A Veteran's Journey

Trivia Questions (Answers @ end)

1. Who said, “The only person who never makes a mistake is the person who never does anything.”?
2. In what movie (and who said it) did we hear, “I feel the need… the need for speed.”?
3. What song (and which movie) did we hear the following:
   Everything is awesome
   Everything is cool when you’re part of a team
   Everything is awesome, when we’re living our dream

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Restricted Traveling… Bummer

Our son, his beautiful wife, and our two grandsons live in San Diego. Our son has been there since he graduated college in 2006 and they married in 2010. They love the area and while we visit a couple of times a year (at least, before COVID), we try to stay in touch with them several times a month.

Since COVID, however, we’ve been using video—Facetime, Zoom, and FB Messenger Kids—you know the drill. It’s not anywhere close to being there physically, but given the current situation, we make do. In fact, our oldest grandson calls several times a week using his iPad, which is… in a word… awesome! He calls and reads books to me.

D.J. is almost nine years old; his younger brother is almost seven. They are both smart and creative, athletic and coordinated, and have long blonde curly hair (sort of like I used to, before the Navy). I’m not biased by any means, though I will confess… I am their grandfather.

We hope to get out there later this year to visit. It’s not a sure thing, but that’s the goal. Time will tell.

Meanwhile, I’ve been thinking… it’s been more than a year since we’ve seen them in person and… he’s almost nine years old… and maybe, just maybe… (I’m sure my wife, my son, my daughter-in-law… and my daughter will correct me if I’m wrong) maybe I can tell him what I did when I was in the Navy.

A Little Background

Most of those who regularly read my blog already know this, but bear with me… it’s how I might start my conversation with DJ.

I served with the United States Navy from July 1973-77; one day short of four years. In fact, I wrote a book titled, Three Years, Eleven Months, & 29 Days: But Who’s Counting. Yeah, I know—don’t give up my day job.

My rating (i.e., my job) was an Aviation Boatswain’s Mate-Handler (ABH2); I was a 2d Class Petty Officer when I left the Navy. As an ABH, I was an aircraft Crash firefighter and a Yellow Shirt director, and had two duty stations: NAS Agana, Guam (’73-75) and USS Kitty Hawk, CV-63 (’75-77). My only cruise was Westpac ’75. While aboard Kitty Hawk, I was also a radio DJ: “Country Chet Adkins,” and had the 0600-0800 morning show.

I’ve blogged many times about these experiences.

How Do You Tell a 9-Year-Old About the Navy?

First of all, I don’t think it would be a good idea for DJ to sign up for my weekly blog… at least, not yet. Perhaps in a few years.

While he may learn a thing or two about the Navy, I’d be worried that he might ask his teacher for the latest “scuttlebutt” or ask her if he needed to “sign her ID10T form.”  

But what if he wanted to know about the Navy? How would I respond? I “sorta” envision a conversation similar to the following. Picture this… we’re on the living room floor, building an aircraft carrier out of Legos.

Laying the Foundation—Boot Camp

Me, laying the carrier flight deck with several large 12” x 6” flat Lego pieces: “Did you know I was in the Navy?”

DJ, helping me build the carrier responds: “Yep. You tell me every time you visit, Granddad.” He doesn’t look me in the eye; his focus is on building the Lego carrier.

Me: “Do you want to know what I did in the Navy?”

DJ, continues to add layers to the flight deck: “Sure, Granddad.” I can’t tell if he’s really interested in the Navy or focused on the Legos. At this point, I know he’s humoring me, but stay with me here. This could get interesting.

DJ: “What’s the Navy, Granddad?”

Me, with a wide grin, about to lay out my best first impression of the Navy to my grandson: “I’m glad you asked, DJ. The Navy is a branch of the United States military…”

How to explain “the military”

DJ, still focused on the flight deck: “What’s a ‘military,’ Granddad?”

I should also mention that DJ is inquisitive, like most 9-year-olds.

Me: “Well… you know the United States is a country, right? And the US became independent in 1776 with the Declaration of Independence, right?”

I know he knows this… it’s part of the school curriculum.

DJ: “Yes, Granddad. We learned all that in school.”

Me: “Good. Well… the military helps keep us safe from…”

At this point, I pause… am I the only one who questions whether I should continue along this line of reasoning?

Me: “The Navy is the part of the military that has ships, like the one I was on, USS Kitty Hawk. You know, like the one in downtown San Diego: USS Midway?”

DJ: “Wow, Granddad. You were on a ship that big?” Now he finally looks up at me, but only briefly. I smile at his quick glance.

Me, with a sigh of relief not having to explain the other branches of the military… just yet: “Yep. Kitty Hawk was a little bigger, though.”

A New Recruit—Why Navy Ships are Gray

Me, while adding gray (I made sure they had plenty of gray Legos) blocks to build the outer structure of the carrier: “I was only a few years older than you when I joined the Navy… well, maybe nine years older… okay, I was twice your age. I went to boot camp in Orlando, Florida, not far from where I grew up in Gainesville.”

DJ: “What’s boot camp, Granddad?” His focus is now helping me find more gray Lego pieces. An aircraft carrier is huge.

Me: What I really wanted to tell him was boot camp was where the Navy tried to kick your ass every day for six weeks, breaking everyone down as individuals, and building the company back up as a team. I wanted him to know I learned a new language and to share a few choice Navy “terms.” I really wanted to tell him about “deck parties” and “Hello Dollys.” But instead, I simply said, “Boot camp is where you learn to become a sailor with a lot of physical exercise. It wasn’t like playing soccer like you and your brother do, or swimming, but it was more like jumping jacks and pushups.”

Sidebar…

At that point, I demonstrate a pushup… actually 33 of them. I used to be able to do as many pushups as my age, but when I hit 55, I decided I’d stop there. I’ve only been able to repeat that once… in two sets.

But I digress…

Me: “Do you know why ships are painted gray?”

DJ: “Is it because it’s your favorite color, Granddad?”

Me, beaming like a tomato on the front of a seed catalog: “No, it’s because after years of studies, the Navy determined that gray was a harder color to see, especially against the horizon when you’re from far away.”

DJ: “Oh.”

“A” School—Adding the Island

Me, beginning to work on the superstructure, otherwise known as the island: “After boot camp, I had to go to a special school to learn how to fight fires.”

DJ, looking up at me with a somewhat questionable look: “You were a fireman, Granddad?”

Me, again beaming like a tomato on the front of a seed catalog: “Yes, both when I was in the Navy and when I first got out of the Navy, though that was a little different.”

DJ: “Did you get to fight any fires?”

Me, my hands stop trying to take apart that blasted Lego piece that seems like somebody applied super glue (tell me I’m not the only one who struggles with that): “Yes, I did. Both in the Navy and when I was a city firefighter.”

DJ, focused on the Legos: “Oh.”

There’s a Reason for “Why?”

DJ, after both of us pause for a few moments, neither knowing if the other wanted to talk about fires: “A couple of months ago, we saw some firetrucks down the street and there was a fire in a house.”

Me, after asking myself if this is something I should talk about with my grandson. I don’t know what he saw. A pause… then: “Did it take the firemen long to put out the fire, DJ?”

DJ, back to helping me find more gray Lego pieces for the island: “It didn’t seem long at all. Dad [my son] said they put the fire out within a few minutes and nobody was at home. It was down the hill, so we didn’t watch for very long.”

Me, exhaling a sigh of relief: “That’s good. The firemen did their job and put out the fire, and I’m grateful nobody was hurt. When Grammy and I drove by that house the other day, we didn’t see any damage, so it must have been a small fire. Let’s hope so, anyway.”

NAS Agana, Guam—Adding Aircraft

Me, telling DJ about my time in Guam at a Naval Air Station: “After my firefighting school, the Navy sent me to Guam; it’s an island in the South Pacific. Do you remember going to Hawaii?”

DJ, shaking his head front and back, excitedly: “Yep. I love Hawaii. We may even go again this summer when school is out and if the pandemic is over.”

Me, trying to steer away from any discussion of the pandemic; I’m sure DJ & his younger brother have been inundated with masks, sanitizer, social distancing, and everything else: “I hope you get to go to Hawaii. I’ve been there a few times, too, but my first time was in the Navy.

“Guam is kind of like Hawaii… you know, beaches, clear water, and warm sunshine. I was there for 15 months, but that was a long time ago… even before your daddy was born. I liked it and hope to visit again sometime.”

DJ, looking for different colored Lego pieces; he already knows how to build airplanes with Legos: “Were you a fireman in Guam, Granddad?”

Me, wanting to go into great detail about the different kinds of aircraft on Guam: the C-130 Hercules, the A-3 Whales, the C-121 Constellations, the P-3 Orions, and the dozens of emergencies we responded to on our shift, and I how learned to drive all five different Crash trucks, and when off-duty went scuba diving, learned to fly an airplane, and visited a lot of bars…

But then I simply answer, “Yep, I was a fireman in Guam, DJ.”

We build our first airplane—it’s not an exact replica of an A-7 Corsair, but at least he can pronounce the name.

The Flight Deck—Launch & Recovery

DJ, working on the next aircraft—I tell him it’ll be an F-4 Phantom and he likes to say that, F-4 Phantom: “Granddad.”

Me: “Yes, DJ.”

DJ: “You said earlier you were on a big ship, like the one in downtown San Diego. Did you go there after Guam?”

Me, trying not to be an obviously happy Granddad who’s carrying on this wonderful conversation about the Navy while building a Lego aircraft carrier: “Yes, I was. After Guam, I first flew home to see my mom, dad, and sister because I hadn’t seen them in a long time. In fact, back then, we didn’t have computers or cell phones or iPads to talk with them. We wrote letters—that’s how we stayed in touch.”

DJ: “Oh. That’s a bummer; you didn’t have computers or iPads.”

Me: “Yep. But after three weeks at home, I flew back out here to San Diego to start working on the ship. Hand me a few small yellow Legos and I’ll build the afterburners for the Phantoms.”

“After”… what?

DJ: “What’s an afterburner?”

Me, realizing I may have just created a rabbit hole: “It’s a way to make the F-4 Phantom go faster.”

DJ: “You mean like when you push me really high on the swing and mom runs over to talk to you?”

Me, blushing—he knows: “Yep. Just like that.”

DJ: “Oh.”

DJ, after taking the Lego F-4 Phantom with yellow afterburners from my hand, jumping up and running around the living room yelling, “Watch me, Granddad. I can really fly fast with after… after… after… what?”

Me: “Burners.”

DJ: “Afterburners.”

Finishing Up

With a happy heart and a grin from ear-to-ear, we finished building the Lego aircraft carrier, complete with a Lego A-7 Corsair, a Lego F-4 Phantom, and a somewhat strange looking Lego E-2 Hawkeye. Well… almost.

When you’re having a deep conversation with your 9-year-old grandson, you can imagine the unimaginable.

Other Navy grandfathers know exactly what I’m talking about.

Me, testing the waters for a future sailor: “DJ. What do you think? Would you like to be in the Navy and be a firefighter on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier like your old granddad?”

DJ: “Is it time to eat yet? We’ve just built a really big aircraft carrier. I’m hungry.”

Me, with a sigh… a happy sigh, though. “Yes, of course. I’m hungry too. We’ll build another carrier in a few more years. Would you like me to make you some SOS?”

One more…

What does a retired engineer do to keep busy when there’s a table full of assorted Legos scattered about? Sort them into colors and sizes.

I love my grandsons (and their parents) and hope to see them soon.

Until we meet again,
Andy

Answers

1. Theodore Roosevelt.
2. Top Gun (1986), Lt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise).
3. Everything is AWESOME!!!, “The Lego Movie” (2014) by Tegan and Sara; written by Jorma Taccone, Andrew D. Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, Joshua Bartholomew, Shawn Michael Patterson, and Lisa Rae Harriton.

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.