A Veteran's Journey

Trivia Questions (Answers @ end)

1. Who said, “In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.”?
2. Who said (and in what movie), “That is one big pile of crap.”?
3. In what song (and who sang it) do we hear the following lyrics?
   Everybody’s talking ’bout
   Bagism, Shagism, Dragism, Madism, Ragism, Tagism
   This-ism, that-ism, is-m, is-m, is-m
   All we are saying is ….

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A few months after our Westpac ’75 cruise, USS Kitty Hawk set sail for the Bremerton Shipyards, for a year-long scheduled maintenance period. This dry dock time would include a $100 million complex overhaul, beginning in March 1976 and ending in April 1977.

Bremerton, Washington is located on Puget Sound in the magnificent and breathtaking Pacific Northwest.  

Prior to leaving San Diego, several shipmates crossed over to another carrier for the next Westpac. But after careful consideration, I chose to head north with Kitty Hawk. It was the right decision for me and, while I didn’t know it at the time, that path helped set my life’s journey. I blogged about the onboard shipyard experience a few weeks ago.

Off Duty in Bremerton

Our normal workday in the shipyards was 0730 to 1700 (5:00 p.m.). V-1 Division had 6 sections, so we had section duty every six days. That meant we stayed aboard the ship that entire day and night. Many of us in the division were single, so staying aboard wasn’t that big of a deal.

Bremerton is not well-known for its downtown nightlife. Of course, there were a few bars right outside the main gate, but that’s probably true of most military bases.

Not that all men & women in the military drink—many of us also liked to play shuffleboard. You know those waist high tables, 2 feet wide, 20 feet long with plenty of saw dust. Yeah, those “indoor” shuffleboards. And darts… who didn’t play darts in a bar?

New “Duty Station” Surroundings

It wasn’t long before I settled into my “normal routine” for a new duty station: get acclimated to my new surroundings, find the best bars, drink cheap beer, and find good, cheap places to eat. Then, after a few months, wind down and stay onboard more, but take time explore the area. This would become my shipyard off duty routine.

And let me tell you, Puget Sound has many scenic drives and beautiful destinations. My good friend and fellow V-1 Division Yellow shirt, Jack Kuiphoff, settled down in Port Orchard, WA after he left the Navy.

That was my routine when I first arrived at NAS Agana, Guam and again, in San Diego while in port. Hong Kong and Japan were short visits, and I really did explore more of the area outside the bars. I just wished I’d done more of that in the Philippines, our overseas home port for Westpac ’75.

The weather in Bremerton, as throughout most of the Puget Sound area, is typically drizzly, dreary, and wet. But there are times when it is absolutely beautiful. On those cloudless, crisp, blue, “Champagne days,” there is no prettier place on God’s green earth.

Bill’s Inn

While there were several bars near the main gate, I found “my place.” An out of the way bar with a live band called, “Bill’s Inn.” I and several other shipmates frequented Bill’s many times. Now and then, we’d stay until closing time. Why does Mickey Gilley’s song, “Don’t the Girls all Get Prettier at Closing Time,” ring a bell?

It was after one of those late night/early mornings that I learned a valuable lesson. When you stop at an all-night diner for midrats, it helps if they have pictures of the food. Yeah, you know exactly what I mean.

Tell me I’m not the only one who discovered that important tidbit of information. Go ahead… I’ll wait.

Sunday nights at Bill’s Inn was jam night. That meant anyone could get on stage with the band and jam with or without an instrument. I, “Chet” Adkins, was a regular there on Sunday nights. One night while jamming, I was in for the surprise of my life.

I was twelve years old when I got my first guitar. My sister, Anne, had given me a record called, “Play Guitar with the Ventures.” The Ventures was an instrumental group with a ton of hits in the 60s such as Wipeout, Pipeline, Hawaii Five-O, and Walk, Don’t Run. I literally learned how to play guitar with The Ventures.

I was on stage one Sunday night, jamming with the house band, when a tall, skinny guy joined us and took over the lead guitar. I was playing rhythm and belting out Hank Williams and Patsy Cline tunes while Nokie Edwards was playing lead behind me.

Nokie was the lead guitarist for The Ventures. I was beside myself. Here I was singing some of my favorite country songs and the lead guitarist backing me up was the guy who literally taught me how to play, though he obviously didn’t know. It was almost like a dream.

We found a little time to chat, but being from the Tacoma, WA area, his fans swamped him. That was a night I would never forget the rest of my life.

Mount Rainier

I’m from North Central Florida—it doesn’t snow here… well, except that one time when I was away… in the Navy.

Bremerton is only two hours from Mt. Rainier, a 14,000+ foot high gorgeous snow-capped beauty in the Cascades. I drove up to Mt. Rainier with a friend on January 1, 1977. That was the first time in my life I’d ever seen snow. I was the kid in the candy store, throwing snow balls, making snow angels, slipping and sliding every which way, and busting my butt several times. I had the time of my life. And to think it took twenty-two years for that to happen.

I would visit Mt. Rainier again—many times. After college, Becky & I moved to Kent, WA to work for Weyerhaeuser Company, headquartered in Federal Way, WA. We spent a wonderful year in the Pacific Northwest. And yes, we visited Bremerton a few times, though it just didn’t seem the same as it did in the mid-70s.

My first Chevy

I didn’t own a car before joining the Navy. When I was in high school, my dad bought a 1954 Willy’s Jeep: three-on-the-floor, NO power steering, and a hardtop. We used it mostly for hunting, but when I was old enough, my dad taught me how to drive a stick. I drove the jeep daily to high school. I’d later drive a 5-speed manual Crash truck when I was stationed in Guam.

One day, coming home from school during a downpour, I traveled down a muddy road to our house. Long story short, the jeep slipped sideways and hit a pothole. It flipped over onto its top—thank God there was a hard top. I got banged up a bit, but after recovering, I cut the top off and drove it around. But I digress…

While in Bremerton, I figured it was time to buy my own vehicle. My dad had sold the jeep after I left for the Navy, and since I was also working part-time at a gas station, I had a little extra spending money. Besides, I made Second Class Petty Officer (ABH-2) while in the shipyards and was making $492 a month.

I ordered (you could order cars back then and get what you want) a new 1976 Chevy pickup truck from a Gig Harbor, WA dealership. “3-on-a-tree,” 350 cu. in. engine, and I put a camper top on it. Total cost was about $4,500. I called her the “Chet Mobile.”

Everybody remembers their first car or truck they bought, right? How many of you had a nickname for yours? Let me know in the comments below.

Olympic Community College

One of the other things I wanted to accomplish while in Bremerton was to take a course or two at the local community college. I mean… why not? I certainly had the extra time and didn’t frequent the bars as much.

I enrolled in a basic electronics class at Olympic Community College. Prior to this class, about the only thing I knew about electricity was how to turn a light switch on and off… and even then, only when I was sober. But, I digress…

Since I knew my 4-year military commitment would end in July ‘77, I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.

At that time, the class cost $83. We met four evenings a week. The Navy picked up 75% of the tuition, so I only had to lay out about twenty bucks. Pretty good—I was learning how to work the Navy system.

Taking this course set me on another “journey” in my life. I would eventually return to college (University of Florida) and earn a Bachelor’s degree in Electronics Engineering. A few years later, I’d graduate from UF again with a Master’s in Engineering. That set the foundation for my career. But I digress…

Goodbye, Bremerton

After January 1, 1977, every letter I wrote home I began with the “188 days and a wake up” or however many days I had left in the Navy. Am I the only one that did that?

I was getting short and I could feel it. I tried not to let it affect me, but as many military men and women will confess, your attitude changes. And yes, eventually, I did make my own short-timer’s chain, though the V-1 Division MCPO didn’t like to see such things.

Master Chief Breig (V-1 Division MCPO) pulled me aside a few times to talk about reenlisting. While he and I rarely saw eye-to-eye, I politely listened. In 1977, the Navy offered ABHs $1,200 to re-enlist for 6 years. I’d also heard they offered “Nukes” (nuclear submariners) $20,000 to re-up for 4 years. That was an easy, “Thanks, but no thanks” for me.

While a few shipmates may not have appreciated our time in the Bremerton shipyards, I tried to take advantage of both the area and our time off. The shipyard experience is no comparison to a cruise. Nothing will ever match the challenges and excitement of working on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier.

However, this was a lesson that stayed with me. Some jobs aren’t as glamourous as others, but you do it because it’s your job, like it or not. And, sometimes the location of those crappy jobs far outweigh the dullness—take advantage of these opportunities when you can. And yes, I still do that.

I knew the Navy was not for me, but I would soon complete my four-year commitment. During my time in Bremerton, I felt my attitude changed and I began to wind down my short “Three Years, Eleven Months, & 29 Days” Navy career.

Chance…. or Fate?

Had I crossed over to another ship and made another Westpac cruise instead of going with Kitty Hawk to Bremerton, I would have missed out on my first snow experience and purchasing my Chevy truck. Most important, I may not have discovered my love for math, physics, and electronics that led me to become an Electronics Engineer.

Decisions & choices—I’m at that point in my life when I look back on some of these paths I’ve taken and wonder if they were really my decisions or God’s. I would ask myself that very question many more times.

Stay safe, my friends.

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.

Previous posts mentioned in this blog:

• #30 – USS Kitty Hawk at Bremerton Shipyards, Part 1
• #26 – That Adrenaline Rush
• #20 – Port Call: Philippines
• #15 – Tattoo– Yes… or No
• #23 – Rough Seas: Sea of Japan

Answers

1. John Muir.
2. Ian Malcom (Jeff Goldblum), Jurassic Park (1993).
3. Give Peace a Chance (1969), Plastic Ono Band; written by John Lennon.