Old Friends from my Navy Days - what a blast from the past

I served on two ships and had one shore duty assignment and I spent a lot of time going to different schools. I got to my first ship after a year and half of training, yep Naaaavvvyy Trrrraaaining sir. The first ship was the Spruance Class destroyer USS Stump, named after Admiral Felix Budwell Stump. All the Spru-can’s (as they were called) were named after Admirals. I then had a stint on shore duty in Annapolis Maryland, no not at the Academy. There was a small transmitter site there, Naval Radio Transmitting Facility (NRTF) Annapolis. Gotta love the acronyms. We provided one way communications to submarines in the Atlantic, that was all we were allowed to say about that. After a couple of years there I then got orders to pre-commission (precom) the USS Gettysburg, it was to the latest Aegis Cruiser at the time, CG 64. It was a newer version of the one that shot down the Iranian Airbus back in the 80’s (for those who remember that). Our XO, can’t remember his name, was actually the OPS boss on the USS Vincennes when they shot that plane down.

I got out in 1993 when they were paying folks to go, seemed weird to me that they paid me to stay, with a selective reenlistment bonus (SRB) and then they paid me to go because they did not want me to stay and retire. Some bean counter in some obscure office someplace in Washington figured that if I were to stay to retirement I would end up costing the Government X amount of money and if they paid me off, at some rate lower than that, it will all come out OK and they could save a buck or two. Seems stupid to me but I was going to get out anyway so why not take the money and run. I have kept in touch with a few folks from those days, not many though. With the advent of Facebook the whole phenomenon revolving around that, I have reconnected with a few more friends from those days.

I am Proud of my service in the Navy, I gave a lot and I received a lot. I went in out of high school and I learned some simple things, responsibility, how to work as a team, how to depend on others, I learned how to be a man and a productive member of society. I learned a trade, and it is one I am still plying. I learned that we American’s are a spoiled rotten lot, and that even the most unfortunate of those among us still is better off than most in the world. I got to see incredible things and have amazing adventures. I stared at Michael Angelo’s ceiling and was awed. I traveled through the master piece of Teddy Roosevelt’s sheer will, the Panama Canal. I got to spend time in Rio de Janeiro and for a hillybilly from Millerstown Ohio that was a BIG deal. I was exposed to culture and cultures that I would not have otherwise had the opportunity to have experienced and I grew as a person.

I got to meet some of the brightest and funniest people I know, I also got to meet folks who were walking idiots, some I was amazed could walk upright and breathe, at the same time. That was the dichotomy that was the Navy, the brightest and the best serving right along with folks who might have been given the opportunity to join instead of going to jail by a judge somewhere with a great sense of humor. I was educated, not just in my trade but in the ways of world, the real world not our insulated American lifestyle. I am not in any way knocking our Country, I am living the American Dream as well, I just think by and large we are VERY lucky to have been born here. I am proud to have served and am honored and amazed by those who serve still today.

So, on January 2nd I posted a comment on the USS Gettysburg facebook group page looking for an old friend and recently, April 13th a different friend posted “What's up Smitty. I haven't found Chuck yet.” Well from there it was a facebook stalk on his page as well as friend suggestions from my buddy that lead me to find Dave, a friend whose dog died at our house some time ago. I was weird because just a couple of weeks ago I was telling that story and BAM, a couple of weeks later I find out he has retired and is living right here in Jax. I won’t go into the story about his dog here, that may be a separate blog. So last night I was on my way to the beach to go cruising around and I called him up.

We met at the Navy Exchange on Mayport road, I had forgotten how much the strict hierarchy of the military really bothered me. As I waited I was looking at the reserved parking spots, two for CMC’s (command Master Chiefs) one for the Ombudsman, some for squadron officers – ridiculous I remember thinking. As I was thinking that some snot nosed butter bar makes his way to his brand new car parked right up front like a handicapped spot. Following him was a Senior Chief pushing a buggy of items and he had to go clear across the lot to his old clunker car. It made me mad just watching it, here some NUB (non usable body) ensign, through nothing but being fortunate enough to go to the right college, gets to park up front. While that is happening, a man who has served for many years and risen to E8 has to schlep his buggy to BFE. I got mad just remembering that part of military service.

Anyway we met and went riding down third street down to JTB and we turned around, we stopped at one of the side streets that lead to the beach and went for a walk. It was like it was yesterday, after a few minutes of describing where our lives had taken us over the last 18 years we took up just where we left off all that time ago. That is something that I have not experienced except with friends who have served. There is a camaraderie that is built between folks who serve, I have heard it said and tried to explain it to folks but unless you have been there and have that tee shirt it is hard to understand. I don’t know if it is the shared experiences, hours on end at GQ hollering “Hot Mike” into the sound powered phones or if it is spending so much time together or what but it creates a bond that can not be broken by time or distance.

We had lots of laughs remembering guys the G-burg, some of the great ones and some of the dipshits and some of the just plain weird ones. One guy, his nickname was Dawg and I will use that to protect the stupid, was just one of the most bizarre guys I ever had the pleasure of working with. He was SMART, in a book sense kind of way. He could ace any electronics test placed in front of him but he could not take that book smart and translate it into troubleshooting his way out of a wet paper sack. He was a good resource but not a very good employee to have when your primary responsibility is trouble shoot things and then fix them. He was the only person I ever had to council for BO, no kidding three times I had to give him instruction, exactly and step by agonizing step, how to take and bath and keep clean. That sucked! We also talked about a couple of the E7’s we had in our department and how we would purposely do things just to watch the veins on the side of the forehead start to pop out. Damn we laughed until I was almost crying.

As we walked on the beach I picked up a seashell to remember the experience of reconnecting, it was about this time I think he noticed my left big toe nail painted screaming red. He did not say a word, which I thought was funny, most people don’t for fear of what the answer might be. Hahahahaha, I suppose I will tell him the story someday, maybe. We setup up some plans for the following weekend to come by the house, he remembered Bride makes a kickass Lasagna, but I think we might just have steaks.