SBO veterans... when, where, and how did you serve?

[pateco]

US Navy Midshipman Us Naval Academy 1983-1985

Including US naval Academy Sailing team

 

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

May, 1959. Got laid off my machinist job due to lost contract. Enlisted Navy. Boot camp San Diego (where I got MY draft notice!!)

Was informed i scored to high on tests too be a machinists, so they made me an Aviation Electronics Tech--

A School in Millington, where I learned to repair search Radars. Upon graduation was sent to-

VA-44 in Jax Fla. They didn't have any radars, or any planes that could CARRY a radar. Two years later-

Assigned as first radioman on a C-54 flying R and R flights -Iceland to Sccotland, England , Germany and return once a week.


Decided that the Navy was not for me- was afraid my next assignment would be a coal stoker on a tanker!!

Photo of my aircraft on runway, Milldenhall, ,England

 

[Roadking Larry]

Shipped out for Navy boot camp in Orlando FL a month after I turned 18 in 1980.
I went in to the Advanced Electronics Program and had my initial training in Orlando then at Pensacola, FL. I had volunteered for submarine service while in Orlando in large part because that would send me to Pensacola in January instead of Great Lakes in January. I still think I made a good decision. After Subschool in Groton CT and another electronics school in Pearl Harbor I checked on to my first boat in November of 1981, The USS Haddo (SSN-604). Four years later after an overhaul at Mare Island Naval Shipyard and one Westpac deployment I returned to Groton for more school. I spent the next 3+ years as in instructor for an Electronic Surveillance system. When that gig was over I reported to the USS Flying Fish (SSN-673) in Norfolk.
Spent quite a bit of time at sea on that boat. We made a six month deployment to the Med in 89-90 and a 100+ day run up North in 91. Plenty of weekly ops and NATO exercises during my tour on that boat.
My wife is fond of pointing out that during my just under 3 years on that boat I spent less than 4 months actually at home. That was a big contributor to me leaving the Navy in July of 1992 as an ET1(SS) with 12 years of service.

 

[bmjpv]

Joined the navy in 67' before I got drafted. Boot camp in San Diego,I got the job replacing light bulbs & facet washers. Watched the Marines recruits run to the beach with the ambulance following them & waited for the mess hall to open . A school in Memphis for reciprocating mechanic, ADR ,off to Puerto Rico, NAS Ross Roads, ground crew, and to flight crew. Flew in H34 as crew chief for the best time of my life as a 19 year old .We flew to Veiques Culibra,st Crox ,st Thomas, lived off base at the beach ,owed a MGB and had too much money to buy the native girls pretty beads Sent me up to SERE school in Maine in November for the worst time of my life & to HC2 in lakehearst NJ to fly as Helo flight crew. Discharged 6mo early as ADR3 and and drove home to Calif in my Porsche 912.

 

[Fred Villiard]

Army 10th Special was in Nam when we weren't 60, 61. Two of us made it back out of fourteen.

 

[heritage]

Soon after I passed the Army draft physical in 1968, I signed up to be an AF pilot thinking it be less dangerous than living in a fox hole for a year in Vietnam. I was not thinking that rationally back then. Did great in pilot school until I tried to land the airplane and scared the **** out of my instructors. They sent me off to Nav school which I successfully completed. Flew EB-66s in Thailand and VN. After the war, joined the AF reserves and flew C-130s. Returned to active duty in 1980 flying various C-130 configurations, ending my career in C-130 gunships with engagements in Panama and Iraq. Not bad for a tree hugging pacifist.

 

[hewebb]

Got draft notice-OOPS. (Twenty four and married) Joined instead. Army Basic, NCO school & AIT at Fort Polk, LA. Jump School Fort Benning, GA. Sent to 82d ABN, Fort Bragg, NC, Dec 1966 left 82d 1969. Worked in the same office the entire time.

 

[woodster]

Got draft notice-OOPS. (Twenty four and married) Joined instead. Army Basic, NCO school & AIT at Fort Polk, LA. Jump School Fort Benning, GA. Sent to 82d ABN, Fort Bragg, NC, Dec 1966 left 82d 1969. Worked in the same office the entire time.

did you happen to be at polk in june and july of 1966 and if so what was your company mine was Bravo-4-1 south fort

 

[Cuirassier]

To Stiggy,
Enlisted USMC summer ' 66 - PI - 0311- served in G/2/4 during Tet'68 - C.O (Then) Capt. Jay Vargas MOH - left Corps in ' 74 - war was over, garrison was too petty and boring. Lots of other stories, deployments, and assignments - none matter as much as the above.
Semper Fi Buddy - Second To None

Tom

 

[cbourne200]

Enlisted Navy Flight program 1969. Then came lottery - #354 & 24 (if I remember right). Started OCS Feb '70 in Pensacola. RIF'ed out in Sept '70 one week before going to Corpus Christi. Had been assigned as F4 RIO from selections. Great time during flight school/OCS.

 

[frimi_captain]

Joined the peacetime navy to see the world. Saw an awful lot of water aboard the USS Midway CV-41 and USS Longbeach CGN-9. Radar Fire control Tech for AN/SPS 48.
Learned to sail in Vallejo California while at Radar school.

 

[David in Sandusky]

Went to Navy OCS in Newport in April, 1969, then on to Navy Supply Corps School in Athens, GA, where our first daughter was born. Served as Stores Officer on the sub tender Howard W. Gilmore for a fast attack nuclear squadron in Charleston, and then for a diesel squadron in Key West. Worked with great folks on the tender, including the best Supply Chief in the Navy, Jim Windley. Had a great time in Key West, and our second daughter. Left active duty as a Lt.(jg) in July of 1972 while Gilmore was in dry dock in Mobile, AL, preparing for a long deployment to Italy. Great people, a good mission, and our best social life ever! Oh, yeah, I raced a Sunfish every month against the 30 other members of the Key West Naval Sailing Assn. - that's where I really learned to sail!

 

[SailormanDan]

I was Army ROTC thru Marion Military Institute in Marion, AL. I was one of the "Chosen Few", the last class to go through the United States Army Engineer Officer Basic Course at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia in the summer of 1984, before they moved it to Ft. Leonard Wood, MO. I then spent almost 4 years at North Ft. Polk., LA in the old, temporary WWII wooden barracks that one of my sergeants had lived in on his way to Vietnam. (Post fire department torched one and it only took 17 minutes until it collapsed on itself). I spent 4 months in the Panama jungle watching Reserve units build the wrong type of bridge and then blow it up. (Oops.)
I'm glad I served my country, I think we should have some form of national service, and you're welcome!

 

[gettinthere]

I was not in the military, I was in the Air Force

 

[jimg]

USMC Feb '67 to Dec '70, just under 4 years. MCRD San Diego, then OCS Quantico, then Ft. Sill for artillery school. Vietnam for 13 mos, then MCAS Yuma (Brig Officer!) until quitting time.

 

[charliegrau]

25+ yrs USN. 4yrs as a Radioman ('71-74'), then out and on to school on the GI bill. Returned to the Navy with a commission as a Supply Corps Officer in 1980 and served in several ships including USS Pensacola (LSD-38) in LIttle Creek, VA. USS Lafayette (SSBN 616) (GOLD) homeport Holy Loch Scotland, off crew in New London, USS San Jacinto (CG-56) commissioning crew - just for 3 months, USS White Plains (AFS-5) in Guam..with a lot of time in the Persian Gulf during the first Gulf war.; USNS Comfort (T-AH-20) the hospital ship in Baltimore at the time. Also did tours at NAS Corpus Christi, and several shore duty tours in the Norfolk, VA area including 3yrs active duty with the SEABEEs and 10yrs as a civilian with the SEABEEs. Many great adventures and good times. Thanks to all of you who have served.

 

[Jerry Clark H356 SV Persi]

I was in Tennessee Air National Guard as a pilot. Went to Pilot Training at Williams AFB 1970-71. Flew KC-97 tanker in TAC unit 134th Air Refueling Group out of Knoxville. We had full time operation in Rhein-Mein called Creek Party, alternating with 5 other Guard units every 12 weeks, for 2 weeks refueling in Germany. Flew all over US, Carribbean, Europe. Got out in 1975. Flew week nights, weekends and at Creek Party, crossing North Atlantic, and other active duty operations supporting any and all missions needing mid-air refueling and other Guard units. Actually flew more than many of my peers who were active duty full time. Didn't serve in Nam, but admire all that did.

 

[JamesG161]

USNR Naval Flight Officer trained in NAS Pensacola as AVROC (Aviation Reserve Officer Candidate) 1968. Went home early (4 days) on first training summer because Hurricane Camille was heading to Pensacola. All aircraft moved to Merdian, MS (Including the Blue Angels). Camille missed Pensacola and hit Meridian.
Father USN WWII and brother US Naval Academy Graduate LtCmd P3 pilot. My training is a page outta the book from movie "Officer and a Gentleman". Nixon rolled back Viet Nam and all Reserver Officers were put into active reserve. Two weeks after I entered Navy, I drew 351 in lottery, but enjoyed my limited service anyway, of 5 years.

Anecdote for Marines
1) My Paris Island DI, top 5% graduate from Drill Instructor school, was named Sgt Downey and I am amazed I still remember him and his name.
2) I met the first Medal of Honor Winner for Aviation Marine (Tough to get as a pilot, near impossible, his father was a Marine). I was standing night Fire Watch in our barracks when he entered to ask for directions ( of course we were all scared of anything Marine from our DI's). He asked directions since our barrack's entry was lit at night. Barely speaking from worry I would screw up, I told him. On his way out, he stopped and turned said to me "Do good!"
He won the MOH from saving 250 Marines with close air support attack in his F4, when no other could fly so low. The legend says he had tree tops in his engine intake. He was killed 3 weeks later.
3) Jody call... "GI gravy, Navy Beans.... US Navy loves Marines... Sound off.. 1,2.. 3,4!)
4) I had my choice of Marine Officer or Naval Officer.... I stayed with family tradition of Navy.
Jim...

 

[JamesG161]

Oppss 1969 for Camille and training! Hurricane Katrina and age affected my memory.
Jim...

 

[Brian D]

Speaking of anecdotes, when I was a young Marine I was told a story of a 90 year old former Marine. When asked what he remembered about his youth, he said not much. Then he said, you know, I don't remember what I had for breakfast, but I still remember the names of my Marine Drill Instructors (he called them Drill Sergeants).

It's been 41 years now and I still, to this day, will NEVER forget the names of my DIs. I wonder if my former recruits still remember my name?