Short to one of the Lakes best Captains Ray Ward.
Dan McNeil