Boot Camp

Bainbridge NTC Md

USS Shannon DM-25  NUHQ
My first taste of sea duty...and believe it or not, I was sea sick before we got out of sight of land en route from  Charleston, SC to New Orleans and on to Cristobal CZ.  Commander, MinDiv2 flagship  NUHQ

USS Thomas E. Fraser DM-24  NTZZ
Destroyer-Minelayer of Mine Division 2 based at Naval Mine Base Charleston, SC

     Fraser was stationed in Charleston, and it was from this ship that I first came in contact with my wife....as told in the first few chapters of my book. 
     The love I had for service in the Navy blossomed forth aboard this ship.   The camaraderie, the tours to great places and the love of country became a fire inside me that would never be extinguished.  I learned responsibility, leadership and pride in the work ethic. 
     The XO of the ship, CDR T. A. Smithey, was a great inspiration to me.  He was much, much older than me......but listening to him talk of his incredible life.....from the Death March on Bataan, to the present really touched me.  He was the driving force in convincing me that I had a future in the US Navy.  He was so right.  I did.  One other mentor who taught me responsibility and doing the job right the first time was QM1 Charlie Denman.  Charlie was a fine man, a true Navy man.  I will never forget him either.

This was our home port...in Panama City Florida...Was called the Mine Laboratory at the time.  (Minelab Base). Was transferred here while on leave getting married to Ann.  Was a wonderful place to honeymoon.  Had many a party on the beaches behind the sand dunes.  Lots of hotdogs roasted and fun.  Was only a QM3 at the time making very little money...but we had lotsa love to keep us warm...besides, it was mostly warm in PC anyway!!  And the duty on the Plover was wonderful.  Most of the time we operated within sight of the beaches...but occasionally we would take a cruise....Went to Mardi Gras in New Orleans, to Key West, and to Mobile, all great liberty ports.
   

Service School Command.  ET "B" School on Treasure Island was tahe Navy's most advanced Electronics Training School.  Believe me when I say I sweated blood while in school there....for 5 days a week, it was pure hell........but ahhhhh  those Northern California weekends were so wonderful.  We could never get enough of sightseeing there...and every weekend found us in various spots of interest within 250 miles of SF..from Trinity National Forest to Sequoia, King's Canyon and Yosemite, to Big Sur......fantastic.....and you could spend weeks just in San Frnacisco.

During the six months spent here extending from September 1960-March 1961, we studied Basic Computer Theory, preparing us for our pending duty of maintaining the cutting edge computer that controlled and tracked many, many planes in a battle group scenario.  Bldg 520 at NTC Glakes was our home again. 

We learned by doing..  Hughes Aircraft Corp's Radar Laboratory set up a bread box of the AN/SPS-33 computer-tracker and Fixed array radar at their school located in Carbon Canyon, just outside of Fullerton, CA.  We worked and studied in shifts in order that we all could get in plenty of "hands on" experience and one on one technical training. 

This is the Certificate of Satisfactory Completion of the above mentioned school

USS ENTERPRISE
CVAN-65

I took liberties with the Official Plaque to visualize my theme
for this site....to relive once more the memories of
the moments spent aboard ENTERPRISE.
Hail to our United States Navy !!

Official Plaque of USS Enterprise CVN-65 in Bronze

It is given to distinguished guests and to crewmembers upon
retirement from active duty aboard or perhaps some
other distinguishing achievement.

Official Emblem of USS Enterprise CVN-65

Enterprise goes to sea for first time,  a first for nuclear powered surface warships.  The date:  Sunday October 29, 1961.  Location:  Hampton Roads Virginia en route to the Atlantic Ocean.  I was there.

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USS Enterprise undergoing builder's trials.  This is the phase where the shipyard personnel takes the ship to sea for the first time to ensure it performs to promised specifications.  Here we are doing a high speed turn to set parameters for future maneuvers.  ENTERPRISE was built by Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Corp. in Newport News, VA

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Enterprise at flank speed, bow on.

USS Enterprise steaming during Builder's Trials

We went to Boston to Celebrate July 4th in 1962.  It was our Boston "E" Party as we called it...a trip for fun and eating good New England seafood.   I went to a ball game at Fenway and was lucky enough to get a foul ball....was behind 1st base.

A seating of OE DIV Master and Senior Chief Petty Officers in the CPO Mess aboard ENTERPRISE honoring a Retiring peer during my second tour aboard.

Me, at a Turkish Bazaar (set up on hangar deck of ENTERPRISE) while we were in Istanbul on our FIRST "Med Cruise" in 1962 .  Oh yes, I did buy a souvenir, a leather footstoll which we used at home for years. 


 

A photo of me just after I was promoted to Chief Petty Officer, showing off my chevrons.
 

Overlooking the small boat harbor at Cannes
on the French Riviera out to
USS ENTERPRISE at anchorage.

A much better view of ENTERPRISE at anchor
off Cannes.  Of course my eyes were focused
on much closer objects!!! 

 

As a new Chief, I took my position seriously.  Here, I am demonstrating the proper method of drinking coffee!!! 


 

While on Operation Sea Orbit, a continuation of our around the world trip started back in January 1964 but interrupted by performing duty for 6 months in the Med, we crossed the International Date Line in the way South Pacific.  As part of tradition, Golden Dragon Certificates were given to every sailor.  

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1961
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1964

The Finishing Touches of Operation "Sea Orbit"

After Sydney.......it's across the South Pacific.....around Cape Horn and up to Rio for a brief stop...Then on to HOME and across the Equator for the last time. 


Channel Fever:  An affliction that sets in on the day prior to arriving home from an extended voyage of
several months....the desire to be with loved ones. The "can't wait till tomorrow" feeling of anticipation...er having ants in your pants.

We had been away from home for over 9 months on a cruise that led us around the world as a member of the world's first Task Force in which all ships were propelled by nuclear power. (TF-1 --  Operation Sea Orbit)We had been away from home for over 7 months on a cruise that led us around the world as a member of the world's first Task Force in which all ships were propelled by nuclear power. (TF-1 --  Operation Sea Orbit)

But home was beckoning. It was cold and the sleet was blowing across the flight deck as we rounded Cape Horn and headed north to  Rio de Janeiro and summer on the beaches of Ipanema. On Wednesday September 23 at 1230 we entered the beautiful harbor of Rio de Janeiro.  It had been an eventful crossing...but we had been away from home for 7 months and I could feel the outstretched arms of Ann beckoning me home. 

I didn't go ashore in Rio this time...we lolled on the flightdeck with our  portable radios, trying to pick up any American station we could find.  We were lucky in being able to get WWL out of New Orleans sporadically...but the luxuries of home would have to wait...

Rio is a wonderful city.....but my heart was only thinking of Norfolk Virginia at this time...(well..to tell a secret...it was never off my mind...)  So we spent an uneventful two days there...and then made our triumphant speed dash to Norfolk...The night prior to our arrival, we had our "Channel Fever Supper".  Our menu is listed to right...  The main purpose of such an opulent selection of items on our menu was to demonstrate how we could make an around the work cruise without taking on any provisions nor aviation fuel for over two months and still have such good food aboard.  Yet, had the occasion arisen,  we were still prepared to go to war to defend our preicous liberty...which is the number one purpose of our ship.....and we were merely demonstrating to our fellow citizens our potential. That is.....we could be at sea sailing thousands of miles but still be able to protect our country, should the need arise.  We were men of honor, protecting our country....

Pier 2 Naval Operating Base Norfolk, VA
A small portion of the enormous crowd that welcomed us home from our deployment
and Operation Sea Orbit

Views from in and around Oak Harbor

My happiest days in the navy were spent here in this small town, which numbered around 5-6,000 when we were here.   Deception Pass is nearby, which in my view, surpasses the beauty of Big Sur country in coastal California.  Mt. Baker National Forest is nearby....good camping and fishing.......and the weather on Whidbey Island is moderate the year round, the hottest being around 85 and the coldest being around freezing......but it seldom does. We had roses blooming on the south side of our home during December. More scenes from the beautiful NW are found below.

Fall Scene Cascade Mtns above right

                                         
            Baker Lake                                      Oak Harbor and Mt Baker