A Veteran's Journey

Trivia Questions (Answers @ end)

1. Who said, “There are no times like the old times; they shall never be forgot.”
2. In what movie did we hear (and who said it), “There’s no place like home.”?
3. In what song (and who sang it) did we hear:
   I’m sitting in the railway station
   Got a ticket for my destination

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Technically—and I use that term loosely—a “Short Timer” refers to a military member who has fewer than 90 days before they transfer to another duty station or leave the service.

It also implies a certain “GAF” attitude that often accompanies said military member during those last days.

A “Short Timer’s chain” is a physical symbol that one might wear signifying their status. I know a few shipmates who fashioned theirs out of various items, including twine or office paper clips; one link/clip representing a single day and usually starting with 30 links.

In my time (’73-77), the Short Timer’s Chain wasn’t as popular as the Short Timer’s Calendar, primarily because (in my experience) Navy Chiefs didn’t like the additional paraphernalia (i.e., it wasn’t part of the “Uniform of the Day”).

Personally, I think they were just jealous because I was leaving and they weren’t.

The verbal Short Timer equivalent is, “30 days and a wake up” or however many days are left before departing. The intensity & relief uttering this specific phrase increases as the days count down; I can tell you that from experience.

The Vietnam War Era

During the Vietnam War, a “normal” tour of duty was one year for the Army and Air Force, 13 months for the Marines, and if you were a sailor “lucky enough” to be stationed in-country, also 12 months. It was not unusual for these men (and women) to list the number of months left on their tour on their helmets.

When the soldier or sailor reached “99 Days and a Wake-up,” they joined the ranks of what was commonly known as the double-digit midget. THAT was a big day… you could see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Troops often created a special “Short Timer Calendar” to track their last 100 days. Many represented an outline of a well-endowed young lady. The idea was that the Short Timer would color in the 100 numbered segments day-by-day. The last three days to color in were located … well … use your imagination.

Other popular Short Timer calendars included a hand with the middle finger extended up (i.e., the “bird”) or a picture of the ever-popular Snoopy.

It wasn’t that much different in the Navy aboard a ship (USS Kitty Hawk for me) or stationed on dry land (NAS Agana, Guam). Once you reached those remaining days, your overall attitude also changed … many of us just didn’t “Give a Flip” (GAF). Well … we really did care, but we didn’t want to show it.

Last Days Aboard Kitty Hawk

My last few days aboard the Kitty Hawk were full of mixed feelings. Those emotions were different from when I left Guam (my first duty station) after being stationed there for 15 months.

I wasn’t leaving a girlfriend—I was leaving a home. I wasn’t being transferred to another duty station—I was going home. Kitty Hawk had been a great ship, and I considered most of the V-1 Division crew I worked with … family.

I had to complete a ton of paperwork, which I really didn’t mind. I knew the main reason was that I was being discharged. The last document I signed was my discharge paper, the infamous DD-214. No problem—“press hard, the third copy’s yours.”

We often call this a “Veteran’s Ph.D.”

And with that simple gesture, I was no longer a member of Uncle Sam’s Sailing Club. After four years, I was once again a civilian. Of course, at the time it didn’t really feel any different from going home on leave, and it would take some time before I realized I was truly out of the Navy.

Last Traditions

It is also a Navy tradition to have someone carry your seabag off the ship for you that one last time. I thought about it, but I didn’t ask anyone, mainly because I was ready to boogie and I’d already said my goodbyes.

After emptying my lockers in both Crash (I secretly kept one there without anyone knowing, after I became a Yellow Shirt Director) and in the V-1 Division berthing compartment, I stuffed my seabag with all my Navy uniforms as well as the few civvies I owned. The Navy lets you keep all of your uniforms—like I might wear them again.

I had dressed in civvies—blue jeans, a pullover shirt, and Keds lace-up sneakers—to make my last walk across the After brow.

As I’d done for the past 2 1/2 years, I saluted the Petty Officer of the Watch and asked one more time, “Permission to go ashore, sir.” He bid me farewell and wished me good luck. I saluted the flag one last time, even in civilian clothes—it was an old habit.

I thought about leaving a little “souvenir” behind, something for my buddies to remember ol’ Chet Adkins, but I didn’t. Like I said, I was ready to leave. It was me, my seabag, and my 12-string guitar.

There was no fanfare, no band, no one on the pier waiting for me. There were no tears or sorrowful looks. I walked out to my truck, threw my seabag in the back, and headed out through the North Island Naval Air Station gate one last time.

It had been an interesting career, my first of many, though I didn’t know it at the time. For me… Three Years, Eleven Months, and 29 Days: But Who’s Counting?

“Reserve”

Although I was technically out of the Navy, they still considered me “Inactive Reserve,” which meant they could call me up unexpectedly if they needed me. I would be in the inactive reserve for two more years.

My dad, a WWII Army veteran, suggested that I stay in the active Navy Reserve, which meant I would have to meet one weekend a month and two weeks during the summer.

But after thinking hard about it for exactly 1.2 seconds, I said, “No, I’d had enough.”

Do You Remember?

Remember those last days as a Short Time and when you met a FNG and were able to say, loud & proud, “I’m so short that …”?

• I won’t write another letter because I’ll beat it home!
• I’m too short for long conversations!
• I could jump off the edge of a quarter and scream “AAAAHHHH” all the way down!
• I can sit on a dime and dangle my feet!
• I have to jump up to look down!
• I have to use a ladder to scratch a snake’s belly!

Until we meet again,
Andy Adkins

Andy Adkins is a US Navy veteran (’73-77) and the author of several books (www.azadkinsiii.com), many of which are free downloads (PDF, eBook format). He is currently retired and lives in Gainesville, Florida with his wife and life-long soulmate, Becky.

Answers:

1. Oliver Wendell Holmes.
2. The Wizard of Oz (1939); Dorothy (Judy Garland). [Ed note: Yeah, this one was easy, but felt so right.]
3. Homeward Bound (1966); Simon & Garfunkel; written by Paul Simon.