Comments

• 

  Herbert Edward Harfst August 2, 2012 at 3:09pm

  I reported aboard NTC Great Lakes on March 16, 1957 in the middle of the night.  We were herded into a barracks and had to find an open bunk in the dark since it was after taps.  Most of us slept in our clothes.  The next morning we were taken to chow and then to one of the drill halls where we were lined up and given small cardboard boxes.  We were told to take off ALL our clothing, put it in the box and address it to our parents.  We then had the last 4 digits of our service numbers written on our chests with red lipstick.  We went to the doctor, the dentist, the barbershop and everywhere else that day stark naked.  In Great Lakes, Illinois in March.  Have you ever tried to sit down on a steel folding chair when you were naked?  Thats how we ate our box lunches.  At about 1600 we got in line to get our clothing.  Sea bag first.  You went down the line holding your sea bag open and your clothing was tossed into it.  We fished out one set of dungarees and underwear, socks and boondockers and got dressed. We then marched to our barracks--a WW II "temporary" building where we were taught how to fold our clothing and stow it in our lockers.  We then unstowed our lockers, sent our whites and blues to the tailors and washed everything else.  Anyone remember: "New clothes are dirty clothes?"

  The next day we were lined up by height and the tallest guy became the RCPO the next tallest the RXO,etc. At that point we became Company 81.   I was lucky enough to be tall enough to be selected as one of four Battalion Master-at-Arms.  A cushy job.  I also tried out for the Blue Jackets Choir and made it that got me out of service week since the choir was flown to Dallas, TX to sing.  Boot camp was a breeze for me.  But it was cold.  When it snowed the snow would drift under the windows inside the barracks.  LIke most guys, I guess I could write a book about the people and the experiences of boot camp at Camp Moffett.  On our last day our company commander, GM1 James,  told us the real meaning of NAVY:  Never Again Volunteer Yourself.  Good advice as it turned out.
• 

  Michael Kusuplos January 2, 2012 at 5:20pm

  Remember arriving on Fridayt and then being processed through Camp Moffatt on the weekend.  On Saturday night in the end of June 69, Steaks were on the menu.  I was hungry, ate it down and went back for seconds.  The service week that was serving, told me that I couldn't have seconds.  He didn't know that their was a CS2 standing behind him, the CS2 gave that service week holy hell about how he,the CS2 , was working hard to cook up these steaks and told the service week, that If anyone wanted seconds that he serve the man and not think that he was in charge of anything. 

   
• 

  Robert Roman May 18, 2011 at 4:07pm

  I arrived at camp Moffett on Jan 6 1966and was put in Co 33. It was a depressing and cold. We had more ice on the inside of the windows then was outside. We were there for 2 weeks then we moved across the tracks to a new barracks which was a little warmer. By then I had gotten sick with a fever of 104 and ended up in the hospital for 5 days during service week. I missed service week and fire fighting but did not get set back. I remember huddling in the back corner of the drying room trying to stay warm when they turned the heat off. I was sure glad to get out of there.
• 

  Ron Ruiter November 1, 2010 at 8:53pm

  I remember Camp Moffett and talk about a depressing place, well that was it. All I could think about is that is this how we are going to live in boot camp for the next 8 weeks? OMG this is really going to suck. LOL
• 

  Donald Porter September 18, 2010 at 8:12am

  This was my very first stay in the Navy in 1971. I still remember making my first rounds, Fire watch I believe they called it, I kept forgetting what to say.