Gender
Male
Mount Wolf, PA
Birthday: April 19
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Gender
Male
Location
Mount Wolf, PA
Birthday:
April 19
Rank
Petty Officer First Class
Where were you or your family stationed?
NAS Norfolk, NavSta Guantanamo Bay & VP64 at Willow Grove, PA.
Veteran of Foreign War
The Cold War
Current Status with the US Navy
Honorably Discharged
Start date of your service
June 30, 1958
End date of your service
August 31, 1978
Comments
john, I was stationed on leeward point, gitmo during the Cuban missle crisis in '62 and left in '63. I was in VU-10.
Yes,I remember the machine gunners,a seaman at the boatshed by the name of Whitehead from Arkansas was one of them,I would like to make the reunion in Charleston,I have been there a few times visiting my Grandson when he was in the Citadel colledge,he is now in the army in Arizona in I.T. school.,We have one son and 3 grandsons.
I was on the opposite end of the barracks..I was a fire team leader in the 3rd platoon of negdf.My main job at the boatshed was boat operator or Coxswain.We mostly carried FTG personell to and from the ships.I was in the navy for 8 years ,bm3 was as far as I got,getting out worked good for me,I got married gave up drinking ,been married 50 years, retired from ALCOA Aluminum co.I have had a better life than I would have if I had stayed in the navy.
My bunk was on the 1st floor ,I guess it would be the east wing across the street from the mess hall and I remember a workout room across the street from us,the dorm I was in was the boatshed people.It has been over 50 years now.I live in East Tn 30 miles south of Knoxville.
John,I was at the naval station boatshed from jan.62-july 63.I must have known Summerall en3,I was a bm3 who operated boats and the enginemen were the engineers on our boats.I remember the officer in charge was a LT JG Graves from Alabama a good man who was an ex engineman.
Thanks John. I'm long over due for an eye exam. Will they help?
John, Plan on being there.
I found a couple of Marines from the area that were in Gitmo.
They said when I get some info to let them know.
Tom
Hi John... Thanks for the invite. I was at GITMO once on the USS Kalamazoo AOR 6.
We had completed an overhaul and was sent to GITMO for refresher training. Being an engineer and working in the fireroom I didn't get to much time to take in the sites. I did get the chance to go to Cable Beach. Great place to lay in the sun and relax and swim.
Thanks for the kind comments John... I did indeed have an interesting navy career. Not many navy wx guessers ride a coast guard cutter throughout Philippine waters on the job. I actually did visit GITMO while aboard the USS Intrepid... she was on shake-down after a refit for an enclosed bow and steam cats. We pulled liberty in Guantanamo City and of course the base...
Those were the days my friend.