First Class Association

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Comment by Douglas James Riley on July 7, 2013 at 4:17pm

Made first (EN1) on shore duty in New Orleans, which was my last station, so I never got any of the fleet privileges such as front of the line, separate mess, etc.
I do not remember if there was even a mess hall at the NOLA support activity! I think we went to Bourbon Street and drank our lunch every day.

Comment by Lindsey E. Ford HMC (SW) on May 8, 2013 at 10:33am

Howdy, I was a HM1 from 79 to 83. I was a memeber of the First Class Mess on the USS Truxtun 80-82, during the 81-82 West Pac we spent a week or so on Diego Garcia where the mess spent our off duty time at the Seabees First Class Livingroom (NMBC 62) I still have my drink ticket, if I ever get back to DG I got 4 drinks coming.

Comment by Skip Neel on April 26, 2013 at 5:02pm

Made ABH1 in Feb, 1968 and stayed First Class until I retired in 1981. ABHC was at the 110 - 115%. Like a lot of others I PNA'd until they started the Chief's Board then I made the Board every year. With 112 Board Qualified and only 6 being picked. Oh well, I retired with 21 years of Service. I enjoyed my time steaming around the World.. 

Comment by Peter D. Lister on July 17, 2012 at 1:56am

The young ensign approached     the crusty old chief and asked him about the origin of the commissioned     officer insignias.
"Well, ENSIGN, it's history and tradition. First,     we give you a gold bar representing that you're valuable BUT     malleable.

The silver bar of a lieutenant JG represents value, but less malleable. When you make lieutenant, you're twice as valuable

so we give you     two silver bars.
"As a captain, you soar over military masses, hence     the eagle. As an admiral, you're obviously a star. That     answer your     question?"
"Yeah, but what about lieutenant     commander and commander ?"
"Now, son,     that goes waaaaaay back in history. Back to the Garden     of Eden even. You see, we've always covered our pricks with leaves . .     ."

Comment by Peter D. Lister on July 17, 2012 at 1:55am

The young ensign approached     the crusty old chief and asked him about the origin of the commissioned     officer insignias.
"Well, ENSIGN, it's history and tradition. First,     we give you a gold bar representing that you're valuable BUT     malleable.

The silver bar of a lieutenant JG represents value, but less malleable. When you make lieutenant, you're twice as valuable

so we give you     two silver bars.
"As a captain, you soar over military masses, hence     the eagle. As an admiral, you're obviously a star. That     answer your     question?"
"Yeah, but what about lieutenant     commander and commander ?"
"Now, son,     that goes waaaaaay back in history. Back to the Garden     of Eden even. You see, we've always covered our pricks with leaves . .     ."

Comment by Peter D. Lister on July 17, 2012 at 1:55am

The young ensign approached     the crusty old chief and asked him about the origin of the commissioned     officer insignias.
"Well, ENSIGN, it's history and tradition. First,     we give you a gold bar representing that you're valuable BUT     malleable.

The silver bar of a lieutenant JG represents value, but less malleable. When you make lieutenant, you're twice as valuable

so we give you     two silver bars.
"As a captain, you soar over military masses, hence     the eagle. As an admiral, you're obviously a star. That     answer your     question?"
"Yeah, but what about lieutenant     commander and commander ?"
"Now, son,     that goes waaaaaay back in history. Back to the Garden     of Eden even. You see, we've always covered our pricks with leaves . .     ."

Comment by Gery Bastiani UT1 on July 16, 2012 at 9:12pm

Being a Seabee I flew on several types of aircraft's when we went on deployment, either in C-141's USAF, C-118's, and my most favorite C-130's. My profile picture was taken in the back of a C-130 on our way to McMurdo Station Antarctica when I was a UT2. Even got to ride in some UH1's, CH-46 and CH-53's. My last duty station was up at Pax River and I use to watch when they would take the new Osprey out and fly around the base, now I see them all the time when there flying around the Marine base at Camp Lejuene.

Comment by Peter D. Lister on July 16, 2012 at 2:45pm

Pat,

Nope. I was in VP-68, out of Pax River. We had flown one of our P-3Bs to an airshow in Latrobe, PA, for a static display. The Confederate Air Force was there with their Pearl Harbor show. This would have been in the early 80s. The first night we were there, a bunch of the pilots from the CAF and several of us from the Navy were at the bar at the airport, when one of the pilots told me that, because they were always flying, they never got to see the other planes, and he would love to see a P-3. I told him my dream plane was the B-17. Then I took him out to our bird, cranked up the APU, and gave him a guided tour. The next day, a guy in a white pickup came to the plane and told me "they want you". He drove me out to the departure end of the runwsay, where a B-17 was waiting for its cue. It was marked TEXAS RAIDER. I walked over to the aircraft commander and he motioned me into the plane. He had me stand behind the copilot for engine start. Having my first 1,000 hours in P-2s, I recognized the smell of a big recip starting. He had me stand right there for takeoff and off we went for the most thrilling .3 hours I ever logged. I had him sign my flight transmittal and, being an AW, put it in my log when we got home. As for the open hatches, as I said, my first thou was as an AO in P-2s, so I have lots of time in the summer over Memphis, flying at 8K with the window open, my foot on the frame, and the wind blowing up my flight suit.

 

Comment by Pat Henderson on July 16, 2012 at 2:05pm

   Good one, Peter. I'll have to pick up some of those samps.

   Was your B-17 flight in the Collings Foundation fort? I flew in that one in 2005 to celebrate turning 55. Quite an experience to be roaring along with the radio hatch open and your head in the slipstream. (Not something we did in P-3s.)

   I retired in 1990.

Comment by Peter D. Lister on July 15, 2012 at 7:15pm

Just bought a roll of postage stamps, and realized that even USPS has honored us. The stamp is a beautiful American flag, waving under a blue sky, and alongside the port side is printed "USA FIRST-CLASS FOREVER"! It's nice to know even the post office recognizes us.

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