A Veteran's Journey

Trivia Questions (Answers @ end)

1. Who said, “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.”?
2. In what movie did we hear the following?
   “Never lie, steal, cheat, or drink. But if you must lie, lie in the arms of the one you love. If you must steal, steal away from bad company. If you must cheat, cheat death. And if you must drink, drink in the moments that take your breath away.”
3. Who sang (and what song) the following lyrics?
   Try to see it my way,
   Do I have to keep on talking till I can’t go on?
   While you see it your way,
   Run the risk of knowing that our love may soon be gone.

---

Reveille! Reveille! All hands heave out and trice up. Give a clean sweep down fore and aft. The smoking lamp is lit in all authorized spaces.

For Three Years, Eleven Months, and 29 Days, that was my wake-up call. Not a bad way to wake up, especially when you’re a young whippersnapper who joined the U.S. Navy to “see the world.”

That got me to thinking about the different methods we (actually, me, since I’m the one writing this blog post) used to wake up through the years.

I’m sure you remember most of these.

The “Early School” Years Reveille

Back before the Navy, before my first attempt at college, before high school… well, way back when I was in elementary school, “Reveille” was a little different.

You remember those days? Yeah, I know you do.

Remember our “Reveille” was usually “mom,” with that gentle, soothing, motherly voice: “Wake up, son. Rise and shine. Time to get ready for school. Breakfast is waiting…”

Then, when we graduated to junior high school and high school, Reveille wasn’t as “gentle.”

My wife told me her father used to say in his commanding fatherly tone, “I want to see two feet on the floor in two seconds.” So, Becky would slide her legs over the side of the bed and put both feet on the floor, but remained in bed… asleep. Even though her dad never admitted it to me, I know he thought that was funny.

The “Working Years” (before the Navy) Reveille

Once we were out in the working world, before the Navy, we had this magical mechanical device called an alarm clock.

Back in my day, these were wind-up clocks. You’d manually turn the alarm to set the time you wanted to wake up. None of this AM/PM crap to figure out – these clocks were only 12 hours.

Just when you were in the middle of a great dream, RINGGGGGGG – that clapper bell would slap back and forth faster than a woodpecker’s head on a dead pine tree. You’d reach over and either slap the alarm off or, if you had a “rough night,” you’d fling the alarm clock against the wall, hoping there was enough force that it would either a) shut the alarm off or b) smash it to smithereens.

The “Navy Years” (Boot Camp) Reveille

I don’t know what Recruit Company Commanders (i.e., Boot Camp CCs) do today, but back when I was in Boot Camp (Orlando RTC, July 1973), the CC used a very effective alarm clock – a 50-gallon metal garbage can.

Hopefully, when he kicked it (more than once) down the middle of the barracks, it wouldn’t bounce off someone’s head. Most civilians have probably never experienced that type of wake up call, but it was very effective and got everyone out of their racks fairly quickly.

Of course, depending on the CC, you might also hear, “Reveille, Reveille! Drop your [fill in the blank here] and grab your socks.”

The “Navy Years” (Active Duty) Reveille

Once you graduated boot camp, you were able to slack a little in “A” school, right? Well, welcome to Reveille.

I don’t know about you, but it seemed like the Navy found the loudest man on the duty station to make an announcement over the 1MC, almost blowing out the amplifier tubes, to announce Reveille.

Yep, that was effective, too. Unless you figured out that you could put your pillow over your head to fall back asleep. Oh, wait…

NAS Agana Guam – Klaxon alarm

I was an ABH (Aviation Boatswain’s Mate-Handler). The ABH rate included aircraft firefighting. When I was stationed at NAS Agana, Guam (’73-75), I was assigned to the Crash & Rescue Division.

The “Crash Barn” was located right off the tarmac between the control tower and one of the squadrons (C-130, I think). We worked 24 hours on and 24 hours off–for 15 straight months, I might add.

Sure, we still had Reveille, but it was typically done over the 1MC by “one of us” in the Crash Barn. Sometimes, Reveille was loud, other times a little more “colorful,” depending on who had duty on the phone desk.

But, when there was an emergency, either an actual aircraft crash or an aircraft coming in with problems, we had a “Klaxon alarm” to sound the alert. For those of you who don’t know what a “Klaxon” alarm sounds like, just watch a movie when a Navy submarine announces, “Dive, Dive.” The “alarm” (ahh-oo-gaa) is a Klaxon alarm.

And, before you ask, No, it wasn’t quieter in the middle of the night. It actually seemed louder.

That-THAT-THAT was truly one way of waking people out of a deep sleep. Though I do remember Gary Borne, one of my good friends in the Navy (both Guam & Kitty Hawk), sleeping through one of those alarms one night while in Guam. We kidded Gary about that for a long time.

USS Kitty Hawk – Reveille

Once I transferred to Kitty Hawk (’75-77), we were back to the old Reveille for wake up calls.

There were times, though, when you’d need an earlier wake up. That would be if you had an early morning watch, in which case you’d ask the guy who you were going to relieve to wake you or you had your own alarm. Back then, we used the wind-up alarm clocks.

Then again, sometimes there were those “special” alarms, coming over the ship’s 1MC: “Man Overboard! Man Overboard! Port side” or “General Quarters, General Quarters, all hands man your battle stations!”

Yeah, those were fun times, too. Especially if you’d just hit your rack after an 18-hour shift on the flight deck.

The “Fire Department” Years – Klaxon alarm, part deux

When I was discharged from the Navy in ’77, I knew I wanted to go back and finish college, but I still needed a job. Since I’d been a firefighter in the Navy, it made sense to join the local Gainesville Fire Department (Florida) when a job opportunity opened up, about a month after I got home.

Instead of 24 on and 24 off, like in Guam, we worked three shifts: 24 on and 48 off. That was great for me to attend the local community college full-time. Other firefighters also had another job or two.

Each of the seven GFD fire stations all had the old Klaxon alarm, too. I was already used to that wake up.

But, one big difference from the Navy… at the #1 Fire Station, firefighters slept on the second floor. When the alarm went off, we hopped out of our racks and jumped into our boots, which were right beside our racks. Just like back in Guam.

Back then, you didn’t know which of the five firetrucks would roll until you got down the fire pole, then the Fire Chief would tell us which trucks were heading out.

Anyway, that was fun – 20 of us, lined up ready to slide down one of the two fire poles.

And, this was before “pole dancing” became popular. But, I digress…

That changed while I was still with GFD – the announcement came over the 1MC as to which trucks needed to respond. Then, you’d either hop onto the truck, hopefully before it started rolling, or go back to sleep.

I guess when I look back on it, the V-1 Division berthing compartment aboard Kitty Hawk was on the 03 level, directly below the flight deck, so I was one floor “below” the Crash fire trucks.

The “Working Stiff” Years Reveille

Once I graduated from college, I was a “working man,” so to speak. Nothing like the Navy and nothing like the fire department, but definitely making a lot more money as an Electronics Design Engineer.

Now, instead of Reveille, I used an alarm clock. Not the bell ringer type I had during high school, but this new-fangled electronic marvel had a built-in radio to gently wake you. And, it was so advanced, it had FM stations, too.

Since we only had one country music station in Gainesville at the time, it was set to that station. My wife wasn’t so happy with “that” station selection to wake up to, which is why the alarm clock still sits on my side.

The “Kids Years” Reveille

Then, came the kids. No need for an alarm clock now… we had the “kid alarm.” Let me tell you, when you’re sleeping in the middle of the night and your child wakes up crying, the three most wonderful words to hear from your spouse… “I’ll get her.” I stole that line from somewhere, years ago, but it’s still funny to me.

And, just when you got used to having your baby “sleep in” past six in the morning, another one comes along, 2½ years later. The routine starts all over again.

I make fun of this, but we have two great kids. Well… they’re not really kids anymore. Both are married and working professionals. I tell Becky all the time, “We must’ve done something right.”

The “Retirement Years” – the New Reveille

We both turned 65 late last year and are now retired. “Livin’ the dream,” as we used to say in the Navy. We’re happy in Florida, and staying healthy and keeping busy. That’s what retirement should be, right?

Just when we thought we could start to sleep in, we had a new “alarm” show up on our front door a little more than a year ago.

Moosche is a 2-year-old stray cat that wandered up to our front door. We tried, but couldn’t find the owner. No ID, no nuthin’. Despite attempts to re-home him, we/he finally decided we are his new family. He’s a good cat. He really is…

… but, he’s an early riser. While I do have an alarm beside the bed (the same one above that we’ve had for 25+ years), and I do set it, I’m finding that it’s really just a backup.

The “Moosche” alarm starts right around daybreak. When the sky is just starting to lighten and the birds start to wake up (love the sound of birds around the yard), we hear a slight “mew.”

We “hit” the snooze button (i.e., we “ignore” him). Then a minute or so later, a little louder “mew.” And if one of us is not up pronto (“Becky, I want to see two feet on the floor”), then we get the “Meoooowwww” alarm. That’ll get you moving.

He is a good cat, really (I keep telling myself that). But, he’s not anything like my mom’s gentle wake up. He’s not Reveille, though I’ve tried to teach him to hum it. He’s not a Klaxon alarm… yet.

He’s just the newest type of alarm for us retired folks. And I’m getting used to it… and to him.

I’m learning, slowly but surely, “People have dogs, cats have staff.”

Until we meet again,
Andy

Andy Adkins is a US Navy veteran (’73-77) and the author of several books. His newest novel, NEVER FORGET, is the story of A Vietnam Veteran’s Journey for Redemption & Forgiveness. NEVER FORGET is FREE (eBook, PDF) for all veterans. Download your FREE copy HERE.

Answers:

1. Stephen Covey
2. Hitch (2005), Will Smith (“Hitch”)
3. The Beatles, We Can Work it Out (1966); written by John Lennon & Paul McCartney