Rank
Petty Officer First Class
Enlisted Rating
Aviation Electronics Technician
Where were you or your family stationed?
after 'A' school... first stop, VP-31 DET. NORIS (NAS NORTH ISLAND CA.) for my first 16 months. Arrived in early spring of '69 and lived in Bldg. #242 across from the base's old Sea Plane Hangers and our VP-31 work spaces.... and later, 'Ocean Beach' near the fishing pier, a half hours drive away. Cmdr. Bucher and the 'Pueblo crew' lived in one wing in that barracks (#242) when they got back from N. Korean imprisonment, and as a young fresh faced, newly arrived recruit and compartment cleaner.... I got to spend a lot of time with all of them and listened to some of the best sea stories of my six year Navy career (the way our Navy treated these great guys (the Pueblo crew) was extremely shameful to say the least, and a major stain on our service). I was soon in the VP-31 AT Shop and flying as an aircrewman in the squadron's old P2-V Neptune's (Patrol Aircraft) up and down the California coast for 6 to 10 hours at a time, several days per week (and moving up and sitting in the front most compartment in the planes plexi-glass nose for what was always a great thrill ride, that even Admirals didn't get to enjoy!!). Within months, I attended SERE school at NORIS (North Island), made PO-3 a short time later (and was thrown from the sea plane ramp into San Diego Bay right after the announcement at morning quarters by the guy's from the AT Shop, to celebrate. Even the guys on the passing USS Bon Homme Richard- CVA 31, gave us a blast of the ship's horn, nice!!) and months later, I was transferred down to HC-1 and crewman duty at NAF Ream Field, Imperial Beach and sewed on PO-2 a year later. I worked different HC-1 squadron helicopter detachments for Westpac cruises aboard USS Hancock, Constellation, Coral Sea, as aircrewman and 'rescue swimmer' and also did 'temp duty' at NAF DA NANG, VIETNAM for runs to and from the carriers (with mail, pizza, parts, pizza, celebrities, pizza, USO performers, pizza, dignitaries, and some more pizza..... and even a few downed pilots too, thrown into the mix, etc.). I was crewman in the helicopter (HC-1 Det 7) that carried the news photgraphers for the Apollo 15 splashdown aboard the USS Okinawa in '71. I graduated from worthless, slimey 'Pollywog' to honorable 'Shellback' and loyal 'Son of Neptune', and got to see Hong Kong, Bangkok, Manila, Sydney, Tokyo, Saigon, Honolulu, and a whole lot of places in-between in my six years as a sailor. A lot of luck, a lot of travel, a lot of exciting duty, and many... many friends made........ and the Navy allowed me to finish college afterward. Nice!! To the thousands of guys I met and served with...... the 'enemy guards' at SERE school', all the other aircrewmen and pilots I flew with and trained with, the medical personnel who attended me through three 'war wounds' in 'Nam, all officers, the denizens of all the Enlisted Men's Club's, the Olongapo 'guides', all Navy chiefs who taught me how to be a sailor, and every sailor that I worked with along the way....... thanks for everything. My memories are endless and as crystal clear to me today as 45 years ago. Continued smooth sailing shipmates, wherever you may be. I made PO-1 in the spring of 1974, but elected to leave the service that fall and was discharged in Honolulu. I went to work for the Hawaii Motor Vehicle Dept. and gave driver exams for about six months, before heading home to NYC and college on the GI Bill in 1975, then the next chapter in my life began. I'm also lucky to have had four great children make it through college (Penn State)..... then ALL joined the service afterward. My three oldest, my daughters, joined the Navy...... one a Corpsman, one a Cryptologist, are out now and in gov't jobs. My two youngest, my third daughter is presently a Navy Intel Specialist serving in the Middle East. My son is an Air Force Intel Specialist, and has just finished a tour in the Middle East and is back in California. Both still have two years or so to serve. I am, and have always been, a very lucky guy. Take care folks
Current Status with the US Navy
Honorably Discharged
Start date of your service
July 22, 1968
Comments
Welcome aboard shipmate, May you have Fair Winds and Following Seas!
Thank you for your service.
Semper Fortis!
Heck of a career!