Scuttlebutt

After Co 110 Orlando and AT A school I was sent to NAS Cecil Field VA 174 the wonderful E 9 Chief sent me to the Galley where the wonderful E 6 sea bee and I had a chat on my prior experiences with Lums the next day I was to learn potato pealing and my favorite Salad Chef where I leaned to love Blue Cheese dressing and Mid Rats, they missed my AT 3 exam and a WO 4 in charge made a call  and mine was reordered.  After 90 days I returned to AT shop and was stopped by the E 9 Chief of VA 174 who  apologized and sent me to crash crew as a wheels watch,  one day on two days off. AC bunking surprise I was promoted to E 4 , Now I got truck keys and assigned E 3 trainees. I would return to my college trailer on time off in uniform and all the traier park veterans asked about it,. Its the new NAVY ; ) then I was sent back to VA 174 and foolishly given a pneumatic screw gun and Night shift in the Check this plane dept.  less than two days the Maintenance Officer E Helveston issued an order only sheet metal mechanics were permitted to use them. . An At 1 I met in orientation came over to speak to me .Wanna work in an office?  Can you type?  See Chief Woods .he does assignments.  Bonded with the man AZ Chief,  see that E 4  he types 200 WPM fastest in NAVY History what can you do? about 40 and I gave him a demo.  You got the job,. A E 8 chief Enos was my boss  I was older much older than E 3.  I was near 26  had 5 years of college two AA degrees and worked a calculator let me know if you need help. Then the Lt Cdr mustanger Maintenance officer got promoted. and early one morning E H Helveston came in wearing civilian clothes changed to uniform and announced I worked DIRECTLY for him all records all personnel had to pass my approval and I was personally responsible for accuracy and all reports . Any problems let him know. Time went by and I had made up a rubber stamp rejected and started to stamp paperwork rejected and circled the missing info. Boom the E 8 chief from Sheetmetal came into the office and threw these rejected documents in my face in front of my E 8 chief this isyour job fill it out.  I took the paperwork clipped it an low E H Helveston Cdr Maintenance come by and ask I am having a Maintence Dept head meeting next door any issues need to be address, why yes I keep getting these maintenace records uncorrected I could fill them out likely get them right but I did not do the work these three guys did so I am guessing. took them my dE 8 24 years in Navy dept head goes in behind him. BOOM  about hr later Cdr comes out and my E 8 has eyes the size of pizzas " In 24 years in the NAVY I have never seen a chewing out like that the E 8 was on the floor crying ..From that day forth Lts from other commands coming to see me called me Sir, I attended his Retirement  and took photos I was also the Skippers photographer for social events. his wife and I were friends . she only shocked me once, I had photos of Lt Wildes playing a banjo and I wanted to give it to him. She said you have not heard he is a POW . It was a week ago I took them  He was deployed to the Pacific and was shot down, in less than a week. Still dealing with that one. Then the E 5 exam came I took a couple of days off to read the E 5 course to freshen up . I was one of 4 of 1000 plus sailors to be promoted to E 5.  one National Defense Ribbon was all I had to wear. wow . Then Chief Woods  reassigned me to an E 6 Billet  open and needing a quality control Liberian to fix it. one day in that office the E 8 chief in charge and I had a discussion. this place is a disaster we would never pass a quality control exam . we must rebuild it now. all hands must work to make new manuals, went and got some garbage cans and ordered all new books then I went up to Chief  Woods I am going to need some more help NOW . Find anyone E 3 in VA 174 they are yours. Lunch and as I was paying the uniform of the sailor said VA 174   what are you ? An AZ  great you work for me tomorrow. He was shocked especially the next day when he showed up for work. We had a great team in Quality Control  The Division officer was a Yale Grad and son of a Miami Federal Judge, he left and a Lt Cdr took over and wrote bad evals on two of my best crew and fE 6 friends both went to the Capt over it.. requested sea duty rather than be so insulted.  I was next .I am a 4.0 3.8 eval my entire enlistment and he gives me 2 something waited till he went on test flight gave the E 8 a mrequest to see the commanding officer and walked up thru the chain of command , Met the Maintenance Officer nice guy . We have a problem I have 7 months left on m contract I am at the highest rank on a 4 year enlistment I am not re enlisting  not getting commissioned and not staying reserves so this eval could be all zeros and not effect me , That is not the same for my crew, He changed the numbers and initialed it and brought the matter to the attention of the CO  whome I knew from his wifes parties .LCdr in flight suit comes in and a call came in Skipper wants to see you now..agh a chewing out of chewing outs  so this really pissed off Lt Cdr storms in the room wanting to beat me up in front of crew boy was he pissed ,another call skipper wants to see you again  neutered the Lt Cdr returns.and states I am only to fly the plans and I am ordered to have no other contract with crew another officer will be assigned to all other task. .. Then a pilot crashed at sea and NAVY required some crew to attend the service. I was the enlisted that volunteers and the LtCdr   was the driver, : )   All these people are probably dead as they were older than I and in  two weeks I am 75.  and most smoked  . They should be remembered for their service and most importantly for the attention to the morale of the crew and quality control of the A7 A B and D  The CO John McCain several years after me managed how I have not a clue managed for fly every one of the Dud line A7s of the 160 best of my memory aircraft assigned,   I would be remiss not to mention the VA 174 personnel and medical support staff. and the lovely send of for CO Cdr Bos who was missing his pay and went over and started his quote of entitlement listen you enlisted Pukes l want my check.  I knew those pukes and Cdr Bos had his shot record sent to ? His checks sent to? and his NAVY new assignment was as close to a scow as was available to assign him  team work ; )