As Hurricane Irma bears down on Puerto Rico, I am reminded of a friend and shipmate, and also of a blustering captain who may not have been the sharpest knife in the drawer.
It is customary for an officer reporting to a ship to pay a courtesy call on the captain.
In 1957, Navy Reserve Lieutenant Jose Ortega-Otero, a graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy, reported to USS Cabildo, where he was to become the Chief Engineer.
When Jose called on the captain, the commanding officer detected an unfamiliar accent.
"Where are you from?" Captain Kelsey asked.
"I'm from Puerto Rico," Jose answered.
"What are you doing in the American Navy?" Captain Kelsey asked in puzzlement.
"I was about to be drafted into the American Army," Jose explained.
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