Walter Baker is an accomplished man. As co-founder of R. Baker & Son All Industrial Services, he’s been at the helm of the company for 55 years. He recently celebrated his 50th wedding anniversary. And he is a proud veteran. R. Baker & Son’s recent work at the USS Intrepid Museum called to mind some fond memories.
Walter joined the U.S. Naval Reserve in 1954. In 1961, a crisis arose when the border between East and West Berlin was closed, and Walter was called to active duty aboard the USS Remey. A Fletcher-class destroyer, Remey was armed with an arsenal of 5-inch guns, depth charges, torpedos, hedgehogs, and K guns.
As a boiler operator in the engineering group, Walter serviced Remey’s 800-lb boilers. While Fletcher-class destroyers are officially credited with a top speed of 36 knots, Remey could occasionally achieve 45 knots by “lighting off” the boilers’ super-heated steam.
Remey’s boilers served a more practical purpose for Walter and his crewmates, as well. Walter remembers cooking hams in the mudrums when inclement weather prevented the kitchens from being used. During one particularly fierce storm, Remey was battered by massive 45-foot
waves. “We were iron men in an iron ship”, recalls Walter with a chuckle. “Sometimes, she seemed more like a submarine than a destroyer.”
In 1963, USS Remey was decommissioned, and she was berthed in Philadelphia. In 1976, she was sold and broken up for scrap. Walter would occasionally see her when R. Baker & Son worked in the Philly area, and she never failed to evoke proud memories of his service aboard her.
About R. Baker & Son All Industrial Services
R. Baker & Son All Industrial Services is the premier specialized contractor for dismantlement, decommissioning and demolition in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. The veteran owned company has been in business since 1935, has over 100 employees, an exemplary safety record (We have been directly involved in four (4) sites that received VPP OSHA Safety Awards) and is financially strong (bonding capabilities over $10 Million). Capabilities include total plant and facility dismantlement, decommissioning, demolition, plant relocations and re-installations as well as heavy equipment rigging and machinery moving, millwright services and onsite concrete crushing.
Corporate Contact Information
R. Baker & Son All Industrial Services
1 Globe Street
Red Bank, NJ 07701
Phone: 732-222-3553
Fax: 732-450-0311
Website: www.rbaker.com
For more information visit our website or email marketing@rbaker.com
