A Veteran's Journey

Trivia Questions (Answers @ end)

1. Who said, “Life is good when you are happy; but it’s much better when others are happy because of you.”?
2. In what movie (and who said it) did we hear, “I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.”?
3. In what song (and who sang it) did we hear the following?
   Now if you feel that you can’t go on
   Because all of your hope is gone,
   And your life is filled with much confusion
   Until happiness is just an illusion,
   And your world around is crumblin’ down;

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Thanks to those who commented on my previous blog, “#51 – Shore Patrol: It’s Not Just a Job, It’s an Adventure”. Several were spot on and reminded me of things I’d forgotten. Here’s a few more Shore Patrol “memories” from other shipmates & sailors:

• “Po City in those days was the ‘Wild, Wild West.’ You had to experience it to believe it.”
• “Herding drunks with a night stick.”
• “Best SP duty was in the Med, guarding the row of brothels while access to those places was by rank, rate, and desperation!”
• “Rough duty at NAS Miramar theater. Stand by the front door, watch everyone come in, watch the movie, stand by the front door and watch everyone leave. Then, go home.”
• “Olongapo City; I was 130 lbs, but paired with a big 6’3”, 200 lb Polish kid—no one gave us any crap.”
• “Wearing whites when we started the watch, but ended up with a dirty crotch from the bar girls grabbing me when I entered their bar.”
• “Watching over the drunks on the ‘Barf Bus’ and trying to get them back to the boat.”

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Technically—and I use that term loosely—a “Short Timer” describes a military member with less than 90 days until s/he is transferred to another duty station or is discharged from 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.

Anyone still use this phrase today, whether it’s retirement, time before a much-needed vacation, or time before leaving the in-laws? I know I do!

The Vietnam War Era

During the Vietnam War, a “normal” tour of duty was one year for Army and Air Force, 13 months for 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’d join 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) 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 Kitty Hawk were full of mixed feelings. Those emotions were different than when I left Guam (my 1st duty station) after 15 months.

I wasn’t leaving a girlfriend—I was leaving a home. I wasn’t being transferred to another duty station—I was leaving for 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 because 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 than 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) 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 pull over 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”

While I was technically out of the Navy, I was still considered “Inactive Reserve,” meaning the Navy could call me up out of the blue if they needed me. I would be 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 days when you met a FNG and was 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!

Kitty Hawk Decommissioning

I wrote about this before (USS Kitty Hawk, CV-63 Decommission), but it’s important for me to circle back.

After 48 years of service, USS Kitty Hawk was decommissioned in Bremerton Shipyards, WA on January 31, 2009. Her active duty covered the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and the Global War on Terror. I spent 2½ years aboard her from March 1975 through July 1977, when I was discharged from the Navy.

Veterans sometimes use the term, “Closure.” When I walked off the After brow in July 1977, all I wanted to do was to get off the ship and out of the Navy. But in January 2009, I flew out to Bremerton to attend her decommission ceremony and that is something I’ll never forget.

For me, visiting Kitty Hawk one last time brought back a flood of memories, mostly good. I was better able to reflect on what I’d accomplished since leaving the Navy in 1977.

I’ve been a City Firefighter, I’ve been an Electronics Engineer, I’ve been a Legal Technology Consultant, I’ve been an IT Director, I’ve been a CIO, and I’m a published author. Each one of these “careers” has been a stepping stone from one to another. “Life is a journey…”

But I can honestly say that being a United States Navy Veteran and having worked on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier is what stands out the most.

I don’t quibble about “what may have been” if I’d taken a different path; it would simply be a waste of time. Like my father’s WWII 80th Infantry Division motto, I find it much easier to “Only Move(s) Forward.” During these challenging days and times of COVID, that daily mantra helps me keep things in perspective.

One more point to make

During World War II, soldiers & sailors were sent overseas (Europe and Pacific) for the “duration of the war.” For some, it meant more than a year; for others, possibly wounded or replacements, only a few months. But they did not know when the war would end AND when they’d come home. They never got to experience the, “30 Days and a Wake up.”

During the Vietnam War, Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force personnel were overseas for a “tour of duty” – 12 or 13 months, but they knew their DEROS, their “Date Eligible Return from Overseas,” so they could say with reasonable assurance, “30 Days and a Wake up.”

Our current situation–COVID–is an unknown. We simply just don’t know how long before things return to “normal,” whatever that may be. But I, for one, look forward to that day when we can all say, “30 Days and a Wake up!”

And as my Vietnam veteran buddies often say, “There it is!“

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:

• #51 – Shore Patrol: It’s Not Just a Job, It’s an Adventure
• #17 – From Sailor to Civilian
• #31 – USS Kitty Hawk, CV-63 Decommission

Answers

1. Pope Francis.
2. When Harry Met Sally (1989); Harry Burns (Billy Crystal).
3. Reach Out I’ll Be There (1966); Four Tops, written by Holland-Dozier-Holland.