My time in the U S Navy

[old2soon]

And-Carl-a separate thread!   1964 to 1968 two tours off the Nam. Helped bring the Grumman C 2 A Greyhound into the fleet. Working the flight deck IS a rush. Having your aircraft shot at is a LARGER rush. One of my MANY mistakes was getting out of the Navy after 4-should have stayed for 30!   RIDE SAFE.

[Willow]

And-Carl-a separate thread!  1964 to 1968 two tours off the Nam. Helped bring the Grumman C 2 A Greyhound into the fleet. Working the flight deck IS a rush. Having your aircraft shot at is a LARGER rush. One of my MANY mistakes was getting out of the Navy after 4-should have stayed for 30!  RIDE SAFE.

Thank you, Dennis.  I have a soft spot in my heart for squids, especially airedale squids.  My father was a Navy pilot and I thought the world of him.  Most of my growing up life was spent planning to be a Navy pilot.  I envy you the time on the aircraft carrier.  That must be a very special experience.

My apologies for horning in on your thread.

[old2soon]

And-Carl-a separate thread!  1964 to 1968 two tours off the Nam. Helped bring the Grumman C 2 A Greyhound into the fleet. Working the flight deck IS a rush. Having your aircraft shot at is a LARGER rush. One of my MANY mistakes was getting out of the Navy after 4-should have stayed for 30!  RIDE SAFE.

Thank you, Dennis.  I have a soft spot in my heart for squids, especially airedale squids.  My father was a Navy pilot and I thought the world of him.  Most of my growing up life was spent planning to be a Navy pilot.  I envy you the time on the aircraft carrier.  That must be a very special experience.

My apologies for horning in on your thread.

           Carl-far as I'm concerned you do NOT "horn in" anywhere. AND I DO understand the jabs tween Squids and Marine Grunts. BUT I'd rather have a U S M C Grunt have my back than some feather merchant.  RIDE SAFE.

[556ALPHA]

Not the MC but Navy 1989-1993 USS San Jacinto CG-56 (Ship fired first Tomahawk in Desert Storm) and Coast Guard reserves 1998-2007.  Regret not finishing those last 7 years but that ship sailed.

[indybobm]

US Navy from 1968 - 1972. Aviation Electronic Technician. E5 after 2 years. Electronic School in Memphis. Stationed at NAS Lemoore California for three years. Two years with VA-122. 1 year with VA-97. 6  month WestPac on the USS Enterptise 71-72. Spent December of 1971 in the Indiana Ocean with about half of the Russian fleet during the Bangladesh fiasco .

[old2soon]

Basic at The Great Lakes Naval Training Center Feb 64 R A G outfit-V S-41 N A S North Island San Diego Ca. up to Travis A F B for my trip to the exotic Far East and caught up with my Squadron-V S 23 and my ship-U S S Yorktown  C V S 10. Finished that Cruise back to CONUS for about 4 or 5 months and back to Nam. After my second wespac I got orders to V R C 50-a composite Squadron based at -and I'm drawing a brain fart-near San Francisco and the Phillipines. Sposed to spend a month in conus and a month in the P I BUT I'd rather be in the P I. After 3 months close to 4 in the P I they'd FORCE me back to conus. After 2 or 3 weeks State Side I'd finagle my way back o the P I. By staying in the P I I was closer to the action. AND I was makin the kid rich who sold the little ducklings in front of Paulines. If you've ever been to the P I and into Olongapo you KNOW what the ducklings were for! And for those that DON'T speak Military-R A G-replacement air group-train in the type of aircraft you WILL be working on and in the case of aircrew and pilots-flying. conus-Continental United States-land of the big P X. wespac-Cruise or deployment to the Western Pacific. Would NOT change my time in the U S Navy for anything I ENJOYED my time in uncle sugars canoe cub!  RIDE SAFE.

[The emperor has no clothes]

Basic at The Great Lakes Naval Training Center Feb 64 R A G outfit-V S-41 N A S North Island San Diego Ca. up to Travis A F B for my trip to the exotic Far East and caught up with my Squadron-V S 23 and my ship-U S S Yorktown  C V S 10. Finished that Cruise back to CONUS for about 4 or 5 months and back to Nam. After my second wespac I got orders to V R C 50-a composite Squadron based at -and I'm drawing a brain fart-near San Francisco and the Phillipines. Sposed to spend a month in conus and a month in the P I BUT I'd rather be in the P I. After 3 months close to 4 in the P I they'd FORCE me back to conus. After 2 or 3 weeks State Side I'd finagle my way back o the P I. By staying in the P I I was closer to the action. AND I was makin the kid rich who sold the little ducklings in front of Paulines. If you've ever been to the P I and into Olongapo you KNOW what the ducklings were for! And for those that DON'T speak Military-R A G-replacement air group-train in the type of aircraft you WILL be working on and in the case of aircrew and pilots-flying. conus-Continental United States-land of the big P X. wespac-Cruise or deployment to the Western Pacific. Would NOT change my time in the U S Navy for anything I ENJOYED my time in uncle sugars canoe cub!  RIDE SAFE.

Alameda ?

[old2soon]

Basic at The Great Lakes Naval Training Center Feb 64 R A G outfit-V S-41 N A S North Island San Diego Ca. up to Travis A F B for my trip to the exotic Far East and caught up with my Squadron-V S 23 and my ship-U S S Yorktown  C V S 10. Finished that Cruise back to CONUS for about 4 or 5 months and back to Nam. After my second wespac I got orders to V R C 50-a composite Squadron based at -and I'm drawing a brain fart-near San Francisco and the Phillipines. Sposed to spend a month in conus and a month in the P I BUT I'd rather be in the P I. After 3 months close to 4 in the P I they'd FORCE me back to conus. After 2 or 3 weeks State Side I'd finagle my way back o the P I. By staying in the P I I was closer to the action. AND I was makin the kid rich who sold the little ducklings in front of Paulines. If you've ever been to the P I and into Olongapo you KNOW what the ducklings were for! And for those that DON'T speak Military-R A G-replacement air group-train in the type of aircraft you WILL be working on and in the case of aircrew and pilots-flying. conus-Continental United States-land of the big P X. wespac-Cruise or deployment to the Western Pacific. Would NOT change my time in the U S Navy for anything I ENJOYED my time in uncle sugars canoe cub!  RIDE SAFE.

Alameda ?

                 Uh Roger that and 10-4! Had some cursed good times there and met a lovely lady who had me move in with her! But THAT'S another story for another time.  RIDE SAFE.

[The emperor has no clothes]

Basic at The Great Lakes Naval Training Center Feb 64 R A G outfit-V S-41 N A S North Island San Diego Ca. up to Travis A F B for my trip to the exotic Far East and caught up with my Squadron-V S 23 and my ship-U S S Yorktown  C V S 10. Finished that Cruise back to CONUS for about 4 or 5 months and back to Nam. After my second wespac I got orders to V R C 50-a composite Squadron based at -and I'm drawing a brain fart-near San Francisco and the Phillipines. Sposed to spend a month in conus and a month in the P I BUT I'd rather be in the P I. After 3 months close to 4 in the P I they'd FORCE me back to conus. After 2 or 3 weeks State Side I'd finagle my way back o the P I. By staying in the P I I was closer to the action. AND I was makin the kid rich who sold the little ducklings in front of Paulines. If you've ever been to the P I and into Olongapo you KNOW what the ducklings were for! And for those that DON'T speak Military-R A G-replacement air group-train in the type of aircraft you WILL be working on and in the case of aircrew and pilots-flying. conus-Continental United States-land of the big P X. wespac-Cruise or deployment to the Western Pacific. Would NOT change my time in the U S Navy for anything I ENJOYED my time in uncle sugars canoe cub!  RIDE SAFE.

Alameda ?

                 Uh Roger that and 10-4! Had some cursed good times there and met a lovely lady who had me move in with her! But THAT'S another story for another time.  RIDE SAFE.

The next time we are at Inzane together we've got to sit down and have a couple beers and tell Subic Bay stories. 

[vanavyman]

U.S. Navy retired December 1977 to June 2002
Electronics Technician - 14 years as Navy Chief.
USS Glover FF1098
Part of Commissioning crew on USS George Washington CVN73 and USS Harry S. Truman CVN75

[RDKLL]

Aviation Machinist Mate 1980-1990
Uss JFK -AIMD Jet Shop off the coast of Beirut when Marines were killed
HM-12 CH-53 and MH-53 Engine shop, specializing in engines, transmissions and fuel systems
USS Independence- Jet engine test cell

Thanks to all who served regardless of the branch

[Thunderbolt]

Got out of Junior College in 1967 and draft classification changed to I think it was 1A which indicated that I was next on the list to be drafted.  A friend and I joined the Naval Air Reserve.  They said I should try electronics so I like Indybloom went to Memphis/Millington Tn in January of 1968.  We might have been there at the same time, for Electronics A school after boot camp on the Northside.  I was there until just after my 21st birthday when I went to Los Alimotos Ca. for ASW school and radio school.  Had some fun on weekends flying around looking for submarines in our old P2.

[old2soon]

Got out of Junior College in 1967 and draft classification changed to I think it was 1A which indicated that I was next on the list to be drafted.  A friend and I joined the Naval Air Reserve.  They said I should try electronics so I like Indybloom went to Memphis/Millington Tn in January of 1968.  We might have been there at the same time, for Electronics A school after boot camp on the Northside.  I was there until just after my 21st birthday when I went to Los Alimotos Ca. for ASW school and radio school.  Had some fun on weekends flying around looking for submarines in our old P2.

           Had I stayed in I wanted to transition to-P2s then P3s. Or a V F outfit. Or a V A outfit. Course then it would have been F-4s with a transition to F-14s. My Rate-A M E-wuz WIDE open at the time-coulda had the "Hat" in the minimum amount of time. RIDE SAFE.

[Hoser]

I spent three years at NAS Corpus Christi trying to keep worn out Grumman S2-F.'s  flying for student pilots in the sixties.  Love Padre Island.  Hoser 

[Jess Tolbirt]

One of my MANY mistakes was getting out of the Navy after 4-should have stayed for 30!  RIDE SAFE.

yep me too...same years.. HC-4..

[Flask]

U.S. Navy 73-77 - Wish I would of stuck it out for 20 - would be sitting a lot better now. Of course would not of met my other half of 37 years along with 2 great kids and granddaughters.

Cannot look back - just proud to have served for this great country !!

I am still fighting to get my well deserved V.A. benefits !!
 

[solo1]

Dennis, a really interesting time that you had and all others in the Navy and Marine Corps.  My time in the Army was nothing compared to that.

On a similar note, I was one of the greeters welcoming veterans form the Honor Flight after mine. I was amazed to hear that one of the Navy WWII veterans was a  plank owner on CVS 5, the first Yorktown! that was sunk during the battle of Midway .

What a story that seaman could tell.