Comments

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  Robert Ray October 3, 2011 at 10:48am

  1979, Company 067 (I was the honorman)... Great bunch of guys.

   

  The smell of roasting shoe polish still brings back some good memories. It's a shame they tore down the barracks, after we put such a good shine on the floors.
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  Daniel J Chesley October 3, 2011 at 10:05am

  I remember the car hitting the recruits in 66, think I was still in "A" school on 32nd street at the time. Seems like thats when they started using crossing guards back at RTC.

  I don't know if Jim and I got there the same night, we made a stop in I think Muleshoe, Tx., or some little burg in N.M. and chipped in some money for a couple bottles of cheap whiskey, so there are parts of that trip that are just a little blurry, ha !
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  Jim Decota October 3, 2011 at 12:35am

  In the top pick, seated on the left is our 2 star, Admiral Czesak and standing on the right is our Chief Smith who handles the galley. Last week we had the Michigan crew on board for the week. I ended up with mess duty with the Chief on Monday. I am still in the "bilge" because I forgot about a tray of fries in the oven and filled the galley and the passageway with smoke! I think that will be the last time the corpsman gets mess duty!
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  Jim Decota October 3, 2011 at 12:29am

  Are you sure you(Jim and Dan) two didn't get there the same night?

  Dan, we were lucky to have John Finn on board the Slater to celebrate his 100th birthday in 09! He insisted that if everyone was going to address him by rank that they call him "Chief"! Even though he did retire as a LT.

  It's amazing how many did not realize that he enlisted in 1926 and was a Chief when the war started!
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  James W Ward October 3, 2011 at 12:00am

  Arrived in 66 at 3 am, remembered the trash can wake up, traveled from Los Angeles via Very Crowded bus.. Co 402,  Was there when Co. 401 got hit by the car.  Tragic.  We all thought it could have been us.. Welcome to Navy life.. After that was a piece of cake..Well maybe a wee bit stale cake. 

   
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  Daniel J Chesley October 2, 2011 at 11:37pm

  Speaking of John Finn. He just passed away recently at 100 years plus.

  He was alway a true hero to me. If there ever was a sailor's sailor he was it!

  What a Guy!
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  Daniel J Chesley October 2, 2011 at 11:19pm

  The picture that Johnny Johnson posted is the one that welcomed me in 66 and my brother Ed in 68. Same bldg etc. Pretty much the same situation, hit the rack at 0300, somebody beating on a old tin trash can at 0500. I guess they wanted to keep us tired and addled, (worked for me, ha).

  As to the train trip, that was getting close to the last gasp for rail travel. But it was neat, Pullman Cars, Observation Cars, just like the old movies.

  I guess the Govt was trying to prop them up a little. Seems like we had 2 or 3 cars all soon to be swabs and jarheads.

   
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  Jim Decota October 2, 2011 at 10:24pm

  Pullman sleepers in 66? Geez, they must have had to complete a contract from the 40's! Which one was there in 66 Dan? The colored letters or the all blue and white that was there in 70?
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  Daniel J Chesley October 2, 2011 at 10:03pm

  Thats the sign I remember back in 66. They sent us to boot camp by train, Pullman Sleepers. I think it took 2 1/2 days from Dallas. The Navy must have got a deal from the railroads. Great ride, then we got to San Diego and the, "fun" began.

   
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  Larry Penatzer October 2, 2011 at 8:35pm

  I went through boot camp here in 1986.  I'll have to dig around and find my Anchor and see which sign is in it.