I joined the U. S. Navy in August 1970 at the age of 19. The Viet Nam war was still raging and claiming lives. My father had taken me to the recruiter's office in Springfield, Ohio. When we first walked into the office, the first person to jump up was the Marine. My father expertly steered me to the Navy recruiter. We talked and I signed up for six years for nuclear propulsion training. I waited four months technically a member of the Naval Reserves before going to Great Lakes in Illinois. It was the middle of winter. Everything was a shock in boot camp. Now from the prospective of 27 years, it was easy. Then I thought I was in pure hell. Basic training was class, marching, folding clothes, lots of cleaning, polishing shoes, lots of cold, marching, cold, and more cold. I graduated eleven weeks later a Seaman Apprentice; I had entered as a Seaman Recruit. I was proud of those two stripes (not chevrons.) I made friends and formed memories still vivid after all these years. I became a man at boot camp. Something my father intended. Thanks, Dad.

I went to Electronics "A" School for the next two years until 1972. I moved up in rank to Seaman (E3) and then to Electronics Technician Radar Third Class Petty Officer (E4). I enjoyed school. It was tough, but I learned a lot. I became comfortable with the Navy. I didn't like duty, but who does? I made a lot of friends here too. I got to go home often. I hadn't been on a ship yet. So I really wasn't a sailor yet, but I thought I was tough stuff nonetheless.

When I graduated from Electronics "A" School in March 1972, I was assigned my first ship. Boy, was I excited. My assignment to the guided missile destroyer USS Henry B. Wilson (DDG-7) was as a Radar Maintenance Technician. I was only there for four months. I became a fleetie and learned some very valuable lessons here. Humbling lessons, but good ones to learn early. I got drunk for the first time and learned what camaraderie was all about. These friends are forever in my memory. I can also still remember the vacuum tube power supplies of the radar repeaters. Ancient by today's technology. Everything became so much easier with transistors and integrated chips. Vacuum tubes were hard to maintain and troubleshoot. That first ship is special to me. She is, of course, decommissioned and has been for a long time now. Good ships, good men, good sailors, fantastic memories!

After the Wilson I went to Nuclear Propulsion School. I had signed up for six years to get this training. I can't remember now whether it was Nuc Power or Nuc Propulsion. One of the things I remember most is that the chow hall had the best food any where I served before or later. Everything at Vallejo, California, was going well, until they told me that I wouldn't get to spend a lot of time with the wife I was planning on marrying. Being young, I thought I knew better. And I told them that too! I was lucky I didn't lose my E-4 stripe for that. A lot of others had, but I escaped to Treasure Island to wait for further orders. I got orders for "C" school for specialized radar systems. I got three days leave, went back to Ohio, had a church wedding, and came back to go to school. My wife drove all the way across the states to Oakland. In Oakland we had a little apartment. You know, we had more spending money then, than when I was making ten times more fifteen years later. Those were happy and simple times. I graduated and got orders to another "C" school called AIMS MKXII IFF.

From August to December 1972 I attended a school called AIMS MKXII IFF school. That is pronounced aims mark twelve i f f school. It is identification friend or foe system. Complicated, state of the art, and very interesting. Until I went through this school, I had not really been excited about the Navy. With this school and its excellent instructors, my interest peaked. Because of this school, I would spend the next 23 years in the Navy. I really took to the electronics profession. San Diego, California, was a great place. My wife and I enjoyed our eight year stay there. We had all three of our children in San Diego. When I graduated from school, I got orders to the USS Dubuque (LPD-8), an amphibious loading platform dock. I had to fly over to meet her and begin my first Viet Nam tour. I was too young and dumb to be properly scared.

In January 1973 I made the epic flight to Subic Bay, Philippines. I say epic flight because of all the stops we made. I left in my winter blue uniform. When I got to Clark Air Force Base and stepped out onto the tarmac, I knew it was hot, damn hot! The bus journey to Subic Bay Naval Base was an experience from the time we first set foot on the BUS. You knew something was up, when you noticed bars and chicken wire on all the windows. I finally got to the ship and reported aboard. I was a radar maintenance technician. Since I was the most junior guy on board in my division, I also did all the dirty jobs. Then four seamen showed up, and I learned to love that chevron. I made two tours of Viet Nam on board this fine ship. I saw boat loads of people escaping North Vietnamese regulars. There were so many we had to keep them off our already overcrowded ship with water hoses. I saw Hai Phong harbor de-mined. I saw the end of a war as we abandoned the South Vietnamese in a war we shouldn't have been in. When I left the ship, I was an ETR2, second class petty officer. I had a baby daughter named Lisa. I had reenlisted after saying that I would never do that. And I had my first reenlistment bonus money in my pocket. I also had orders to be a Navy instructor. A new adventure was about to begin.

In January 1976 I reported to Service School Command, Advanced Electronics School Department, San Diego, California, as an AIMS MK XII IFF Systems instructor. This was one of the best tours of my career. It is where I learned the most about electronics, teaching, and leadership. I really enjoyed instructing. Equally as fun was redoing the whole course from top to bottom. I rewrote the instructor guides, performance tests, student guides, examinations, diagrams, and a whole host of various course materials. They still use most of what I rewrote today. I am very proud of this tour. I made the most impact here I believe. I also made first class petty officer (ET1) while there. Also at this command, my two sons, Jeff and Jason, were born. I got to be at their births. I had missed that with Lisa. But soon again it was time to move on. This time to the other coast.

In March 1980, I and my family moved to Norfolk, Virginia. I attended a specialist school for NAVMACS Satellite Communications Systems. In July 1980, I reported aboard the landing platform dock, USS Nashville (LPD-13), as Operations Electronics Maintenance Division Leading Petty Officer. While onboard, I deployed to the Mediterranean Sea three times, two of which were during the Lebanon crisis. I also visited several northern European countries during a Northern Wedding Deployment. It was during this tour that I earned the Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist insignia and was designated ET1(SW). I also reached a milestone in my career when I was promoted to Chief Electronics Technician. No comment on the initiation! After a brief stint as Leading Chief Petty Officer, I was assigned duties as the ship's 3M Coordinator and was responsible for maintenance reporting and inventory control. Overall, my career grew and matured while my family did the same. I bought a townhouse in Virginia Beach, and everything looked really good. I and my family were now ready for shore duty coming up very soon.

In January 1985, I reported to Fleet Training Center, Norfolk, Virginia, as an instructor for the Prospective Electronics Material Officer course. Just over a year later, I was promoted to ETCS(SW) and became the Director, Officer Training Branch. In March 1987, I was commissioned a Chief Warrant Officer, United States Navy, and subsequently attended Limited Duty Officer/Chief Warrant Officer Indoctrination at Pensacola, Florida. As you can see during this tour, a lot happened. I can sum up this tour with how much fun it was to teach again. It also felt strange to be in charge of Chief Petty Officers. I had spent so much of my career looking up to them. Just goes to prove that you must move up or out in the military. The indoctrination school at Pensacola was a lot of fun. I learned a lot at "knife and fork" school, as we called it. But now I had a most difficult tour coming up as a naval officer of an overseas ship.

In May 1987, I reported aboard the destroyer USS Oldendorf (DD972) home ported in Yokosuka, Japan. I was the Electronics Material Officer (EMO). During my rather long tour, I deployed five times, including Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. In 1991, I was promoted to Chief Warrant Officer Three (CWO3). This tour was a lot of fun for the first two years under Captain Kane. My division was always number one or close to it. With Captain Butt I did not fare so well. He had his ways, and I did not adapt fast enough. There is a lesson there somewhere. In any case, I was ready for my next shore tour and got something very unusual but lots of fun - a seal staff command.

In August 1991, I reported aboard Special Boat Squadron Two (SBR-2) as the Electronics Material Officer. I also shortly after that became the Assistant Engineering Department Head. I assumed other duties, but they were really minor. Subsequently, I became the Automated Information Systems/Communications Department Head, when SBR-2 became an echelon three command. An echelon three command only has two levels of commands above it before the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the President. These were interesting and fun times at the squadron. I got to do things I would never have been able to do somewhere else. I became truly physically fit and developed jogging as a habit to this day. The people at the squadron were top rate. I especially liked Captain Olson, a real present-day American hero. I was looking forward to retiring here among the seals. But the Navy needed my special services one more time on a very grand old lady, the flagship of the USA, USS America (CV-66.)

In December 1993, I reported aboard the USS America, which was in France at the time. I assumed duties as Communication Systems Assistant Electronics Material Officer. After completing the Mediterranean deployment, I participated in a very busy and intensive yard period. I then deployed with the America to Haiti in support of Operation Uphold Democracy. The last months before retiring, I was busy getting the America ready for her last deployment. This last tour was bittersweet. Every experience that I had thought I escaped happened to me on this carrier. Some very good and some very bad. The good was seeing a group of young men do the work of a division triple the size. The worst was having to take a young sailor home to his parents after dying in an auto accident. I was glad to have served aboard the USS America. It was an experience I will never forget. On September 1, 1995, after 25 great years in the US Navy, I reluctantly retired. Captain Olson was my guest speaker. And Captains Suggs, the CO of the America, attended making my retirement even more special. In the next several paragraphs are the list of medals and decorations plus a brief closing statement.

During my long career, I was awarded the following medals and decorations: Navy Achievement Medal with two gold stars, Combat Action Ribbon, Navy Unit Commendation with bronze star, Meritorious Unit Commendation with silver star, three Battle "E", Good Conduct Medal with three bronze stars, Navy Expeditionary Medal with four bronze stars, Vietnam Service Medal with bronze star, Southwest Asia Service Medal with two bronze stars, Humanitarian Service Medal with two bronze stars, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with one silver and three bronze stars, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, and Kuwaiti Liberation Medal.

I earned those medals and decorations, and I am proud of them. But they are not worth anyone's life. One of our finest admirals took his own life, because someone accused him of wearing a medal he did not earn. In closing, I am a proud grandfather of five grandsons and two granddaughters. In retirement, I am now writing novels, journals, and poetry full time. I have let me hair grow long, acquired a beard, and have a ring on every finger. All because in the Navy I couldn't do all those things. Yet soon I grew tired of them and shaved the beard off and cut the long hair. Last but not least, I am an avid National League Hockey fan here in the middle of the Florida Keys at a city called Marathon. Retirement is good!

The USS America was my last ship. She decommissioned in 1996. She was a grand old lady of almost 32 years. Many of us will miss the flagship of the USA!