I attempted to quit smoking a long time ago the day I left on deployment with the USS Theodore Roosevelt. I figured I didn't want to subject my family to my miserable attitude, so I waited til a deployment to quit... figuring they wouldn't notice on ship too much ...I thought
. In transit we went through numerous GQ drills and when we went through the Suez Canal we ceased the GQ drills.... the next would be real. After talking with some guys ashore via secure phone, and hearing their Scud Missile attacks over the phone, I had to wonder if quitting now was the right thing to do, since I did enjoy smoking. Soon after we got into the Red Sea, there was an incident of a returning aircraft that was not squawking the appropriate IFF and was identified as a missile I believe.... and GQ was sounded. After donning all the GQ gear, and pausing to give some thought to it all.... I made up my mind that I was going to continue smoking, and thoroughly enjoy it until we completed the deployment at least. That was back during the first Gulf War.... Operation Desert Shield / Operation Desert Storm. Well, I did quit smoking a few years ago, after I was retired from the Navy, well after the divorce and the kids grown and gone......
The Smoking Lamp is Out.
