A Veteran's Journey

Trivia Questions (Answers @ end)

1. Who said, “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.”?
2. In what movie (and who said it) did we hear the following (this one may land me in hot water, but what the heck) … “Fighter pukes make movies. Bomber pilots make… history!”?
3. In what song (and who sang it) did we hear the following:
   Time keeps on slippin’, slippin’, slippin’
   Into the future

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What my Recruiter Said – “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!”

It’s been over 50 years since I walked into the Navy recruiter’s office in Tallahassee, Florida. At the tender young age of 18, I was spinning my wheels, working at a scuba dive shop, trying to figure out my next move (I’d later call them “journeys”) after I’d flunked out of college.

I doubt my recruiter quoted Dr. Seuss, but I’m sure he paraphrased what to expect when I joined the navy. Back then (1973), the Navy recruiting slogan was: “Be Someone Special.”

Lame.

On the other hand, the draft had ended in 1973, and the military became an “all-volunteer force.” So, the Navy, like the other military branches, needed a little pizzaz to attract new sailors.

While we’re talking about Navy slogans, my favorite, introduced in 1976, was, “It’s Not Just a Job, It’s an Adventure.” And they typically change from year to year, but this post is not about slogans.

But the places I’d go? They’re places I’ll probably never return to, but oh, what great memories each had.

My first duty station was NAS Agana, Guam. I was there for 15 months, spent one Thanksgiving and two Christmases on the island. While Guam is not that big—32 miles top to bottom by 4-8 miles wide—I explored a lot of great places. Some were WWII sites, others were jungle boonie stomps. And I met other military personnel from other bases in Guam. One extensive family. And, since I was into scuba diving, it was a diver’s paradise.

After Guam, I transferred to an aircraft carrier, USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63). I’d be aboard the Hawk for 2½ years. But we did a lot… well, except for that one year in the Bremerton Shipyards. But even there, I took advantage of the area to explore.

Westpac ‘75

I made only one cruise while aboard Kitty Hawk. Westpac ’75, leaving the states in May 1975 and returning 6 months later in December. I worked on the flight deck in V-1 Division (Air Department) and assigned to the Crash & Salvage crew—there were only 14 of us. We had one MB-5 Oshkosh fire truck (3-4 man crew) and two, MD-3 crash tractors (2-man crew).

Our overseas home port (forward deployment) was the Philippine Islands (“PI”). We were in and out of PI seven times. Most of the time, we’d be somewhere in the South China Sea for anywhere from one to three weeks at a time.

Flight ops would usually start mid-morning and continue throughout the day until midnight or so. I’ve written about life on the flight deck many times. It still brings a flood of memories and chills to remember so many great things about being on a ship at sea.

Both on the way over and on the way back, we stopped and spent a couple days in Hawaii. Even though I’d been in Guam, Hawaii was totally different—especially since we had limited time off duty. But we made the most of it. I’ve been back to Hawaii since leaving the Navy. Somehow, it looked “different.”

Periodically, we’d stop at an overseas port for liberty. For Westpac ’75 outside of PI, that was Hong Kong (6 days) and Japan (6 days).

There were obvious cultural differences between PI, Hong Kong, Japan, and Hawaii. I won’t go into details, but most of the comparisons I’ve made over the years deal with food and beer.

In one letter home to my mom & dad, I compared the cost of beer (keep in mind this was 1975):

“The exchange rate in Japan was 300 Yen for one US dollar. Japan was more expensive than PI and Hong Kong. A beer in Yokosuka cost 300 Yen ($1 USD), compared to three pisos ($.45 USD) in PI, compared to $4 HK (Hong Kong Dollars, about $.85 USD).”

If cost comparisons between countries could be so easy…

“Oh, the Things You’ll Do”

At 18 years old, I was training to be an aircraft firefighter and aircraft director. I’d eventually do both during my enlistment. But I began my short 4-year Navy “career” as a Crash & Rescue firefighter in Guam. Fortunately, for my entire 15-months there, the only fires we had were “hot drills.” Constant training in the event we’d need to put into practice what we trained for.

I also learned to drive all the Crash fire trucks while on Guam. That was also part of everyone’s training. That would come in handy when I reported aboard Kitty Hawk. The major difference was in Guam, we had plenty of room to drive & maneuver. It was quite different on the flight deck—only about 4 acres and that would be with no aircraft.

How many people do you know that can say with a straight face, “I used to drive crash firefighting trucks… on the flight deck… of an aircraft carrier?”

“Oh yeah. The Recruiter Was Right…”

Like many of my fellow airdales (those of us who worked on the flight deck), I’m one of those who will audibly critique movies like The Final Countdown (1980), Lt. Robin Crusoe U.S.N. (1966), and the Top Gun series (1986, 2022).

“I used to do that.” Or “That’s not really what I remember.”

My wife usually rolls her eyes, but politely lets me yammer on about what looks right and what looks wrong. Such is the life of a Navy veteran.

When I look back over my time in the Navy (1973-1977), I’m proud of most of what I did. I made a few mistakes along the way, but that’s how we learn. I enjoy reflecting on these times, writing about them, and sharing with other shipmates—both old and new. After all, if we don’t pass along these stories and experiences to our kids and their kids, who will?

And one more thing… the recruiter was right.

Oh… The things I’ve seen and the things I’ve done!

And one more thing before I say adios… Happy Thanksgiving to all. I’m spending time with family in Cleveland this week. Blessings to you and to your families.

Until we meet again,
Andy

Andy Adkins is a US Navy veteran (’73-77) and the author of several books, including You Can’t Get Much Closer Than This-Combat with the 80th “Blue Ridge” Division in World War II Europe, published by Casemate Publishers (2005) and selected as the Book of the Month for the Military Book Club. Adkins also writes a weekly blog, “A Veteran’s Journey.”

Answers

1. Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel).
2. Flight of the Intruder (1991), Lt. Jake ‘Cool Hand’ Grafton (Brad Johnson).
3. Fly Like an Eagle (1976), Steve Miller Band; written by Steven Haworth Miller.

Previous blogs mentioned in this post:

• #121—The “Decision”
• #53—You Always Remember Your First
• #47—Memorable “Moments,” Part 1—the Flight Deck
• #30—USS Kitty Hawk @ Bremerton Shipyards, Part 1
• #41—Haze Gray and Underway
• #10—You Light ‘em, We Fight ‘em
• #20—Port Call: Philippines
• #37—Hawaii, One Word: Beautiful!
• #43—Port Call: Hong Kong
• #23—Rough Seas—Sea of Japan