One event I will never forget during bootcamp happened around Thanksgiving. It was rainy and our company was leaving the mess hall. We were marching back to the barracks when we encountered a large puddle in our path. We weren't sure what to do...so still thinking like civilians I suppose...we split up and went around the puddle. Do I need to tell you we got our tails chewed out and then spent the next half an hour marching through the puddle?! That still makes me chuckle 37 years later!!!
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I think we all remember cumshaw, you know you give something to get something. In civilian life it;s called grand larceny. I recall when I was aboard the Seirra and running the photo lab I had been using my own 35mm camera to take photos and it was taking a beating. When i tried to order a 35mm camera through supply I was informed I was not allowed one. Soooo...... I had to make an end run around the red tape.Here's what I had to do: First I located a "stash" of Nikon cameras at the Fleet Photo lab on the Norfolk air station. Now, what is the one thing that most sailors like to drink.... no, not beer. COFFEE! I had a friend that worked in supply. All I had to do was develop and print two rolls of flim of his fat, naked girlfriend and a 8 X 10 of the ship and he dropped off two 20 lb cans of coffee at my apartment. Finally, the next day I told my division officer that I was going to the air station photo lab to get my camera cleaned. While the camera repairman was cleaning I asked what woukld it take to transfer a use Nikon to my photo lab.... guess what he said? You got it! He said a couple of 5 pound cans would do it, when I asked what would two 20 pound cans get me?The man's eyes got real big. He said wait here, shortly he came back with a cheif who asked, "where's the coffee?" "I have it in my car" I said. To make a long story short the chief took brand spanking new Nikon kit (with five lenses and a spare body) out of the packing case, made a deep scratch on the bottom with his keys and said " damn things broken might as well get rid of it"Thats how i got my camera ( BTW I still have it ).Does anyoneelse have a story about what you had do to cumshaw something?
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I too am proud to be a Navy Veteran. I got out of high school in 1972 and had no idea what I was going to do...so I joined the Navy. My dad had been in the Navy during WW II, so it wasn't hard to decide which branch of the service to join.I was in the 13th company (3013) to pass through RTC Orlando for the WAVES. I got my orders to VT-31 as everyone was boarding the buses for the airport after graduation! So when I arrived at my squadron they had no idea I was coming.I was sent TAD to clean the barracks for three months! After that I went back to my squadron and became the Logs and Records Yeoman.The hindsight comes in because like a dummy, when my enlistment was over...I got out.I kick myself everyday for not making the Navy a career. Oh well...
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Here it is, a day after the birth of our country. Turn the TV on and what do you see? Stories about the different festivities that happened throughout the country? A story about a vet, telling his/her story about how much the 4th of July means to them? A story from the good ole heartland, where a family "really" feels grateful to be Americans and how they ALWAYS celebrate the holiday with their flag flying, etc? If........IF you're lucky, you did see a few stories like I mentioned. That's provided, and this is the key word..............LUCKY.Why did I say that you had to be lucky? Because where I live, we are bombarded on all our media outlets, TV and radio, with constant stories about Michael Jackson passing away and the when and where's his memorial is going to happen. Instead of hearing about a veteran that was injured in a conflict and is minus a limb or eyesight, and how he......HE deserves recognition for his sacrifice, we HAVE to tolerate a story about a lottery type thing for fans to attend a memorial service for a music icon. The story about a family in the heartland? Naw, we get to hear how grateful we were to have such a music legend and how sad we should be that he passed.I'm sorry folks, I refuse to jump on that crazy train. He may have been a very talented musician and great dancer BUT, and I put the emphasis on BUT. He did not serve in any branch of this country's military nor did he ever go on any USO tour in support of our troups. Instead, he made music and went on tours, making millions of dollars, which he wasted on many foolish things and many times...........down right stupid things. And because of the accusations of child molestation, lost practically everything. He was a musical icon but he still was just another human being. And in the shadow of his passing, we heard about numerous other celebrities that also passed.My heart goes out to the families for their losses, don't get me wrong. But the way the American media works and obviously thinks, they actually overshadowed our nations birthday with trivial bull, that NOT all Americans care to be forced into seeing constantly on the news.It's a shame and truly bothers me, that this great country of ours doesn't have the heart or time to express their gratitude to the American Vet, dead or living, like they're doing celebraties. Just my thoughts, mind you.DutchP.S. To all my brothers and sisters, I hope that you all had a great 4th. I for one, did remember and am extremely grateful for everyone's sacrifice for this country. And a very smart salute to you from me for this, and my heartfelt "Thanks".
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Here we go sports fans. FINALLY..................the cold and snow are gone. It's nice and toasty outside. The sun bakes our backs, arms and legs when we do the "manly" ritual of mowing the grass. We come inside for a cold one and to ease the pain of our sunburnt bodies and casually glance at the calendar next to the fridge. OMG!!!!! It's already the 4th of July. Where the heck did the time go? Jeez, wasn't Easter last week?The time for the manliest of manly rituals...............GRILLING!!!! Whether you call it BBQing, cooking out, or just plain "putting on the summertime feedbag", it's here. OMG, gotta hurry and get everything going. Looking in the garage, you make a mental checklist;1) Charcoal briquets.............dangit, gotta a half a bag left over from last summer. GET MORE CHARCOAL, you tell yourself.2) Folding table and chairs..............Yep, gottem........wait, what the heck is that orange circle on the table? Ewwww!!!! Screw it, wifey has a new tablecloth. That'll cover it.3) Where's the friggin grill? OMG, did that idiot neighbor borrow it without asking and never brought it back? Argh!!!! I cannot believe that S.O.B...............he's always borrowing things and, uh........wait.......what's that behind the trash can? OMG, there's that damn thing. Whew!!!!4) Sauce, corn on the cob, buns, hamburger, hot dogs, jeez, I better get to the store now.Jump into the truck and race straight down the street, barely missing old man Stewart and his terrier. Sorry, Mr. Stewart, you holler as you wisk by. But you catch yourself mumbling," That old S.O.B. should know better than to be out in the street walking that mangy rat dog." Then you realize that you just pulled up to the store and see that the lot is packed. (Explicit language inserted here)THEN............a light goes off in your head...................SAM'S CLUB!!!!!!! A quick U turn and three blocks and you're there. After wrestling a flat cart from a guy that yells at you in "Spanish", you're flashing your membership ID to an elderly guy and your inside. YES!!!!!! God created Sam's just for us. OMG, everything you can imagine. Plasma TV's, state of the art cell phones, tires............OMG, the aroma of new rubber is intoxicating, computers, cameras, cloths, deli food.........wait, food!!!! That's what you're there for. After another 20 minutes of elbowing yourself through overweight women and fat kids, sampling the pre-cooked but warmed up facsimile that they push at you calling it food, you manage to get everything imaginable. You even wound up throwing a new BBQ grill onto the cart, just for good measure...........and yes, you couldn't resist. You had to get that new CD by Bruce Springsteen. The Boss rules, you mutter, as you leave the check out area and head for the door. The elderly man takes what seems like forever checking everything off of the receipt. Jeez old man, you mutter, can't you tell that I'm trying to get home and throw Elsie on the fire? Jeez!!!!Finally!!!! You pile everything into the back of the truck and head for home. After a quick stop at the local convenience store for liquid refreshments and the lottery ticket ( gotta be the winner!!!) you head for the house again, muttering " Convenience my butt and what the hell is this world coming to with all these foreigners running convenience stores? Half don't even speak english............" then you hear a yell and realized that you almost got Mr. Stewart and his dog............... again. Damn, that old guy's gonna get hit someday!Finally! You're in the backyard. The grill is in place, the condiments are on the table, buns in their bags are at the ready, cooking utensils are shining and ready for their chore, and the new grill is out of the box and ready.............just in case the old stand by acts up. HERE WE GO!!!!! Whew!!!!! I don't know about you, but I've been accused of using too much lighter fluid, after putting down a few too many beers. Jeez Dutch, your backyard can be seen by the space shuttle. Ease up on the fluid. So, there you are. A side of beef smoking on the one grill. A dozen hamburgers, hot dogs, and corn on the cob sizzling on the other. Potato salad, beans, buns, relish, catsup, mustard, sliced onions, and pickles are sitting very organized on a table. Thanks honey, very nice..........jeesh! Paper plates, eating utensils, cups........yup, they're ready. Beer and iced tea chilling in the coolers. Finally!!!! OOPS, almost forgot............double check that the flag is out and flying. You betcha! Whew!Anywho...................I have yet to figure out what the connection is between the signing of the Declaration of Independence and backyard cookouts but whos' arguing? It is a man thing, you know.From my home to yours..............have a safe and great Fourth of July. And in the event, you happen to notice that there's a glow coming from the area of Missouri, well..............you'll know that good ole "Dutch" and his bride are grilliing.Dutch
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I'm no different than many guys and/or gals, that grew up without a father. Mine, in particular, thought breaking the law was more important than taking care of his family. Basically, prison was where I knew him to be the most. Definitely not around me.Thus, I was raised by my grandmother. She understood that a "father figure" was needed and did her best to expose me to every imaginable avenue available..........from church organizations to boy scouts. She would often insist on me going on camping trips and outings with my friends, provided there was a father or two present. I understood, then and now, what she was doing and was never affended or (at times) surprised at the lengths she would go.I laugh when I think back on how she would "secretly" talk with my friends fathers about camping or fishing trips, where she wanted me to be included. SHE would plan these trips. She was truly amazing and I loved her dearly. She always did her best to give me everything I needed. And she was so proud when I joined the Navy. In March 1980, while on the Forrestal, we were in Palermo, Sicily and I got word that she had passed. That was the hardest flight to the states that I ever made.A few years ago,I met an elderly gentleman, that I grew very fond of. He was so friggin funny that he would have me laughing for no apparent reason. And the phrases and sayings that he had. OMG! They were too much. One Fathers Day, a friend of mine suggested that I give him, of all things, a Playboy subscription. Sooooo, me being the type to "think" that I'm doing something nice for him, did get him the subscription. His reaction still kills me. He looked at the magazine, when it came in the mail, "What the hell? Porn? Why do I need porn? Even more important, what am I going to do with it?" I'm beside myself at this point. He laughed and said," Rick, there are parts of me that haven't worked right in over 20 years. Even porn aint gonna help." We laughed for hours. He was a very good man and friend and I miss him a lot. Unfortunately, he passed a couple of months after this happened. He left a note with his son, for me. It said, "Remember me as I was." He didn't want me to attend his funeral and following his wishes, I didn't.The point that I'm trying to make, which isn't easy, mainly because of being misty eyed (a little), is pretty simple. I never had the priviledge of knowing what it was to actually celebrate "Fathers Day" but I've met a lot of pretty damn good Dad's thru out my life, which helped make up for my short coming. Hopefully, no one reading this experienced what I have. No kid, boy or girl, man or woman, should never be unable to celebrate Fathers Day with their father. On Fathers Day, give yours a big hug and tell him how much you love him.I got married on Feb 15, 2008 (for the first time, no less) and my wife happened to have 4 kids of her own. She has 2 boys ( one is 28 and the other 18) and 2 girls (one is 30 and the other 20). When I said "I do", suddenly I had 4 kids and catch this...............7 GRANDKIDS!!!! That more than makes up for things. I don't get Fathers Day cards but it still feels great, having stepfather attached to my family resume'. Better yet, my youngest stepdaughter is expecting and is due in Dec. Pretty cool, huh?Anywho, have a great Fathers Day. I'm gonna be celebrating it, sorta, for the second time.Dutch
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Sponsor - I Heard The People SayWe hope you will join us for "An Afternoon With Judge Napolitano" on Thursday, July 16, 2009, from 11:30 until 1:30 at the Frontenac Hilton in St. Louis. St. Louis' very own Jamie Allman, of The Cool 97.1, will be the MC! We are honored to be hosting such a distinguished expert on the U.S. Constitution as Judge Andrew Napolitano. We are so excited to meet both of them; they are true patriots. A portion of the proceeds will go to the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLU), The Heritage Foundation, and, in honor of our military, The Veterans' Circle.Admission is $75.00 per person, which includes lunch. your fee for admission is tax-deductible as a donation to I Heard The People Say and the other three organizations listed above.Please go to "I Heard The People Say" or Veteranscircle for further details.Thank you and look forward to seeing you all!
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Greetings Everyone!My cousin, Cleto Amos Tiger Jr. (an active Philippine Navy) and I registered his long-lost father Mr. Amos B. Tiger Sr., with high hopes that some one from this site might extend any help or assistance in finding him, eventhough we have limited knowledge and known informations about him.Mr. Amos B. Tiger Sr. was a US Navy who once stationed here in the Cavite Naval Base, Philippines , around year 1958, and met my cousin's mother Ms. Nenita Malimban. Out of wedlock, Ms. Nenita Malimban and Amos B. Tiger had a son : Mr. Cleto Amos Tiger Jr., (my cousin) named after Mr. Amos B. Tiger Sr. as shown on my cousin’s birth certificate..All we know about Mr. Amos B. Tiger Sr. is that he is a US Navy, an Oklahoma native.Year 1959 he was stationed at San Diego California , then in Washington DC . As estimated, he might be around 75-77 years old now., (might born around 1932-1934) as informed ny Ms. Nenita.We don’t know about his service or social security no., even his exact birth date, that is why we can’t pursue the request of record to Veterans Adminstration of Navy.My cousin has been looking and longing for him since birth. All he wants is to meet him hoping he’s still alive, or meet his family. He’s not after any claims or financial support or what so ever.All he has are the birth certificate record and his father’s pictureI hope you could extend some help or assistance for this matter.Hoping for any response. We've got his picture , please e-mail me at : jasmin.ledesma@yahoo.com for us to send his picture to those who has a big heart to help. You can also check his profile here at navyvets.ning.com : Amos B. TigerThank you.Jasmin from the Philippines
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Having spent over 10 years in this man's Navy, I was one of many fortunate Americans to have visited many different countries. I ate their foods, experienced their cultures, made an honest attempt to learn a little bit of their language, and visited their historical sites. Through all of this, I always tried to show my respect to that particular place and the people.Why? Because I believed that I was an unofficial ambassador for my country. I never wanted anyone from that country to think that we, Americans, were as bad as their press made us out to be. I wanted these people to see that Americans were a proud people but respectful of other cultures. And, I like to feel that I was successful in my attempts.But unfortunately, the modern day press and all the idiotic politics that come our way, always seemed to only show us, Americans, as power hungry, uncaring, bad guys, with an ego bigger than possible. I've lost count of all the ports that I visited, that uniforms were not allowed ashore because of Anti-American protests and the threats against us in town. History in our own country had our own protesters, in the news, trying to make their point by of all things...............burning our flag. So, what do these other countries do? They can't make their points viable during their protests and marches, with banners and signs, so they burn our flag............copying our own people's actions.These countries don't have all of the luxuries and freedoms that we do, like freedom of expression, and freedom of speech, but are extremely capable of emulating what the people of the "big and bad United States" do and get away with. Apparently, they believe that because our government does nothing to stop our protesters from this desecration of our symbol of freedom, why not do the same.My feeling is pretty straight forward and simple. Everyone in this country has the right to express themselves as they see fit, provided no one gets hurt or killed. That's fine by me. If no laws are broken, state, local, or countrywide...........go for it. BUT................why does our own country NOT protect the very symbol of this country?While I was growing up and when I joined the USN, and thru present day, I am always proud to see "Ole Glory" hoisted up. That flag means alot to me. That's why I served. Because it was and is the symbol of MY country, MY freedoms, MY life and my ancestors served this country to protect those freedoms. And I'm reminded of their sacrifices everytime I see that beautiful banner flying in the breeze. And anytime any........ANY American wants to take the time to question the politics of this country, do it!!!! BUT, leave MY flag alone. That banner has nothing to do with any protest that is made.We have holidays celebrating religions and cultures. We have holidays commemorating victories and battles. We have holidays remembering those heroes lost and those still serving. Thank God, in our FREE country, we have a day celebrating a very important item..........OUR FLAG!!! Thank God I'm an American!!!!Incidently.................Mine is flying as I'm typing this. Is yours?"Dutch"
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Hey Everyone,I just returned from my first Assault Craft Veterans Association (ACVA) reunion. It was held May 21-23. I wrote a blog in March saying, "the time is now for reunions." I know now how true this is. If any of you have a chance to go to a reunion for your ship, crew, or group, do it. You won't be sorry! I was able to spend some time with Sailors that had served during WW-II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, and other military operations. Our group was hosted by Assault Craft Unit One in Coronado, California. We held our reunion in conjuction with the LCU-1500 Memorial, tha is held each year at ACU-1 on the Coronado Amphibious Base. The LCU-1500 was hit by a rocket while loading explosives at the Bridge Ramp in Danang Harbor, Vietnam in 1969. All hands were lost, as well as 8 sailors from YFU-78 and 3 secuirty personnel from Naval Support Activity Danang. Three of the attendees were crewmembers on the LCU-1500 when it took an RPG to the Conning Tower just one year before (1968), amost to the date, that it was destroyed. They suffered 1 KIA and 4 WIA that day. One of the WIA s was at the reunion. As you can guess, a lot of "war stories" and "sea stories' were told. What a great bunch of guys in the ACVA. One of my old shipmates from the LCU-1481, Walter Michielutti was there and we had time to visit and remember old shipmates and funny stories of our 8 months on the LCU-1481.The memorial service for the LCU-1500 was a wonderful experience. Our group presented ACU-1 with a painting commissioned by the ACVA to honor the LCU-1500. All of ACU-1 was there for the memorial and we had a great time talking to the young sailors, Chiefs, and Officers. We were treated to a San Diego harbor cruise on the LCU-1665. Our wives had a great time seeing the harbor as well as getting first hand knowledge of what their husbands lived and served on during their time in the Navy.I can't say enough about the joy and tears shared by all of us during those 3 days. Please take time to review my new photos. Don't forget that each year that passes, more shipmates leave us and you may might not get many more chances to spend time with them.Take care everyone!Kelley
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Hello. This page was created to honor my dad who served in WWII. He never liked to talk about his time in the Navy so I didn't ask a lot of questions. I grew up living with my mother and step-father so I never knew my real dad as well as I should have. I just accepted my reality. I have a lot of questions now, and wish I had more information. I am going to try to find out more about his service in the Navy. I have a few pictures and will post them, when I can find them.I had a few more details but lost them when my last computer crashed. There's a lesson here.The only ship I can remember was the Annie Lykes, but I haven't found any information about it.Daddy was a Signalman. He left for the Marshall Islands from Hawaii. I don't remember what port he left from in the Mainland.I believe he said he was on Kwajalein and Enewetak (Eniwetak, Enewetok, Eniwetok) Atolls in the Marshall Islands.He said the vessel he was on was towed back to US from the Marshall Islands. I don't know if it was the same one he was originally deployed on. I do remember asking him about the ship, wondering if it was a destroyer or what, but I just remember him saying "Naw" like he was not particularly happy with whatever type of ship it was.I remember something like maybe he was part of a Marine's group.That's it. That's all I know. Sorry I don't know all the proper terminology. I realize I have waited too long to connect with possible shipmates or other personnel he may have served with. But, it's never too late to enter what history I have in the pool, and I want him to be represented.Love you Dad and thanks for your service to our country!
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Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery, Northern View, Pacific Ocean on left
Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery, Westward View, Pacific Ocean in background
A highlight of my mid-April visit to San Diego was those reverent hours spent at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery. What a magnificent and respectful place indeed. It seems appropriate to share a couple of photos taken during time on that hallowed ground. My words are insufficient to pay Memorial Day appreciation to these solemn memorial lands. But Rita C’s written words as captured here by her pen—better express those feelings experienced regarding a visit to this sacred place…“The Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery has a beauty and tranquility that leaves peaceful hopefulness in the hearts and minds of visitors. Situated on the Point Loma Peninsula—just a few miles from Downtown San Diego, the national cemetery has breathtaking views of the bay and ocean on both sides. Walking the grounds creates a feeling that time has stopped, the cool green of the lawn and trees, the clear blue of the skies and ocean, and the purity of the white headstones lining and defining the landscape. Here veterans slumber in hallowed ground, reminding us that we all share a common destiny.” As I walked among the thousands of white gravestones, my eyes caught a striking and unforgettable sight. There in a central location—side by side—lay a US Army 3-Star General and a US Army Private. Veterans certainly know that these two honorable men did not frequent the same social circles during their short time on earth. But they now share essentially the same ground forever...into whatever comes to them in the unknown here after. This observation and these thoughts presented me with a very peaceful and strongly balanced reality experience.Read more…
It appears that within the next 30 days we're going to go over our first milestone - over 1,000 US Navy Vets on board NavyVets.com.
Now that clicks on ads are surpassing the cost of the site, we've hired an attorney that specializes in online businesses. David Alerding will be retained to make NavyVets.com NavyVets, LLC - a non-profit 501 (c) (3) corporation.
This is exciting because we'll be the only online website for US Navy Vets that will be 100% charitable - and give all profits back to Veterans charities each year. I'm looking forward to your input on Veterans' charities and perhaps we can do some kind of polling to make sure every dollar goes to where it's needed most.
So lets welcome our 1,000th US Navy Vet - it's a cause for incredible celebration. Your participation in NavyVets.com is what makes this the best website on the planet for US Navy Vets.
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Another year zips by and we have to be reminded to remember those that are no longer with us. We aren't reminded in ways like a phone call or text message from others, but by all the BS Memorial Day sales events.To me, it makes the time that much more sad. I, personally, never will remember family and/or friends lost by a sales event. It's not enough that we lose a loved one but to mark a day of remembrance with BS events, is obscene. And I'm sure that loved ones that I have lost would never want to be remembered by the slashed prices on new cars or the "great" deals you can get on yard furniture.I've wrote this short blog to let friends/family of mine, know that I will always remember those that are no longer around me, physically. I will always believe that they are still with me regardless. They will always hold a special place in my heart. And God forbid, should anyone reading this should pass before me..........KNOW THIS...........you, too, will always remain by my side, as you did in the physical sense. And hopefully, you will feel the same about me. Why? That's the NON-BS side of Memorial Day. That's why we have the holiday.For all those that have gone..........God Bless You and if possible, look over me and help me to remain the person that you loved and called friend.Dutch
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