Once there was a man who helped everyone he saw. He helped the black and white cat on the side of the road, the young boy in a red and white striped shirt who was lost at a waterpark, and the citizens of the United States when they needed him the most. Helping people made him happy, really really happy. 

But all day long at work, Mr. John Quigley who is a people person sat under a ship deck in a hot, steamy engine room with big cranking wheels and loud noises. Boom, bump, crash, boom the engines went all day long. He was not able to do what he loved most, laugh, and talk to people. He had a very important job though, he kept the ship running so all of the men on board including himself could get where they needed to go. 

This man's name is John Quigley and he worked with some of the finest young men he was lucky enough to call his best friends together on the 888-foot aircraft carrier called the USS Princeton. This was a very special ship deployed during the Vietnam War. John was serious when he needed to be serious, but he had a knack for persuading people to have fun and to make money. He loved to travel the world and play cards. He is very grateful for all the opportunities he received from being in the Navy. 

He invented a new system to loan his friends money and make money too all while aboard the ship. His little business started out with only his friends, but soon many men aboard heard about it. While their ship was stationed in different ports around the world, he would loan money out so the Navy men could enjoy themselves on their break. Everybody loved it, especially Mr. John Quigley. 

He knew that some men would send their paychecks home to their families, others would splurge in one port and not have enough money for the rest of their adventures, and some would lose their money on bets and games played in the ship. They lost money like time. John knew he had to help them afford things during their time off the ship. He not only helped them with money troubles but also with feeling homesick. He told stories of the beautiful beaches and cities back in his home in California. Lots of these men had never traveled before signing up or being drafted into the navy. By sharing parts of himself, John inspired others to do the same. 

John always makes it his personal mission to make others happy, but at this time in history could he? He was unsure if he would be able to keep the spirits of his shipmates up. What else could he do? All the presents and cards he made for his shipmates, would it be enough? Would they be happy on the ship? He experimented and realized that if he talked to one man here, and another man here he could entertain them all. 

When everybody including my grandfather's best friend expressed how much they missed their families and wished they could write home he knew he had to do something. At the next port, he bought letters, stamps, and cards for himself and his fellow shipmates. He thought about how much he missed his family and it wouldn't be fair if he was the only one who could write letters because he could afford the supplies.